A SMALL business which champions North-East craftsmanship has just completed a job with its most high profile client to date – a foreign king.

Chelsea Summerhouses, based in Newton Aycliffe, impressed the monarchy's head with their bespoke design of a free-standing, octagonal conservatory which has just been installed in the gardens of his Hampshire property.

Director Michelle Lower, who runs the firm with fellow director Grahame Burn, said: "We're really proud because we work in a small place in the North-East and to get such a prestigious commission is great for us.

"It (the conservatory) is unpretentious, naturalistic design is sensitively in-keeping with the existing outbuildings and surrounding woodland.

"This lends the owner a quiet sanctuary of relaxed solitude and the project turns a beautiful garden from summer delight into to year-long enjoyment."

The business was contacted and then travelled to the residence with nine other companies to pitch ideas to the royal head of state.

"We listened to to their brief and took ideas from that," added Ms Lower. "We went back with drawings and prices and won.

"We were the only company that came up with that shape and style."

The order was placed in April and the building work was completed this week.

It comes following a successful few years for Chelsea Summerhouses which was founded in 2011.

Former workers at Darlington-based Amdega, the oldest conservatory maker in the world, Ms Lower and colleagues drew up plans in the wake of its demise.

A luxury brand dating back to 1874, Amdega had once enjoyed a global reputation for producing handmade conservatories, orangeries and summerhouses which cost up to £150,000 each - but investors pulled the plug in April 2011 and about 200 workers lost their jobs.

When administrators from KPMG sold off the firm's assets, including the Amdega name that was snapped up by double glazing firm Everest.

While Everest continued the line of conservatories, Ms Lower and the team spotted a gap in the market to pursue the summerhouse side of the business.

Alongside former Amdega employees, the company now also designs bespoke conservatories and last year moved into premises twice the size next door to accommodate demand.

Now in their sixth year, they hope to continue to grow from their base in Newton Aycliffe.