“Auspicious Kitchens were a pleasure to work with. Their eye for detail and craftsmanship is superb.”
For one couple in Cheltenham, having a new kitchen was just one step in a long process of renovating their property. “The house we bought was a bit of a project. This summer we moved onto the second phase, which was the kitchen. We wanted a solid bespoke kitchen built by craftsmen, as this hopefully will be our last kitchen.”
Site
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire
Key features
Continuous Grain Yew
Poplar Burl Island
Granite Worktops
Team
Nigel Wilson
Tom Shield
What did they want?
The couple wanted a kitchen crafted from wood. “What we were looking for was a small independent craftsman, who worked in wood, and built from scratch. We came across Auspicious when we visited Nailsworth.”
The layout of the existing kitchen worked for them, so there was no need to redesign the arrangements of the cabinets. “We wanted existing units replaced in the same position as before. We wanted a solid wood carcass with interesting wood fronts.”
Auspicious Kitchens drew up the designs of the cabinets. The clients then decided on the materials they wanted and went to Capital Crispin London, where they acquired the veneered material for the cupboard surfaces. During the installation there was a bit of a challenge to keep the pattern of the grain continuous – to match the grain from door to door so it took some patience, but the result was definitely worth it.
The couple wanted as much storage as possible within the space, and so cabinets were designed to go around the fridge that reached up to the ceiling, offering copious storage space. “The built-in surround for the fridge freezer and boiler was Nigel's design and is a real eye-catching feature.”
“The built-in surround for the fridge freezer and boiler was Nigel’s design and is a real eye-catching feature.”
The result
The finished kitchen is lovingly hand-crafted and finished with sumptuous natural wood veneers of the highest quality. The cabinets are made of yew with a veneered surface that creates a continuous grain pattern across the doors. These are smooth to the touch with a matt finish but are teeming with visual texture and interest. “The kitchen met all our expectations. The contrasting wood finishes go well together.”
The island was made using poplar burl, and this beautiful wood is topped off with a black granite worktop with its own natural pattern. There are no fussy handles in this kitchen – the push-to-open mechanisms on the cupboards mean that nothing interrupts the seamlessness of these stunning cabinet surfaces. Under-lighting gives the couple plentiful lighting on the work surfaces.
What this couple ended up with was a stylish and characterful kitchen with a unique and nature-inspired look that embodies a sense of warmth and comfort and invites one to spend time there. “We do spend a lot of time in the kitchen as it has a large island, where we eat during the week.”
“Auspicious Kitchens were a pleasure to work with. Their eye for detail and craftsmanship is superb.”