Elly Simmons Elly Simmons

How to Create Your Own Great British Bake Off

We all know the secret to a scrumptious cake is in the details. Of course it might have a little something to do with the baker, but the second most important trick is the tools.

We've had a couple of clients ask about the appliances used in the Bake-Off. While we have to wait a year until the programme returns, we can show you how to recreate those tasty parcels in your own home.

What Bake-Off showed us is that the 'slide and hide' drawer on a oven is great for small spaces, or for cooks who want to get very close to the action.

Mary Berry showed us how all the bakers in the business don't mess around with tea kettles. Here you can see Mary using the Quooker hot top for boiling water.

Wooden worktops work a dream when rolling out pastry.

And who could forget the fridge/freezer sabotage. When properly used this fridge will cool down any cake, as long as you are not baking with any crafty competitors.

So there you have it, some of the details that make the kitchens in the Great British Bake Off look so good.

Come in to the studio today and we can work with you on creating your own Bake-Off kitchen.

Read More
Elly Simmons Elly Simmons

Handles, the final piece of the puzzle

Often overlooked and neglected as an after thought, many think that the kitchen handle whether it be a knob, bar, or cup,  serves only one job- to help open and close a cabinet door.

But this is far from the truth. We at Herringbone Kitchens think the handle can make a huge difference to the overall look and feel of your kitchen. The same kitchen in the same colour in the same house with a different handle can make the kitchen unrecognisable. Changing the hardware can be a very dramatic, but cost effective way of giving your kitchen an uplift.

For example, many painted kitchen cabinets can look either more modern or country, depending on the handle.

We get a kick out of finding new handle suppliers for adventurous clients, so let us know what look you are trying to go for, and we will find them.

Below are some of our favourite handles we've recently installed.

Read More
Elly Simmons Elly Simmons

Style of the Day: Modern Kitchen

Faversham Kitchen

 Modern kitchens are actually the most versatile of all kitchen styles. A modern kitchen offers a blank slate for many a minimalist who want a clutter-free, clean and sleek kitchen.

Modern kitchens are preferred by busy families who are looking for the clean Scandinavian, bright and white look. But you will also see them in a high-flying city flat, in an interior designer's town house or in a bachelor pad.  The one thing all of these different types of people and kitchens have in common is that they like their home to be sleek and clutter-free.

Faversham Kitchen

The versatility of the modern kitchen gives you the opportunity to design a kitchen that supports whatever style suits your families needs, whether it's to swiftly clean a worktop laden with baby food, a takeaway bag or homemade sushi rolls.

Read More
Elly Simmons Elly Simmons

Style of the Day: Industrial Kitchen

We have had popular feedback from our country kitchen post. It seems many people agree with us that a country kitchen makes the perfect roast.

The next style we wanted to discuss is the trendy and much loved industrial kitchen. You are just as likely to see this style of kitchen adorning one of those warehouse lofts in Shoreditch, a social family who host regular parties or in any chef's home. An industrial kitchen is not meant to be pretty, it is meant for serious cooking.

The industrial kitchen is a working kitchen, every aspect of the kitchen is practical. From a massive island for preparing all of the many ingredients and tools used in the recipe, to a large industrial sized range cooker for making the latest Ottolenghi dish.  Every aspect of this kitchen has a purpose, and the purpose is to create gorgeous meals that could keep Gordon Ramsay quiet and chewing. 

Industrial kitchens can feed armies, which is good for those who have them as they often are the life of the party and use their culinary skills to host meals with family and friends every weekend. An industrial kitchen is a kitchen any guest will feel they can easily muck in and help with the chopping, braising, searing, blanching or glazing. In fact, in an industrial kitchen nothing is too precious and everyone can help in the cooking (or at least pour the drinks).

An industrial kitchen can fit in any type of home,  but works best in the homes where cooking and dinner parties are respected as an art.

Read More
Elly Simmons Elly Simmons

Style of the Day: Country Kitchen

The Canterbury Design Studio has been open for a couple of weeks now. We are really enjoying meeting all of the other speciality shops based on the Kings Mile and meeting new people everyday.

Since opening we have had clients ask us for a range of different styles of kitchens, including industrial, modern, country, French and eco-friendly. To help clients in choosing the ideal kitchen for their home, we've decided to start a little series on the blog where we will highlight the many different kitchen ranges you can chose from to personalise your space.

First up, the ever-popular and timeless style, the country kitchen.

A country kitchen is special in that the doors are normally made of soft materials like wood, and the cabinets are normally painted. Often times you will see the kitchen cabinets have been painted, instead of the smooth gloss finish that you would find in a more modern kitchen.  A country kitchen is normally the heart of the home, and often times you will see a family mingling around a big range cooker or Aga.

Country kitchens are not outdated, in fact they are wildly on trend (although country kitchen families are often not bothered by trends). A country kitchen often has an island or table, large enough to sit around and discuss the day.

A country kitchen can fit in most homes, whether an old barn or a flat in the city. All you need is a pair of wellies, a roast in the oven and the grit to pluck a pheasant.

Read More