Build it bespoke

When it comes to the kitchen, choosing a brand that can make a space unique to your needs is often the wisest move. These three independent British companies are all experts in making customisation easy

Kate Feather

In this brand’s hardworking designs for busy family life, functionality is just as important as aesthetics

A trained photographer, Kasia Piorko has an eye for detail. ‘I studied photography quite a long time ago, before digital cameras,’ she explains. ‘So I had to make sure that my frames were perfect.’ The very same attention to detail led her to a cabinet-making company where she became a CAD technician, after which she specialised in kitchen design, finally setting up her own showroom in 2018.

Kate Feather – a translation of Kasia’s name from Polish to English – now specialises in elegant kitchens for busy family homes. ‘For me, kitchens are the most fascinating room in the house, as they function on so many levels,’ she says. ‘They have to be beautiful, welcoming and practical. I’m a very practical person – it drives me crazy if something doesn’t work. My background of working with joiners gave me a huge advantage, as I learned very quickly about mechanisms, technical details and which spaces are useable or not. And I’m passionate about layouts. Even as a child I used to sketch them out and rearrange the spaces around me, figuring out the best way to make things perform.’

An understanding of how the client will use the space is at the heart of every design, as is the balance between practicality and aesthetics. ‘I want to connect with people and figure out the way they live – what they like or dislike about their existing kitchen, or even kitchens they may have lived in over the years,’ says Kasia. ‘We are designers providing a service. I’m not a salesperson, and we’re not just selling a product. It’s a very personal approach.’

Based in London’s Teddington, the company has no big plans for expansion, although continual development is, of course, on the cards. ‘We’re in a beautiful location and we fit in perfectly with what we can offer our clients. Work comes via satisfied customers’ friends, family and word of mouth,’ she adds. ‘However stressful the day has been, I want my clients to feel peace and harmony when they return to their space. A sense of calm is as important as beauty, for me, and a kitchen needs to feel like home.’ katefeather.com

Inglis Hall This Sussex-based kitchen company uses natural materials and techniques finessed over many years to create refined kitchens full of unique character

After what he describes as a ‘feral’ childhood growing up on his parents’ vineyard, at 16 Toby Hall was bundled off to cabinet-making college. ‘I found my vocation – or rather it was found on my behalf,’ he says. ‘And I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in woodwork ever since.’

Ten years later, in 2013 he founded bespoke-kitchen company Inglis Hall, and what started as just himself and joiner Sam Bromley has since expanded into a tight-knit team of 14 highly skilled designers, makers and fitters. ‘One of our distinguishing features is our band-sawn cabinetry, which links to my passion for structural sawn timber in timber-framed buildings,’ he explains. ‘We use hand-selected oak with tight knots that create gnarly grain patterns. It’s all about the texture and the natural beauty of wood.’

The timber is paired with contemporary materials including durable compressed paper and modern ultra-matte laminate, as well as natural stone and selected quartz worktops. ‘Then the alchemy can really begin,’ says Hall. ‘It’s the combination and balance that make Inglis Hall kitchens universally appealing. We also love to build future rituals into a design – the perfect spot to catch the morning sun while enjoying a coffee, a cosy nook to read the papers. Everyone needs a special place, so we factor it in.’

This labour-intensive process and attention to detail means they’re a low-volume company. ‘We build just 20 kitchens a year,’ continues Hall. ‘And, honestly, we like it that way. Every client and every kitchen is different, but we aim to make the whole process enjoyable and exciting. It’s such a big commitment, so it’s worth investing time and effort.’

A new Sussex-based, purpose-built workshop will be completed this summer, as well as the company’s first high-street shop in Lewes. ‘We encourage our customers to visit the workshop and meet the team. It is a different feeling when you know who will be building your kitchen, plus we love the interaction,’ says Hall. ‘And we’re trying to not think of the shop as a showroom – it’s more like an actual kitchen. There is nothing we like more than to chat about design, so do drop by for a coffee.’ inglishall.com

➤

’We use hand-selected oak with tight knots that create gnarly grain patterns‘