Utility refined: The Story Behind The Larder Cupboard. Chalk

There are some pieces that begin as an idea on paper. Others begin with a practical purpose.

The Larder Cupboard. Chalk was the latter. Its starting point was not a mood board or a passing trend, but a pair of old workshop cupboards made to do a job properly. They were practical, humble things, built by our founder, Toby, to bring absolute order to our tool collection.

It was Jay Osgerby - acclaimed designer and owner of a rather impressive Inglis Hall kitchen - who first saw their potential. Captured by their utilitarian charm and imposing size, he asked us to reimagine them for his Hampshire barn renovation project.

A design rooted in utility

The larder cupboard began with a very straightforward reference point: the old tool cupboards in the workshop. They were there to work hard. Nothing more was expected of them. Yet, as is often the case with objects made with purpose, they carried a certain presence. Their proportions were calm. Their construction was direct. They had a grounded quality that came not from decoration, but from necessity.

That original spirit remains in the finished piece.

What changed was the context. In reworking the cupboard for domestic life, we didn't try to strip away its utilitarian roots. Instead, the aim was to keep the honesty and improve the experience. The proportions became more exacting. The materials became richer. The interior became adaptable. What emerged is a larder cupboard that still feels useful in the deepest sense, but now sits with ease in a refined interior.

This balance is a large part of its appeal. It is elegant, certainly, but it never feels fragile or over designed. It has the steadiness of something made to earn its place.

Simplicity is harder than it looks

At first glance, the larder cupboard appears simple. That is true, but only in the way that very good design often is. Simplicity in fine cabinet making is rarely simple to achieve.

A clean exterior leaves nowhere to hide. There are no applied flourishes to distract the eye. No excess trim to soften inaccuracies. Every line must be right. Every junction must resolve cleanly. Every proportion must hold its nerve.

This is one reason why pieces of this kind are so demanding to make. The visual language is restrained, yet the technical challenge is high. At this scale, accuracy is everything. Even the slightest discrepancy can become visible across long planes and sharp edges. A successful mitred cabinet depends on exact machining, careful preparation, steady assembly, and a deep understanding of how timbers behave.

Biscuited and glued throughout, this method creates great strength and long term stability. It is not the quickest route, nor the easiest. It is, however, one of the reasons the cupboard has such a solid and enduring feel.

This honest, solid structure is part of what gives the cupboard its architectural quality. Closed, it reads almost as a monolith. Opened, it becomes something more expressive, a place for storage and display in equal measure. That transformation is elegant, but it relies entirely on sound construction and meticulous making.

A cupboard that opens into display

With the doors opening a full 180 degrees, the cupboard transforms from practical storage into something far more open and expressive. What is usually tucked away becomes part of the room itself; glassware catching the light, ceramics adding texture and colour, everyday objects given presence.

That shift is what makes this piece so versatile. Closed, it brings a sense of calm and order, with a quiet solidity that settles naturally into a space. Open, it feels generous and lived-in, encouraging the contents to be seen and enjoyed rather than simply stored away.

It's all in the details

An ergonomic handle

Among the smaller details, one stands out: the handle.

The original workshop cupboards had handles that did the job but needed work. This became an important point of attention for our product designer, Jules. A larder cupboard is touched every day. The hand knows at once whether something feels resolved or not.

So a new handle was drawn, tested, refined and refined again. The final profile had to feel elegant, yes, but also natural in the hand. That balance between ergonomics and visual restraint is difficult to strike. Too much shaping and the handle becomes fussy. Too little and it remains awkward.

The final form required three separate cutters to achieve its profile in solid wood. That detail alone says much about the making. A handle can seem minor when viewed in a finished photograph, yet it can represent hours of development, testing, machining, and adjustment. Here, it became one of the features that elevates the whole experience of the piece.

This is the sort of detail that often separates handcrafted furniture from mass produced. It is not simply there to look good. It has been considered until it works beautifully too.

Adjustable scalloped shelf rails

Open the cupboard and another layer of thought reveals itself.

Inside, the mood changes. This is where the cupboard becomes especially accommodating. The scalloped solid oak door rails were devised as a piece of engineering, allowing shelves and brass rails on the doors to be repositioned with ease, so the interior can be composed and recomposed over time.

There is a familiar nod here to traditional sawtooth shelving rails, but the scalloped profile brings a more resolved and graceful character, while also making the system work beautifully for rails as well. A simple idea, yet so practical.

Based in utility

Our original workshop cupboards stood elevated on simple timber skids - a detail we chose to preserve.

The skids are replicated in solid oak with our signature raw finish that retains something of that honest workshop feel. It is a thoughtful gesture. Without it, the cupboard might have become too polished, too detached from its origin. With it, the piece keeps one foot in utility and one in refinement.

That tension is what makes it memorable.

Timber choice and material character

The original worktop cupboards were constructed from Douglas fir, a material that seems to have become even more popular in modern design. Jay was keen to replicate its characterful look. To echo this, larch provided the ideal material: a rich grain, yet available as a veneer, allowing the cupboards to retain both their character and structural stability.

The cupboard is also available in oak and walnut, each offering a distinctly different appearance.

Larch

Larch gives the piece a softly expressive surface, with a natural variation that feels lived in and elemental. It carries the memory of the workshop influence, while being elevated through careful finishing and precise application.

Oak

Oak offers a familiar steadiness. It has clarity, durability, and a quiet confidence that suits the cupboard’s form beautifully. It speaks of permanence without feeling overbearing.

Walnut

Walnut brings depth and richness. It lends the design a darker gravity, making the cupboard feel more majestic, while still preserving its essential simplicity.

Veneer selection and matching

One of the less obvious but most important stages in the process is veneer selection. Each veneer strip is individually chosen and carefully matched to create a balanced grain pattern across the cabinet. That requires judgement, patience, and a trained eye.

Done well, this process creates calm. The grain flows naturally across the piece. The surfaces feel related. Nothing jars. Done badly, even expensive timber can feel restless or unresolved.

Solid lipped edges complete the construction, adding durability and beauty.

A piece made to last

The Larder Cupboard. Chalk doesn't follow trends. It's made to last, both in build and in style.

Handmade to order in our Sussex workshop, it stands as an example of fine cabinet making with real purpose. Not excess. Not novelty. Just thoughtful design, real materials, and a level of care that is increasingly rare.