One Stop Shop Review – Steve H

From the very first open house, Steve and Nicky loved their new home. They could see themselves and their two teenage children living there and enjoying the space (in between full time jobs, dance classes, martial arts, and everything else that comes along with a full on family life!) They could see the potential of their dream family home, but a few things caught their eye that they knew they wanted to change right off the bat.

For a start, the front door was very old and didn’t even lock! As the first thing you see when you come up to the house, they wanted a door that was more modern and to their tastes, and also something more solid and secure. Inside, they wanted to replace the tired old blinds and nettings, and as Nicky had harboured a dream of plantation shutters for some time, she saw her opportunity! It was also clear that the rear sliding doors were on their last legs, and a more contemporary and versatile solution was needed. As they set about moving their family into their new home, Steve and Nicky wanted to get these things sorted as quickly as possible, with minimal disruption, chaos or damage to their new property: “We thought, if we move in and buy this house we want to modernise it straight away.”

They began researching blinds and doors online, which is how they came across Doors Plus. Steve says, “We started looking through all the variations of the doors and plantation shutters online, but when we went in-store it was more of the touch and feel experience, we could open the doors and manoeuvre the shutters to see how they function.”

Steve and Nicky discussed with the Doors Plus consultants what they wanted to achieve in their home, and they were guided through different options until they found a front door, shutters and sliding bi-folds that they were happy with. They were also very pleased to discover that their new doors and shutters would be custom made to their specifications and requirements. For example, Steve explains that a lot of their windows were non-standard sizes, so the plantation shutters were made to measure: “What we love is how everything is made to that particular size, very custom made. It was really bespoke; fits like a glove.” To achieve the finish they wanted Steve and Nicky chose Doors Plus’s Signature Dark Maple stain.

For Steve and Nicky, both working full time and looking after two children, the fact that Doors Plus could take care of everything – from consultation to installation – made all the difference. As Steve says, “With Doors Plus we could actually have it all organised at the one place, and deal with just the one service department. It made our life easy. It was perfect.”

When it came to installation day, Steve admits that there were definitely a few last minute nerves: “It being the first time we have had doors and windows removed from the house and new ones replaced, I was a bit wary about the potential for damage, but there wasn’t any mess at all. I was amazed at how flawless the swap over was and how clean the place was kept. I can’t fault any of the installations.” It’s easy to understand why he was anxious, as it was a new house and they were going for quite extensive replacements. For the front door, for example, the entire frame had to be removed and replaced, and the sliding doors were an equally serious job. Steve was preparing himself for having to re-plaster or even re-brick in places – “It was Nicky who had all the faith!” After a day of wondering what he was going to come home to, Steve was amazed to find no sign of the major renovations that had taken place, not even the odd crack in the plaster or render, and it was as if the new doors had always been there: “Yeah, you wouldn’t know anyone had been in here actually, that’s how impressed I was.”

In fact, the home that Steve came back to that day was utterly transformed. It wasn’t just that they had replaced a few doors; the renovation had completely uplifted their living space, making it feel more contemporary, lighter and brighter, and it even changes the way they can live, relax, host and socialise in their own home.

The new front door sets a completely different tone, is more solid and welcoming, and is perfectly in-keeping with the rest of the house. They also chose to have a security screen installed, which means they can have the large door open in the evenings to let in the breeze, while keeping bugs out and still feeling secure. The plantation shutters throughout make the rooms feel light and contemporary, and are really easy to adjust (and clean!): “The plantation shutters look amazing: great light filtration and they look a million dollars.”

More than anything, though, it’s the new bi-folds that really change the way they can use their living space, and enhance their lifestyle in such a subtle way. The two large bi-folds open out from the kitchen onto the BBQ area and pool so that there’s a seamless flow from inside to outside: “We love BBQs, we love entertaining. To be able to now be in the kitchen and just hand food outside to the bar area, it was just another one of those modern elements we wanted to add to the home.” Steve says this is what people comment on, above all, because it makes such a dramatic difference to their entertaining space: “It’s all become one open home now. So, we love it. We love it.”

And it’s not just Steve and Nicky who are enjoying the transformation; with growing teenagers, the added space and flexibility is invaluable. Steve says the kids love the modern, open plan feel of the home and it means that they’re much more keen to get their mates round, so he and Nicky are really noticing how much the changes are actually bringing their family together in a space that works for all of them: “The whole family loves it.”

They may have thought they were just updating a few doors and blinds, but what Steve and Nicky achieved with Doors Plus was actually to open up their living space, expand their home, and even transform their family dynamic and lifestyle. From the moment they first set foot in the house, they had a vision of what it could be and how their family would love living there, but the Doors Plus transformation has unlocked that potential and helped them to realise that vision. As Steve puts it: “When we moved in, to be honest with you, for a few weeks it felt like it was someone else’s house. But once we had the doors and blinds done it became more of our home.”