Christmas Wishes

We would like to wish all of our customers; past, present and future a Happy Christmas & Best Wishes for the coming year.

DWS will be closed for business from 5pm Wednesday 23rd December 2015 until 9am Tuesday 5th January 2016.

Spotlight on White

White has always been a best seller for us within the Dupont Corian range but we've seen a rise in the popularity of Venaro White of late. This, like Lyskam Grey in a previous post has a vein through it, giving it a marble effect. You still get the benefit of bright, fresh, white worktops but with more personality.

Venaro White 

This week we were delighted to receive the photo below from a customer in London who was equally (if not more so) delighted with their new Dupont Corian Venaro White worktops, fitted that day by the DWS team. I'm sure you'll agree it is an envy inducing kitchen which looks stunning with the addition of the super stylish Corian.

Dupont Corian Venaro White worktops

http://www.dupont.co.uk/products-and-services/construction-materials/surface-design-materials/brands/corian-solid-surfaces/products/corian-all-colours/sub-products/venaro-white.html

You can get a quote for Venaro White online at http://www.kitchen-worktops-store.co.uk or alternatively call our sales team on 0845 600 5512

Corian worktop installations are now taking place in early January 2016. Keep your eye on the website for our Christmas/New year Sale for even further discounts!

Christmas Deadlines

For all customers wishing to have Quartz worktops fitted before the Christmas break, please place your order by noon tomorrow, 13th November.  Any order placed after tomorrow will be installed in the new year.

Solid Surface orders to be installed before Christmas will continue to be taken until further notice. 

Dupont Corian Seagrass

This month's featured worktop is Dupont Corian's "Seagrass". Seagrass has always been a popular choice for bathrooms with it's soft, watery quality but we've recently seen an explosion in Seagrass sales for kitchens. We can only assume that this colour has been featured in local press, home magazines or on home shows lately. We do love it when that happens as it certainly shakes thing up a little bit for us here, we get so used to selling the same colours in the same applications.

We do know that the colour was used in the The Gavin Jones “Garden of Corian®” at the Chelsea Flower Show 2008 installation. You can read about this exciting project at the following link http://www.dupont.co.uk/products-and-services/construction-materials/surface-design-materials/brands/corian-solid-surfaces/case-studies/chelsea-flower-show.html

This doesn't explain the sudden popularity in kitchens but does go to show the versatility and natural beauty of this colour, for those looking for an interior inspired by nature.

Dupont Corian "Seagrass" worktops & end panels 

I've always thought Seagrass suited a bathroom environment perfectly so it took a bit of getting used to, seeing it in the kitchen. However I love it and think it makes for a truly contemporary and original look. You could be assured that your kitchen would be different to any your friends and family have seen before! It's a light, neutral colour but adds more interest than whites.

Corian Seagrass thermoformed island worktop

Corian Seagrass worktops,square upstands & wall cladding/splashback

Corian Seagrass worktops, integrated sink & chopping board

You can see our Dupont Corian range and get a quote at http://www.kitchen-worktops-store.co.uk/shop/corian-worktops/corian-kitchen-worktops-colour-bands/  The installation slots before Christmas are filling up quickly so don't delay if you want your beautiful new worktops to be ready for preparing the Christmas dinner.

Featured Worktops- Lyskam Quartz

Every now and again I will be featuring a particular worktop we sell, pictured in a customer's kitchen. This month we had the pleasure of fitting a gorgeous grey Quartz worktop onto very fashionable grey cabinets. Grey is still a very popular choice for interiors and I have to say I hope it continues as I love it. The quartz featured is called Lysksam and is made to look more akin to marble, with veining through it. The finish, with the grey cabinets is contemporary yet classical, a design that will stand the test of time.  The photos below were kindly sent in by our customer and we were delighted to see the end results.

Lyskam Quartz

Lyskam Quartz is part of our very popular Apollo Quartz range, with Lyskam, Lyskam Beige & Lyskam Grey only recently being added. If you are interested in getting a quote or a sample of Lyskam Quartz, visit our website http://www.kitchen-worktops-store.co.uk/shop/apollo-quartz-worktops/apollo-quartz-kitchen-worktops-colour-bands/ for excellent discounts. But hurry because the Christmas rush has already started! 

Scottish Home Show 2015

We don't have the pleasure of taking part in this year's Scottish Home Show, for the happy reason that we are just too busy selling worktops online! However the annual show takes place this weekend (25th-27th September inc) at the AECC in Aberdeen and is definitely worth a look if you are in the area and planning your dream home or planning renovations in your existing home. 

The link below gives all the details of the show and there's a great video https://vimeo.com/115958422 of last year's show to give you a flavour of what you can expect. Sadly DWS wasn't featured in the video :( As well as show details there's general advice on home improvements, building and renovations.

http://www.scottishhomeshow.com

#GrowingUpScottish

Very funny repost of article by Indigo Social Media. I think we can all relate to this if we grew up North of the Border!

http://www.indigosocialmedia.co.uk/hashtag-highlights-growingupscottish/

Hashtag Highlights – #GrowingUpScottish

by Indigo Social Media

 Posted on July 16, 2015 at 14:18 PM

Cut on your knee? Doc leaf. Over 10 degrees outside? Troon beach. On holiday and they don’t sell Irn Bru? Flight home.

At Indigo we are proud of our diverse team from all over the world, but a day doesn’t go by in the office without some confusion over our different cultures. It is because of this that we were happy to see #GrowingUpScottish trending on Twitter today.

Through a feed of tweets, our international colleagues were educated about what it was to be born and raised in Scotland. They now know of the situations that made the Scots the people they are – for better or worse…

Here are some of the hashtags highlights:

Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day

Don't forget that Father's Day is coming up this month for the opportunity to spoil all the dads and granddads for the day. This year it falls on Sunday 21st June and I've put together a Pinterest board with some nice ideas for gifts. There are plenty that kids can make themselves for a personal touch.

Find this at the link below

https://www.pinterest.com/discountw/fathers-day/

Mission Complete!

Official opening-Ideal Home Show Scotland 2015

The DWS team successfully completed four long days at the SECC for this year's Ideal Home Show. It was tiring being on our feet all day but we thoroughly enjoyed meeting potential new customers and other exhibitors. It definitely is a bonus to get out and about in that way when we do most of our business online. We feel the show was a success for DWS and we await eagerly our contacts made at the show to get in touch for quotes and take advantage of our huge discounts.

We are already thinking of the next show and might try the Homebuilding & Renovating Show next year, which we feel would be suited to our market. We'll keep you posted anyway!

A summery of the event has been posted on the Ideal Home Show website
http://www.idealhomeshowscotland.co.uk/latest-news/show-news/186-thank-you-to-all-who-attended-the-ideal-home-show-scotland-2015

A huge thank you to the thousands of visitors who came to the Ideal Home Show Scotland 2015. We hope you had a great day!

The show was opened in style on Friday 22nd May, by our Celebrity Ambassadors Amanda Lamb, Diarmuid Gavin, John Amabile and George Clarke cutting the ribbon in front of packed crowds.

Whether exploring the Show Homes, watching top chefs in action or enjoying inspirational talks and advice on the Ideal Super Theatre - there was something for everyone.

If this wasn't enough, our inspirational Show Garden designed by our Charity Partner Erskine proved popular and gadget lovers got to check out all the latest gizmos at the Ideal Smart Home Supercharged by Virgin Media.

And for those that got a bit peckish as they explored the show, the Gregg Wallace Restaurant offered a scrumptious 3 course lunch. Plus, our Ideal Champagne Bar located in Ideal Fashion and Beauty was a hotspot for those who wanted a chance to relax and enjoy a glass of fizz with friends!

And finally let's not forget the shopping. With over 400 top exhibitors across our 7 sections, the show had everything you could want to get inspiration for your home and ultimately have a great day out!

So once again thank you to all our visitors, exhibitors and show sponsors who made the show a great success, and we hope to see you again next year!

Day 3

So busy today!  The show was non-stop so lots of talking with potential new customers and therefore the day passed really quickly. With being a solely internet based company we don't get the chance to meet customers in person so these exhibitions are a good way to answer questions face to face and it's satisfying being able to put people's mind at ease about buying on the internet. We're not completely anonymous :) The beauty of the Ideal Home Show in Glasgow is that we are a local company to most of the visitors, despite being online based.

Day 2

The Ideal Home Show kicked off today with Clyde 1’s very own Knoxy and Fiona Shields LIVE from the SECC. They will return at the following times throughout the weekend.

Monday & Friday – 10am through to 2pm

Saturday – 2pm through to 6pm

Sunday – Midday through to 4pm 

Saturday was a quieter than expected day at the Home Show but still plenty of fruitful conversations and possible new leads. The good weather probably had something to do with it as this has been in short supply this May, so I'd imagine people were taking advantage of it while they can.

The slightly reduced numbers allowed the team to have a wander round and explore the show which is always a perk of the job! Laurence had a tour round Erskine charity's 1st World War display, which was a recreation of the trenches, in the garden department. This amazing and atmospheric display was in place to inform visitors as well as raise money for this very worthwhile and invaluable charity. You can find out more about them at the link below and there's a short video of the highlights of their display.

http://www.erskine.org.uk

Day 1

Day 1 of the Ideal Home Show was a resounding success. The show was opened at 10am by the celebrity ambassadors then a pipe band (complete with horse!) led the guests into the arena. We were treated to a rendition of Amazing Grace on the pipes as we made last minute preparations at our stand and then the DWS team were ready and waiting to answer questions. It was actually a busier day than anticipated which bodes well for the rest of the weekend and we're ready for more meets and greets with potential customers. We enjoyed meeting friends of DWS who made the trip to visit, with more on their way tomorrow.

If you haven't already planned to visit I would thoroughly recommend it, with loads of great displays, lots of yummy food tasters and an amazing 'Home for life' styled by House Beautiful, it's a great day out.

The Home for Life styled by House Beautiful

Check out the video below of the opening with Channel Four's George Clarke. Maybe tomorrow we'll catch a glimpse of Gregg Wallace!

Ready to go!

The weekend of the Ideal Home Show Scotland is upon us and we're all set and ready to go. The team enjoyed an evening at the SECC setting up stand H222 and we're really pleased with how it looks! No doubt there will be a few tweaks over the weekend when we get a better feel for how we'll work with it but it's more or less there. There are still some tickets up for grabs so our blog readers can enjoy a visit.

The arena is really taking shape in preparation for the grand opening tomorrow morning, by the celebrity ambassadors and a pipe band, at 10am.

There's plenty for everyone at the show with food, interiors, gardens and technology...and of course fantastic, discounted worktops. I will blog soon with an update of our progress at the show.

From this...

To this!

Gregg Wallace restaurant lunch menu

DWS listing in the show brochure

Countdown...

Only one week to go until the Ideal Home Show Scotland.  Tickets are still for sale at

http://ihsscotland.seetickets.com/tour/ideal-home-show-scotland

DWS are all set and excited to meet new customers there next weekend. For those of you who can't make it, a DWS representative will be our guest blgger soon, bringing us a review of the show from a visitor's point of view.

Meet the 2015 Glasgow Ideal Home Show Celebrity Ambassadors!

DWS are excited to announce this year's celebrity guests at the Ideal Home Show 2015. Only a fortnight to go!

Taken from the Ideal Home Show website 

Meet our 2015 Celebrity Ambassadors!

Visiting the Ideal Home Show offers you the chance to see your favourite celebrity experts and pick up handy hints and tips on their area of expertise.

Whether you need home improvement tips from George or advice on this season's interior trends from John, make sure you book your tickets and don't miss the opportunity to see our ambassadors in action!

See our celebrity ambassadors at the show on the dates and times stated below:

George Clarke
Friday 22nd May 1pm and 4pm on the Ideal Super Theatre

Amanda Lamb
Friday 22nd May 3pm on the Ideal Super Theatre

Diarmuid Gavin
Saturday 23rd May 12pm and 3pm on the Ideal Super Theatre

John Amabile
Friday 22nd May 12pm, Sunday 24th May 1pm and 3pm and Monday 25th 12pm on the Ideal Super Theatre

Gregg Wallace
Saturday 23rd May and Sunday 24th May in the Gregg Wallace Restaurant 

To see the full Ideal Super Theatre timetable click here

Book your tickets to the Ideal Home Show Scotland now!

Preview

The Ideal Home Show 2014 video is now on the DWS website Homepage, for a preview of the things in store at this year's show. Follow the link http://www.kitchen-worktops-store.co.uk and scroll down to the You Tube video to take a look.

Banana and Oat Cookies (Sugar Free!!)

With there being a week left of the Easter holidays and plenty of rain forecast in Scotland, baking is a good way to keep children occupied. My toddler is still a wee bit young for this pastime but she can enjoy my efforts!  

I am reluctant to give her snacks with sugar as I don't want to encourage a sweet tooth but don't want to deprive her altogether either, of cookies etc. As a result I've been looking for snack ideas without the sugar, and they're certainly out there! There seems to be a real health and nutrition agenda at the moment in the Press and on Pinterest etc so I haven't had any trouble finding what I was looking for. Today I tried the cookies below which are so simple and they were approved by a 19 month old! I found them very moreish so I'm glad they are all natural. Next time I'm going to swap the butter and flour for coconut oil & coconut  flour. I think the extra coconut flavour would be great.

I added a bit of Manuka honey for extra (natural) sweetness as the banana I used wasn't very ripe. I'm going to try coconut and mango pancakes next, also without sugar and even flour so please comment if you'd like the recipe.

Banana and Oat Cookies

Makes 16

50g porridge oats
50g desiccated coconut
60g plain flour
60g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 large ripe banana

• Heat the oven to 180°C (160 fan)

• Mix the porridge oats, coconut and flour together in a bowl.

• Melt the butter in a pan and mash the banana.

• Add the melted butter and mashed banana to the dry ingredients and combine.

• Put dessert spoonfuls of the mixture on your greased baking tray and flatten them slightly with your hand to make round disc like shapes. Allow some room between each cookie for spreading and bake in batches for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Ideal Home Show Scotland 2015 Update

I can't believe it's only 6 weeks until the Ideal Home Show at the SECC in Glasgow. The Discount Worktop Store team will be there from the 22-25th May and we're now turning our thoughts to getting organised, planning our stand etc as we don't want to be panicking at the last minute! We have a good idea of what to expect and what we want to do the same or differently after the Scottish Home Show in Aberdeen last year so that's a good start.

There's a whopping eight sections to the show and DWS will be located in the Home Improvements section, so don't forget to drop by if you're there. There's also still time for past customers to send pictures of their installed DWS worktops in return for two free tickets to the event.

Whilst enjoying this season of Masterchef, I was reminded that Greg Wallace will have a restaurant at the show where visitors can enjoy delicious meals to really make a day of it. Hopefully there will be time for DWS staff to sample their wares!

For all you foodies there's some news from the Home Show that may interest you. The Corinthian Club and their sister Restaurant Artá Glasgow, are offering Ideal Home Show visitors 20% off the À La Carte Menus.  

Artá Glasgow

This is what they say on the show's website

This offer is valid throughout the duration of the show, May 22nd – 25th, the perfect way to spend your evening dining in one of Glasgow's top Restaurants, after a great day out at the show!

To book, we recommend pre booking your table in advance and quote 'Ideal Home Show 2015'. Alternatively without booking, showing a proof of your Ideal Home Show ticket purchase can be shown on the day and the offer will be honoured. (Subject to table availability)

Visit: www.thecorinthianclub.co.uk
Call: 0141 552 1101

Visit: www.arta.co.uk
Call: 0845 166 6018

See The Corinthian Club Executive Chef in action at the Ideal Home Show!

Be sure to stop by the Ideal Super Theatre to see Executive Chef of The Corinthian Club, Craig Hogarth in action as he demonstrate some of his top culinary creations on stage! Craig has a real passion for food, especially Scottish and locally sourced produce which will be incorporated into his cooking seminars, taking place at the following times;

11am - Friday 22nd May

11am - Saturday 23rd May

4pm - Monday 25th May

Click link below to find out more about Craig Hogarth.

http://www.idealhomeshowscotland.co.uk/latest-news/show-news/2-content/333-craig-hogarth-executive-chef-the-corinthian-club

  

HAPPY EASTER

DWS would like to wish all our customers a very joyful Easter weekend.

We will be closed for business on Good Friday & Easter Monday.

Don't forget to check out the Easter & Spring Time board on our Pinterest, for ideas and inspiration for this lovely time of year.

https://www.pinterest.com/discountw/easter-spring-time/

Spring has Sprung!

Spring is here and we've already seen an improvement in the weather with some positively sunny days! There has also been frost and snow fall to cause some confusion but Spring is definitely in the air with the daffodils and crocuses springing up all over. I have enjoyed putting together an Easter and Spring Time board on Pinterest and noticed there's some great craft ideas to keep little ones busy. There's lots of lovely decorations to make to celebrate this time of year. I have called the board 'Easter and Spring Time' as I was reluctant to post the myriad of bunny and chick related crafts on an Easter only board as I think Easter can be confused as just a time for baby animals rather than the real reason for Easter!

I've posted a few of the ideas from the board below but to see the full array of ideas on Pinterest, follow the link below 

https://www.pinterest.com/discountw/easter-spring-time/

Easter Basket

Fingerprint cards