Emanuel’s Interiors

At Conservation News we’ve showcased many family-run businesses that provide quality interior designs and furnishings. Emanuel’s Interiors stand out from the crowd because of the time they take to really get to know their customers, ensuring each client chooses an interiors scheme that suits their taste and budget, that could last them for years to come.

Emanuel’s Interiors was established in Tankerton 32 years ago by Helen and Gary Emanuel. Helen was always interested in colours and interior decoration from an early age, she recalls helping her Mum decorate their home and picking out the wallpaper and colour scheme.

Emanuel’s was established firstly as a home-based curtains business, but Helen soon wanted to get to the next level and expand the business further. So she started looking for a shop space to grow their business, showcase their stock and make their curtains.

Because they started out as a curtains business Emanuel’s have become true specialists in making and fitting curtains and blinds for any dimension and style of window. They particularly specialise in very wide curtains and blinds. More recently, with the increasing popularity of bifold doors that open onto the garden in open plan homes, they have become specialists at fitting bespoke blinds for all dimensions of these bi-fold doors.

Emanuel’s pride themselves on their customer service, bringing samples to customers in their own homes and discovering what their customer really wants from a room redesign or a new set of blinds or curtains. Finding the right solution for each customer is vital and they have a lot of customers with specific needs; like people with medical needs who want remote options or roller blinds that provide privacy and don’t gather dust.

Emanuel’s really get to know their customers, often working with them on a range of ideas, finding out their favourite colours and what suits their personality and eliminating looks until they find right scheme. Perhaps the customer has seen pictures of interiors they like and want advice, Helen prides herself on offering creative solutions and being a good listener.

They will discuss ideas in-situ in the room in question until they find the perfect choice. Helen says that sometimes she takes a customer lots of books of swatches and they still can’t decide. However, she finds that the more vision she can give a customer, the quicker they make decisions and the happier they’ll be with the end result.

Emanuel’s provide whole packages for houses if required including curtains, blinds, wallpaper, paint, and re-upholstering of furniture from their wide choice of quality fabrics. Helen has found that in 32 years in business, some of her customer’s design choices will stay in their homes for a very long time and others will come back to them for a refit after a few years, when they want a change of style or to follow a new interiors trend.

Helen says, “I don’t have a certain style, I combine what is right for each customer, whether it be a contemporary style or more traditional and historic period look, I embrace everything because I love all types of design.”

Emanuel’s provide interiors solutions for both domestic and commercial customers. They work on everything from new build houses to hotels and private residences. They have several established commercial customers in the area including the Whitstable Playhouse Theatre, for whom Helen project managed a complete redecoration of the bar area. They helped design the interiors for the new Whitstable Golf Club; choosing the paint colour and carpets, as well as the window furnishings. They have also done work for Christchurch University and several schools.

In a similar way to what they do for domestic customers, Emanuel’s can either offer a complete interiors solution for commercial customers including wallpapering, painting and providing furnishings – offering a total redesign. Or they can work with the colours and interior design elements that a business already has in place.

Emanuel’s have also embraced technology in the world of interiors. Helen’s son Gary fits all the shutters and sets up the motorisation of blinds and curtains for customers. Some people want motorisation for practical reasons, for example they want blinds or curtains that they don’t touch so they don’t get dirty or perhaps they’re in a hard-to-reach area like a landing. Other people just love a gadget and want the convenience of simply pressing a button.

Emanuel’s Interiors work across all of East Kent and the rest of the county, as well as London. They have also worked further afield in places like the Cotswolds and Edinburgh as well as abroad in countries including Switzerland and France.

On the back of the popularity of Whitstable, nearby Tankerton (which was a popular place in the 50s and 60s) is coming back on the map. With the increasing popularity of the entire area, they often work on second homes in Tankerton or Whitstable for people who then ask them to refit their main houses in London.

Emanuel’s customers come from the internet and walk-ins or very often from recommendations, because they are such an established business in the local area. Because they’re community-based, they pride themselves on looking after their customers and some who use the business are the second or third generation of one family. Revealing what a loyal customer base they have.

For more information visit their website:
emanuels.co.uk