The Stuff of Dreams...

Glen King talks to Gary Dixie, of Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings, to demystify the myths surrounding buying beds.


Eighty per cent of bed shoppers spend less than two minutes trying out beds.*  But, as Gary Dixie points out: “We spend around a third of each day asleep, so it’s surprising that many people overlook the importance of making the best bed selection for them when it’s so key to our well-being.“It’s much easier to face the day and all of life’s challenges after a good night’s rest.”.

Highlight bed design 

When it comes to buying beds and mattresses there’s such a large range on the market that it can feel as though there’s a minefield of options 

and unfamiliar terminology – so make sure that you do your research and put time aside to get it right. After all, you wouldn’t buy a house without viewing it or consider buying a car and not at least sit in it – so adopt the same outlook when you

test drive a new bed. 

When visiting a furniture outlet don’t be embarrassed to “try before you buy” to ensure that you make the right decision. Wear comfortable clothes, kick off your shoes, and get bouncing! Compare a number of beds and lie down for at least ten minutes, adopting your normal sleeping position. If shopping for two, involve your partner and make sure that you try out at the same time – it’s also a great time to enjoy some pillow talk. 

Amore bedroom range

So which is the best mattress for you? *The correct way to check if a bed is right for you is to lie on your back and slip your hand between the base of your spine and the mattress. If it’s difficult to do so it’s probably too soft. Hand moves easily? The mattress could be too hard. For that perfect fit you should ideally be able to move your hand with a slight resistance A good mattress should last up to ten years. Comfort is all down to personal preference – some enjoy a firm base while others prefer the idea of sinking into a soft mattress. Ideally, it should mould to the shape of your body with optimum support. If you sleep with a partner and have clashing preferences on the required firmness, an independent retailer like Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings can create a mattress with different tensions on each side, ensuring a dreamy night’s sleep for you both.


It’s important to buy the best product on the market within your budget. Investing in a higher
quality bed and mattress reflects the construction and good support with a greater life expectancy,
so is more cost-effective in the long run.  Lower-priced mattresses are produced in standard tension, while more expensive options have the choice of soft, medium or firm tensions.
Sleeping on an uncomfortable bed can provoke or aggravate health issues from back and joint pain to insomnia. Having your sleep disrupted by a fidgety partner is one of the most common complaints; the ideal bed should be four to six inches longer than the taller partner for maximum comfort. A larger bed reduces the chances of disturbing each other – so, if you have the capacity, consider buying a King or Super King size for that extra elbow room and to allow space for younger children when they sneak into your bedroom in the early hours!

Avon New Web bed

Unlike a bed frame, a divan is made up of both base and mattress and is a perfect option if you
have little room. If limited to a smaller area, consider buying an ottoman bed as a practical
solution for providing invaluable storage space. Always think of the frame and mattress in unison,
not as separate items. Whether you prefer a traditional or contemporary style; wood or metal
design; there are bedsteads on the market to suit all tastes. The bedroom should be your sanctuary and a place to escape; so much more than just somewhere to lay your head. It’s your personal 

space and somewhere to go to relax, unwind, and rejuvenate. With your new bed taking centre 

stage, complement the look with elegant bedding and matching soft furnishings to create a desirable 

ambiance. A headboard may be seen as an optional extra, but it can be the finishing touch, 

particularly with matching bedroom furniture to enhance the tone of the room as well as being 

practical in terms of storage. Get the look by teaming with stylish bedside tables, a chest of 

drawers, wardrobe, dressing table and mirrors to achieve a cohesive and pleasing theme that 

reflects your personality.

Annecy contemporary bedroom suite 

There are also many fun and eye-catching 

bedroom suites tailored especially for children, so 

get them involved in the selection process. With 

lots of designs and colours to choose from, it will 

help to encourage the little angels to go to bed on 

time at the end of a tiring day, so that everybody 

gets a good night’s sleep!

Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings
Church Road, Alphington, Exeter,
Devon EX2 8SW
Telephone: 01392 433292 or
e-mail info@queenstreet.co.uk
www.queenstreet.co.uk

*Sourced from The Sleep Council

Gary Dixie, Director of Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings, Alphington Exeter talking business

Independent businesses should embrace change to thrive and not just survive in the current economic climate.

As a family owned company trading in the City since the 1960’s, we have built a successful business on our well earned reputation and developed a loyal following by providing high quality products at affordable prices coupled with excellent customer service. In the current economic climate however, times are tough particularly for the independent retailer. So how do you react to a worldwide economic crisis? It is affecting everyone in business so it is time to seek ways of expanding your products or service and growing your market. As a small business owner the current situation may feel out of our control however, it can offer an opportunity to focus on what you do best and effectively emerge as a competitive, better organised and more efficient business.

The only constant in business is change. Regardless of the detail, I believe we must always prepare for this and maximise the current market. This doesn’t mean radical thinking but concentrating on your core product first and then looking at ways of expanding your target audience. I’m not talking about spending lots of money, although attempting to expand your market may need some investment if you are prepared to take the risk as in ‘speculate to accumulate’. Concentrate on your key product or service and then implement new growth by strengthening and redefining the core business. The important point to remember is that you need to meet and satisfy customer expectations, which are never static.

At Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings we have been looking at our mid - long term strategic marketing by focusing on whether people are still readily going to be re-carpeting or furnishing their homes or offices in the near future. At the same time we need to be aware of what impact new businesses will have on us particularly with the advent of John Lewis opening in the City centre at the end of 2012. One option would be to put our ‘heads in the sand’ and hope it will pass! We, have, however, embraced the challenge by focusing on our core business of carpets and flooring with a significant investment in the refurbishment of our showroom at Alphington to bring us bang up to date with the current market trends. It’s all about supply and demand and re-inventing yourself at the appropriate time. Customers want a pleasurable shopping experience with choice, great value and a quality product. We expect the arrival of a high profile retailer such as John Lewis to attract more shoppers into the City which will in turn benefit us greatly. As a result we must maximise our offering so that we are not left behind by these competitors, whilst adding our own friendly brand of individual customer service and local knowledge.

As well maximising our products we are actively focusing on potential new customers and hence expanding our core market. In addition to our domestic customers there are plenty of commercial organisations who need us; we just need to promote ourselves more widely and with renewed vigour to get the message across and educate the market on the products and services we provide.

The rising elderly population with a subsequent growth in care homes and retirement villages in the South West is one area we are investigating. At the other end of the spectrum is the increasing influx of students as the University of Exeter steadily climbs the league table. We are, therefore, targeting landlords and house rental companies to identify those needs and focus our products specific to this growing marketplace.

We live in the centre of a tourist hotspot and as a result there is an abundance of holiday parks and hotels all requiring services from local businesses. Always turn a negative into a positive; the economic downturn and poor pound-to-euro exchange rate can only have an optimistic impact on the South West with more and more people deciding to take their well earned holidays in the UK. Larger companies moving to Exeter also help to contribute to the local economy and benefit local smaller businesses. The re-location of the Met Office in 2003 is a prime example, adding c. £40 million each year to the local economy and increasing property prices by around 40%. It has put Exeter on the map worldwide and actively encouraged blue chip companies to follow suit. In addition Government recently focused on how to increase house building in the UK in the next 10-20 years which will swell the local population and benefit commerce. This is all good news for our core products of beds, furnishings and carpets.

Finally involve your staff, listen to them and share information. Their discussions with customers, suppliers or even competitors are valuable sources of how the market is functioning. Implement changes with the full knowledge of your staff and effective training.

For further information please visit www.queenstreet.co.uk

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Photos courtesy of Mark Campbell - www.onthemarkphotography.co.uk

Striped carpets are bang on trend for this season...

Glen King learns from Gary Dixie of Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings how investing in striped flooring can brighten up your home throughout the winter months and beyond.

Go bold to get that contemporary ‘Wow’ factor and instantly add dramatic impact and focus to your living space. If you prefer the more traditional look, then incorporate striped carpeting from the extensive range of muted tones available on the market.

In days gone by, Kidderminster carpet factories, producers of high quality expensive Wilton carpets, used to utilise leftover yarns to produce ‘one-off’ striped carpets. At that time this was one of the cheapest types of flooring available to consumers who were not in a financial position to pay the high prices commanded in order to own a Wilton carpet held in high reverence. Nowadays desirable striped carpets are seen as ‘top of the pile’ and can be one of the more expensive types of flooring. This is because each carpet is now made as an ongoing product range using high quality yarns with short pile height to ensure the straight stripes stay right on line!

Carpet creates a level of comfort, warmth and cosiness that simply cannot be replicated by other types of flooring and also provides effective sound insulation. At the height of carpet fashion, stripes have now taken the lead; a design statement in their own right. And since the early arrival of Crucial Trading’s Mississippi stripe, the choice is now greater than ever. Contemporary and stylish, carpets will never again be the last thing you consider when creating your ideal living space - now you can furnish your home from the floor up.

The luxury and comfort of wool rich carpets are being used to stunning effect with a huge choice of striped carpets. The highest quality carpet in this collection will be made up of a two or three fold yarn providing a beautiful yet durable product of a superior standard that is suitable for all areas of the home. You can rely on them keeping their good looks for many years to come with a full range of colours, textures and styles to suit all tastes.

Striped carpets and rugs are funky, fashionable and a hugely popular choice as you can co-ordinate them with plain carpets. Make a statement throughout your living area with a wall to wall striped carpet; alternatively utilise smaller areas as a feature to liven up your living space.

Take pattern off the walls and transfer to the floor with an extensive range of striped carpets to be found at Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings...

Playing with pattern on the flooring has never been so exciting. Choose from bold wide stripes or thin pinstripes in neutrals or vibrant colours. Loud stripes become the main focus or add an eye-catching accent to neutral rooms; whilst quieter shades can add tone and texture. Striped carpets look striking as stair runners and stunning in hallways. Alternatively choose to have a custom made striped rug as an aspect in a main room.

Remember that expert fitting is required with this product to ensure the pattern runs straight. Be aware also of walls that do not run parallel and stairways that turn a corner with treads that are narrow on one end and wider at the other, known as winder stairs. Experienced retailers will provide all the necessary professional advice when choosing and installing a striped carpet.

www.queenstreet.co.uk

Photograph of Gary Dixie courtesy of Mark Campbell - www.onthemarkphotography.co.uk

Local retailer rolls out 'The Red Carpet'

Long established independent retailer Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings based in Exeter announces completion of its extensive refurbishment of their carpet and flooring department. The family run company has invested over £50,000 in the newly designed and designated flooring area situated within their large showroom at Alphington. It boasts a larger range of flooring and includes updated lighting to make it easier for customers to select colours and textures.

The family run business founded in 1967 by husband and wife team Malcolm and Nikki Dixie is well known in the local area for building a reputation of trust, reliability and high quality products. Originally based in Queen Street in Exeter, the business quickly expanded and moved to substantially larger premises in Alphington where it remains to this day.

The company has been passed down through the family and is now operated by brothers Mark and Gary Dixie, who continue to run the business with the same traditional values whilst bringing the showroom and products bang up to date.

Gary Dixie Director says: “Although the shop frontage looks deceptively small, customers are constantly amazed when they enter the extensive showroom with 12,000 sq ft of retail space including three large departments of beds, furniture and flooring all under one roof. To ensure we are ahead of the pack in terms of development, we have now invested a substantial sum in refurbishing the carpet and flooring department. Customers can now expect an even larger choice of flooring and it will now be easier to browse through the mind boggling choice of flooring products, with help and guidance from our friendly team of experts. We want to make it a much more pleasurable shopping experience for our loyal retail and commercial customers and to try and attract new ones.”

There are also plans to make further investment throughout the remaining bed and furnishings departments over the next 12 – 24 months. In the last ten years the team has grown to 12 employees with significant experience in product knowledge, delivery & installation and flooring fitting. The company has expanded their offering in many areas including luxurious carpets from Axminster, hard flooring from Karndean and Natural floorings from Crucial Trading.

Says Gary: “We remain focused on providing quality flooring at great prices and still hold a large stock of carpets on display in the centre of the new showroom; this means customers will have quick delivery on many products. We are also major stockists of Persian and Modern rugs so we can accommodate all tastes and styles, whether traditional or contemporary. We believe no other local retailer offers the flooring choice we now have at Queenstreet, as well as the ability to choose furniture and beds at the same time all under one roof in a friendly and relaxed environment.”

QUEENSTREET CARPETS & FURNISHINGS ROLLS OUT 'THE RED CARPET' TO LAUNCH THEIR NEWLY REFURBISHED FLOORING DEPARTMENT

Wayne Handford, Gary Dixie and Steve Button of Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings
rolling out 'the red carpet' for customers

Long established independent retailer Queenstreet Carpets & Furnishings based in Exeter announces completion of its extensive refurbishment of their carpet and flooring department.  The company has invested over £50,000 in the newly designed and designated flooring area situated within their large showroom at Alphington.  It boasts a larger range of flooring and includes updated lighting to make it easier for customers to select colours and textures.

The family run business founded in 1967 by husband and wife team Malcolm and Nikki Dixie is well known in the local area for building a reputation of trust, reliability and high quality products.  Originally based in Queen Street in Exeter, the business quickly expanded and moved to substantially larger premises in Alphington where it remains to this day. The company has been passed down through the family and is now operated by brothers Mark and Gary Dixie, who continue to run the business with the same traditional values whilst bringing the showroom and products bang up to date.

Gary Dixie Director says: “Although the shop frontage looks deceptively small, customers are constantly amazed when they enter the extensive showroom with 12,000 sq ft of retail space including three large departments of beds, furniture and flooring all under one roof. To ensure we are ahead of the pack in terms of development, we have now invested a substantial sum in refurbishing the carpet and flooring department. Customers can now expect an even larger choice of flooring and it will now be easier to browse through the mind boggling choice of flooring products, with help and guidance from our friendly team of experts.  We want to make it a much more pleasurable shopping experience for our loyal retail and commercial customers and to try and attract new ones.”

There are also plans to make further investment throughout the remaining bed and furnishings departments over the next 12 – 24 months. In the last ten years the team has grown to 12 employees with significant experience in product knowledge, delivery & installation and flooring fitting.  The company has expanded their offering in many areas including luxurious carpets from Axminster, hard flooring from Karndean and Natural floorings from Crucial Trading.

Says Gary: “We remain focused on providing quality flooring at great prices and still hold a large stock of carpets on display in the centre of the new showroom; this means customers will have quick delivery on many products. We are also major stockists of Persian and Modern rugs so we can accommodate all tastes and styles, whether traditional or contemporary.  We believe no other local retailer offers the flooring choice we now have at Queenstreet, as well as the ability to choose furniture and beds at the same time all under one roof in a friendly and relaxed environment.”

www.queenstreet.co.uk