Modular Kitchens vs Bespoke Kitchens
We will often be asked what the difference between a modular kitchen and a bespoke kitchen is. A lot of kitchen design studios will claim that they are bespoke when in reality, they are simply choosing set-sized units from a catalogue and ordering it from a German or Italian factory. If they need a unit to be 470mm wide, rather than making it from scratch at 470mm (which by the way is what a bespoke manufacturer would do), they order a 600mm wide unit and have their fitters butcher the unit by cutting it down on site. This is not the quality that a high-end kitchen deserves and will ultimately not stand the test of time.
To ensure a bespoke design of a kitchen is fit for purpose, a designer should work with you to ascertain your exact requirements and build the units from there. For example, when a client who is perhaps on the shorter side comes in for a kitchen, rather than telling them that the oven heights are set, we allow them to choose exactly where their ovens will be located for ease of use and practicality. This is what quality cabinets are – built the right way from the start.
Cutting edge technology with traditional craftmanship
Another common misconception is that bespoke kitchens are handmade. This can be the case but you’ll more likely find in bespoke workshops up and down the country that they use a combination of cutting edge machinery and technology and fuse this with traditional craftmanship. For example, our carcasses are cut on our CNC machine and then assembled by hand whereas our shaker doors are all crafted by hand – done the traditional way. This is how you achieve a very high quality of kitchen finish.
Worktops, and especially at the higher end of the market, premium worktops are not really affected by the kitchen cabinets. Modular kitchens should be able to take premium stone worktops. The only exception we would say, is in the case of specifically heavy or thick stone worktops which sometimes is a common request on kitchen islands. If you wanted say a 100mm thick piece of granite on an island you would have to re-enforce the carcasses which is not something a modular kitchen company could accommodate.
Wide variety of kitchen finish choices
A modular kitchen may also not have the wide variety of kitchen finish choices that a bespoke maker can offer. For example, we often get requests for sprayed liquid metal panels, sometimes on backboards of units – again, something a modular kitchen company is unlikely to be able to cater for.
Finally, it’s worth noting that bespoke kitchens SHOULD cost more than a modular kitchen company. As such, not everyone will be able to afford a truly bespoke kitchen but the good news is that with a few accessories and some nice kitchen décor of your choosing, you should be able to transform the look and feel of your space and make it “feel” bespoke.
Wondering what to do next?
Take a guided tour of one of our latest kitchen projects. This particular project was completed for the fabulous Amelia Liana.
Amelia was a dream to work with and has an impeccable style which is obvious from taking one look at the kitchen. The cabinetwork was painted in Farrow and Ball Vert de Terre which is a very on trend colour, almost a light green which she paired with brass accents from Armac Martin and Perrin and Rowe.
