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Materials What goes in
What your kitchen is actually made of.
The look of a kitchen is the doors and worktop. How long it lasts is the board, the edging and the hardware behind them. Here is what we use for both.
At the measure we bring samples of door finishes and worktops so you can see them in your own light.
Book a free measure01 Structure
Carcass, edging & hardware.
The parts you do not see, and the reason a kitchen still closes quietly ten years on.
- Carcass board18 mm melamine-faced board from established European manufacturers such as Kronospan, in white or in a décor matching your doors. Moisture-resistant board under sinks and in bathrooms.
- EdgingThick ABS edge banding applied by machine — far more resistant to knocks and water than thin paper edges on budget units.
- HingesBlum soft-close hinges, adjustable in three directions so doors can be kept perfectly aligned.
- DrawersBlum full-extension runners with soft close, so you can reach the back of every drawer.
- Lift-up wall unitsBlum lift systems on request — useful above the hob or for tall wall cabinets.
- Legs & plinthsAdjustable legs to level the kitchen on uneven floors, with plinths matched to the doors or the floor.
02 Doors
Door finishes, from matt to gloss.
The door finish sets both the style and a large share of the price. All of them come in a wide choice of colours and wood décors.
Laminate décors
Hard-wearing, easy to clean and the best value. Hundreds of plain colours, realistic oak, walnut and stone textures.
Gloss fronts
Reflective, bright and modern. Makes small and dark kitchens feel larger. Shows fingerprints more than matt.
Painted MDF
Any colour you can name, in a smooth satin or matt finish. The choice for handleless and colour-led kitchens.
Profiled fronts
Milled, framed fronts for shaker and traditional kitchens — at home in Victorian and Edwardian houses.
03 Worktops
Choosing a worktop.
The worktop takes the most wear and has a big effect on the price. We make two kinds, and both are practical everyday surfaces.
Laminate
The most affordable and very practical. Modern laminates reproduce stone and wood convincingly, resist stains and wipe clean. Hundreds of décors, with a matching splashback panel if you want one. Avoid putting hot pans straight on the surface.
Compact laminate
A thin, solid and very dense worktop, around 12 mm, that is waterproof all the way through. It allows an undermounted sink and a slim, modern edge, and it stands up well to heat, scratches and water. A good choice for handleless and minimalist kitchens.
Not sure which? At the measure we suggest the one that suits your cooking and budget, and price both.
04 Details
Handles, lighting & appliances.
Handles. Bar handles, knobs and cup handles in black, brass, steel and bronze finishes — or handleless, with integrated channels or push-to-open mechanisms.
Lighting. LED strips under wall cabinets, inside glass-fronted units and in plinths, planned at the design stage so the cables are hidden.
Appliances. We plan the kitchen around the appliances you choose — integrated or freestanding — and fit integrated appliances behind matching doors. You can buy them yourself; just send us the model numbers before the design is finalised.
Sinks and taps. Inset, undermounted or a ceramic belfast sink — tell us what you have chosen and we will cut and fit for it.
05 Board
Why the board matters.
The carcass — the box behind the doors — carries the worktop, the sink, the appliances and everything you store. It is the part of a kitchen you never see and the part that decides how long it lasts.
Thickness
Our carcasses are 18 mm melamine-faced board. Thinner board, common in budget kitchens, flexes more under a heavy worktop and holds screws less firmly, which is how hinges work loose and doors start to drop.
Where it comes from
We use board from established European manufacturers such as Kronospan, made to consistent quality so that every panel behaves the same way when it is cut, edged and drilled.
Moisture resistance
Under sinks and in bathrooms, where water is most likely to reach the board, we use moisture-resistant board. It is the cheapest insurance against the most common kind of kitchen damage.
Inside colour
Carcasses come in white for a bright, easy-to-clean interior, or in a décor matching your doors, so open shelves and glass-fronted units look finished inside as well as out.
06 Edging
Edges: where cabinets fail first.
Most damage to kitchen and wardrobe furniture starts at an edge — a knock from a vacuum cleaner, a wet cloth left on a door, steam from the kettle. That is why we care so much about edging.
- Thick ABS edge banding. A durable plastic edge applied by machine. It resists knocks far better than thin paper or melamine edges and can be gently cleaned without wearing through.
- Sealed against water. A well-applied edge keeps water out of the board. Once water gets into the core of a panel, it swells and cannot be repaired — so the edge is what protects the whole cabinet.
- Every visible edge. Doors, shelves and carcass fronts all get the same treatment, not only the parts you see first.
When comparing quotes, ask what edging is used. It is one of the clearest differences between furniture that looks good on day one and furniture that still looks good years later. Run a finger along the edge of a sample door: a good edge feels smooth and solid, with no sharp line where it meets the face.
07 Door guide
Choosing a door finish for the way you live.
The best door finish is the one that suits your home and your habits, not only the one that looks best in a photo.
Busy family kitchens
Matt or textured laminate. It hides fingerprints and small scratches, wipes clean easily and is the best value. Wood décors are especially forgiving of everyday marks.
Small or dark rooms
High gloss reflects light and makes a small kitchen or galley feel larger. It shows fingerprints more than matt, so it suits households that do not mind a quick wipe.
Colour-led and handleless kitchens
Painted MDF in any colour you can name, in a smooth satin or matt finish. The choice when the colour is the point of the design.
Period homes
Profiled or framed fronts for shaker and traditional kitchens, which sit naturally next to panelled doors, sash windows and deep skirting. See shaker kitchens.
Rental flats
Matt laminate in neutral colours and light wood décors: hard-wearing, easy to clean between tenancies and suitable for the widest range of tenants. If a door is ever damaged, a laminate replacement is also the simplest to make. See developers and landlords.
08 Worktops compared
Laminate or compact: side by side.
We make two kinds of worktop. Both are practical everyday surfaces; they differ in look, thickness, price and how they handle water and heat.
- Look. Laminate comes in hundreds of stone and wood décors at a standard worktop thickness. Compact laminate is around 12 mm thick, for a slim, modern line.
- Water. Laminate is waterproof on the surface; its edges and joints need care around the sink. Compact laminate is waterproof all the way through.
- Sinks. Laminate suits inset sinks. Compact laminate allows an undermounted sink, with the worktop edge visible around it.
- Heat. Laminate should not take hot pans straight from the hob. Compact laminate stands up better to heat, but a trivet is still the best habit.
- Price. Laminate is the more affordable of the two. Compact laminate costs more and is often chosen for handleless and minimalist kitchens.
- Splashbacks. Laminate can have a matching splashback panel in the same décor, so worktop and wall read as one surface.
At the measure we price both, so you can see the difference for your kitchen before you choose. Bring a photo of the look you like, and we will show you the worktop and décor that come closest in each material.
09 Splashbacks
The wall behind the worktop.
The splashback protects the wall between the worktop and the wall cabinets, and it is one of the most visible surfaces in the kitchen.
- A matching laminate panel. A splashback panel in the same décor as the worktop, so the two read as one continuous surface. Marble, stone and wood effects are all possible, without grout lines to clean.
- A contrasting panel. A darker or patterned décor behind the hob or the sink can become the focal point of a plain kitchen.
- Tiles. If you prefer tiles, your tiler fits them after the kitchen is installed. Tell us at the design stage, so sockets and the worktop height are planned with the tiles in mind.
Behind the hob, check the hob manufacturer’s guidance on clearances and on which materials can sit close to it.
10 Hardware
What soft-close feels like every day.
Hinges and runners are opened and closed thousands of times a year. They are the parts you touch most, and the parts you notice first when they are cheap.
Blum soft-close hinges
Doors slow down and close quietly on their own, however hard they are pushed. The hinges adjust in three directions, so the gaps between doors can be put right in seconds if the house settles.
Full-extension runners
Drawers open all the way, so you can see and reach the back without lifting anything out. Soft-close stops them banging shut, even when they are full of pans.
Lift systems
On request, Blum lift systems for wall units open upwards and stay where you leave them — useful above the hob or for tall wall cabinets.
Adjustable legs
Every base cabinet stands on adjustable legs, which level the kitchen on uneven floors and allow the plinth to be removed for cleaning behind it. In older London homes, where floors can fall noticeably across a room, this is what keeps the worktop straight.
11 Lighting
Lighting built in.
Good lighting changes how a kitchen or wardrobe works and how it feels in the evening. Planned at the design stage, it is hidden inside the furniture rather than added afterwards.
Under wall cabinets
LED strips under the wall units light the worktop where you actually prepare food. A ceiling light behind you casts your shadow on the work; under-cabinet light does not.
Inside glazed units
Lights inside glass-fronted wall cabinets show off glassware and make the kitchen glow softly in the evening.
In plinths and rails
A strip in the plinth or in a handleless rail gives a low, gentle light — useful as a night light in an open-plan flat.
Inside wardrobes
Strips that switch on when a door opens light the clothes themselves, so colours are easy to tell apart.
Planning it
Lighting positions and power points are drawn into the 3D design, so your electrician knows where to bring the supply and the cables stay hidden inside the cabinets. Adding lighting later is possible, but it is always neater when it is planned from the start.
12 Wardrobes
Materials for wardrobes and storage.
Our wardrobes and storage are made from the same materials as our kitchens, so a whole home can match — and so wardrobes last as well as kitchens do.
- The same board and edging. 18 mm melamine-faced board with thick ABS edging, so shelves and rails are carried properly.
- The same hardware. Blum soft-close hinges on hinged doors and full-extension runners on drawers.
- Sliding door systems. Aluminium profiles in silver, black, champagne or white, with soft-close dampers and anti-jump top tracks.
- Door panels. Wood décors, matt and gloss colours, mirror and tinted glass, or split panels combining two finishes.
- Lighting. LED strips that switch on when a door opens, planned at the design stage.
See fitted wardrobes and sliding wardrobes for how these come together, and whole-apartment furniture for matching every room.
13 Care
Looking after each surface.
Every finish we use is easy to keep clean. A few simple habits keep it looking new for much longer, and none of them takes more than a minute a day.
- Laminate doors and worktops. Warm water, a soft cloth and a little mild washing-up liquid. Avoid scouring pads and cream cleaners.
- Gloss doors. A soft microfibre cloth to avoid fine scratches; dry afterwards to avoid streaks.
- Painted doors. Gentle cleaning only, and wipe up spills promptly, especially around handles.
- Compact laminate. Easy to clean with a damp cloth; still use a chopping board and a trivet.
- Around the sink. Wipe up standing water on the worktop and along the edges of the cabinet below.
- Steam. Open the dishwasher once it has cooled a little, and keep the kettle away from the wall cabinet doors.
Are your cabinets chipboard or MDF?
Carcasses are 18 mm melamine-faced board from established European manufacturers, with thick ABS edging. Painted doors are MDF. Laminate doors and worktops are laminate-faced.
Is your furniture suitable for bathrooms?
Yes. Bathroom vanity units and tall storage are made in moisture-resistant board, the same board we use under kitchen sinks.
Can I see samples before I decide?
Yes. At the free measure we bring samples of door finishes and worktops, so you can see them in your own light rather than on a screen.
Do you offer quartz or stone worktops?
We make two kinds of worktop: laminate and compact laminate. Quartz and natural stone are not part of our range. Stone-effect laminate and compact laminate give a similar look at a lower price, and compact laminate allows an undermounted sink.
Can I mix finishes in one kitchen?
Yes. A plain colour with a wood décor — for example on the island or the tall units — is one of the most popular combinations. Two finishes, plus a worktop that suits both, is usually the right balance.
What colour are the insides of the cabinets?
White for a bright, easy-to-clean interior, or a décor matching your doors where the inside is on show, such as open shelves and glass-fronted units.
Can I replace a door later?
Your approved drawings and specification are kept, so a replacement door can be made to the same size. A matching finish depends on that décor still being available from the manufacturer.
Are gloss doors hard to keep clean?
They show fingerprints and smears more than matt, but they are easy to wipe. A soft microfibre cloth and a quick dry afterwards keep them streak-free.
Do you make glass-fronted cabinets?
Yes. Glazed wall units are popular for glassware and display, especially in shaker kitchens, and can be lit from inside with LED strips.
Which handles do you offer?
Bar handles, knobs and cup handles in black, brass, steel and bronze finishes — or handleless doors with integrated rails or push-to-open mechanisms.
Next step
See the samples in your own light.
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