Most kitchens in the UK are not the vast spaces so often featured in interiors magazines or on tv shows so if your kitchen is more on the compact side don't be deterred from being creative and maximising your own space no matter how small. Here we … Continue reading Small is beautiful
Blog
Taking time to do something well
Time to reflect I was clearing out a cluttered drawer the other day and came across some letters written by my brothers to our parents while they were away at university. As I sat reading the carefully hand-written post, the letters made me reflect … Continue reading Taking time to do something well
Get ready for Spring
Spring is the time for renewal so its a great time to take stock, do a spot of spring cleaning and get ready for the change in season and the longer days that are just around the corner. Bring the outside in Seasonal blooms - vases of spring … Continue reading Get ready for Spring
Colour in the kitchen
In the dark, grey months of January and February our spirits can be low so why not inject some colour in the kitchen which will not only enhance the room but lift your mood at the same time. Our kitchens can too easily be ignored when it comes to … Continue reading Colour in the kitchen
Get your kitchen ready for Christmas
Heart of the home We think the real gift of Christmas is our loved-ones coming home. With grown up children returning from university and extended family visiting from far and wide, it's lovely to create a warm and welcoming, heart of the home, … Continue reading Get your kitchen ready for Christmas
Give your kitchen some hygge
If you like keeping an eye on style trends, it's impossible to have missed the huge interest in the Danish concept known as Hygge. It is everywhere at the moment: in books, blogs, in articles all over the Sunday supplements and style … Continue reading Give your kitchen some hygge
How to have a pantry in your kitchen
Take inspiration from old country-house kitchens with wonderful larders and butler's pantries and hunker down for the coming season with beautifully displayed goods and provisions. Bring a functional feel to a modern country kitchen and celebrate the … Continue reading How to have a pantry in your kitchen
Our new showroom is open
We have been working hard creating a new showroom at the workshop so we can show you the high quality of our work. This showroom features hand painted cupboards, a solid oak open shelf with under-lighting, glazed wall cupboard, magic corner, our … Continue reading Our new showroom is open
Why hand painting furniture is better than spray painting
At Vale Designs we use the best materials and craftsmanship for all our handmade kitchens and furniture. Where many kitchen companies spray paint their furniture, we have always preferred to hand paint because we believe it gives a softer and higher … Continue reading Why hand painting furniture is better than spray painting
A taste of Suffolk
Celebrate the changing season by heading outdoors and visiting one of the numerous food festivals that are popping up all over the country, showcasing the very best in British produce and producers. Here in Suffolk, we're extremely lucky to have … Continue reading A taste of Suffolk
The Great British Bake Off Essential Warming Drawer
As August trundles on and Autumn creeps ever nearer, there is one huge consolation on the horizon in the form of the much-anticipated annual spectacle that is The Great British Bake Off. The immensely successful show has firmly established itself in … Continue reading The Great British Bake Off Essential Warming Drawer
Style on Tap – Choosing your kitchen taps
No longer an afterthought, our choice of taps can dramatically enhance the overall design of our kitchens and today they come with a range of functions to suit contemporary living. It's a good idea to spend some time researching the finish, size and … Continue reading Style on Tap – Choosing your kitchen taps
How to choose flooring for your kitchen
The floors we choose are an essential component in any design scheme and no longer confined to an afterthought. The floor material, colour and finish can unite all the disparate elements of the kitchen to create a unique look and enhance the quality … Continue reading How to choose flooring for your kitchen
A Guide to choosing your worktops
When it comes to choosing your worktops there is a bewildering range of options to choose from - worktops can help you achieve your overall look and bring together the different components of your overall design so it's important to get it right. … Continue reading A Guide to choosing your worktops
Designing your kitchen
We all want more and more from our kitchens and designing a new one is probably the largest project any of us will undertake so it’s important to get it right. There are some basic designs principles which you can apply to your own home so follow our … Continue reading Designing your kitchen
The Kitchen Gadget Christmas Gift Guide
Main Gifts From quirky stocking fillers to high-tech, glossy gadgets we’ve got present ideas for all the loved ones on your list. With gifts and gadgets to suit all budgets, here are some of our favourites: KitchenAid Artisan4.8L Stand Mixer £399 - … Continue reading The Kitchen Gadget Christmas Gift Guide
How to choose the perfect oven
Choosing the appliances for a new kitchen can be difficult and no decision is more important than the oven. As more and more of us cook and bake at home, getting the oven that suits you is vital but the choice can be daunting. There is a huge range … Continue reading How to choose the perfect oven
Transform your home with a Shaker Style Kitchen
What is Shaker Style? Originated from the modest interiors of the religious communities of rural America in states like Massachusetts, the Shakers have given us a style that is one of the most enduring and well-loved of all interior styles. The … Continue reading Transform your home with a Shaker Style Kitchen
Happy 80th Birthday to Alec, our painter
Yesterday was Alec's 80th Birthday so we celebrated with a birthday cake in the workshop on Friday. Alec hand paints all our furniture and is now training up his grandson, Daniel, to take over from him should he ever wish to retire! … Continue reading Happy 80th Birthday to Alec, our painter
The swallows return
While working away in the design shed, Andy noticed a solitary swallow sitting on a telegraph wire. As he watched he noticed that the little bird kept flying away and returning to sit on the wire as if he was waiting for something. Sure enough, a few … Continue reading The swallows return
A busy start to the year
I can't believe that we are in April already as it has been one of the busiest starts to the year that we can remember at Vale Designs. With so many big chains selling kitchens these days, it's fantastic to know that there are still people who want … Continue reading A busy start to the year
Christmas Opening Tmes
We close on Tuesday 23rd for Christmas and open again on Monday 5th January. We would like to wish you all a Very Happy Christmas and New Year. … Continue reading Christmas Opening Tmes
Before & after at The Grange
Here are some before and after photos of a kitchen we have recently completed in Suffolk. … Continue reading Before & after at The Grange
Suffolk Magazine Feature
Our kitchen at Mead Cottage is featured in the September edition of the Suffolk Magazine. The feature is a case study of the project and shows how we met the client's original brief. … Continue reading Suffolk Magazine Feature
Nautical Theme Kitchens
Our Workshop is only a few miles away from the sea and we have created kitchens for several houses along the sea front at Southwold, Thorpeness and Aldeburgh. I have put together some examples to help give you some ideas. White or blue painted … Continue reading Nautical Theme Kitchens
Spring Ideas for your New Kitchen
I have put together some bright and light Spring ideas to give you inspiration for your new kitchen from our archives. All these kitchens have been handmade by us and if you would like more information then please contact us. … Continue reading Spring Ideas for your New Kitchen
Diary of a Handmade Kitchen – The Final Part
Here is the completed kitchen at Suffolk house. For more photos view our slideshow page: Suffolk House … Continue reading Diary of a Handmade Kitchen – The Final Part
Colchester Victorian Town House Kitchen
We designed and built this handmade kitchen for this Victorian Town House in Colchester. This simple hand-painted shaker style kitchen has everything; plenty of storage including deep pan drawers, Azul Grey granite worktops, Neff appliances and … Continue reading Colchester Victorian Town House Kitchen
The Heart of Your Home
The heart of any home is the Kitchen and that's why at Vale Designs we take the time to find out how you want to use this important space. We don't just fill the available space with a series of boxes, we design your kitchen so it's as individual as … Continue reading The Heart of Your Home
We also do bathrooms!
Did you know that we also make bespoke bathroom furniture? We were delighted to be able to showcase what we can do with curves for the bathrooms of this Suffolk House. We made 4 vanity units of different sizes and 2 curved bath panels and our … Continue reading We also do bathrooms!