When Mr& Mrs Rayner moved into their new home three months ago, the old storm porch and front door just had to go. “The porch was so ugly,” Mrs Rayner described. “It looked like it had been a real DIY job and it spoiled the lovely period archway entrance to the house.”
The couple began scouring home interiors magazines for new front door inspiration. “We’ve moved around a lot,” explained Mr Rayner, a former RAF serviceman who has spent 28 years living abroad. “We’ve lived in lots of different married quarters across various countries and now I’m retired we’re enjoying the opportunity to put our own stamp on our home.” Once the Rayners found a style of front door they liked, they approached Eden Windows with their ideas.
“Both my granddaughters recommended Eden Windows to us,” said Mr Rayner. “One of them had used Eden previously for a new front door and the other had connections through work. We did get quotes from other companies but Eden Windows was by far the best quality in terms of product, service and approach – all of that on top of the family recommendation sealed the deal.
“I knew I wanted a Solidor, because my wife told me I did!” joked Mr Rayner. Based on the images they’d cut out of a magazine, Paul at Eden Windows recommended the Solidor Conway in Golden Oak. Mr & Mrs Rayner chose to install glazing above the door to let light into the hallway and opted to replace the original full height glazed side panels with solid panels also in Golden Oak, for both privacy and security.
“The Solidor Conway was the perfect choice for Mr & Mrs Rayner,” said Sian Homer from Eden Windows. “The flexibility offered by the fantastic team at the Solidor factory in Stoke on Trent meant we were able to offer the Rayners something a little bit different – increasingly homeowners want to customise their front doors to their own design specification and because each Solidor is made to order, we can provide our customers with entranceways which aren’t necessarily straightforward.”
The result is a stunning door with the beautiful appearance of oak and all the benefits of low maintenance composite materials. The robust thermo-plastic door skin means the Rayners need never worry about the colour chipping, cracking or fading. And with a ‘Secured by Design’ accreditation, a national Police security initiative, the couple know when they lock their door at night they have peace of mind it’s the most secure on the market.
Mr Rayner is thrilled with his new front door and was impressed by the staff at Eden Windows: “Paul, who initially measured up, was very charming and very knowledgeable and the fitter who installed the door couldn’t have been more helpful,” he explained. “The fitter was a really nice bloke and was great company whilst he was here. He covered the floor to protect the carpets and did a fantastic job – the door is absolutely super. Friends and neighbours have said how lovely it is and have been asking us where we got it from.”
Mr & Mrs Rayner are now in the process of replacing the conservatory, windows and garage door at their new home. The next step is to restore the archway entrance to its former glory, by rendering the brickwork to make good the damage done by the previous owners.
