Simplicity
Openness
Quality
Comfort
Sharing
Craftsmanship
My kitchens are hand made and quite individual - what I offer are really well made quality kitchens: the cabinets are all solid pieces of furniture, not flatpack, all visible wood is solid hardwood, and all of the fittings are high quality and made to last. I offer different design options but there are some things that I cannot make and in general I do not offer kitchens heavy on ornamentation. These kitchens will not suit everyone but if you like the images shown on these pages then you should talk to me about designing something for you.
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My kitchens are going to be more expensive than Ikea, of course they are, but I hope that for a handmade and carefully considered kitchen that you will find the price I can offer to be worthy of consideration. I do not want to make expensive kitchens, just good kitchens.
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A CIDA Kitchen
Is for someone who values individual design and wants to contribute to the design discussion
Is borne of a fundamental interest in good design and embraces design evolution
Values beautifully simple aesthetic form and function
Is handmade and demonstrates craftsmanship
Uses carefully sourced and sustainable timber
Is for those who want to live in their kitchen and share it with others
Design Influence
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Two movements – Shaker and mid-Century Scandinavian Modernism - influence the kitchens that I make and the designs that I am developing.
The Shakers were a community whose members moved from Europe to the USA in 1774. From that time, until the early 20th Century, they produced wooden furniture that could be characterized by functional form and proportion without ornamentation; this fitted their religious aesthetic, which considered embellishment to be prideful or deceitful. The simplicity of their designs offers an honest timeless aesthetic and so has become popular with kitchen manufacturers today . The Shaker craftsmen created visual interest from: the choice of wood species and colour palettes used, by carefully considering the spaces their furniture was to be used in, embracing asymmetry (often noticeable in the drawer layouts) and careful combination of freestanding and built-in furniture. Many modern imitation Shaker Kitchens fail to recognise the holistic design of these craftspeople.
Mid-Century Scandinavian Modernism initially developed largely cut off from the Modernist influences throughout Europe and United States, the designers drew upon traditional craftsmanship and materials. As the century progressed the influence of modernist design movements elsewhere exerted an influence upon the direction of Scandinavian design, which came to embrace manmade materials alongside solid hardwood. A 'Scandi' Modern kitchen is not showy but will display clean simple lines with smooth edges. It will have beautiful woods and vivid paint colours, there will be plenty of storage to allow clutter-free work surfaces, and shelves will often allow for the display of interesting objects, books and practical kitchen items. An Island Unit was developed to replace the kitchen table as a food preparation surface, and new labour saving technologies were embraced.
These two design movements have much in common and so I am not surprised that I am drawn to the two styles, and even combine them within a space. Both movements value simplicity, craftsmanship and quality, they create open and welcoming spaces and allow for a simple comfort which emphasises communality. My kitchens aim to create great social spaces for families and where friends can be entertained.
I am passionate about design, carpentry and cooking therefore I am happiest when I can design and build beautiful kitchens.
If you like the look of the photographs that you see on these pages, then I hope that you will seriously consider talking with me about commissioning your new kitchen.
Shaker Inspired Kitchen Leeds
Mood Board of Shaker & Scandi Influences