Sevenoaks Kitchen

We recently completed this kitchen for a lovely family in Sevenoaks. The clients first approached us over 2 years ago at the beginning of their project and we have had so much fun designing this with them since then. This project has a classic and timeless look featuring bespoke cabinetry in our Westminster range, painted in Mylands’ ‘Bond Street’ and ‘Mid Wedgewood’ for the island respectively. We asked our clients what their process was like when choosing their colour palette and handles and they said:

“When I first went into Herringbone, they asked me if I had any pictures of kitchens I liked. I had a lot of Pinterest pictures of kitchens that I had collected over the years and whilst I knew what I liked they helped me see what it was I liked about them; white and wide worktops, classic but bold colours, clean lines. I knew I wanted a dark colour but wasn't entirely sure which one, there are just too many nice ones and I felt the final decision fairly over whelming. 

However, I settled on Mylands’ ‘Bond Street’ for the wall units and enlisted the help of Anna Patten from Anna Patten Design in Sevenoaks to help me choose the colour for the island (Mylands - Mid-Wedgewood) and Mylands’ ‘Boltons’ on the walls. Anna was able to advise me on how to incorporate dark, mid and light tones into the room and explained how less contrast between neighbouring colours is easier on the eye and therefore more relaxing to live with in a busy room. A bit like baby names, every paint swatch I put up everyone I asked had a differing opinion and I just wanted someone to reassure me I was making the right decision.  When I took the colours into Herringbone they were so encouraging, that I knew I had done the right thing.”

Sustainability

Sustainability is really important to everything we do at Herringbone and we are constantly finding new ways to improve our products to make them more sustainable. We plant a tree for every kitchen we sell and importantly we use Mylands paint for our projects as their products are water-based low VOC paints, 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.

The Design

This kitchen needed to work well for the whole family, where storage is a must, but also be beautiful and timeless. This shape for a kitchen works very well to meet both needs.

Our clients chose a hardwearing quartz for their worktops and splashback in ‘Calacatta Gold’. We asked about their decision to take the worktop all the way up to their wall units and they said:

“I love all the kitchens with tile splash but kept coming back to the clean white worktops and it was only talking through the options with Herringbone that I realised that I could have the worktop going up the wall - I didn't even realise it was a thing!  The detailing in its installation really is a thing of beauty and whilst I am probably the only one who notices it - I love it!”

The design includes a long run of base and wall cabinetry, bookended with two, tall units with an oven and warming drawer in each. A kitchen island runs parallel with a 1 & 1/5 undermounted sink and Quooker boiling water tap, as well as plenty of space for seating on the other side and a conveniently placed wine fridge! Finally, on the right hand side of the island, three more tall units can be found; an integrated fridge / freezer, a double larder with oak shelving, drawers and a cold shelf and finally a pocket door dresser unit upon a set of drawers, featuring a cold shelf to match the larder.

Pocket Doors

An important part of this design is the pocket doors. Pocket doors are an advanced bespoke feature, but our team love to make them. Pocket doors always look so good. They can be tucked away when the client wants to have items on display, or shut when you want to hide any mess. This run includes a fridge, pocket doors storage and a larder.

When asked if there was something they knew from the get-go that their new kitchen needed, our clients said:

“We moved into our house nine years before starting our extension and the kitchen I inherited from the previous owners was put in during the 1960s - it was the original high-gloss Hygena! The storage was limited, the worktops almost non-existent and no room for a proper fridge! However, on the upside we did have a larder, which I loved! So my priority was to get all these things corrected when I had the chance. I knew I wanted an island with plenty of worktop space, along with plenty of storage where I could hide away the mess should I want to.

I also wanted to try and incorporate practical things that could help with our day to day family life - a place where I can charge the ever growing number of phones, iPads and watches etc. Herringbone suggested I put two double plugs with charging points inside the cupboard and it’s brilliant for hiding away all those wires which are now part of life!! I was also determined not to wash up facing a wall and whilst I read mixed feelings about putting a sink in the island, I love being able to face the kids whilst I tidy up.

Herringbone also suggested putting in two dishwashers to help keep the dishes to a minimum on the island and I really think it has changed my weekends, as I am no longer loading and constantly unloading it in time for the next meal! “

Living In

We asked our clients what their favourite part of their new kitchen was and their response was quite heart-warming:

“Whilst the photos show the kitchen at its best it doesn't show what it looks like most days - laptop on the island, homework out, shopping lists, reminders from school, half eaten cake (homemade occasionally!) stuff defrosting on the worktop.  I love the fact that our real lives are carried out in the kitchen and it is deigned to cope with that. My husband would probably say the wine fridge and for me to stop being so soppy!”

Using Herringbone

When we asked how they found their experience with Herringbone, our lovely clients had this to say:

“I have really, really enjoyed my time with Herringbone. I think it started over two years ago when I thought we might be starting our works but it didn't actually start until about a year ago. Never once did they treat us as a potential clients, I always felt like we were their clients. Its a subtle difference, but an important one. Their patience seems to have no bounds, small but important changes I made were also important to them. I was excited about our new kitchen and I really felt they were excited for us, no mean feat when you put in 60 kitchens a year!

They were always helpful with our builders and their whole team was always friendly and professional. Their vision for their business is great and I love seeing an insight into their successes on Instagram.  

I have also been impressed with their aftercare - one of the doors wasn't quite closing correctly and I was worried this was the time we would regret not choosing a not quite so local kitchen firm.  But no, Coco booked someone in the very next week and it was sorted.  Thank you Herringbone, we love our new kitchen.”

-Emma, Sevenoaks