Classic In-Frame Beaded Soft Centre Mould Shaker Kitchen 119 & Walk-In Pantry – Chelmsford, Essex

Project Highlights

• Hand-painted Classic In-Frame Shaker cabinetry with a fine beaded edge and soft centre mouldings throughout
• Bold two-tone palette: Farrow and Ball Hague Blue main runs against a Dulux Saddle Brown island
• Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry concealing both a walk-in pantry and a hidden utility room behind secret doors
• Hendel and Hendel handles in dark brushed brass, bridging the two paint colours
• Central island built for prepping, cooking and gathering, with a generous worktop and storage
• Aurelius Oro quartz worktops with warm golden veining anchoring the room
• Iconic Shaws ceramic sink with a Quooker Pro3 Fusion tap, matching soap dispenser and Yardley Bespoke rinse

A Chelmsford Renovation

This Chelmsford home underwent a full renovation, with the kitchen reimagined in a new part of the property entirely. Framed by a combination of new and original walls, the space carries a quiet sense of history alongside its fresh new layout, and our Classic In-Frame Shaker kitchen sits beautifully at the centre of it all, proving once again that the heart of the home is exactly where you want to be.

Laid out in a solid L-shape with a central island, the kitchen was always the design our client dreamed of, generous in scale and immediately welcoming. The Classic In-Frame style takes a softer approach to Shaker detailing, with a fine beaded edge running around the centre panel and gentle mouldings that add just enough character without ever feeling fussy. It is a style we love working with, ideal for clients who want a touch of considered detail and a kitchen that feels every bit as timeless in ten years as it does the day it is installed.

Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinetry and Hidden Rooms

The floor-to-ceiling cabinetry hides two details you would never know were there: a walk-in pantry and a utility room, both concealed seamlessly behind secret doors. It is the kind of clever design that rewards a closer look, doors opening to reveal something truly special tucked behind. The unbroken line gives the whole wall a sense of calm and architecture, letting the cabinetry itself become the feature rather than the openings within it.

As the sink area is treated as a symmetrical piece of furniture, it is gently broken up with glass-fronted wall cabinetry that lifts the eye and adds a lighter touch above the run. Stacked neatly one above the other, sleek built-in appliances in black gloss anchor the composition, the dark finish providing a quiet point of contrast against the hand-painted cabinetry.

The Multifunctional Island

The island sits at the heart of it all, serving as the true multifunctional hub. It is the place to prep, cook and pull up a stool and sit, somewhere the whole family naturally gathers, and the cook stays part of the conversation.

Generous in both worktop and storage, the island brings everything within easy reach while keeping the rest of the kitchen feeling open and uncluttered. It is the natural gathering point of the room, designed to work just as hard for everyday family life as it does when the house is full of guests.

A Bold Hague Blue and Saddle Brown Palette

The colour palette is a bold choice, and one that has paid off beautifully. The main runs are hand-painted in Farrow and Ball Hague Blue, a strong, confident blue with real depth, set against an island in Dulux Saddle Brown, a warm, grounded tone full of rich cocoa with subtle charcoal undertones.

For the client, it came down to a personal love of both colours, two favourites they had long wanted to bring together in a single space, and the kitchen gave them the perfect opportunity. The two shades play off each other in a way that feels genuinely considered rather than fashionable, with the blue lifting the room and the brown anchoring the centre with warmth.

Hendel and Hendel handles in dark brushed brass complete the look, the warmth of the metalwork bridging the two paint colours and tying the whole composition together with quiet confidence.

Integrated & On Show Appliances

Sitting tucked into the floor-to-ceiling cabinetry is a Fisher and Paykel stainless steel fridge freezer, the ultimate in cooling and storage and built to handle everything a busy modern kitchen demands. To the right, a Siemens built-in oven and steam oven are stacked neatly one above the other, finished in sleek black gloss that deliberately picks up the moody depth of the Hague Blue cabinetry around them.

It was a considered choice from the client, the black gloss letting the appliances disappear quietly into the run rather than competing with the painted finish, while still adding a touch of contemporary polish that keeps the kitchen feeling current alongside its traditional craftsmanship.

Over on the island, the Siemens induction hob is surface-mounted into the worktop with a discreet downdraft extractor, keeping the sightlines clean and letting the conversation flow uninterrupted across the room.

The Shaws Sink and Quooker

To complete the elegant sink design is an iconic Shaws sink paired with a Quooker Pro3 Fusion tap and a matching soap dispenser, with the addition of a Yardley Bespoke rinse for that extra layer of everyday function. It is a beautifully composed part of the kitchen, the classic lines of the ceramic sink balanced against the more modern silhouette of the tap, the two sitting comfortably together in a way that feels both timeless and genuinely useful.

This is a reminder that even the most everyday parts of a kitchen, the sink, the tap, the washing up, can be made to feel special when the design treats them with proper care.

Considered Details and Aurelius Oro Quartz

It is the final layer of details that completes the kitchen and brings it to life day to day. Under the sink, a pull-out drawer keeps everything neatly organised and out of sight, while bespoke cutlery inserts mean every utensil has its own considered home. Serving trays and chopping boards have their place too.

There is a dedicated spot for the air fryer and everything else that would otherwise clutter the worktops in a pantry cupboard, and discreet LED lighting picks out the work surfaces and highlights the cabinetry after dark, giving the room a warm, atmospheric glow.

Anchoring it all are Aurelius Oro quartz worktops, a richly veined surface with warm golden tones that pick up beautifully against the Hague Blue and Saddle Brown cabinetry, the perfect finishing touch to a kitchen thought through to the very last detail.

The Walk-In Pantry

Hidden behind the cabinetry is the walk-in pantry, an impressive reveal that you would never know was there from the kitchen itself. Step inside, and the space opens up to rows of open shelving, the perfect home for ingredients, dry goods, shopping bags as they come through the door and all those less frequently used items that would otherwise crowd a worktop.

Everything is on display and easy to find, organised in a way that makes day-to-day cooking simpler and weekly shops effortless to unpack.

The Hidden Utility Room

The utility room is also tucked away behind the cabinetry, a second hidden surprise sitting quietly alongside the pantry. From the kitchen, there is no hint of what lies behind, just the same unbroken run of hand-painted doors, but step through, and there is a fully working practical utility room, somewhere the harder-working side of life can be kept neatly out of view.

The everyday mess of laundry and household tasks has its own dedicated space, while the main kitchen stays calm, considered and ready to be enjoyed.

A Confident, Characterful Kitchen

This Chelmsford project shows what happens when a brave colour choice meets bespoke, hand-built design. The renovation gave our client the chance to reimagine where the kitchen sat in their home, and the result is a space that genuinely earns its place at the heart of it. A confident, characterful kitchen made to be cooked in, gathered around and enjoyed for many years to come.