THE FRONT DOOR SHOP - Out with the new and in with the old!

Brian Thompson, Director of Best Doors Joinery, has been in the door and joinery industry for many years. Over recent times he’s noticed a change in preferred styles – traditional is back.

After detailed research and to mirror current trends BDJoinery decided to design and build its own top of the range front doors. All the doors are built to exacting standards and high specifications by a team using all their experience and knowledge gained over many years in the industry.

BDJoinery is able to justifiably claim that its Premier Range of front doors exceeds the quality of many, if not all others, while remaining competitively priced. This is borne out by the beautiful finished product that is designed to last for many years when correctly maintained.

Highlights of the Premier range:
1 These oak engineered doors are far heavier and more robust than many suppliers’ products. They are designed and constructed to take years of use under direct attack from the elements.

2 The door’s inner core is made from the same oak engineered wood as the outer facia. This makes the doors eco-friendly because the inner wood rather than being scrapped, is used to make the door’s core. Generally speaking the inner wood is not up to facia standard due to its dark colours and occasional knots. By comparison most other companies will use primarily soft wood.

3 On the sides, top and bottom of the Premier Oak Range are 20mm x 44mm grade ‘A’ lippings. This allows for as much trimming as is required to accommodate different sized frames and doorways.

4 The facials veneer is commonly 2.5 times thicker than many companies’ doors and the doors are often thicker than many other firms’ front doors.

These are just some of the reasons BDJoinery stepped up to producing its own doors, due to it’s our belief that the quality of door builds has deteriorated over recent years.
You simply won't find a better designer-quality, bespoke oak door at a more affordable, off-the-shelf price.

“The door, the professional workmanship and finish is excellent. It’s an outstanding piece of work. Elaine and I want to give you and Matt a great big thanks for all you’ve done.”
Billy Byrne from BBC 1’s DIY SOS

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For further advice on the above or prices for our bespoke front doors call
Brian Thompson on 01702 421799 
Email: sales@bdjoineryltd.co.uk
Website: www.frontdoorshop.co.uk

For every tree BD Joinery use, another two trees are planted. BD Joinery is committed to the environment.

Tags: home, Doors, Best Doors Joinery

Emanuela Alladio of Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design shares her top ten tips for creating a stunning garden worthy of an RHS show garden in our own homes.

1. Frame the view: most gardens are viewed from the house and in order to work they need to relate back to it. Key details of the architecture of the house need to be repeated within the garden and views out should be nicely framed and lead the eye, inviting exploration to discover the garden.

2. Keep it simple: material choices should be kept to a minimum. For instance, one type of stone used in different finishes for inside and out or for areas of the garden with different characters, and use repetition in the planting too to create a sense of harmony.

3. Create a private haven: introduce a secluded area that feels intimate and tranquil where a glass of wine can be sipped or where it is possible to sit and relax. Introducing vertical elements such as a semi transparent screen, a wall or a tall hedge works wonderfully, creating an unexpected space that breaks down the emptiness of a garden and spurs us on to walk and discover what’s beyond.

4. Create something that looks good in every season: June is the month of the year where every garden looks at its best, with lavender, geraniums, alchemilla, roses etc. all flowering and in prime condition. Yet these plants can fade quickly leaving an empty gap for many months to come. Try and avoid planting plants that fade so quickly and choose instead a good backbone of evergreen shrubs and perennials that offer a long season of interest and maybe even some pretty seed heads for the winter.

5. Disguise the ugly bits: every garden has a view or wall that shouldn’t be looked at. Use plants and paths to lead the eyes away, encouraging focus elsewhere.

6. Boundaries are key: use hedging to frame a sharp and clean lawn or a well-defined border. This will produce neat shapes that help keep maintenance to a minimum and make the garden look crisp and fresh.

7. Let the plants speak for themselves: don’t overcrowd, but give them space to breathe and become established. Think about it in terms of layers of vertical interest and bring some taller perennials towards the front to break the mould and create a dynamic border and more interesting look.

8. Be bold: choose more of the same thing, so for instance put together two plants of the same colour (such as bronze fennel and black phormium) to create a good textural foil for the rest of the garden. A similar result can be achieved by repeating similar shapes at different levels (such as round pots, round lawns, allium heads etc.).

9. Don’t be afraid of grasses: grasses add a softness and a texture that is invaluable to any garden and they have very good longevity too, especially the ones with interesting seed heads.

10. Use splashes of colour to draw attention: but keep the overall picture harmonious by restricting the colour palette. The effect to be achieved is pleasing and not a muddled mix!


Profile: Alladio Sims
Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design Ltd was established in 2015 after Jon Sims and Emanuela Alladio collaborated on a Silver Gilt winning show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. The two directors continue their collaborative approach throughout their practice with Jon’s background in interior architecture giving distinctive spaces and Emanuela’s passion for plants and photographic eye adding great texture and contrast.

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Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design Limited
Unit C Willow House, Dragonfly Place, London SE4 2FJ
Website: www.alladiosims.co.uk
Email: hello@alladiosims.co.uk

Tags: Gardening, Alladio Sims

essence meets Hannah Markland, manager at Moore Place care home in Esher, to discover more about this contemporary residential home.

Ask Hannah Markland, the new manager at Moore Place care home in Esher, what the favourite part of her day is and without hesitation she’ll say that it’s chatting to the residents. “They are a real group of characters from all walks of life with amazing experiences,” she beams. “Spending time with them reminds me how much I love my job at Moore Place care home.”

Moore Place – an oasis
Hannah, who studied health and social care, brings with her a wealth of experience in the care industry which spans 16 years. “I gained most of my knowledge from a nurse that I worked with. She was an outstanding old-fashioned matron who put me through my paces as a young carer, but taught me so much about always achieving high standards and excellent care.” Such ambition, coupled with her great skills, is what has helped Hannah move forward in her new role as home manager at Moore Place.

A modern, high-quality residential care home set in luxurious and stunning surroundings, Moore Place, provided by Anchor Group, offers first class care and facilities, with spacious en-suite rooms in a light, contemporary and elegant setting over five floors. “You certainly can’t beat the views and the close proximity to Esher High Street, allowing residents to remain independent by enjoying trips to the local shops.”

Hannah continued: “We are also situated within the Surrey greenbelt, overlooking the Moore Place Golf Course. Our gardens are beautifully landscaped with colourful flowerbeds and a greenhouse for the green-fingered residents.”

With cosy lounges, a coffee lounge, an activity room, cinema and a hair and beauty salon, residents are never short of anything to do at Moore Place.


Excellence in care
A big part of Hannah’s approach to care is getting involved and not just sitting behind a desk all day. She enjoys meeting healthcare professionals and building relationships in the local community. “This way I can understand what is part of their agenda and how Moore Place can fit in.”

One of Hannah’s current projects is to focus on the dining experience at Moore Place. “It’s such an important part of our residents’ lives,” stresses Hannah. “Our chefs spend time and effort producing fantastic food and part of the experience is the service of the food which involves appealing presentation and ensuring it is visually colourful.” The environment during meal times is also a huge part of the dining experience. “The dining room needs to be relaxed and enjoyable. We have to remember that we wouldn’t enjoy a meal in a restaurant where waiters were chatting with each other, so in that respect our residents deserve to have a wonderful meal time too,” she explains.

Enjoying events and activities
A recent event at Moore Place that the residents, relatives and staff have taken part in is a screening of ‘The Sound of Music.’ This was following new research from Anchor which revealed the classic film is the favourite family film of today’s over 55s. “The screening was a great opportunity to bring different generations together for something everyone can enjoy,” enthused Hannah.

The summer will see several events at Moore Place, including resident and family barbecues, a staff and resident fun day and a cocktail party just to name a few.

Advice on choosing a care home
Hannah understands that one of the biggest challenges facing relatives today is the anguish and guilt associated with having to place a loved one in a care home. “That’s why it is so important for us to build relationships with the relatives so that we can support them as well as the resident through this transition,” says Hannah.

Hannah’s advice to anyone looking for care is to ask as many people in the home as possible about their experiences: “Everyone will have a different experience of care and you need to hear a range of opinions.” Speaking to the staff is also very important as they will help make an informed decision.

“While a typical day at Moore Place is certainly busy… we are constantly thinking of new ways to enhance our residents’ lives and engage them in the day to day running of Moore Place. Their opinions matter to us – after all this is their home and we look forward to making it as comfortable as possible for them.”

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Website: www.moore-place.org.uk
Telephone: 0808 102 5084

Tags: Moore Place Golf Course, Moore Place, luxurious, stunning surroundings