Canterbury Bespoke Kitchen & Utility

We recently completed a kitchen for a lovely couple right here on our doorstop, Canterbury! This project was so much fun to work on and our clients enthusiasm made it even more exciting for everyone involved.

We asked our clients what was something they knew they needed / wanted from the very beginning, they said:

“Moving into a period property with the original kitchen untouched for many decades, we quickly started the planning process for an extension to house a new kitchen / dining space. We wanted an island or peninsula for cooking on and social around and plenty of storage space. After visiting the studio in Canterbury, we were sold on the minimalist, clean impact the Bora Hob and Quooker tap would bring to a smaller kitchen. After our studio visit, we were also keen to incorporate the pantry unit into our utility space.

The Design

Our clients chose their bespoke cabinetry to be in our Westgate cabinetry range, inspired by Canterbury’s iconic Westgate Towers, painted in Mylands ‘Borough Market’, a gorgeous dark green.

The Westgate, A contemporary take on the traditional Shaker style kitchen, with a T- bar panel separating each unit and much thinner shaker panel. The Westgate is designed after Westgate Towers in Canterbury, and built to stand the test of time. Often used with brass and ripple glass, this kitchen range can look very art deco with specific styling.

Looking at the plan, it’s clear to see that the back wall of their kitchen with the main run of cabinetry is at an angle, this just goes to show that even if your space isn’t a perfect square or rectangle, you’re not as limited as you might think. So don’t lose hope, as there is so much you and your designer can do to ensure your design works for you.

We asked our clients what their colour choosing process was like, they said:

“What we found most helpful about colour decisions was being able to visit the studio and see the ‘Borough Market’ in the flesh. A timeless colour option in our opinion. Our original design had a lighter Peninsula unit colour however after the design drawings were presented to us by Will and looking at other past Herringbone projects we decided to keep the colour dark for all units. It works really well. Getting to feel the weight, colour, texture and general feel of the hardware with the units at the studio also made the decision process feel really easy.”

A Bora hob was placed on the kitchens peninsula, making the open plan kitchen diner space super social. The Bora also provides a very sleek and clean look as it flows in and out of the worktop almost seamlessly. Instead of cupboards, our clients opted for three units of drawers, including deep, heavy duty drawers to house the couples pots, pans, colanders etc.

On Using Herringbone

Our clients always have such wonderful feedback for us and this was no exception:

“We felt so lucky to have the Herringbone studio a 20 min walk away from our house which allowed us to have regular little pop ins for inspiration and to firm up our decisions. Customer experience has felt really personal, relaxed and unique. From our first design meeting with Will on a cold December morning through to contractors coordinating with kitchen fitters the process has felt bespoke.”

-Johnny & Katie, Canterbury

The Hardware

We have seen a great increase in the Sparkbrook collection’s popularity recently! These pulls, knobs and T-bars feature a gorgeous knurled metal effect, adding dimension and texture to any design. Our clients chose to use the pulls for their drawers, larder, fridge and integrated appliance doors, as well as the knobs for their cupboard doors, all in a beautiful satin brass finish.

Tiles

Our clients wanted a tiled splash back that was neutral but still made an impact to their kitchens style. They settled for the ‘Bazzar’ tile in ‘White’. These beautiful, glossy ceramic tiles are perfect for behind sinks & hobs as they are super easy to clean. When we asked about the decision to incorporate the tiles they said:

“This was a last minute decision at the end of the project. I’m a big fan of tiles and wanted to incorporate some into the backsplash area but found it really difficult to choose. Herringbone released their Pantry business in the summer of our project and had a gorgeous selection of tiles to choose from. We picked a glossy porcelain ‘Bazaar’ Tile in the neutral alabaster colour to sit well with the light Silestone worktop. Each tile is a slightly different shade and finish and laid in the grid pattern looks really cool. It’s perfect!. We originally thought about using darker grey grouting but went for a neutral colour instead to keep a calm effect.”

You can shop the Sparkbrook collection and the Bazaar Ceramic Tiles on our Pantry.

The Utility

It seems that we rarely get enquiries for a kitchen without the addition of a utility space nowadays, and we totally understand why! Having this space mirror the kitchen creates continuity and harmony to any home. Open shelving here kept everything easily accessible while painting the shelves helps them blend into the units.

Our Workshop

We make all of our own cabinetry in our workshop just five minutes out of Canterbury City Centre. Our skilled carpenters, sprayers and fitters craft each unit with care and take great proud in everything they create. If you would like to see your kitchen being made, speak to your designer about arranging a visit to our workshop!