By Angie Vale
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. I thought about how different our world is today and how important it is to cherish the handcrafted, or in this case, hand penned things in life.
Taking time to do something well is still central to achieving something special. Receiving something handmade with care and full of sentiment fills a void left by the increasingly digital, instant world we’ve all become accustomed to.
That’s why we invite our customers to our workshop to come and see us, meet our craftsman and watch as their furniture takes shape. We’ve been told many times that it’s heartwarming to see our cabinetmakers at work and the attention given to every little detail.
Just like the appreciation of artisan food and drink, there is an increased awareness of provenance when it comes to handmade furniture and keeping a time-honoured craft locally alive. Our customers know that their kitchen cabinets are made in Suffolk by people who live and work in locally; a feeling that simply cannot be replicated by the mass-produced manufacturer.
A truly bespoke kitchen takes time to design and build because it is made by cabinet makers and not by machines in a factory. We hand paint our furniture in the workshop before assembly because it gives a softer and higher quality finish than spray painting them. Our customers really enjoy seeing the progress of their kitchens as they take shape, and after visiting the showroom, they often like to follow the process on our social media platforms.
We are so proud of all the lovely reviews from our customers and the common artisanal thread that unites them all.
Tradition by design
So many claims of authenticity are made today by entice a purchase: terms like ‘handcrafted’ and ‘handmade’ are used with alarming frequency. In all crafts and traditions with roots in the past, the process is as important as the finished product. That’s why it’s so important that you make sure you can actually see and touch your cupboards as they are being made.
Offering a personal service is also really important, especially if you are looking for a kitchen design that matches the story of your home. We know that our customers love the level of service we provide; consultation to installation is a time when we all get to know each other, and truth be known, we rather miss talking to our customers once their kitchen has been installed.. This is something that cannot be replicated in an off-the-shelf kitchen and it’s just another dimension that gives our kitchens real worth.
Come and see us
We love having visitors at the workshop so if you fancy a look around and would like to meet our team of craftsmen and see close-up what they do, just get in touch.
