But a dreadful and distressing break-in at their home late last year, which caused a huge amount of damage, upset and disturbance, meant that recently they completed their third Sliderobes purchase and fitting. 

Last winter, burglars broke into their home when the couple were on holiday.  Among the damage caused, they smashed into the wall inside their Sliderobes unit, causing a huge amount of structural damage, mess and loss. 

Rebuilding and improving

When the insurance money finally came though, the couple decided to call Sliderobes again.  They opted not just to replace the smashed-up unit that was there, but to improve on it by incorporating a chimney breast in their bedroom into the final fitted unit.  The previous unit had stopped short of the chimney breast as well as the room’s side walls.    

“It was all very easy,” explains Mr Campton, once he had recovered from the shock of the break-in.  “I called across to the Boucher Crescent showroom and spoke to the Customer Service Manager, Beverly Cleland, there, and she arranged for John the designer to come and visit us.”

Working together, John Neville and the Camptons came up with a few ideas and eventually settled on a design that would incorporate the chimney breast as well as the room’s sloped ceiling angles. 

“John came in early January but we couldn’t give him the final go-ahead until the settlement from the insurance claim came though.  But once we gave Sliderobes the go-ahead it only took around five weeks until completion.”

Choices and changes

Starting from scratch to fill the space with a 6-door wardrobe in what would be considered an awkward angled space, the couple took the opportunity to make changes.  

“Our previous doors had been entirely mirrored but my wife didn’t want that for the new wardrobe.  We still wanted mirrors on the doors but not fully mirrored, so the doors that we have now aren’t standard and were made bespoke.”  

A flat-screen TV was wall-mounted on the chimney breast and is accessible once the sliding doors are opened, meaning that when the door is closed, it is neatly out of sight, as are the shelves underneath it.  “The fit is so much better now compared to the wardrobe that the burglars smashed,”  says Mr Campton.

As for the finish, the couple chose a traditional wood look to complement the rest of the room.  “It fits in with the furniture that is in the room already.  The options are there to have a more contemporary look, and the range of choice available is excellent, but we wanted to stay with a more traditional look to go with the rest of the room.”

The Camptons were also delighted with the standard of workmanship throughout.  

“When the fitter, Glen, came to work on the internal space it took him just two days and he cleaned up as he went along and afterwards too.  He was really excellent.  A team member came out to do the final check of the doors too, as we had a triple track fitted so the technical aspects had to be worked out carefully in advance.  Overall their expertise was excellent.” 

Changing times

Having been Sliderobes customers for 30 years now, the Camptons are in the perfect position to have witnessed the changes in the product over the past three decades.

“The materials are sturdier and there are advances such as the fact that our wardrobes are now fully-lined at the back.  We’re more than happy with Sliderobes.   

“This was our third time around and we wouldn’t have come back if we hadn’t been happy with it.  It’s value for money, you get what you pay for.  We have no hesitation in recommending Sliderobes.”