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Guide Bespoke vs modular
Bespoke or modular? An honest comparison.
Both can make a good kitchen. The right choice depends on your room, your budget and how long you plan to stay — here is how to decide.
We make bespoke kitchens, so we have a view — but there are rooms where modular makes sense, and we say so.
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01 The difference
What the words actually mean.
A modular kitchen is built from a catalogue of standard cabinets, usually in 150 mm steps — 300, 450, 600, 900 mm wide. A bespoke kitchen is built from cabinets made to the exact sizes your room needs.
Modular kitchens include flat-pack, high-street and many showroom “fitted” kitchens. They are designed by fitting standard boxes into your room, then covering the leftover gaps with filler panels. They are quick to source and can look very good in a simple, square room.
Bespoke kitchens start from the room. Every cabinet's width, height and depth is chosen for its position, so the kitchen fits wall to wall and floor to ceiling. Doors, finishes and internal fittings are not limited to a range.
The term “bespoke” is used loosely in the UK. Some companies use it for a modular kitchen with a custom colour. When comparing quotes, ask whether the cabinets themselves are made to measure — that is where the real difference lies.
02 Side by side
Six ways they differ.
A quick summary. The details below explain when each one matters.
Fit
Modular: standard widths plus filler panels. Bespoke: every cabinet sized to the room, no fillers.
Storage
Bespoke typically fits more into the same wall — especially in small or awkward rooms and up to the ceiling.
Design freedom
Modular: choose from a range. Bespoke: any size, any door, any colour, any internal layout.
Price
Modular is usually cheaper at the entry level. Bespoke direct from a workshop narrows the gap considerably.
Lead time
Modular can be faster if stock is available. Bespoke is made after you approve the design — typically weeks, not days.
Installation
Modular often needs on-site cutting and adapting. Bespoke arrives sized for the room, which makes fitting cleaner.
03 Our honest view
When each makes sense.
Modular is a sensible choice when…
- the room is a simple, square shape and standard sizes fit with little waste;
- the budget is very tight and the lowest possible price matters most;
- you need a kitchen within days, not weeks.
Bespoke is worth it when…
- the room is small, narrow or awkward — alcoves, chimney breasts, sloping ceilings, out-of-square walls;
- you want cabinets to the ceiling and every centimetre used;
- you want a specific look, colour or layout that a range does not offer;
- you plan to stay for years, or want the kitchen to add to the value of the property.
Most London kitchens fall into the second group. But if yours is a simple room and modular suits it, we will tell you.
04 Three routes
The three routes to a new London kitchen.
In practice, most people in London choose between three kinds of supplier. Each has a different balance of price, choice and responsibility.
Flat-pack and DIY-store kitchens
Standard cabinets you buy and either assemble yourself or have assembled by a fitter you find. The lowest prices and the fastest availability, but you take on the design, the coordination and most of the risk. Fit depends on how well standard widths suit your room.
Trade and high-street fitted kitchens
A modular range sold through a showroom or a builder, usually with a design service. More choice of doors and colours, and the cabinets come assembled. The carcasses are still standard sizes, so awkward rooms rely on filler panels and site adaptations. Installation is often by a separate fitter.
Bespoke kitchens
Cabinets made to the measurements of your room, either by a London design studio working with a joinery, or by a workshop that designs, makes and fits itself. The best fit and the most freedom; prices vary widely depending on who makes it and where.
We are in the last group: designed from your measurements, made in our own workshop and installed by our London fitter. As a guide, our kitchens typically come to around £1,000–£1,200 per linear metre, with the exact price fixed after the free measure.
05 Comparing quotes
How to compare kitchen quotes fairly.
Kitchen quotes are notoriously hard to compare. Two figures for “the same kitchen” can include very different things. These are the questions that make quotes comparable.
- Are the cabinets made to measure? Or chosen from standard widths with filler panels? Ask how many fillers the design uses.
- What is the carcass made of? Board thickness, the type of edging and whether the carcasses arrive assembled.
- Which hinges and runners? A named manufacturer, soft-close and full-extension drawers make a big difference to how a kitchen feels in ten years.
- What worktop? Material, thickness and who measures and fits it.
- Is fitting included? And who does it — the supplier’s own fitter or a subcontractor?
- Is delivery included? Including stairs, lifts and parking in London.
- What is not included? Appliances, sinks and taps, electrics, plumbing, gas work, tiling, flooring, removal of the old kitchen and decorating are often outside a kitchen quote.
- Is the price fixed? Or an estimate that can change after the survey?
Our quote is fixed and itemised, with manufacture, delivery and fitting included, so you can compare it line by line with any other quote you receive. If another quote leaves something out, ask for it to be added before you compare totals — otherwise the cheaper figure may simply be the less complete one.
06 Room by room
Which suits which London room?
The type of room often decides the answer before budget does. These are the patterns we see in London homes, from Zone 1 flats to family houses in the outer boroughs.
- A square kitchen in a modern flat, with straight walls and no obstacles: modular can work well, and the difference in fit is small.
- A narrow galley in a period conversion: bespoke usually wins, because every centimetre of width and height counts and standard widths leave gaps. See small kitchens.
- A Victorian terrace with a chimney breast: bespoke, because the alcoves and the out-of-square walls are exactly where standard units struggle.
- A side-return or rear extension: often bespoke for the long run of cabinets and the island, where proportions matter most. See kitchen islands.
- A loft or basement kitchen with slopes or low beams: bespoke, as standard tall units often do not fit.
- A rental flat on a tight budget: it depends on the room. A simple modular kitchen can be the right answer; in an awkward room, a durable bespoke kitchen can cost less over several tenancies. See developers and landlords.
07 Total cost
The price on the quote is not the whole cost.
The cheapest kitchen on paper is not always the cheapest kitchen in the end. A fair comparison looks at the total cost of getting a finished kitchen in your room.
Fillers and adaptations
Modular kitchens in awkward rooms need filler panels, cut-down units and site adaptations. Each one takes the fitter’s time, and the space behind a filler is storage you have paid for in floor area but cannot use.
Assembly and fitting
Flat-pack kitchens need assembling before they can be fitted. If you pay someone to do it, that cost belongs in the comparison.
Coordination
When the supplier, the fitter and the worktop company are different businesses, someone has to coordinate them — usually you. Delays between them add to the time your kitchen is out of use.
Lifespan
Thicker edging, better hinges and runners and a carcass made to fit without strain all affect how long a kitchen lasts before doors sag or drawers stick. A kitchen that lasts longer costs less per year.
None of this means bespoke is always cheaper. It means the right comparison is the finished kitchen, not the price of the boxes. Ask each supplier what you will have paid in total on the day the kitchen is finished and working, and compare those figures.
08 The word “bespoke”
Spotting a truly bespoke kitchen.
“Bespoke” has no legal definition in the UK, and it is used for very different products. These signs help you tell the difference.
- Cabinet widths that are not round numbers. A drawing with units of 437 mm or 682 mm shows the cabinets were sized for the room. A drawing made only of 300, 400, 500 and 600 mm units is modular.
- Few or no filler panels. A bespoke design closes gaps with the cabinets themselves.
- Cabinets to the ceiling at the right height. Not a standard height with a gap or a filler strip above.
- A measure before the final price. A bespoke kitchen cannot be priced finally without measuring the room.
- Manufacture after approval. If the kitchen can be delivered within days, it was not made for your room.
Ask to see the drawing with dimensions for every cabinet. It is the quickest way to know what you are being offered. A company that makes its own cabinets will have no difficulty showing you; a company reselling a modular range will show you standard sizes, and that is fine too — as long as the quote says so.
09 Ask any supplier
Questions to ask any kitchen company.
Whoever you choose — modular or bespoke — these questions show how a company works before you commit. Here are our own answers, so you can compare.
- Who measures the room? With us, our London fitter — the same person who later installs the kitchen.
- Will I see the design before I pay? Yes. You get a 3D design and can change it until it is right.
- Is the price fixed? Yes. One fixed, itemised price that includes manufacture, delivery and fitting.
- When is it made? After you approve the design, in our own workshop, to your drawings.
- How long does it take? Typically 4–6 weeks from approved design to finished installation, with the lead time written into your order.
- Who fits it? Our London fitter. You are not left coordinating a separate installer.
- What hardware is used? Blum soft-close hinges and full-extension runners.
- What is not included? Electrics, gas, building work and decorating are done by your own trades; we plan around them and give them the positions they need.
A company that answers these clearly, in writing, is usually one you can work with — whichever route you choose. Vague answers on price, lead time or who fits the kitchen are worth noticing early.
10 Free design & quote
Tell us about your room.
Not sure which you need? Send us the rough size of your room. After a free measure we show you a bespoke design and a fixed price, so you can compare it directly with any modular quote.
Is a bespoke kitchen always more expensive than modular?
Not always by as much as people expect. Buying direct from the workshop that makes it removes retailer margins, and a bespoke kitchen avoids wasted filler panels. For premium modular ranges, a workshop-direct bespoke kitchen can be comparable.
Does bespoke take longer?
Yes, because it is made after you approve the design — typically around 4–6 weeks to installation. Modular can be quicker when items are in stock.
How can I tell if a kitchen is really bespoke?
Ask whether the cabinet carcasses are made to your measurements or chosen from standard widths, and whether the quote includes filler panels. Real bespoke kitchens need few or none.
Can I mix bespoke and standard units?
Every cabinet we make is made to measure, but standard widths are often the right size anyway. Where they are, the price reflects that.
How much does a bespoke kitchen cost compared with modular?
As a guide, our bespoke kitchens typically come to around £1,000–£1,200 per linear metre. Entry-level modular kitchens are cheaper; premium modular ranges can cost as much or more. The fairest comparison is two fixed quotes for your actual room, including delivery and fitting.
Do bespoke kitchens add value to a home?
A kitchen that fits the room well, uses all the available storage and is well made tends to make a home more appealing to buyers and tenants. How much value it adds depends on the property and the market, so we would not promise a figure.
Can I get a bespoke quote to compare with a modular one?
Yes. After a free measure we give you a 3D design and a fixed, itemised price, with no obligation. You can use it to compare directly with a modular quote for the same room.
Is a bespoke kitchen worth it for a rental flat?
In a simple, square kitchen, a good modular kitchen can be the right choice for a rental. In an awkward room, or where the kitchen needs to survive several tenancies, a durable bespoke kitchen made with thick edging and good hinges often works out better over time.
Can a bespoke kitchen be made faster?
Not dramatically, because every cabinet is made after you approve the design. Our lead time is typically 4–6 weeks from approval to finished installation. If you need a kitchen within days, a modular kitchen from stock is the realistic option.
Are bespoke cabinets better made than modular ones?
It depends on the materials, not the word. Our carcasses are made from 18 mm melamine-faced board with thick ABS edging and Blum hardware. When comparing, ask every supplier for the same details — board, edging, hinges and runners.
What is a filler panel?
A strip of board used to close the gap between a standard-width cabinet and a wall, or between two cabinets, when the standard sizes do not add up to the length of the room. Fillers are normal in modular kitchens; a bespoke kitchen sizes the cabinets themselves so few or none are needed.
Is a “fitted kitchen” the same as a bespoke kitchen?
Not necessarily. “Fitted” only means the kitchen is installed in place rather than freestanding. Most fitted kitchens in the UK are modular. A bespoke kitchen is fitted too, but its cabinets are also made to the measurements of your room.
Can I keep my existing appliances?
Usually, yes. Send us the model numbers and the cabinets are made around them — integrated appliances behind matching doors, or freestanding ones with the right gaps. If an appliance is near the end of its life, it is worth deciding before the design is finalised.
12 Keep reading
Related pages.
Other things clients usually look at next.
Next step
Compare with a real design.
Send us the rough size of the room and what you have in mind. We come back with ideas, a measuring appointment and — once we have measured — a fixed, itemised price.
- Free measure at your home anywhere in London
- 3D design before anything is made
- Fixed price, itemised — no surprises at the door
- Made to the millimetre in our own workshop
- Delivered and fitted by our London fitter
- 10-year guarantee