SPACED OUT

Harmony Made to Measure Furniture in Basingstoke designs and fits quality, custom made furniture and has an abundance of storage solutions for your home

Hampshire Living Magazine Article, Sept 2019

We often hear ourselves complaining that our wardrobes are too crammed or we don’t have enough storage space, or we have nowhere decent to work or study.  But what we don’t often know is that a local business has the answer to all our problems!

Harmony Made to Measure Furniture Ltd in Basingstoke, Hampshire have been advising, designing and fitting quality custom made furniture and storage solutions in homes and offices for nearly 17 years.  Whether it’s fitting out loft conversions, creating efficient and stunning work spaces or completing bedroom make-overs, Harmony have the skill and expertise to ensure every customers’ needs are not just met, but exceeded.

Starting from his garage at home in 2002, Steve Williamson has grown Harmony to the respected and successful business we see today.  

“I learnt the trade working as a Sales Director for my father-in-law’s business offering bespoke fitted furniture to domestic and commercial customers.” Steve said.  After 9 years with the business, his father-in-law retired and the business was sold.  Steve understood the industry enough to start up on his own, offering his skills as a furniture manufacturer within the Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey areas.

He added: “My background was in electronics but I was always handy with DIY and had done graphic design at school so I utilised my skills in those areas, along with everything I’d learnt in the business and started small helping local schools with their storage needs.  By word-of-mouth, demand quickly grew”.

Having had previous experience in sales roles, Steve knew that pressure selling wasn’t for him. “We like to advise, not sell.  I listen to what customers want and develop their ideas into designs and then quality furniture which works for them and their home or office. It’s a blank canvas – our focus is on what the customer wants rather than what we can achieve for them”.

Being one of the few truly bespoke fitted furniture companies in the local area, and the only one selling fold-down beds with the hideaway bed mechanism, Harmony are able to offer exactly what the customer wants.

“Every job is individual.  Whether it’s tying in with existing furniture or creating a whole new look, we are here to provide a quality service to meet our customers’ needs.”

With more people deciding to carry out home improvements rather than go through the stress and expense of moving home, Harmony are enjoying an especially busy period, “When Harmony began, the main part of our workload was for commercial businesses, ie schools, dentists and offices, but with more people deciding to improve on what they have rather than move home, domestic work has increased two-fold”.

And it doesn’t stop there. Harmony also have a team of sub-contractors they utilise to help with home improvement projects to include plastering, decorating, and electrical work.  “We take the headache of the planning away and effectively project manage the whole programme in line with the furniture installation.  We have our own employed qualified fitting team along with the expertise of our experienced manufacturing staff to complete our offering.  This way we’re always in control of the quality, service and expertise at all times”.

Seven years ago, Steve’s wife, Lorraine, came into the business with a background of corporate PA roles within the likes of Ernst & Young and the BBC, making Harmony a truly family business.  “It was a learning curve for both of us working together five days a week but we’ve found our individual skills blend perfectly to cover a wide range of services and expertise within Harmony.” Steve said, “With Lorraine working in the Basingstoke Showroom and looking after the paperwork and myself looking after our manufacturing and fitting team along with the design we have the perfect synergy in all areas of our business”.

Harmony works with a wide range of materials and designs such as timber, MDF, MFC and acrylic and offer a wide range of colours in each product.  “Whether its sliding wardrobe systems, walk-in wardrobes and dressing rooms, angled furniture, kitchens or offices, we find we have colours and designs that suit most customers’ homes and colour schemes.  When you’re investing in quality fitted furniture, you don’t want to be restricted on design.  Contemporary or traditional, we can help find the finish which suits all styles”.  Steve said.

He added “There are different pricing levels within home furnishings – you have Ikea at the cheap and cheerful end (which we know ourselves has a place in every home, even ours!) – and we sit in the middle price-wise.  We don’t do cheap, we do quality. We always work with our customers and their price expectations to ensure a finished look which meets their needs and their budget”.

Steve and Lorraine have two boys aged 16 and 22.  The eldest is just finishing an accountancy degree at University of Surrey and their youngest has just finished his GCSEs.  Steve is keen for both boys to experience working life independently but doesn’t rule out them becoming involved in the family business in some way, “I’d prefer them to gain experience, confidence and skills in the wider business World first but I know, having both worked here in some capacity, they have skills they could bring to Harmony and maybe one day they can take over the reigns!”.

Celebrating 17 years this year, Harmony has gone from strength-to-strength, with one returning customer referring to them as ‘simply unique’!  “We offer a ten year guarantee which shows we are confident in our product and our service.  We deliver what we promise, it’s as simple as that.”.

01256 844993

www.harmonymadetomeasure.co.uk