Following the very successful and inspiring conference ‘Inspired6’ hosted by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, I visited the ‘Guardian Literary Festival 2009’ in Hay on Wye, mid Wales, recently. I heard from many other inspirational speakers, including Willie Harcourt-Cooze (Channel 4’s ‘Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory’ man) who has overcome immense difficulties and taken massive risks in order to produce his single-bean chocolate. He’s an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. (He also makes very nice chocolate!!!)I also attended a talk by ‘Grand Designs’ front man, Kevin McCloud. Everything he spoke about was in complete synergy with our business and it proved to me that the time is so right for it to succeed. I was lucky enough to meet Kevin McCloud at the book signing that followed and in the 2 minutes I had with him, managed to give him brief details about Restoration & Beyond and ask if it was something that interested him. He said he’d be very interested to know more and took my business card to check out our site. He also really liked our name. I intend to follow up with an email to see how we may be able to combine our similar interests.
Apart from that, our branding is almost ready to be unveiled and the new holding page will be uploaded to our site in mid June, then our first e-newsletters will be sent out. Anybody wishing to sign up for the e-newsletter should email us their details from our temporary site at http://www.restorationandbeyond.co.uk/ .
Restoration & Beyond is an online store for Period Home Owners, Self-Builders and people who have newer homes, but want to source high quality, ethically sourced furnishings and décor for their home. It will be launched in late summer 2009
Our expert researchers have spent months, traipsing the length and breadth of Britain to bring to our site the finest independent suppliers and service providers, the UK has to offer. Saving everybody else the hard work!
This is an exciting new concept that will revolutionise Period Home and Self-Build shopping. It is not a directory, but a time-efficient way of sourcing and purchasing everything from 14” skirting boards to eco-friendly paint, as well as the people with the expertise to restore Period Homes sympathetically and skills to help Self-Builders to create new homes to the highest of design and eco standards.
Our suppliers are encouraged to offer goods that are: from a sustainable source; eco-friendly; ethically-sourced; fairly traded; craftsman built; reclaimed; or made from recycled materials.
The site will be a place where you can purchase items for your home that you’ll love forever and that will continue to improve with age; or find craftspeople that understand your home and through sympathetic restoration will add true value to it, rather than the artificial price increases we’ve seen in recent years.
Restoration & Beyond bringing the past to the future.
