Hammonds Bedroom Furniture Experience (Buying my First Home)

When it came to bedroom furniture, I wanted to have something beautiful and lots of storage for both me and my other half. The master bedroom is a decent size, but it has a slightly awkward narrow chimney breast, about a third down the wall. This left quite a narrow space on the other side and so I was originally planning on having a wall of built in wardrobes along the entire length of the room, with the bed on the door wall, because this would allow for a larger bed and bedside tables. I also thought I would save money by buying IKEA PAX wardrobes and building them in to look fitted, which I had planned for my now ex-partner to do. When we broke up, I decided it wasn't something I would be able to do myself and of course, there are companies you can pay to do this for you, but it was ultimately not the complete look I loved and didn't save as much money as you would think. That's when I decided to go for fitted wardrobes, which I know are quite an expensive cost upfront, but the quality tends to be much higher. The two popular fitted wardrobes companies are obviously Sharps and Hammonds. 

I did originally think I would go with Sharps as my parents had used them before, and the reviews were slightly better, as well as the slightly more customisable options. I had the fitter come out to the house to discuss recommendations, and ultimately he made a great point in that the room would be made to feel a lot narrower if there was a wardrobe down the whole length. Following discussions and measuring, it was made clear that a very similar amount of storage space would be possible by splitting the units into separate wardrobes and drawer space. This would keep the room spacious at the entry way still, whilst still keeping the full width of the room. 

I thought the Sharps designer was very informative, but clearly thought highly for myself. He treated me very much like a young girl and was quite disrespectful to me when I asked questions to gain full understanding. He didn't make me feel very comfortable and in all honesty, that was the main reason I decided to go elsewhere. He did however give two options for designs of the wardrobe. The first was just 2 double wardrobes, in a straight line. Inside I planned a double hanging space for myself, shelving and a full hanging space, with storage above. In my head, I would have the full corner wardrobe, as well as one single hanging space, and my partner would have the other single hanging space. The other option was to have a corner wardrobe which almost doubled the hanging space, which was a great option. Ultimately though, the width would be greater than the chimney breast and therefore stick out, which I didn't like, and the cost extra was more than I had anticipated. The first option being £5,200 and the second quoted for as £5,629. 

After that measurement and survey, I decided to get Hammonds out for a similar design service where they first come to the home to measure up and design. The designer was absolutely amazing, he even came on his day off to come out and visit because I wanted to have it organised as soon as possible. He was so patient, happy to accommodate any changes and talked me through lots of options. I ended up finalising a very similar design to the previous, however with an added fifth wardrobe door which is slanted. This was explained to me as more of a gently welcoming into the room, rather than a sudden full wall, whilst still having the added benefit of depth. 

I love the colour renders from Hammonds over Sharps and really enjoyed seeing it come to light. With Sharps, the wardrobes are completely fitted to the wall. This meant that you didn't have to take up the carpet, but the wall behind would be on show as there would be no back and there would be drilling into the wall. Hammonds do the opposite. They ask you to take up the carpet prior and fit it to the floor, and also have a backing on the wardrobes. Whilst the carpet is a little bit of a faff, I much prefer that the clothes will be protected from dust completely. 

Design wide, you can completely select your own internal elements. I decided to make the end double hanging space for my partner, then a full length double hanging space for dresses, with some drawers underneath. I wasn't going to have these but the height is taller than I could ever wear, so decided it's always helpful for socks and pants etc. I then have the double hanging space for myself and the shelving in the angled wardrobe. I'm going to turn this end part into a dressing table of sorts, as the door will open onto the wall with a mirror inside and it's deep enough to put makeup organisers, jewellery boxes etc on. 

Just like with the Sharps design, I am also having matching chest of drawers which are 3 drawers high, in two sets and will be central with the bed. Then 2 built in bedside cabinets. Due to the small storage space, I can't get the usual ones, but these will be everything that is needed, with space for a light, drink, book and chargers, then two shelves inside. I absolutely love it! 

I decided to go for the buy now, pay later option so I had to just place a deposit of £100, plus a £29 fee, then the rest of the cost isn't due until 1 year after completion of the fitting. I was called a week later to arrange a fitting date. Unfortunately, they can only give a week commencing and not an actual date, but I was later able to request a specific date and luckily I managed to make it work with my shifts. They also sent out another designer just to ensure all the measurements were accurate, alongside measuring it with the bed itself which was then built. The second designer found a slight issue with the opening of the door on the back wall; whilst there was enough space in the wall, the door when opened would catch on the skirting board. Luckily, we were able to make the wardrobes 50mm thinner and he confirmed this therefore wouldn't be an issue. 

Prior to the fitting, I received 2 emails a week apart confirming the date, times and preparation work required. It was after night shifts so I wasn't in the best of moods, however I really was super excited. The fitter was lovely, arrived both days on time and finished earlier than anticipated as well, leaving by 2pm both days. The furniture looks absolutely beautiful and is truly fitted to perfection. There are a few dints and a couple of places of damage but customer services were easy to email pictures through and have organised an appointment to come and correct the issues so hopefully these will resolves before the end of the month too.