In our role as furniture designers we are often involved right at the start of a customer’s bespoke kitchen redesign.
Even if major building work is taking place to extend or remodel the space first, we will
liaise with the builder to discuss how the design will interact with the space. This means we can then begin working on the design of the interiors before the building work is complete.
How we approach a kitchen redesign
There are two priorities when a kitchen is being redesigned from scratch:
- Appearance – Our customers usually know what they want and what they definitely don’t want their kitchen to look like. They will be very clear about the style, whether that’s a contemporary painted kitchen, a modern high gloss kitchen or a more traditional country kitchen.
- Functionality – Everyone uses their kitchen slightly differently. For some people entertaining is a key focus whereas for others, the cooking and preparation space is paramount.
Once we know the customer’s priorities in terms of appearance and function we can work with them to come up with some ideas for their dream kitchen.
The advantages of choosing hand-built kitchen units
Many people choose a hand-built kitchen because they want something that is built to last but there are many other advantages of choosing a bespoke handmade kitchen. Features can be designed into a bespoke kitchen that don’t exist in catalogues or kitchen showrooms. A perfect example of this was a special spice drawer that we made as part of an Art Deco kitchen design.
The drawer was designed to display the spice jars so that their contents were easily visible and each jar was accessible. All sorts of quirky ideas come up when we’re discussing a project with a customer and we can generally make anything work.
Another kitchen project for a couple in Cambridge involved the special design of cabinets that provided storage as well as giving easy access to the boiler and plumbing.
Project managing a bespoke kitchen design and installation
We are used to working as part of a team on our commercial furniture design projects and the same project management skills come into play when customers are redesigning their home interiors.
We are often involved at every level of the project. This can include:
- Liaising with architects and builders at the start of the project;
- Working closely with the customer to design their perfect kitchen;
- Manufacturing the kitchen to meet construction and refurbishment deadlines;
- Installing the kitchen and working with other professionals to ensure plumbing, electrics and other services are installed on time;
- Working throughout with interior designers, to create a complete look for the space, including style, colours, materials and layout.
The most effective bespoke kitchen redesign projects are those that are well managed and where all the experts involved work together as a team towards a common goal. When that happens, the end result can be stunning.