Lasting Work, Not Fast Fads: Simon Beames on True Craftsmanship

Simon Beames shares why he abandoned chasing dollar signs to become the "anti-Pinterest, anti-Instagram contractor" who builds timeless work instead of trendy garbage. After 25 years as a tile setter-starting in Manchester, England, moving to America, spending two decades in Colorado working with master craftsmen-Simon launched The British Remodeler a year ago to escape "everyday run-of-the-mill cookie cutter" design dominating the market. His motto: "I don't create trends that last minutes, I create trends that last decades." If clients don't immediately grasp that philosophy, they're not his type. Simon's frustration with seeing identical 12x24 tiles, basic baseboards, and Instagram-driven design everywhere drove him to champion client expression over compliance. "You're paying for the house, you should do whatever you want and not worry about resale value. If you're not going to sell the house, you're living in it-so do you. Be you." He seeks clients who want to put their vision on walls-accent walls with random shapes, tile art, painted designs-creating possibilities that don't have to cost much despite looking elegant. This selective positioning means fewer jobs, but he's sticking to his guns in conservative Colorado Springs. His business journey taught hard lessons: "When I first started out, I started chasing the dollar signs." Managing employees, handling their bills, shouldering everything created insurmountable stress that aged him visibly. "I've aged. I look at myself six, seven years ago-the stress of running a business is insurmountable." Now working solo, he's "coasting"-maintaining freedom to control his schedule, knock off early, and enjoy work without the million-dollar myth. "Anybody that says 'I make $50 million a year'-yeah, you might have made $50 million in sales, you probably took home about 5% profit." His next venture, Glass Act Mosaics, revives ancient tessera techniques (small tile formations in mosaics) used 2,000-3,000 years ago. The hardest skill separating amateurs from pros: creating depth perception in mosaics without making them look 3D. Simon spent years learning this, partly by studying Bob Ross and translating painting techniques to tile-he tore apart his Alaskan mosaic four times before achieving the seamless depth that makes viewers ask "is that clay? Glass? A painting?" His plan: mainstream ancient artistry through modular household items (coasters, picture frames) with interchangeable holiday pieces, plus custom large-format mosaics. His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: "Don't be afraid of making the jump. If you fail, you can go back to where you were. At least you can say you tried. You're better off going through life trying than wondering. Money is not everything. If you can get a job that you love doing every day, like I have done for 25 years, you're golden. Happiness is the most important thing when it comes to work and having a business. Period. Point blank."