Kitchen Style of Dorchester – 21 Year Anniversary

Thursday, March 10th, 2022

This year marks 21 years since Leigh Hastings Murray launched Kitchen Style of Dorchester as a Limited Company. Over the years the business has developed an enviable reputation for its professional and reliable service as well as competitive prices.

We recently caught up with Leigh in the High East Street showroom to ask a few questions about reaching the impressive milestone. Congratulations to Kitchen Style of Dorchester on their 21st anniversary!

What is the history behind you and your Kitchen Style of Dorchester?

“Kitchen Style was started by a gentleman called Peter Hutchings. He set up the business here in 1989. I joined the business in 1996 as a fitter (I’m a carpenter/joiner by trade) and then after a while I became Peter’s main fitter. Years went by and Peter’s retirement came up in 2001 – which was an opportunity for me to take on the business – so at that point I bought the business and took it on from there.

Since then we have upgraded and uplifted the quality of products over time. Our marketplace offering now is middle, to top range products, which we take great pride in providing our customers. April 5th 2022 marks the anniversary for when I formed the limited company 21 years ago.”

What is the secret for standing the test of time and successful trading for over 20 years?

“I guess its probably down to our excellent customer service. We’re down to earth people and like to give good advice rather than being too sales driven. Also the longevity of the business being here – you see a lot of businesses come and go – so when people see us they think they’ve been there a while, they must be doing something right!

I’ve fitted hundreds of kitchens in the past, so I can impart a lot of practical knowledge to a project. People soon realise they are not dealing with someone who hasn’t picked up screwdriver before!”

How has your business evolved over the years?

“We started off doing just kitchens when we took what on the business. We then lifted the quality of the product to be a higher grade across the range. Now, we’re also doing bedrooms now and general accessories that go with kitchens and house living furniture.”

What sets Kitchen Style apart from other similar businesses in Dorchester and the local area?

“It’s down to our 110% commitment. Once we complete the sale of kitchens, that’s not where it ends for us. We will service that kitchen for many years afterwards. As a result, we see a lot of satisfied return customers.

Because we’ve been in the same location for so long we’ve moved onto another generation of customers, from parents passed down to their children.”

Do you offer any other home design & installation options other than kitchens?

“We do bedrooms with options for just supply only or a supply and fit complete service. We can undertake tiling, plastering or the electicrial and flooring needs as well. So we can empty a whole kitchen to bare walls, we then do the flooring, decorating, tiling. But the main focus of the business is kitchens.

We also offer a bespoke design service on our website with a 360 degree panoramic view facility.”

Can you describe your business in 3 words?

“Stylish. Conscientious. Committed.”

Have you any exciting plans for the future?

“Yes, we are planning to revamp the front of the showroom with a new area coming in, which will be a standout piece on display. We deal with bespoke companies and will be showing off some high end products.

We’ll be adding to our home office section – as this has seen a huge increase in interest over the last couple of years with more and more people working from home now.”

Where can customers find Kitchen Style in Dorchester?

“Our showroom is located at 13 High East Street, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1HH.

We open Tuesday – Friday 10-4pm and Saturday 10-1pm and offer walk-in appointment or I can also be flexible and meet customers outside of those hours.

We’ve got a really good website where you can see a showcase of our completed projects, get inspiration and make appointments remotely. Follow our business Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest updates.” Find out more at: www.kitchenstyleltd.com