The bespoke kitchen
Charu Gandhi, director of Elicyon, on getting the tailored look
It’s a fact of life that we all want to feel special rather than one of many – and that applies to the way we approach our projects. We want to give our clients something tailored, in every detail, to their requirements. We begin by asking how they plan to use their home. Ask yourself the same: how do you like to cook? Do you want areas for family meals and hosting relaxed gatherings? Do you need lots of storage and for what? Do you enjoy cooking cuisines that need special equipment? Have you a wine collection to display?
Bespoke can mean different things to different people. I make a distinction between bespoke kitchens with joinery made from scratch and those made to order from ranges offered by established, high-end brands. Most often, we make a hybrid of the purely bespoke and made to order, by personalising a branded design with one-off elements.
I like to work out how to introduce an atmospheric quality to kitchens, which can otherwise be quite functional. Interesting materials, such as metal-mesh cupboard door fronts or those in panels of ombré smoky-grey glass, can look beautiful, while tactile surfaces, such as leathered-finish stone worktops, add another note of luxury. These are the bespoke elements that make a big difference to the success of the design.
Bespoke doesn’t have to mean expensive. For example, you might choose standard cabinetry for the perimeter of the room but then pick an amazing marble for your island. Even simply changing cupboard handles can make a kitchen feel totally personal.
“Whatever your requirements and however large or small your space, careful thought at the start is likely to give the best result”