Meet our clients
No 1 Sheila & Rod Flavell

It all started when Rod and Sheila Flavell decided to demolish their property overlooking Brighton Marina, on England’s south coast, and replace it with a purpose-built home. They needed a master carpenter to create shelving for the library and their construction manager was so impressed by 1718’s work that he passed on the name of our founder, Michael Mancini.

Sheila and Rod Flavell lead the FDM Group, a professional services business that’s listed on the FTSE 250. They’re a busy couple – as well the business and the project in Brighton, they have a home in London, and now also own a substantial working estate in Perthshire, Scotland.

Our work with the library shelving went down well, leading to further extensive work throughout the house. Next we created a pair of walnut walk-in wardrobes, and furniture for their separate offices  – walnut-panelled bookshelves for Rod, and a eucalyptus desk and chest of drawers for Sheila.

“We were delighted,” says Sheila. “Michael is a wonderfully discerning and quietly confident man. He’s never pushy but his work is so wonderful, and his after-sales service so exceptional, that you just want to go back for more.

“The next thing that happened was that we realised that every wall of our soon-to-be bedroom had a doorway in it, so there was nothing to put the bed headboard up against. Michael came up with the great idea of creating a walnut book case that would match our existing bed and bedside table, and double up as the frame for the headboard. It’s beautiful and helps to make the most of the room’s space.”

The skills of our team were then called upon to create a large walnut wall panel for the TV room, a full fit-out in ash for Rod and Sheila’s lovely wine room, and a stunning curved bar area with smoked glass shelves for the snooker room.

“I love working with clients such as Sheila and Rod,” says Michael. “They know what they want but are also open to ideas, and are very welcoming. It’s been a great pleasure getting to know them and the incredible growth story of FDM.”

“We now regard Michael as a friend,” adds Sheila. “He and his team always rise to the challenge for us. The variety of work they create is extraordinary and everything is done with love, attention and an impressive eye for detail.”