Jamie Howard

Early Career

How did you first get started in the KBB industry?

Jamie: Well, it goes back quite a while really. I grew up working with my dad in the building trade; my dad was a general builder, so I saw a really diverse mix of work and picked up a lot from him. 

I’ve been working on site since I was 10! I still remember working on the Guinness family properties. 

Later I went to college and studied carpentry, but then took a bit of a detour and ended up working in the lift industry for a while … a completely different direction!

Lifts, as in elevators?

Jamie: Yeah, that’s right, with a local business near me. I did that for a few years and even started my own company at one point, but it was never really where my heart was. 

I remember sitting in London, commuting every day, and just thinking, “What am I doing?”

My work at that time was full-on — high stress, short lead times, big commercial projects. It just wasn’t what I set out to do. 

I realised I didn’t get joy from finishing a job; I got joy from seeing how people reacted to the spaces that I’d built. 

That’s when it clicked: I wanted to get back to that feeling.

So I stopped doing the commercial work and went back into domestic construction and renovations. 

Over the years, I got frustrated fitting other people’s products because I’ve always cared deeply about design. I was self-employed, working with other trades. 

I used to install kitchens knowing they wouldn’t really work for the people using them day to day. But as a joiner, I had  no control over that, apart from rehanging a few doors so they open the right way around. 

I actually see myself as a joiner by trade, not a carpenter. Joinery and second-fix work have always been my thing.

Then I started working with a cabinet maker I’ve known most of my life. I actually used to work with him when I was a kid, helping my dad. We set up a little business together — that was great for a while. 

We got a workshop, landed a few nice jobs, but he didn’t really enjoy the stress of working for himself. He’d always been in a workshop for someone else, and I think the pressure just didn’t sit well with him.

He was quite the opposite of you then?

Jamie: Yeah, exactly that. Some people just prefer the reliability of getting paid at the end of the month. 

For me, I’d already transitioned from renovations into kitchens and joinery, and I didn’t want to lose the relationships I’d built with interior designers and clients along the way. 

So I carried on with Roost and it’s been nearly two years now as a business.

The 3F Approach

Wow, so Roost is still quite young isn’t it?

Jamie: Yeah, but I feel like I’m really getting Roost’s identity nailed down now. 

And what is that identity?

Jamie: Well the way I see it, it’s extremely design-led … that’s the core of everything. 

I work on three principles: Function, Flow, and Feeling.

Function is all about how the space will be used, the practical side. 

Then comes Flow: how you move through the space, how everything connects, where things sit in the layout. 

Once all of that’s right — after the questionnaires and the detailed design work — that’s when I bring in the Feeling. That’s colours, finishes, handles, styles … all the visual stuff.

I don’t actually talk much about style at the start, it only really gets finalised at the end. The design comes first, then the look follows naturally. 

It’s completely different from walking into a showroom and picking things that you like. 

You’re taking quite a unique, almost academic approach to kitchen design. Where is this coming from? 

Jamie: Well I’ve always had a general interest in design and architecture, so I follow a lot of designers and architects and learn through them. But really, most of it comes from experience … just spending years on site.

There’s definitely been a shift lately. A lot of people like me, who’ve come from a joinery background, are now selling their own kitchens, often out of the same frustrations I had. 

But I think many people miss the point. They focus so much on the craft — handmade this, handmade that, British-made, all the buzzwords — but forget that a kitchen is the most functional part of a home.

I had a painter on one of our jobs recently, and she told me she’d just finished a kitchen by a very skilled local joinery firm, really good work. But the client hated it after two weeks. 

It looked great, but it just didn’t work for her. That really says it all.

Wow, how much was it worth?

Jamie: £45,000 for a kitchen. And after two weeks, the customer hated the layout and how anything worked. She was quite a cook too, so she knew exactly what she wanted. 

But the joinery company had sold her on how beautifully made everything was — the craftsmanship, the materials, the look. And in the end, none of that mattered, because the basics weren’t right.

Because the basics — your 3F philosophy — weren’t applied?

Jamie: Exactly, yeah. That’s what really drives me to do things the way I do. I see so many people disappointed with their kitchens, and I just think people miss the point.

Did you come up with the 3F yourself?

Jamie: Oh yeah …and there’s a funny story behind it. I was chatting to a client one day, and she kept asking me questions about how I design. 

As I was explaining it, I suddenly thought, “I’ve just nailed what I’m all about.”

That’s when the three Fs — Function, Flow, and Feeling — really clicked for me. It’s what I’ve always been aiming for, I’d just never put it into words before.

How are your customers finding this concept when you talk about it?

Jamie: Well customers usually start with the sort of things you’d expect: design, colours, finishes. Big magazine buzzwords. It’s actually really difficult not to get caught up in that, especially when you think about marketing. 

My biggest struggle at the moment is trying to get across the aim — what the kitchen is actually for— without constantly referring to what others do or what a kitchen company should look like. 

It’s tricky, but I just have to stay focused, and it all comes together in the end.

Project Showcase

What is one of your favourite projects, and why do you love it so much?

Jamie: Oh it’s definitely our handmade pink kitchen island! The photos really don’t do it justice on our socials. It’s so warm when you walk into the room, just a lovely place to be.

What’s so special about it?

Jamie: Well, for starters, the customer was quite passionate about the design, which I always like. I love it when clients really want to get involved with the design journey. 

Also, the level of customisation in there is incredible. That island, for example, is 100mm taller than regular worktops because they’re quite tall people. 

And if you look at the images, where the beam runs into the cabinetry — we went through six or seven different iterations on that. 

Ultimately, it’s all down to the customer, but it’s the collaboration that I enjoy.

And afterwards, say, a week or two later, when they say, “Oh my God, I was using our new kitchen and it was so easy!” That’s the pinnacle for me.

Or the first time they clean up after dinner or breakfast and it works perfectly: they just unload straight into the cupboard. 

It’s always an easy one for me because I can get the dishwasher placement just right. But it’s moments like these that I find brilliant and magical.

Views on Pricing

You recently launched a kitchen price calculator on your website which gives potential clients a rough estimate of their projects even before they get in touch with you. What made you decide to put something like this out there?

Jamie: The way I’ve always worked is to start with rough details. If someone contacts me, the first thing I do is discuss some basic information in my own form. Then, based on that, I give a budget estimate. 

I’ve always started there because so many hours in the past have been wasted on both sides — for the customer and for us — because of budget uncertainty.

Ultimately, everything comes down to price. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the design is, what options you have, or how fast you can deliver. 

Even in super-prime markets, it still comes down to price eventually. 

My argument against holding back on price is that you have to talk about it at some point. Unless someone is willing to commit to a design fee, you can’t spend the time going into detail to give an accurate estimate.

I feel it’s a responsibility of a company to roughly know what they’re going to charge a client. If you don’t, you can’t really know your business well.

Don’t you think some numbers might scare people away even before they get to know you?

Jamie: Yes, there are downsides. Some people will see the price and say it’s too expensive, and you’ll lose them. Others will think it’s too much of a window and still feel uncertain. But the way I see it,  it’s more of a tool for people to use. 

Over the years, I’ve learned time is incredibly valuable for both sides, especially if someone has been recommended to you. I don’t like the embarrassment when people feel they can’t afford what you’re offering. 

So the calculator is more about price conditioning and bringing in warm leads.

People answer most of the questions I would ask face-to-face anyway, but they can do it safely and without pressure — no worries about what I think of their budget. 

It’s a little safe place for people to get an idea.

Would you recommend other small independents to do something similar?

Jamie: Yes definitely. The price calculator has been up for about six months now, and it has sparked conversations. I’ve already got two clients I’m currently speaking to. 

So it’s doing what it’s meant to do — easing someone into the process. If these two projects go ahead, I think two in the first six months is a pretty good return. It’s still early days, though.

I guess what it has also done is add a bit more structure to the process. 

If someone called me now and asked, “What sort of price range am I looking at?” I’d say, “Oh, I’ve actually got a calculator you can use.”

So on the sales side, it gives you a path of least resistance. It detaches the awkward questions like, “Do you have a budget in mind?” 

Most people aren’t great at answering that question on the spot, but the price calculator puts them in their own safe space so they can think about it objectively.

Industry Challenges

What are some of the biggest challenges that independent kitchen makers are facing currently?

Jamie: The absolute biggest one is the “We will beat any quote” approach from the big brands, for example Wren. People often don’t know the quality difference and the pricing tactics can be tricky.

For instance, I had a client who’d already got a quote from Wren. I quoted a like-for-like kitchen, as close as I could, and my price was almost identical to theirs. 

Then they went into Wren over the weekend, and the company dropped their price.

That immediately raises alarm bells for me. 

How can you trust a company that can suddenly drop that kind of money? It makes comparisons impossible and shows how difficult it is for independents to compete purely on price.

How are you handling this challenge?

Jamie: I think it’s really about managing the leads that come through. If someone is primarily focused on getting the cheapest price, I want to steer them away from our process. 

It all comes back to time — independents need to protect their time to keep their margins up.

What about clients who are motivated purely by price?

Jamie: When I speak to someone, I can usually tell straight away if they’re engaged. If someone is purely price-driven and doesn’t care about quality, experience, or even design — like some people aren’t even interested in how they’ll use their kitchen — then they’re not the right fit. 

At Roost, I can supply both ends of the spectrum, so there isn’t a fixed customer base. Sometimes a builder will have one project for a client looking for a cheaper kitchen, and the next project might be a handmade, in-frame, hardwood kitchen.

But once we start talking about design, if they’re interested, I can feel it immediately. And because I work with lots of makers and suppliers, I can normally fit any build. 

I know for sure though, that developers aren’t my client base – they just want to get a kitchen in to sell the house, which isn’t what I focus on.

Business Strategy

You’re wearing a lot of different hats. What is the hardest part of this journey?

Jamie: The hardest part for me, which I’m still working on, is transitioning from installation to sales. 

I can’t do both and run the company the way I want to. It has taken me years to really accept that.

Ultimately, my driver is sharing precious moments with happy clients. I do love looking back at something I’ve created, but the real reward is seeing the difference it makes to someone’s life. 

If I were just installing and never got that appreciation, it wouldn’t mean the same. So I’m trying to understand that, and use it to transition away from installation. 

My aim is to be completely off-site by January 2026. That means delegation, hiring more people, and working with trusted partners.

Builders, for example, who would normally go to Howdens, can now install my kitchens for their clients and get a better experience. 

Our kitchens make things easier on site and give benefits they don’t get from standard trade suppliers.

If another small independent — say, a joiner or carpenter — wanted to follow a similar trajectory as yours, where should they focus on to get started?

Jamie: I’d say they need to understand what drives them and where they see themselves in 5–10 years. 

There are plenty of successful independents, but some still get their joy from installation. If that’s the case, you need a high-margin, high-quality product so you can focus on design and installation separately, giving each the attention it deserves.

Talk to other companies and people doing what you want to do. We often call them competitors, but for my business, collaboration has been key — that goes with clients, suppliers, and other trades. 

If you don’t know something, ask. I’ve got joinery experience, but that doesn’t mean I can’t ask another joiner or kitchen company for their opinion. 

It doesn’t have to be about a specific project; just learning from people who’ve gone through the same thing is invaluable.

Most of the time, people are held back by imposter syndrome — that’s totally normal. But being open and talking to others gives you that extra confidence, which can be the difference between going for it and holding back.

Tools and Tech

What’s something new and different that you’re doing that most other independents aren’t?

Jamie: I love technology. AI, for example, is already part of the new process that I’m building, and it will change lots of things. We always have to be looking, learning, and striving to do better.

What are some of your favourite softwares?

Jamie: I love using AutoKitchen for design … nothing else comes close. They stay focused on design and deliver new updates every year. 

For everything business management, I use Zoho … so far, there’s nothing it can’t do. 

Looking Ahead

So what’s next for Roost?

Jamie: A big trade drive — a real push. I’ve been working in the background on my systems. 

One of the biggest things I’ve focused on is consistency, because any great company runs on it. 

Transitioning from site to office, I haven’t been able to deliver the consistency I’d hoped for, but I’ve been developing a system that should be ready by mid-December.

The January push will be really focused on trade and working with partners. It means I can offer them a very focused, seamless process — something they haven’t had before. It covers all levels of the market. 

I’m always open to new partnerships. My business is built on working with joiners and carpenters — people installing kitchens who want someone who really knows what they’re doing on site. 

I can provide trade support nationally.

Of course there are a few things I’ll never be able to do like the big players, like same-day or next-day deliveries. But outside of that, there are very few things that I can’t do better than the Nationals. 

That’s because they have their own restrictions that I can work around.

What’s an example of a restriction that you can work around but Nationals can’t?

Jamie: Sure. Howdens can’t pre-fit their doors or mount drawers in their units. The reason they can sell at those prices and speeds is because it’s all as component-based as possible. 

But for us independents, everything is made specifically for that job. Our cabinets are built for the space, so you don’t have extra holes meant for something else, or drawers misaligned because of poor installation. That’s something Howdens will never be able to offer.

If you were to do it all over again, what is one thing you would do differently?

Jamie: I would have spent more time thinking about what I actually want to deliver, what would give me satisfaction. 

Great businesses need passion; if you start just for the sake of it, it’s doomed to fail or won’t reach its potential. 

I’d focus on what I want out of life and from the business I’m creating, and then concentrate on what I want to offer. That reflection would have saved a lot of time. 

Today I feel like I really know what I want Roost to be — a company that delivers the experience. 

The product quality and style are almost a given — that’s the easy bit. It’s the experience that I want to deliver.

Of course there’s always room for improvement. But any trade or client I work with should return because of that experience.