by Matt Oliver
Have you ever wanted to own a fridge that looks like one of Britain’s iconic red phone boxes, or Doctor Who’s Tardis?
It may seem wacky but Oxford entrepreneurs Simon Broughton-Wells and Ben Gibert reckon there could be a demand for it.
The duo have launched a vinyl print business just off Oxford’s Cowley Road and are on a mission to make fridges cool.
So far they have already helped customers turn fridges into a Marmite jar, a Tabasco bottle, Spongebob Squarepants and a Marshall amplifier.
Mr Broughton-Wells said: “I was working for a company that produces vinyl prints for vehicles and one day I looked at my laptop and thought it would also look good on that,” he said. “I made it look like an iPad with a vinyl cover and people kept asking me about how I had done it.
“We started selling Macbook covers and graphics in September and we have both been full-time since I left my job at Easter.
Fridges were the next logical step.
He explained “One night Ben and I were having a few beers and thought it would be funny to make our fridge look like a phone box. We want to make boring fridges and other surfaces more interesting for people at home.”
Currently, the pair are offering more than 30 different vinyl covers, called Fridgewraps, to customers but are keen to expand.
“We have prints that cover fridges and make them look like something completely different, or people can send us photos and custom designs and we will be happy to make them,” added Mr Broughton-Wells.
In a bid to invite local talent and create more products, they are appealing to Oxfordshire artists, offering them a chance to submit their work for conversion into vinyl covers.
“They will receive a 20 per cent commission on any sales of the design so there is an obvious incentive to do it,” Mr Loughton-Wells said.
“We are in talks with a dozen artists at the moment and hope to eventually feature their designs on our website.” *Contact: 07990 901844 n Web: www.vinylrevolution.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article