About Me

Born and bred in Bolton, I attended Bolton School. My first job was with the Post Office. I also drove an ice-cream van for a while, which was fun. Married to Graham (still!) with two small children I started work for a double-glazing company on the marketing side. I was one of those people you avoided giving out leaflets in a supermarket foyer! I rose to manager, and was head-hunted by a kitchen company, Kitchen Challenge, owned by Neville Johnson, to set up a similar operation for them, which I did.

Aged around 23 by this time, Neville asked me if I would consider moving into kitchen design. He had around 30 designers / salespeople, all male, and wanted a woman on the team to be able to deal with female customers in the main.

I have been designing kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms ever since, well over forty years. During this time, I have worked for many companies such as Sharps bedrooms, Magnet, and English Kitchen Company to mention a few. My husband Graham and I ran our own company for five years in Southport called Capricorn Kitchens which taught me a lot!

I have spent the last 25 years in managerial roles recruiting and training designers and running sales teams, for Living Design, Norwood Interiors in Yorkshire, and the last 15 years at Rossendale Interiors, part of J & J Ormerod, in Bacup, Rossendale. We moved to Rossendale six years ago.

I retired in the first Covid wave a bit earlier than planned as Graham is asthmatic and we did not want to put him at risk. After two years I realised I needed to work again.

After several requests from friends and previous customers, in May 2022 I set up Sharon Mawdesley Design.

Sharon Mawdesley Design

The original intention was just to offer an impartial plan and design service, which I have done all my life, this is now the first part of what I do.

I visit your home and do a site survey and measure, or work off e-mailed room sizes or architects plans, and discuss requirements for what you are looking for. Based on this I can draw a floorplan to scale with some line elevations, and a list of units and appliances. Once done, these are yours to take to whichever suppliers you wish, to price up and purchase what you need. If you want CAD images, I do not have the facility to do this but can order them for you from a CAD company at an extra cost.

I charge a fee for the site measure, plan and design based on the distance, complexity of the design and size of the room, this will typically be between 100.00 and 200.00, I would quote prior to starting, and at the end of the process, usually one to two weeks you will have a plan, diagrams and unit list. The advantage to you is being able to shop around and buy from wherever you choose without having to commit to a particular company or endure hard sales tactics, plus my many years of experience will ensure that you have a great design that is practical and looks good. Most companies use the same sizes of units, although I can focus the plan on a particular supplier eg B & Q, Howdens etc if I can obtain the product specifications. I will do one re-design free of charge included in the price.

Two points to note;

Firstly, the handleless Gola kitchens with the steel inserts work on different sizes to standard kitchens to accommodate dividing strips, particularly between tall units. They need a special plan.

Secondly, the onus is on you or your fitter, or the company with whom you place the order, to check that the units fit before you order anything. This is especially important if I design off supplied dimensions or plans.

The second part of what I do if you want it, is to organise the supply of your kitchen or bedroom. This of course is entirely optional, and if you do decide to order through me I will deduct your design fee from the final price.

For supply of the kitchen, bedroom or bathroom I have two great unit and door suppliers. J & J Ormerod were my employer for 15 years, they are the biggest employers in Rossendale and produce thousands of high quality units a week, as well as supplying worktops, appliances, sinks and taps. They have a great showroom at Stacksteads, and I have a trading account with them.

Superior Cabinets are a specialist bespoke manufacturer who can make just about anything you want in any size, any colour. They supply to the trade rather than to the general public, but through our working relationship I am able to act as go-between so that you can be supplied by them. They have a small showroom at the factory in Bolton.

You can visit their sites on the internet, jjoplc.com and superiorcabinets.co.uk

I also deal with Smiths Briten for bathroom equipment and Granite House at Preston for quartz and granite supply and installation.

Over the years I have worked with many great installers and have several excellent fitters and tradesmen that I can recommend to carry out the work for you. In particular I have worked a lot with Tony Holden who runs a company called New Era Developments, based in Oldham. He has a full team working with him who can do all aspects of building, renovation and installation. We have worked together many times, when he has built an extension and I have designed the kitchen, for example, and I have no hesitation in recommending him, especially where building work is involved.

For finishing touches, I was pleased just before I retired (The first time!) to carry out kitchen, bedrooms and bathroom re-fits for a lovely couple called Caron and Russell Darlington, they have a superb shop in Rawtenstall called Posh Living that is well worth a look!

All in all, whether you just want a plan to fit yourself or want a major remodelling service, I am happy to fit in with your requirements.