Meet The Chippy – Pete Thornwell
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.
