Bespoke contemporary kitchen featuring handcrafted blackened band-sawn oak and raw band-sawn oak set against a smooth Richlite sink cabinetry in front of a window with views over the Sussex Weald.

IH.563

Our neck of the woods

When clients first step into An Actual Kitchen on Lewes High Street, it’s more than a visit, it’s the beginning of a conversation. Drawn by the materials, the craft, and the quiet details that define our work, they often find themselves at our workshop the very same day.

A large open plan kitchen and living space made warm and cosy with lots of texture including band-sawn oak in different tones and a social kitchen island for prep and cooking whilst remaining part of a gathering.

The conversation can be long, lateral and philosophical. It can be direct, concise and pragmatic. The best of the conversations manage to be both. For project IH.563, conversation turned into collaboration.

A NEW BUILD. A BLANK CANVAS. VAST WALLS OF GLASS REFLECTING THE SUSSEX WEALD.

A space waiting to be more than just a structure.

This was the clients’ vision. A light-filled home, designed not just to impress but to resonate.

INDUSTRIAL ELEGANCE FUSED WITH RURAL WARMTH. BOLD. BRAVE. UNCOMPROMISING.

It’s the kind of ambition reserved for those who chase distinction and live unapologetically.

Custom kitchen island with blackened band-sawn oak cladding, brass handle strip and cathedral oak veneer with integrated Gaggenau induction hob.

A walk in pantry with bespoke Richlite cabinetry and oak slatted pantry shelving on one side and oak shelving for storage jars on the other.

Sometimes our clients let us cook in their kitchen – baked trout en papilotte with buttered jersey royals, broccolini and lemon.

Detail of the bespoke kitchen island in blackened band-sawn oak, cathedral oak veneer and solid brass handle strip.

Trout | En Papillote

GUN ROAD | EAST SUSSEX

Their world is one of contrasts. A gantry hallway leads to the heart of the house, where sleek richlite panels meet the raw, tactile grain of band-sawn oak.

THE ISLAND BACK AND SIDES CLAD IN BLACK, THE FRONT ALIVE WITH HORIZONTAL STRIPES OF CATHEDRAL OAK VENEER.

Raw brass interrupts with its golden hues, catching the sun as it spills across the brushed African black granite worktops. Tooled edges, rich with texture, ground the space, connecting it to the land.

The collaboration extended effortlessly into the hardworking spaces. Pantry and utility.

The exterior of a new build contemporary home tucked discreetly into the landscape. Below ground has garages and workshops. Above ground, the form draws inspiration from traditional agricultural barns, finished in warm brick and clay tiles.

Every element in this property moves with intention, like the surfboard curving in the office or the sleek frame of a vintage motorbike.

Design here isn’t decoration; it’s integrity.

THE KITCHEN ITSELF? MORE THAN FUNCTION. IT’S FLUENCY.

A conversation between client and maker.

MATERIALS, TEXTURES, AND LIGHT. BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.

Between family, friends, and a Ridgeback named Obe, curled by the wood burner.

Our handmade cutlery drawers are layered with detail including Scottish milled broadcloth linings and configurable inserts to house everything from dainty cake forks to large BBQ skewers.

Precision raw band-sawn oak cladding where every board aligns seamlessly, grain running through in perfect succession - a testament to the skill of our makers and the foresight of our designers.

A sociable kitchen space with a central bespoke kitchen island for dinner prep, morning coffee or impromptu gatherings.

Beyond the kitchen, it’s the hardworking spaces that shine. A utility room come boot-room built to blend purpose with design.

Detail of the kitchen island with integrated Gaggenau induction hob wrapped in Cathedral Oak Veneer, topped with a tooled edge brushed black granite countertop and brass handle strip. Refined kitchen simplicity.

This house isn’t just a home; it’s a statement.

Proof that when vision meets craftsmanship, when wild ideas settle into thoughtful detail, you create not just a place to live but a life to celebrate.

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