Traditional Craft, Reimagined with a Modern Sensibility

Walk in on any morning and you’ll hear it before you see it. The low thrum of machines, the soft rasp of tools against wood, band-sawn oak stacked and marked.

HERE, RAW MATERIALS AND PASSION MEET TO CREATE SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY.

Thirty years of fine cabinet making and traditional timber framing meet intelligence led process. A 10,000 square foot workshop that behaves like a home of ideas.

This is a place steeped in traditional craftsmanship, reimagined with a modern sensibility.

CRAFT IS NOT JUST WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SURFACE. NOT JUST CUTTING, SHAPING, FORMING, OR JOINTING. IT IS AN OBSESSION. A FOREVER PRACTICE.

Layer on layer of refined learning that informs the next pass, the next joint, the next finish. It is long hours of research. It is material trials. It is the patience to reject what isn’t good enough. It is a pursuit of quality, not a caption under a picture.

We make in small numbers. On purpose. Each kitchen accounts for roughly 500 making hours. The bag we design and have crafted in East Sussex follows the same values. Acquire less but acquire better. If it carries our name, it carries our standards.

Every piece we create is born from an unbroken journey, an idea transformed into an object through collective thinking. This is making in its truest form, honest, authentic, and deeply rooted in craftsmanship. A trait embodied in our joinery elements. Designed and deployed with restraint, these pieces bring a sense of craft to modern kitchens and contentment to the everyday. Just a handful of intentional elements, raw and visceral, never to be mainstream. From solid oak pegged mortice and tenon open storage frames to glazed cabinetry with fluted glass and solid brass hardware. Each detail is carefully considered. Together, they create designs that are both enduring and distinctive.

OUR DESIGN PROCESS IS AN INFORMED AND AUTHORITATIVE RESPONSE TO A CLIENT’S REQUIREMENTS. SIMPLE.

AND YES, SIMPLICITY IS THE ULTIMATE SOPHISTICATION. IT IS ALSO NEITHER QUICK NOR CHEAP.

There are faster and less expensive ways to get a kitchen, but that’s not what we’re about. We cater to those who see a kitchen as more than just a room. It is a long-term investment in quality and living well. “Buy less, buy better” isn’t just a phrase. It is a principle that shapes how we create and how our clients live. Materials matter. Wood that looks like wood. Band-sawn oak with texture that catches the light and holds your hand. Paired with flat panel materials that bring quiet order and durability. Solid brass you can feel. We source responsibly. We finish with care. We select for integrity. Natural materials age and soften with use. They get better.

Even the unseen parts of our kitchens are built with care. Our carcasses are made from 19mm oak veneered birch plywood, chosen for its strength, durability, and beauty. No chipboard in sight.

EVERY ELEMENT IS DESIGNED TO LAST, TO ENDURE, AND TO REFLECT THE SAME COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AS THE PARTS YOU SEE AND TOUCH EVERY DAY.

Technology has a place. We embrace it when it elevates the work. Never for convenience alone. Software that sharpens tolerances. Jigs that improve repeatability. Spray processes that protect, not disguise. Craft and technology at the service of quality.

Clients are collaborators. The best work begins with a conversation at An Actual Kitchen, our space on the High Street where you can test ideas in a real, working space. Coffee on. Notes out. Rituals first. How you cook. Where you stand when the kettle boils. Who gathers. Morning light. Late supper. The small truths that shape good plans.

A KITCHEN IS MORE THAN A FUNCTIONAL SPACE. IT IS THE FOUNDATION OF A FULFILLING HOME. EVERY DETAIL, FROM THE MATERIALS TO THE CRAFTSMANSHIP, IS LAYERED WITH CARE AND PURPOSE.

When you see the thought and precision behind each element, the time and cost become part of the story, not just the price.