Nick Archibold bespoke kitchens, cabinet maker and fine furniture maker using a hand plane in the workshop
CRAFTSMANSHIP BEAUTY OPTIMISATION

Design Thinking

In the case of a kitchen, how do you use it? How well does it flow? What doesn’t work for you? What are your top three frustrations?

These, and many more questions, are considered when designing and building a beautiful and practical kitchen (or a piece of furniture)

Sometimes, a few tweaks can make all the difference

A kitchen should build on the combined knowledge of past experience but MUST meet your specific wants and needs

Custom-built 3D computer model of the OAK AND PLY Kitchen

Fix the Big Problems First

A small niggle can quickly develop into a major frustration

Focusing attention and budget on fixing the big frustrations first, and only then looking at other areas, is critical to a great outcome

Often, a few tweaks is all it needs (but sometimes a complete redesign is warranted)

Positioning, working height, accessibility, flow and storage are common themes to address

Person writing on a checklist in a notebook

Storage and Organisation

More and better-organised storage are top of most people’s wish list when changing their kitchen

But storage has to be both elegant and practical

A whole industry has developed to address this need, offering many elegant and robust solutions, not all of them available on the high street

Substituting shelving for drawers and larder units by altering existing cabinetry is a high priority on many projects

Open wooden cabinet from the OAK AND PLY Kitchen, displaying a water softener unit and various cook books on a shelf

Sustainability and Longevity

Totally replacing a kitchen can be wasteful and damaging to our environment

Working with the existing components can also save money and focusses the budget on those areas which will give greatest benefit to the customer

For you, this might mean improving storage, more workspace, replacing worn-out hardware or replacing damaged items

By using sustainable and high quality materials I also ensure that my kitchens, and furniture, have long working lives

Built from sustainable raw materials. Forest path surrounded by tall trees and greenery