Period homes with a little history have got to be our favourite. Our team have had a passion for homes and interiors since a young age, with Nicholas Bridger having worked in a wide variety of roles within the construction industry since leaving school. His continued success in developing and delivering beautifully designed bespoke kitchens that perfectly match your lifestyle has led to the expansion of the business.
Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of designing countless kitchens, each unique and with a story to tell of our clients and their homes. In this blog, we share the elements that define our idea of the perfect kitchen. Along the way, we hope to inspire you with a few of our favourite examples that bring these ideas beautifully to life.
Our Idea of an Ideal Kitchen, at a Glance
When we picture an ideal kitchen, six elements come together: our go-to style is the traditional shaker; our go-to colour is a rich blue, alongside warm, grounding tones; our go-to worktop is a marble-style quartz, with natural granite a close second; our favourite period feature is exposed timber beams; our go-to appliances are Sub-Zero & Wolf; and our favourite finishing touches are a Quooker hot water tap, Armac Martin solid brass handles, and a little greenery. Here is how each of those comes to life in our projects.
A Few of Our Favourite Kitchens
We have many favourite projects, and it’s hard to choose the top three, so we have decided on a top kitchen from each of our styles.
Handleless Traditional Mapesbury Kitchen 103 & Other Rooms: Essex
Classic In-Frame Low Profile Beaded Shaker & Bar Area 104: Islington, London
Traditional Shaker Kitchen 90: Stebbing, Essex
Our Go-to Style
When it comes to style, this has to be a hard one… but if we had to choose, we would like the Traditional Shaker. It features a luxurious appearance with an exquisite, deep-set raised and fielded panel. This design is for those who prefer an opulent, timeless and bold look. Each of our bespoke kitchens is designed specifically to your requirements, combining elements from our different kitchen styles if you wish, to then create your dream kitchen.
The carcasses are traditionally made from your choice of Oak Veneer, Solid Pine, Solid Oak, Walnut Veneer or Birch Ply, using dovetail joints. Mortice and tenon joints are used on the doors and can be specified with soft-close hinges or traditional butt hinges, and the drawer boxes use the dovetail joint and are on Grass soft-close runners.
It’s never about one style fits all; it’s about blending tradition with innovation, where the design features make the kitchen unmistakably unique.
Our exquisite traditional shaker below in Winchmore Hill has been pushed to the limit with a unique combination. All of the doors and end panels feature raised and fielded panels, while all the drawers feature a flat front panel.
Our Go-to Colour
Our go-to colour is blue. We love a blue hue in the kitchen, it reminds us of the sea, calm and relaxing. Blue has also proven to be popular in many of our kitchen projects. Having said that, we gravitate towards tones that feel rich, grounding and enduring, especially Little Greene’s Light Peachblossom in recent times.
A rich blue kitchen sets its heart in the home located in Saltby.
A subtle blush island takes centre stage in the Little Hadham project.
Our Go-to Worktops
Our go-to worktop has to be a marble-style quartz. It provides a timeless and beautiful statement in the home with a luxurious vibe, consisting of many characteristics. It has proven to be very popular within our handmade kitchens and will continue to do so in both modern and traditional kitchen designs. A quartz stone is non-porous, scratch & stain-resistant and extremely hardwearing, making it easy to maintain.
Our Mapesbury project in Essex showcases the Calacatta Valencia quartz, which was chosen for both the worktops and splashback. This beautiful marble-inspired surface strikes modern elegance and timeless appeal. These finer details provide the perfect canvas for the cabinetry, accessories, and furnishings.
We also love granite as it is naturally different and a traditional luxury style of worktop, with the material being carved from the rock faces of quarries around the world. This material is 100% natural and therefore every slab of granite is unique. This granite below can be seen in our stunning showroom, completing the island perfectly with a different approach.
Our Go-to Period Features
Without a doubt, our first go-to features have got to be exposed beams from a period property. They add character to the home and fill us with excitement. Whether original to the property or newly installed to evoke a heritage feel, wooden beams frame the room with natural texture and authenticity.
This barn conversion in Little Canfield is a prime example of high ceilings and exposed beams. They are built into the design to offer the country chic feel our client wished for.
Taking inspiration from New York, our client in Clavering wanted to bring the New York loft style to their property in the UK. This mix of industrial style and organic materials brings our client the dream place to cook.
Our Go-to Appliances
Well, it has to be Sub-Zero & Wolf, of course. We are proud to be Sub-Zero & Wolf UK Premier Dealers, and ours is one of the only showrooms with fully functioning Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances that we use every day, with over 10 for you to see and try, just like a living kitchen. Renowned chefs and celebrities around the world choose Sub-Zero & Wolf for their powerful, professional-grade performance and robust, industrial design. Each appliance brings the precision and results of a commercial kitchen into the home.
- They are built to last for 20 years or more across both the Sub-Zero and Wolf ranges
- They deliver the results you want with precise, controlled cooking and cooling
- The Sub-Zero appliances are built with a NASA-derived antimicrobial air purification system
Many of our clients have opted for Sub-Zero & Wolf in their kitchens, and the Winchmore Hill project below is a great example of how these gorgeous appliances shine through traditional shaker and provide a cooking experience like no other. Our client opted for the most beautiful range top you will ever lay your eyes on. It sits centre stage with the signature red knobs bursting out, matching the Wolf Professional Built-in Oven; we are envious! Also amongst the bank of appliances is a Wolf Convection Steam Oven and a Wolf Warming Drawer.
A premium Wolf appliance met the expectations of our client in Chalfont St Giles through the industrial-inspired design and iconic red handles. The polished Wolf Sealed Burner Range Top takes control of the space, taking centre stage amongst the green cabinetry.
To bring a bold appliance to this home in Islington, our client wanted to add a Wolf Dual Fuel Range Cooker. They wanted their home cooking to become a professional standard.
Designed to improve your day and night, the Sub-Zero French Door Over and Under Fridge Freezer is the ultimate appliance in this Cuffley property.
Our Go-to Finishing Touches & Kitchen Essentials
First of all, it has to be a hot water tap; they are a great invention that provides instant boiling water for you and your family at the touch of a finger. At The Handmade Kitchen Company, we are authorised dealers for Quooker taps, and we can supply the full range and build them into your ideal kitchen. Perrin & Rowe have also designed instant hot water taps into their collection, and we are pleased to say we can supply these too!
Secondly, we love Armac Martin handles. They are a British brand situated in Birmingham since 1929. They are known to feature in some of the world’s finest kitchens, with every one of their products designed in-house. They are filled with meticulous attention to ensure that their commitment to design and quality is delivered in every space. We are proud to offer these luxury finishing touches to our clients at The Handmade Kitchen Company, and we have a large array of finishes available to complement your style and personal taste. All products are crafted from solid brass for absolute reliability and longevity, with the plating being applied on top. They really are a great handle style that fits perfectly within a bespoke traditional shaker or a contemporary in-frame.
We love introducing outdoor elements in the kitchen! Indoor plants decorate the kitchen space, creating a beautiful and relaxing space, purifying the air around us for a healthier environment. Fresh herbs are another wonderful addition to home cooking and double as a connection to nature in the home’s décor.
What Makes an Ideal Kitchen FAQs
What makes an ideal kitchen?
In our eyes, an ideal kitchen brings together a timeless style such as the traditional shaker, a grounding colour palette, a hardwearing worktop like marble-style quartz, characterful period features such as exposed beams, professional-grade appliances, and considered finishing touches like a hot water tap and solid brass handles. Above all, it is bespoke and built around the way you actually live.
What is the most popular kitchen style?
The traditional shaker remains our most-requested style and our own go-to. Its raised and fielded panels give a luxurious, timeless look, and because every kitchen is bespoke, shaker elements can be combined with more contemporary in-frame details to suit your home.
What is the best worktop for a kitchen?
We most often recommend a marble-style quartz: it is non-porous, scratch and stain resistant and very hardwearing, with the look of marble and far less maintenance. Natural granite is a beautiful alternative, with every slab unique.
What appliances do you recommend?
We are Sub-Zero & Wolf UK Premier Dealers and recommend the range for its professional-grade performance and longevity. Our Essex showroom has over 10 fully functioning appliances in daily use, including live cooking demonstrations, so you can experience them before deciding.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company design kitchens?
We design and hand-build bespoke kitchens from our workshop in Essex, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London, with occasional projects further afield.
At The Handmade Kitchen Company, we build bespoke, beautiful kitchens in perfect kitchen layouts to suit your space. A handmade kitchen adds character to your home and an understated style that will last for many years. Contact us today to find out more about a dream kitchen that will suit all your needs. We look forward to hearing from you, and we design spaces to be lived in, loved, and remembered.
