Our Wimborne Funeral Services Branch Has Been Refurbished
As a local funeral director, we are always holding a range of funeral services at our locations across Dorset. This means our local funeral directors must be in good condition and ready for whatever funeral service arrangement our clients require. Over the last few years, we have performed refurbishments at several of our locations, but most recently to our funeral directors in Wimborne.
To celebrate the refurbishment of this incredible listed building, we thought we should share an interview with the person who made this restoration possible. Sonia is Douch Family Funeral Director’s lead interior designer and completely transformed our funeral directors in Wimborne. Read on to find out more about Sonia and our Wimborne refurbishment project.
Find out more about Sonia, our interior designer!
Sonia is an incredibly experienced interior designer and has worked on big projects like this one her whole career. “I’m an interior designer with 20yrs of experience in the industry and have worked with a broad range of clients and projects. Last year the business turned 10yrs old and I rebranded to Aucott Interior Design”.
This is not the first time that Sonia has worked with our local funeral directors. “I’ve worked with Douch for 5yrs now and I often say they are my best client! My first project was to design and install the window display for the Wimborne in Bloom competition in 2016 and we won!”. Sonia has performed refurbishments across a range of our funeral directors in Dorset including Lesley Shand Funeral Services.
Designing the perfect space
Before starting work on our funeral directors in Wimborne, Sonia needed to get a clear idea of what we wanted to do with the space. “What is the space for? Who will use it and how? How would you like it to feel? What elements do you want to retain? What is your time scale?”.
When designing the space, we wanted to maintain the character of the building while making sure it was practical for funeral service arrangements. “Whilst we want to create a beautiful space it also has to be practical to its requirements. For example, when designing for commercial clients it’s important to consider wear and tear, that flooring, and furniture will be sustainable over time. Fabrics must also conform to certain flammability ratings so this sort of knowledge is important when designing a corporate space as it must be creative as well as compliant.”
Environmental practices
At Douch Family Funeral Directors environmental working practices are extremely important to us. It was critical that whoever we worked with to complete the refurbishment of our funeral directors in Wimborne shared these same values. As a local funeral directors, we also value working with local companies and contractors. “I like to develop positive relationships with local trades and suppliers as they help to bring my designs into reality. They are hugely knowledgeable in their respected fields, whether they are trade persons, curtain makers, upholsterers, or picture framers. The quality of their workmanship is excellent, and they help to ensure that the finished project is immaculate.”
At our local funeral directors, we have a number of funeral service arrangements that are kinder to the environment. Shop our biodegradable urns online or speak to a member of our team about a more natural funeral service.
Working on Douch & Small
One of the most difficult things to overcome in this project was the fact that our funeral director in Wimborne is a listed building. Therefore, we had to bring in someone with Sonia’s expertise. “The building is Grade II listed, and it was important to ensure that not only was the integrity of the building maintained but also that the work undertaken was within Listed Building parameters. Also, members of the public use it, so it had to be fit for purpose as well beautiful and welcoming”. According to Sonia this project differed from the last refurbishment of our funeral directors in Dorset. “It was quite different as Lesley Shand was a brand-new contemporary building with crisp white lines. Douch on the other hand has lovely proportions and detailing which we were able to enhance”.
Now the project is complete, Sonia reflected on some of her favourite parts of the refurbishment. “The rooms now have continuity and flow to them. We have unified the space by reinstating beautiful coving, deep skirting and panelling to enhance the Georgian features of this Grade II listed building”.
If you are looking for a funeral service arrangement, then get in contact with one of our team at Douch Family Funeral Directors. We offer a range of funeral services at our funeral directors in Wimborne, Poole, Swanage, Blandford, Ferndown, Wareham and Corfe Mullen.
