Flexible Working in Manufacturing and Retail

We’ve been told flexible working is only for those who work in an office and it was not possible in the manufacturing or retail industry. There are some obvious barriers, we can not make a kitchen from our back shed at home, you need to be in the workshop with colleagues and retail is done face-to-face with clients. But flexible working does not just mean working from home and we were determined to find a way to make it work.

To be honest, we couldn’t find any examples of other manufacturing companies in the UK offering flexible working right now, so we had to make it up ourselves. After lots of planning, we launched a flexible working policy for the team earlier this month. It is far from perfect, but it’s a start in an industry that is dominated by traditional companies (that don’t often like to shake things up).

The average age in carpentry and joinery is over 40, it is an industry struggling to train younger people in the craft. We also hope that bringing in flexible working (as well as strong parental leave and other policies), helps bridge the gap and makes the area more appealing as a career choice. One that celebrates and values creativity, craftsmanship and problem solving.

Flexible working is not just for parents (although it can help with managing childcare), but is for everyone. So far 1/4 the team have decided to work condensed days. With their spare day they are taking courses, learning new skills, exploring their hobbies or just using the extra day to spend time with friends and family.

It’s a learning curve, but if our little family business can find a way to do it, it’s possible for any business. If you’re another small business and want to share any tips or interested in how we put together our policy- please get in touch! We are so happy to share our experience and learn/shake up this industry together.

Our Bespoke Utility Rooms

We have recently had a surge of customers requesting utility rooms along with their bespoke kitchens. And why not? Utility rooms can be a real treat, helping with additional storage space, and hiding away laundry machines.

Whether they’re adjacent to your kitchen, disguised as kitchen units or a totally separate room, utility rooms are becoming more and more popular due to their practicality and more aesthetically pleasing appearance. If yours has an exterior door, it could easily double as a boot room for storing wellies and shoes after jumping in all of those muddy puddles.

A sink in a utility room can be really beneficial. From hand-washing delicate items, pre-soaking and treating stains before throwing clothes in the washing machine. They also make excellent (small-ish) dog bathtubs!

If you’re painting your utility room a contrasting colour to your kitchen, a nice way to create continuity is by using the same handles on your cabinetry. This will also make your space feel more luxurious,

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Glass Units: Plain, Rippled or Georgian Wire

Glass units are quite often considered during the Design Consultation rather than planned beforehand. Most people don’t necessarily think about them when initially imagining their new dream kitchen. However, in our experience implementing glass units into the rest of your cabinetry can have beautiful results that will leave you wondering how you never considered them before!

Here are the types of glass units we supply and some examples of them in recently completed kitchens:

• Plain: Straight forward and effortlessly beautiful. Like any glass units, plain glass will open up your space but will also display and showcase the items in your cupboard. Consider having spotlights installed into the top of your unit for a glow of light going through. Plain are most often used in traditional style kitchens.

• Rippled: This type of glass unit adds an Art Deco or chic element to every kitchen and will add an additional texture to your space. This rippled effect glass won’t hide your items but it will obscure the view.

• Georgian Wire: A little bit different, a little bit cool. Georgian Wire glass will elevate your kitchen with its interesting design while still showing off your items. It adds an industrial element to every kitchen.

Sustainability with Herringbone Kitchens

Here at Herringbone Kitchens we are incredibly proud of what we create! When we fist started the bubsiness we knew that sustainability would be a huge part of our ethos, and have continueud to be dedicated to implementing sustainable practices into our business.

We believe the ingredient to long lasting kitchens is using considered materials that have been well cared for. Every material used in your kitchen cabinet is from companies with strong sustainability records. In that way, we know that our kitchens are not just valued by our customers but are good for the earth and future generations.

Our timbers are sourced from well managed, responsible forests where the cycle of clearing and replanting has been continuous for many generations. We only use temperate hard and soft woods and avoid endangered tropical timbers where logging practices are generally less well controlled and regulated. We use indigenous British species wherever possible and we plant a tree for every kitchen made.

We made a conscious decision to only use water based low VOC paint, which is very rare in this industry. While it was not the easy option, we felt true to our ethos. We have worked tirelessly to come up with a method that makes using water-based paint both practical for the kitchen and eco-friendly.

Every month, for each kitchen we make, we dedicate a tree to the National Forest, a regeneration project across 200 square miles in the Midlands. Once you have agreed to go forth with your design, you will receive a certificate for you tree, which we have planted in your name. We might be small, but we have a dedicated team member who is our Eco Champion and helps bring new ideas on how we can continue to improve our sustainability record.

These are all small things we can do to reduce our impact on the environment. We do everything we can to not only ensure that you get the kitchen you’ve been dreaming of, but also to ensure we do our best by this place we call home.

Guide to Dark Kitchens: Concerns & What to Consider

One common concern we hear from our clients is regarding dark cabinetry colours. Set the scene: You’ve spent weeks gazing at the paint swatches in adoration, you keep going back to that one colour (or, more than likely, two) Bond Street, Borough Market, or maybe even Sinner. The main concern: “Will it make my kitchen feel really dark and small?”

It’s understandable that you might find a dark colour daunting. While a dark kitchen won’t work for everyone, it’s less scary than you might think. If you are worried about the space looking too dark, here are a few considerations to make:

Choose a light worktop, wall and floor colour-

When choosing a darker hue for your cabinetry, if you want to keep the space feeling airy and bright, choose a lighter colour for the worktops, walls and floor. A lighter worktop and walls will reflect light in the space and create a beautiful contrast with your cabinetry. Your cabinetry design will really stand out with this contrast, so make sure you are in love with the design.

Choose a light or contrasting tile-

Another way to create balance in your kitchen is by introducing a contrasting tile for your splashback. You could run the tiles all around your walls between the upper and lower cabinetry to carry out the balance. We have some of our favourite decorative tiles available to purchase from the Herringbone Pantry.

Think about light-

Consider the windows in your kitchen and which direction they facing. If you are having an extension, this should be a consideration that is made early in the planning stages and gives you the freedom to make it work with your kitchen design. Depending on the amount of natural light flowing into your kitchen, your dark cabintery will vary in darkness and tone. Paint a sample board with your colour and see how the light will change the colour at different times of the day and in different parts of the room. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t have lots of big windows, there are other ways to introduce light into the space with pendant lighting, under unit lighting and spotlights.

Play with handles-

The style and finish of your cabinetry handles will impact the aesthetic of your kitchen. Aside from making a difference in the overall style of the cabinetry, juxtaposing dark cabinets with a brass, nickel or chrome handle will create contrast and reflect more light into the room.

Embrace the dark-

If darker tones is right up your street, why not go all out and embrace the moody & cosy feeling that comes with darker colours. Paint your walls with the same or a contrasting dark colour. For an even grander effect, take the colour all the way up your ceiling.

Do you love it?-

The most important thing to consider is ultimately, are you in love with the colour? Do not worry what your aunts, neighbours or colleagues have to say about it, if the colour best reflects your family personality than it will always work for you. Does it create the mood that you want bring to the space? You will spend a lot of time in your kitchen, so think about what colour will make you feel happiest.

As always, we are here if you are unsure and need some more guidance! Drop us an email or ring us to have a chat about your project.