Other People's Reputations Matter

The superb main kitchen display at Nicholas Moody Kitchens

I know two things about reputations.

One, they take a lifetime to build, but only a second to ruin.

Two, your reputation is what other people say about you behind your back.

Let me give you an example. I am devoted to my children. I would do anything for them. All their lives, I have made sure they have everything they need to be happy. As far as I can tell, I’m a great dad. But if I say “No” when they ask for something, they downgrade my reputation instantly to “Big Meanie”—or “Big Stupid Meanie”, if I’ve really upset them. And you should hear what they say about me behind my back, usually to my wife. Your ears would burn up.

Now, my kids are easily bought off with an ice cream and my reputation restored. But in my business, it’s a whole different matter. My reputation is my life. It’s one of the reasons I say to my clients that I won’t accept second-rate work in my own house, nor will I accept it in theirs. That’s why your kitchen is as important to me as it is to you. My reputation is at stake.

Luxury kitchen designer

So you can imagine how humbling it is when another professional puts their reputation in my hands. That’s what happens when I am recommended by an interior designer or a provider of luxury kitchens. My work has a direct bearing on their reputations. For them to recommend me is a big display of trust. As you can imagine, I don’t take that lightly.

Some of my colleagues go even further. Take Nicholas Moody, for example. He and his team are luxury kitchen makers. They deliver to an exceptionally high standard. Nicholas recently asked me to paint the large display kitchen in his showroom—a significant piece of work that will convince prospective customers to buy one of his kitchens. Put bluntly, it is a kitchen that Nicholas needs to be flawless.

I was very proud when he asked me to paint it for him.

You can see images of this gorgeous kitchen below. The colours are the equivalent of Farrow & Ball Skimming Stone and Red Earth.

Behind the island of the main kitchen display at Nicholas Moody Kitchens

The back wall and main units of the central kitchen display at Nicholas Moody Kitchens

Please go here to see more photographs of this kitchen: Nicholas Moody Showroom Kitchen.