Author Archives: Tasneem Essajee

Full of cheeky banter, Aliasger’s easy manner makes him approachable and an absolute joy to work alongside with.

For those of you that don’t know, Aliasger is the nephew of one of Interiors By Design’s Directors – Mohammed Essajee.

Read on to get the juicy details of what it is REALLY like for our young Kitchen Fitter/Carpenter/Floor fitter to work with family.

So, AliAsger – what was your inspiration for becoming a Tradesman?

So my Grandfather Yunus, used to own the Hardware shop in Wigston (Wigston DIY) and I started my career by working in the same shop.

Initially I wanted to do Physiotherapy but was given the opportunity to do an Apprenticeship through my Uncle’s (Hussein Essajee) Wigston based Flooring business – Floors By Design.

As part of my Apprenticeship, I gained a Level 3 Floor Fitting Qualification in Textile & Safety Flooring and went on to achieve a Level 2 Carpentry & Joinery Qualification.

I started my Apprenticeship in 2016 and qualified in 2018 and have been working in the Trade ever since. Apprenticeships were a new thing at the time so I was studying whilst working, gaining valuable experience simultaneously.  

I now fit kitchens and bedrooms for Interiors By Design Clients and have a good working rapport with both the Directors – my uncle Mohammed Essajee and Simon Colbourne.

After about 5 years in the Trade, which Tools would you never be without?

I would have to say my Festool Track Saw, my hammer, impact driver and combi-drill. Oh and I would never be without a box of 30mm screws!

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What would you consider your Best investment in either tools, machinery or skills?

Without a doubt, my Festool Vacuum.

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What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to become a Kitchen Fitter?

Invest in a Festool Track Saw – don’t go for a cheap one.

Stay focused and be willing to work long days and hard hours.

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What are the Pros and Cons of working with family?

Why would you NOT work with family?

To be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Any issues on site and I can call up to help with troubleshooting. If a job doesn’t go to plan then I will change or correct things to the best of my ability.

A typical working day in Aliasger’s life consists of leaving the house by 8am to get to the site. After a quick tea, he tends to work till 4pm, stopping for lunch and a couple more tea breaks in between.

After finishing at site, Aliasger usually goes to another job or survey. Sometimes he goes straight home to catch up on quoting for jobs.

In his spare time, Aliasger can be found playing football, cycling or helping out at his parent’s small business (Pricegate & Henson’s Hardware in Groby).

Check out our Instagram page@interiors.by.designand @amcarpentry.flooring to see some of the beautiful kitchens and bedrooms, fitted by Aliasger.

Lisa has been with us for a few months now, and we would like to share with you her interior design experience and some useful insights on the process of creating dream kitchens and bedrooms.

Hi Lisa! Let’s start off with a brief outline of your journey before working for Interiors By Design.

My passion for kitchens started when I was 16 and got the opportunity to do a week’s work experience with MFI. My father comes from a building and decorating background and my family owned a carpet business in Wales, where I worked part-time as a Designer.

After raising a young family, you made the bold decision to go back to University and study Interior Design and Interior Architecture. Can you tell us about that?

So, I did long-distance Interior Design Courses when my children were younger, which were fantastic, but I wanted more hands-on experience. An Interior Design Course became available at Barry College, and I ended up receiving a Gold Medal of Excellence for my work. I also made lots of models which were submitted to the Welsh Eisteddfod, which have since gone on to be displayed in London Exhibitions. 

I started my own business, now known as Luscious Creations (taken from my initials) but being a people person, I missed the social interaction that is found working alongside a team of colleagues and customers. Through my experience of working for various companies, I was introduced to the world of kitchens. 

After relocating to Leicester, I still wanted to create kitchens, and after applying for a job at Interiors By Design, I haven’t looked back since. It has been my everything so far.

Your field is Interior Design – You create schemes. What made you decide to come back to kitchens? Does it not get repetitive? 

It did when I was working for a previous company, as there were contract kitchens in similar styles.

I love the environment and creativity of kitchens, how they are built and different styles of function. I am a functional person and a problem-solver and that comes through in my kitchens as well. In interior design, you have to think about circulation when placing your furniture, and as a designer, I see the same things in a kitchen, as I would in another area of your home.

How do you feel Interiors By Design stands out from other kitchen/bedroom companies?

It is bespoke. This stands out to me from the normal. In terms of bespoke, we also do painted kitchens as well, which I think is fantastic. If there is a colour we don’t have to hand here, if the customer brings in a swatch and we can get the cabinets painted in that specific colour. As we manufacture in-house, we are able to create bespoke carcassed where other companies would use a filler, leaving the customer with wasted space.

Bedrooms – Have you designed any whilst you have been working here?

Yes, I have. I’m used to doing kitchens and bathrooms and I have been on Surveys as well. I’m finding as we make our own carcasses, there is no standard size for things, which makes it a challenge but that is something I will grab and run with and make it work. 

We are going to be having a new Showroom for Bedrooms fitted upstairs, so that will be really good.

Can you tell me about the Customer Relations you have built during your time here?

I’ve built a brilliant Customer rapport and it’s been great engaging with people from various backgrounds. Being a functional person, I will look at what is practical for the customer and their needs and steer them in the right direction.  For example, I will ask them how they cook, if they might need a double oven. It’s not a case of upselling but just filling in their needs and getting to understand them that way. That is a customer experience they normally wouldn’t get.

I think this is important because at the end of the day, we are Designers and we are here to create something unique – a beautiful and long lasting dream kitchen/bedroom.

And no, we don’t mean our local fish & chip shop!

At Interiors By Design, we have forged some fantastic working relationships with our Kitchen and Bedroom Fitters, Carpenters and Joiners.

We absolutely love the cheeky banter of our loyal Trade Customers who are always in and out of our Wigston (Leicester) based Kitchen Showroom and Workshop. Good Communication with our Fitters ensures for a positive end-customer experience.

To show our appreciation and support, we are delighted to introduce a new feature called “Meet The Chippy!” We hope to interview some of our valued Trade Customers and showcase some of their amazing work. We hope to give you insights into the magic that happens when they support small businesses like ourselves, whilst sharing some of their good humoured banter at the same time.

So, without further ado, let’s speak to Pete Thornwell from PT Interiors, based in Leicester.

Pete Thornwell is a Carpenter and Joiner by Trade and initially started out as a Bench Joiner. He continued to work with various builders and shopfitters and finally started working for himself under PT Interiors, four years ago.

With an NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Carpentry & Joinery and 16 years of experience in the Trade Industry, Pete has become a regular and valued Trade Customer at Interiors By Design.

We hope you enjoy this short and entertaining Interview.

Q) As someone who has been in the Carpentry and Joinery Industry for over 16 years, what Tools Of The Trade would you never be without?

“All the tools I’ve got are equally important. I am a big fan of using the Rail Saw, Plunge Saw and Circular Saw. I would never be without a pencil or a decent measuring tape.”

Q) What would you consider to be your best investment to date? Any Courses or Tools that have been particularly useful?

“The best investment I’ve made is my Plunge Saw by far.” With a slight cheeky nudge from Ollie sitting beside him, Pete adds with a smile, “Ollie would be considered a close second.”

Q) What advice would you offer anyone who is starting out in the Carpentry/Joinery Trade?

“Make sure you can use a measuring tape!” paying homage to the old adage; Measure Twice and Cut Once.”

“Mo (Mohammed Essajee) once ordered me a worktop. I cut it down at the workshop, thinking I’ll be safe with that. Once I took it back to fit, realised it was too short and had to order another. Mis-measurement ends up being a costly mistake that just eats into your profit margins.”

Wise words indeed!

Q) What does a typical day look like for you?

“Standard start is at 7:30 always with a coffee. Turn up to Site at 8:30am and work till 4:30pm.

Evenings are spent quoting jobs, gym, playing football and golf. I like to stay active now, never used to be.”

Q) How did you come across Interiors By Design?

“I was introduced to Mohammed Essajee and Simon Colbourne (Managing Directors at Interiors By Design), four years ago through a mutual friend in the Trade. I made the decision to start my own business, PT Interiors and decided I wanted to specialise mainly fitting wardrobes, kitchens and creating storage solutions.”

Q) What are the Pros & Cons of working with Interiors By Design?

“Quality Stuff!”

“When I fit something, it doesn’t need to have a drawing with it. Simon (being a mechanical engineer), has an engineering mind and is very particular on detail, making it very easy to communicate with him.”

“Even when there has been a miscommunication in the customer ordering process, the quality sells itself. Customers have still turned around and said they cannot fault the quality of the end product. The quality sells itself and cannot be written off.”

Interiors By Design would like to thank Pete and his apprentice Ollie, for taking part in our first “Meet The Chippy” Interview and wish them every future success. We have showcased his fantastic work on our instagram page @interiors.by.design.

From Concept to Completion, we manufacture and supply superior quality custom-made bedrooms and kitchens.

If you are looking to plan your Dream Kitchen/Fitted Bedroom why not give us a call or pop in to our Showroom in Wigston, Leicester.