RENCRAFT IN THE MEDIA
RENCRAFT IN THE MEDIA
We were delighted to be featured in Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine this month with a special feature on one of our recent projects, The Cobham Collection.
Long-term client, Merran Tait and Rencraft Director, Robert Waite spoke to KBB journalist, Lou O’Bryan about how they worked together to create an elegant all-white kitchen with socialising and sophistication at its heart. In addition, to the kitchen space, the case study also delves into the other rooms of the home where we also fashioned cabinetry for the utility room, home office, TV snug and boot room complete with dog shower.
Want to read more about how we designed an open-plan layout with carefully zoned areas for maximum functionality whilst still maintaining an aesthetic calm? Just hit the link below!
RENCRAFT IN THE MEDIA
We were delighted to be featured in Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine this month with a special feature on one of our recent projects, The Cobham Collection.
Long-term client, Merran Tait and Rencraft Director, Robert Waite spoke to KBB journalist, Lou O’Bryan about how they worked together to create an elegant all-white kitchen with socialising and sophistication at its heart. In addition, to the kitchen space, the case study also delves into the other rooms of the home where we also fashioned cabinetry for the utility room, home office, TV snug and boot room complete with dog shower.
Want to read more about how we designed an open-plan layout with carefully zoned areas for maximum functionality whilst still maintaining an aesthetic calm? Just hit the link below!
There is a quiet revolution happening in the way people think about their homes. But it is not a trend, exactly, it is more of a return: a recognition that the most beautiful rooms have not always been built around fixtures, but around objects. Much loved like the family’s doting Labrador, these items are part of a family’s landscape and never without their quirks. They are pieces that are meticulously handcrafted, that carry a story and improve with age, pieces that will one day be handed down and become another generation’s cherished inheritance.
At Rencraft, we have always believed that a kitchen should contain furniture, not merely cabinetry. Where a fitted kitchen is designed to disappear seamlessly into its context, great freestanding furniture is designed to be noticed: the room’s central focus, which holds the key to truly understanding a space and what it means to its owners. These are pieces with weight, with character, with the texture of real materials worked by real hands.
They are, in the truest sense, heirlooms in waiting.
![Handmade bespoke kitchen in Westerham Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Rencraft-March-2024-35-scaled.jpg")
The great country house interiors of England were never fitted: they were furnished. And this has always been the ethos of our MD, John. “To me, a kitchen isn’t just a kitchen anymore, it’s furniture within a room, and it has to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. The best kitchens are the ones that work: they deliver on the practical side, but they’re also pleasing to look at. I always say, if you go into an antique shop, you’ll find pieces of furniture made from wood that were designed a hundred or two hundred years ago, and they’re still attractive today. In a modern way, that’s what we try to do. And if you think about it, that’s the best sustainability you can get.”
If we take a step back into the past, it is plain to see that the beauty so admired inside the land’s stately homes came from the accumulation of purposeful, beautiful objects, each one placed with intention, each one built to outlast its owner.
And this is exactly why we think so carefully about every piece of furniture we make, fitted or otherwise. We see each item not merely as a functional object for today’s kitchen, but as something worth keeping, worthy of passing on.
![Bespoke handmade oak table with marble worktop in Tunbridge Wells Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Rencraft-Showroom-Feb-2026-34a.jpg")
To understand the design behind this standalone piece, you must first understand the architecture of the building in which it stands. Our award-winning, flagship showroom occupies a four-storey Georgian townhouse on Calverley Road in Tunbridge Wells. Its façade looks out onto one of the town’s finest streets through arched windows. It is the kind of building whose proportions remind you how seriously the eighteenth century took beauty as a civic obligation, and every piece of Rencraft cabinetry within it has been fashioned to match that imposing elegance. On the face of it, the building is not an obvious starting point for a piece of kitchen furniture, but it is precisely where the design of the Chef’s Table begins.
Standing elegantly in one of our ground floor displays, this exquisite cook’s table, made from solid oak timber, boasts turned oak legs using traditional woodworking techniques. To add interest, the legs are skilfully fluted along their lower section, with each leg’s radius mirroring the bullnose edge on the marble worktop above. The oak frame and legs are lovingly finished, by hand, with a rich wax to give that aged, antique patina.
The marble, a rare, hand-picked Calacatta, was chosen for its characteristic features: a bright, luminous white background with dramatic grey veining, offering a wonderfully luxurious feel. The bullnose edge finish to this handsome piece matches the original detail surrounding the tall arched windows.
Beneath the worktop, three drawers attend to the serious work of cooking. They are finished with Armac Martin Oldbury cup handles in Cast Bronze, reminiscent of the Georgian era.
The central drawer houses a secret pull-out that reveals a bespoke fitted interior housing both a knife rack and a spice insert, each slot and compartment designed precisely for its purpose with a discreet push-to-open mechanism.
The knife rack holds a series of chef’s blades in perfect alignment, standing by until exactly the moment they are needed. The spice insert takes the shape of a shallow, tiered tray for labelled jars, meaning every spice is visible and to hand without having to peer over the turmeric, cumin and coriander seeds to find the fenugreek. This clever storage system is often a client favourite, offering a pleasing opportunity for alphabetising, or organisation by cuisine or colour.
On the other side of the table, we opted for a ‘cut-away knee hole’, perfect for seating three barstools to create a convivial and practical family space.
![Luxury kitchen showroom in Tunbridge Wells in Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Rencraft-Showroom-Feb-2026-12.jpg")
In 1828, a twenty-six-year-old architect named Decimus Burton began work on the Calverley Estate in Tunbridge Wells, a development of villas, terraces and public spaces that would become one of the finest examples of Regency planning in England.
The building that houses our twice award-winning showroom on Calverley Road is part of Burton’s legacy. His arched windows face the street, his proportions govern the rooms, and so it is a fitting tribute that we have created the Architect’s Chest. The piece is a nod to the plan chests of Burton’s own era: wide, shallow-drawered cabinets found in every draughting room of the nineteenth century, built to keep large architectural drawings flat, uncreased and perfectly preserved.
This example, which is on display in The Cabinetmaker’s Kitchen, has seven narrow drawers, each fronted with a beautifully proportioned recessed panel in the same stained oak as the Chef’s Table.
Rather than performing its original function, the chest’s drawers hold an extensive collection of handle samples for clients to work through, and each one may be taken out in turn, weighed in the hand and held against paint swatches and cabinetry for size and style.
In a real-life kitchen however, such a piece might be used to store tablecloths, placemats, cutlery and coasters. In a hallway, study or artist’s studio, it is likely to become the kind of anchoring piece that a room organises itself around: substantial, calm and in possession of a quiet authority.
![Bespoke handmade farmhouse kitchen with luxury cabinetry](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-1-scaled.jpg")
In our opinion, the best-furnished rooms have always been eclectic. Not carelessly so, and certainly not a jumble of unrelated objects thrown together without thought, but curated deliberately, the pieces together assuming a status that might best be described as knowingly eclectic.
At Rencraft we believe that harmony does not require uniformity, and the farmhouse kitchen in the basement of our Tunbridge Wells showroom works on precisely this principle.
At its centre is a freestanding island painted in Farrow & Ball’s Bancha, a deep, complex green that carries the weight of a well-worn wax jacket. This is complemented by a worktop in Caesarstone Empira White Quartz that reflects the light beautifully and provides a clean, crisp contrast to the hand-painted finish. Sitting in deliberate contrast at one end is a thick walnut chopping board, its end grain dark and richly patterned, a biophilic nod to the pastoral, country house character of the cabinetry.
The island has drawers fitted with brass cup handles and stands on four square-post legs, giving it the unmistakable lightness of furniture rather than the planted solidity of fitted cabinetry. Taken in as part of the whole room against the oak plate rack and the enamel of the butler’s sink, it reads not as the centrepiece of a kitchen installation but as a strikingly important piece of furniture nestling in the middle of a beautifully furnished room.
And there is one further advantage worth noting – whilst the fitted elements of a kitchen must stay behind, an island such as this may come with you, and can easily be hand-painted to match the palette of a new kitchen in pastures new.
![Damson hand painted butchers block](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rencraft-March-2025-28-scaled.jpg")
Every kitchen needs a workhorse, and this butcher’s block is exactly that. Unarguably beautiful, it is also designed to be used, and this purpose dictated the choice of the end-grain oak worktop.
Sometimes regarded as a high-maintenance surface, at Rencraft our kitchens are proudly built to stand the test of time, and as such, we do not lament the marks left behind after twenty years of cooking. Rather, we see them as happy proof of delicious meals made, of sociable hours whiled away with friends, of a piece of furniture that has done exactly what it was designed to do.
The main body of the butcher’s block is hand-painted in Benjamin Moore’s Plum Raisin, a deep damson with dark plum undertones that contrasts beautifully against the pale warmth of the end-grain oak above and the Giara Country knob in Britanium on the drawer fronts. Below the drawer, a slatted oak shelf runs the full width of the piece, providing an open and practical place to store trays, vegetable baskets and Le Creuset casseroles.
Every Rencraft butcher’s block is designed to suit your household precisely, with dimensions bespoke for your home and hand-painted in any colour of your choosing. Whether you are looking for a compact block to provide a little additional prep surface, or a statement piece to function as a secondary island, our designers will happily talk you through the dimensions, materials and finishes to help you achieve it.
![Luxury kitchen showroom Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Rencraft-Showroom-Feb-2026-24.jpg")
In years to come, when a younger generation delights in discovering the secret drawer on your Chef’s Table and finds the spice insert still perfectly fitted, or pulls out a drawer on an Architect’s Chest and feels the smooth, unhurried action of joinery that has had decades to settle, they will not be thinking about craftsmanship – they will simply be using a piece of furniture that, in their memory, has always existed. One that was not only made by a skilled hand, but handed down through the family, with stories and memories invisibly etched into every grain.
Please note our freestanding items are not held in stock. As with every piece of Rencraft furniture, everything is handcrafted to order and made precisely to your specifications.
To discuss your own requirements, please give us a call on 01732 762682 to speak to one of our designers, or send us an email at hello@rencraft.co.uk
Alternatively, you may enjoy a wander through our Tunbridge Wells showroom where you may view each of the four pieces from The Calverley Collection.
The Calverley Collection
There is a quiet revolution happening in the way people think about their homes. But it is not a trend, exactly, it is more of a return: a recognition that the most beautiful rooms have not always been built around fixtures, but around objects. Much loved like the family’s doting Labrador, these items are part of a family’s landscape and never without their quirks. They are pieces that are meticulously handcrafted, that carry a story and improve with age, pieces that will one day be handed down and become another generation’s cherished inheritance.
At Rencraft, we have always believed that a kitchen should contain furniture, not merely cabinetry. Where a fitted kitchen is designed to disappear seamlessly into its context, great freestanding furniture is designed to be noticed: the room’s central focus, which holds the key to truly understanding a space and what it means to its owners. These are pieces with weight, with character, with the texture of real materials worked by real hands.
They are, in the truest sense, heirlooms in waiting.
The great country house interiors of England were never fitted: they were furnished. And this has always been the ethos of our MD, John. “To me, a kitchen isn’t just a kitchen anymore, it’s furniture within a room, and it has to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. The best kitchens are the ones that work: they deliver on the practical side, but they’re also pleasing to look at. I always say, if you go into an antique shop, you’ll find pieces of furniture made from wood that were designed a hundred or two hundred years ago, and they’re still attractive today. In a modern way, that’s what we try to do. And if you think about it, that’s the best sustainability you can get.”
If we take a step back into the past, it is plain to see that the beauty so admired inside the land’s stately homes came from the accumulation of purposeful, beautiful objects, each one placed with intention, each one built to outlast its owner.
And this is exactly why we think so carefully about every piece of furniture we make, fitted or otherwise. We see each item not merely as a functional object for today’s kitchen, but as something worth keeping, worthy of passing on.
To understand the design behind this standalone piece, you must first understand the architecture of the building in which it stands. Our award-winning, flagship showroom occupies a four-storey Georgian townhouse on Calverley Road in Tunbridge Wells. Its façade looks out onto one of the town’s finest streets through arched windows. It is the kind of building whose proportions remind you how seriously the eighteenth century took beauty as a civic obligation, and every piece of Rencraft cabinetry within it has been fashioned to match that imposing elegance. On the face of it, the building is not an obvious starting point for a piece of kitchen furniture, but it is precisely where the design of the Chef’s Table begins.
Standing elegantly in one of our ground floor displays, this exquisite cook’s table, made from solid oak timber, boasts turned oak legs using traditional woodworking techniques. To add interest, the legs are skilfully fluted along their lower section, with each leg’s radius mirroring the bullnose edge on the marble worktop above. The oak frame and legs are lovingly finished, by hand, with a rich wax to give that aged, antique patina.
The marble, a rare, hand-picked Calacatta, was chosen for its characteristic features: a bright, luminous white background with dramatic grey veining, offering a wonderfully luxurious feel. The bullnose edge finish to this handsome piece matches the original detail surrounding the tall arched windows.
Beneath the worktop, three drawers attend to the serious work of cooking. They are finished with Armac Martin Oldbury cup handles in Cast Bronze, reminiscent of the Georgian era.
The central drawer houses a secret pull-out that reveals a bespoke fitted interior housing both a knife rack and a spice insert, each slot and compartment designed precisely for its purpose with a discreet push-to-open mechanism.
The knife rack holds a series of chef’s blades in perfect alignment, standing by until exactly the moment they are needed. The spice insert takes the shape of a shallow, tiered tray for labelled jars, meaning every spice is visible and to hand without having to peer over the turmeric, cumin and coriander seeds to find the fenugreek. This clever storage system is often a client favourite, offering a pleasing opportunity for alphabetising, or organisation by cuisine or colour.
On the other side of the table, we opted for a ‘cut-away knee hole’, perfect for seating three barstools to create a convivial and practical family space.
In 1828, a twenty-six-year-old architect named Decimus Burton began work on the Calverley Estate in Tunbridge Wells, a development of villas, terraces and public spaces that would become one of the finest examples of Regency planning in England.
The building that houses our twice award-winning showroom on Calverley Road is part of Burton’s legacy. His arched windows face the street, his proportions govern the rooms, and so it is a fitting tribute that we have created the Architect’s Chest. The piece is a nod to the plan chests of Burton’s own era: wide, shallow-drawered cabinets found in every draughting room of the nineteenth century, built to keep large architectural drawings flat, uncreased and perfectly preserved.
This example, which is on display in The Cabinetmaker’s Kitchen, has seven narrow drawers, each fronted with a beautifully proportioned recessed panel in the same stained oak as the Chef’s Table.
Rather than performing its original function, the chest’s drawers hold an extensive collection of handle samples for clients to work through, and each one may be taken out in turn, weighed in the hand and held against paint swatches and cabinetry for size and style.
In a real-life kitchen however, such a piece might be used to store tablecloths, placemats, cutlery and coasters. In a hallway, study or artist’s studio, it is likely to become the kind of anchoring piece that a room organises itself around: substantial, calm and in possession of a quiet authority.
In our opinion, the best-furnished rooms have always been eclectic. Not carelessly so, and certainly not a jumble of unrelated objects thrown together without thought, but curated deliberately, the pieces together assuming a status that might best be described as knowingly eclectic.
At Rencraft we believe that harmony does not require uniformity, and the farmhouse kitchen in the basement of our Tunbridge Wells showroom works on precisely this principle.
At its centre is a freestanding island painted in Farrow & Ball’s Bancha, a deep, complex green that carries the weight of a well-worn wax jacket. This is complemented by a worktop in Caesarstone Empira White Quartz that reflects the light beautifully and provides a clean, crisp contrast to the hand-painted finish. Sitting in deliberate contrast at one end is a thick walnut chopping board, its end grain dark and richly patterned, a biophilic nod to the pastoral, country house character of the cabinetry.
The island has drawers fitted with brass cup handles and stands on four square-post legs, giving it the unmistakable lightness of furniture rather than the planted solidity of fitted cabinetry. Taken in as part of the whole room against the oak plate rack and the enamel of the butler’s sink, it reads not as the centrepiece of a kitchen installation but as a strikingly important piece of furniture nestling in the middle of a beautifully furnished room.
And there is one further advantage worth noting – whilst the fitted elements of a kitchen must stay behind, an island such as this may come with you, and can easily be hand-painted to match the palette of a new kitchen in pastures new.
Every kitchen needs a workhorse, and this butcher’s block is exactly that. Unarguably beautiful, it is also designed to be used, and this purpose dictated the choice of the end-grain oak worktop.
Sometimes regarded as a high-maintenance surface, at Rencraft our kitchens are proudly built to stand the test of time, and as such, we do not lament the marks left behind after twenty years of cooking. Rather, we see them as happy proof of delicious meals made, of sociable hours whiled away with friends, of a piece of furniture that has done exactly what it was designed to do.
The main body of the butcher’s block is hand-painted in Benjamin Moore’s Plum Raisin, a deep damson with dark plum undertones that contrasts beautifully against the pale warmth of the end-grain oak above and the Giara Country knob in Britanium on the drawer fronts. Below the drawer, a slatted oak shelf runs the full width of the piece, providing an open and practical place to store trays, vegetable baskets and Le Creuset casseroles.
Every Rencraft butcher’s block is designed to suit your household precisely, with dimensions bespoke for your home and hand-painted in any colour of your choosing. Whether you are looking for a compact block to provide a little additional prep surface, or a statement piece to function as a secondary island, our designers will happily talk you through the dimensions, materials and finishes to help you achieve it.
In years to come, when a younger generation delights in discovering the secret drawer on your Chef’s Table and finds the spice insert still perfectly fitted, or pulls out a drawer on an Architect’s Chest and feels the smooth, unhurried action of joinery that has had decades to settle, they will not be thinking about craftsmanship – they will simply be using a piece of furniture that, in their memory, has always existed. One that was not only made by a skilled hand, but handed down through the family, with stories and memories invisibly etched into every grain.
Please note our freestanding items are not held in stock. As with every piece of Rencraft furniture, everything is handcrafted to order and made precisely to your specifications.
To discuss your own requirements, please give us a call on 01732 762682 to speak to one of our designers, or send us an email at hello@rencraft.co.uk
Alternatively, you may enjoy a wander through our Tunbridge Wells showroom where you may view each of the four pieces from The Calverley Collection.
Kate Edmondson is the founder of Home Edited, a professional home organisation service helping clients across Kent, Sussex and South East London create calm, organised homes through home detox, organisation, unpacking and home set-up services.
In this blog, Kate shares her top tips on how to bring order and calm to your home, and explains how she works with Rencraft clients to bridge the gap between beautiful design and everyday living.
![Organisation Tips from Home Edited](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-scaled.jpg")
The kitchen has long been considered the heart of the home, but increasingly it has become something else too: a workspace, a homework station, a social hub, a charging point, and somewhere amongst all of that, a place to cook. It’s no surprise, then, that even the most beautifully designed kitchens can begin to struggle to keep up with the demands of everyday life.
As a professional organiser and founder of Home Edited, I’m often invited into homes at the point where people feel frustrated by their space and Home Edited was created from a simple belief: that outer order contributes to inner calm.
We work with busy families and professionals to create organised, functional homes that support daily life, whether that’s preparing a property for sale, unpacking after a move or transforming spaces that have become difficult to manage. Interestingly, it’s rarely a lack of storage that causes frustration. More often, it’s because the storage isn’t working in harmony with how people actually live, alongside the overwhelm that can build when our belongings begin to outgrow the spaces designed to contain them. This is where thoughtful design makes all the difference.
![Organisation Tips from Home Edited](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/kate-home-edited-scaled.jpg")
Having worked alongside several Rencraft projects, one of the things I admire most is the consideration given to how a space functions as well as how it looks. Whether it’s a bespoke kitchen, pantry, utility room, boot room, dressing room or fitted storage elsewhere in the home, their joinery is designed around the needs of the people using it. Deep drawers where they’re needed, clever internal solutions and layouts tailored to the routines of the household create spaces that feel intuitive and easy to use.
When I work with clients following a renovation or installation, my role is often to help bridge the gap between beautiful design and daily living. Together, we establish practical systems that make the most of the storage already available, creating designated homes for everything from breakfast essentials and lunchbox supplies to seasonal clothing, household paperwork and family belongings.
![Organisation Tips from Home Edited](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/kate-home-edited-2-scaled.jpg")
The goal isn’t perfection. In fact, perfection rarely survives family life. Instead, it’s about creating spaces that support the rhythms of the household. Rooms where everyone knows where things belong. Where surfaces stay clearer because storage is easier to use. Where putting things away requires less effort than leaving them out. The most successful spaces aren’t necessarily the ones that look immaculate in a photograph. They’re the ones that continue to function beautifully months and years later, adapting as families grow and routines change.
At Home Edited, we focus on creating sustainable systems tailored to the people living in the home. Whether we’re organising a newly installed pantry, designing systems for a utility room or helping a family settle into bespoke fitted storage throughout their home, our aim is always the same: to make organisation feel effortless to maintain, not another task on an already busy to-do list.
Good design creates the framework and thoughtful organisation brings it to life. When the two come together, the result is something far more valuable than a tidy home: a home that feels calmer, lighter and easier to live in.
Kate is a regular guest at our exclusive showroom events in Tunbridge Wells, so if you would like to learn more about how to detox your home whilst sipping on a glass of chilled Kent wine and enjoying a delicious canapé, make sure you sign up to our guest list.
OUR PARTNERS
Kate Edmondson is the founder of Home Edited, a professional home organisation service helping clients across Kent, Sussex and South East London create calm, organised homes through home detox, organisation, unpacking and home set-up services.
In this blog, Kate shares her top tips on how to bring order and calm to your home, and explains how she works with Rencraft clients to bridge the gap between beautiful design and everyday living.
The kitchen has long been considered the heart of the home, but increasingly it has become something else too: a workspace, a homework station, a social hub, a charging point, and somewhere amongst all of that, a place to cook. It’s no surprise, then, that even the most beautifully designed kitchens can begin to struggle to keep up with the demands of everyday life.
As a professional organiser and founder of Home Edited, I’m often invited into homes at the point where people feel frustrated by their space and Home Edited was created from a simple belief: that outer order contributes to inner calm.
We work with busy families and professionals to create organised, functional homes that support daily life, whether that’s preparing a property for sale, unpacking after a move or transforming spaces that have become difficult to manage. Interestingly, it’s rarely a lack of storage that causes frustration. More often, it’s because the storage isn’t working in harmony with how people actually live, alongside the overwhelm that can build when our belongings begin to outgrow the spaces designed to contain them. This is where thoughtful design makes all the difference.
Having worked alongside several Rencraft projects, one of the things I admire most is the consideration given to how a space functions as well as how it looks. Whether it’s a bespoke kitchen, pantry, utility room, boot room, dressing room or fitted storage elsewhere in the home, their joinery is designed around the needs of the people using it. Deep drawers where they’re needed, clever internal solutions and layouts tailored to the routines of the household create spaces that feel intuitive and easy to use.
When I work with clients following a renovation or installation, my role is often to help bridge the gap between beautiful design and daily living. Together, we establish practical systems that make the most of the storage already available, creating designated homes for everything from breakfast essentials and lunchbox supplies to seasonal clothing, household paperwork and family belongings.
The goal isn’t perfection. In fact, perfection rarely survives family life. Instead, it’s about creating spaces that support the rhythms of the household. Rooms where everyone knows where things belong. Where surfaces stay clearer because storage is easier to use. Where putting things away requires less effort than leaving them out. The most successful spaces aren’t necessarily the ones that look immaculate in a photograph. They’re the ones that continue to function beautifully months and years later, adapting as families grow and routines change.
At Home Edited, we focus on creating sustainable systems tailored to the people living in the home. Whether we’re organising a newly installed pantry, designing systems for a utility room or helping a family settle into bespoke fitted storage throughout their home, our aim is always the same: to make organisation feel effortless to maintain, not another task on an already busy to-do list.
Good design creates the framework and thoughtful organisation brings it to life. When the two come together, the result is something far more valuable than a tidy home: a home that feels calmer, lighter and easier to live in.
Kate is a regular guest at our exclusive showroom events in Tunbridge Wells, so if you would like to learn more about how to detox your home whilst sipping on a glass of chilled Kent wine and enjoying a delicious canapé, make sure you sign up to our guest list.
This summery cast iron skillet pizza recipe is served up by our friends at Borough Kitchen. The delicious offering from Cook School Head Chef, Grace features a vibrant pumpkin seed pesto base, topped with sliced peaches and fresh burrata cheese.
“A Lodge Cast Iron skillet is must-have tool for homemade pizza, as it is effectively three tools at once: a pizza stone (for a crispy base), a pizza pan (for creating a perfect round shape), and pizza peel (for easy transport and and out of the oven). Compatible with covered BBQs and wood-fired pizza ovens, it’s an outdoor entertaining essential.”
This recipe serves 2–4 (in a 26cm cast iron skillet).
![Peach Burrata Recipe from Borough Kitchen](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/peach-burrata-pizza-recipe-scaled.jpg")
Pumpkin Seed Pesto
• 2 cloves garlic
• 60g pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 80g Parmesan
• 120ml olive oil
• 80g basil leaves, shredded
• Salt, to taste
Pizza Dough
• 190g bread flour, divided
• 4g fast action yeast
• ½ tsp (2g) salt
• 150ml lukewarm water
• 1 tsp (4g) honey
• ½ tbsp (7g) olive oil
Topping
• 3 peaches, sliced
• 200g burrata or stracciatella cheese
• 30g mint leaves, shredded
• Salt, to taste
• Olive oil and balsamic glaze, for drizzling
![Pizza with pesto, burrata and peaches cooked in a skillet](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/DSC09795-scaled.jpg")
1. Make the Pesto: Grind garlic with a pinch of salt, then grind in the toasted pumpkin seeds. Add basil pinch by pinch and grind, followed by the Parmesan. Finish by grinding in the olive oil, bit by bit. Taste and add more salt if needed.
2. Make the Pizza Dough: Pre-heat oven to 230°C fan. In a large bowl, mix 95g bread flour with yeast and salt. In a separate bowl, mix honey with lukewarm water and add to the flour-yeast mixture. Add the olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Add the remaining flour and mix until incorporated. The dough should feel slightly sticky. On a floured surface, knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film, and let rise for 10 minutes in a warm place. Punch down, rise for another 10 minutes. Punch down again and spread by hand or roller into your 26cm cast iron pan.
3. Top and Bake: Spread pesto over the base, add peach slices, and bake for 10–12 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
4. Prepare Mint Salad: While the pizza bakes, toss mint leaves with olive oil, balsamic glaze, and salt.
5. Finish and Serve: Take pizza out of the oven, scatter with burrata and mint salad, and serve.
• You can make your own balsamic glaze by reducing 50ml of balsamic vinegar with 1 tsp of caster sugar for 3 minutes over a low heat until sweet and sticky.
• Always add the burrata after baking. Because it is a high-moisture cheese, baking it will make your pizza soggy.
RENCRAFT AT HOME
This summery cast iron skillet pizza recipe is served up by our friends at Borough Kitchen. The delicious offering from Cook School Head Chef, Grace features a vibrant pumpkin seed pesto base, topped with sliced peaches and fresh burrata cheese.
“A Lodge Cast Iron skillet is must-have tool for homemade pizza, as it is effectively three tools at once: a pizza stone (for a crispy base), a pizza pan (for creating a perfect round shape), and pizza peel (for easy transport and and out of the oven). Compatible with covered BBQs and wood-fired pizza ovens, it’s an outdoor entertaining essential.”
This recipe serves 2–4 (in a 26cm cast iron skillet).
Pumpkin Seed Pesto
• 2 cloves garlic
• 60g pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 80g Parmesan
• 120ml olive oil
• 80g basil leaves, shredded
• Salt, to taste
Pizza Dough
• 190g bread flour, divided
• 4g fast action yeast
• ½ tsp (2g) salt
• 150ml lukewarm water
• 1 tsp (4g) honey
• ½ tbsp (7g) olive oil
Topping
• 3 peaches, sliced
• 200g burrata or stracciatella cheese
• 30g mint leaves, shredded
• Salt, to taste
• Olive oil and balsamic glaze, for drizzling
1. Make the Pesto: Grind garlic with a pinch of salt, then grind in the toasted pumpkin seeds. Add basil pinch by pinch and grind, followed by the Parmesan. Finish by grinding in the olive oil, bit by bit. Taste and add more salt if needed.
2. Make the Pizza Dough: Pre-heat oven to 230°C fan. In a large bowl, mix 95g bread flour with yeast and salt. In a separate bowl, mix honey with lukewarm water and add to the flour-yeast mixture. Add the olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Add the remaining flour and mix until incorporated. The dough should feel slightly sticky. On a floured surface, knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film, and let rise for 10 minutes in a warm place. Punch down, rise for another 10 minutes. Punch down again and spread by hand or roller into your 26cm cast iron pan.
3. Top and Bake: Spread pesto over the base, add peach slices, and bake for 10–12 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
4. Prepare Mint Salad: While the pizza bakes, toss mint leaves with olive oil, balsamic glaze, and salt.
5. Finish and Serve: Take pizza out of the oven, scatter with burrata and mint salad, and serve.
• You can make your own balsamic glaze by reducing 50ml of balsamic vinegar with 1 tsp of caster sugar for 3 minutes over a low heat until sweet and sticky.
• Always add the burrata after baking. Because it is a high-moisture cheese, baking it will make your pizza soggy.
If our design conversations of late are anything to go by, 2026 is serving up some seriously good inspiration set to excite this Spring/Summer season. After years of pared-back, cool-toned minimalism, kitchen design is taking a new direction this year and we’re delighted to be filling our mood boards with pizzazz and personality.
Here’s what we’re seeing, loving and designing in our clients’ kitchens across Kent right now.
![Benjamin Moore Orange Painted Kitchen with wood slatted panelling and Kitchen island.](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Renvcraft-Showroom-19-scaled.jpg")
Warm, earthy palettes are having a major moment and we’re absolutely here for it. Think soft terracottas, toasty taupes, deep ochres and muted clays; colours that make you want to try out those delicious-sounding recipes from the new Ottolenghi cookbook you’ve had sitting on the shelf and invite your friends over for a catch-up.
Our Cinnamon Kitchen display on the first floor of our Tunbridge Wells showroom is bursting with terracotta tones, natural wood accents and a bronze mirror which brings the space together with elegance and style, so why not pop in and take a look?
![Handmade butcher's block in Tunbridge Wells](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Renvcraft-Showroom-24-scaled.jpg")
Hard edges are out and soft, sculptural shapes are very much in. Rounded cabinetry, curved islands, arched alcoves, gently bowed doorways; there’s something genuinely beautiful about a kitchen that flows rather than angles. It feels more considered, more architectural, and (it has to be said) a great deal more interesting to look at than a room full of sharp corners.
The overall result is a space that feels almost as though it has been sculpted rather than simply built, and once you’ve seen the beautiful curve of our oak butcher’s block and the cosy nook of our banquette seating in our Italian kitchen display in the flesh, it’s rather difficult to go back.
![Liquid metal worktop contemporary kitchen design Sevenoaks & Tunbridge Wells](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Rencraft-Feb-24-17-scaled.jpg")
There’s a quiet rebellion happening in kitchen hardware, and we think it’s rather wonderful. Aged brass and bronze finishes which look as though they’ve been around for generations are replacing the polished and the pristine, and the best bit is that these finishes never feel as though they’re trying too hard. Like a fine wine, they have warmth, depth and the sort of understated elegance that only improves with age. Even better, when you pair them with the right cabinetry, a beautiful aged brass handle becomes the detail that pulls an entire kitchen together, creating the finishing touch that makes everything else fall into place.
81, The Penthouse is a wonderful example of this, with its liquid metal worktop in the cocktail bar and myriad metal accents which reflect the light beautifully from morning until evening.
![Luxury kitchen showroom Tunbridge Wells](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Rencraft-Showroom-Feb-2026-35.jpg")
2026 is shaping up to be a deeply tactile year and the best kitchens are leaning into that fully. Texture has become the quiet lynchpin of great kitchen design: not just a finish to look at, but a layer of warmth and character that makes a space feel genuinely lived-in. We’re seeing reeded glass fronts that catch the light and cast delicate patterns across a room, match striker handles that break up the uniformity of slab-door cabinetry, tongue-and-groove panelling behind glazed doors and mixed-material worktops that pair natural stone with wood for a result that feels carefully considered.
Want to see these beautiful textures in real life? Why not take a wander through our latest ground floor display in Tunbridge Wells, The Cabinetmaker’s Kitchen?
![Handmade shaker kitchen with bespoke kitchen island in Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/220524_Rencraft_0041-Edit_HG_Screen.jpg")
Walnut is back at the top table and we couldn’t be happier to see the return of a material with such depth and richness. With such natural beauty, there can be nothing more pleasing than an expertly crafted walnut cabinet that no paint colour in the world could match.
Darker oak is also making a strong showing in 2026, lending a contemporary gravitas to both classic and modern schemes. Used as an island, a statement run of cabinetry or even just a few well-chosen drawer fronts, these woods have a way of transforming a room that you really do have to see in person to fully appreciate.
![Black hand painted larder cupboard in a bespoke, luxury kitchen in Sevenoaks.](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Rencraft-March-2024-22-scaled.jpg")
The best storage is the kind you never see, and this year seamless integration is everything. Appliances are disappearing behind beautifully crafted cabinet doors, awkward corners are being transformed into clever pull-out pantries, and bi-fold countertop cabinets are creating prep stations that fold neatly away when not in use.
Wider drawers are also gaining traction (because life is genuinely too short for a drawer you have to wrestle your roasting tin out of), and we’re designing more of them than ever. When a kitchen hides its workings this well, the result is a space that always looks effortlessly put together, no matter what clutter you might have secreted behind those beautiful doors.
![Luxury contemporary kitchen design Tunbridge Wells](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rencraft-March-2025-23-scaled.jpg")
Finally, we come to the all-important worktop, which this year is very much refusing to play second fiddle any longer. Dramatically veined stones, whether marble, quartz, granite or porcelain are all being chosen as much for their sheer visual impact as for their practicality.
A striking stone surface can anchor an entire kitchen, giving it a sense of drama and permanence that no other material quite achieves, and when the veining is right, it becomes something that genuinely stops people in their tracks. Choose well and it will be the first thing every guest comments on.
If you’re looking for worktops to wow, our award-winning showroom in Tunbridge Wells is a must-visit, as we have everything from Carrara marble to Rosso Levenato marble, from Laminam Ossido Bruno and Silestone Jardin Emerald on display.
And if mention of all these displays isn’t enough to whet your appetite, we also have our samples cupboard and architect’s chest where we keep some of our favourite handles, worktop and paint samples for you to choose from, meaning you are bound to find inspiration aplenty!
Our designers are ready and waiting, coffee in hand, at our showrooms in Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks, so why not call us on 01732 762682, or drop us a line at info@rencraft.co.uk to book an appointment.
We look forward to welcoming you soon.
Kitchen Trends for Summer 2026
If our design conversations of late are anything to go by, 2026 is serving up some seriously good inspiration set to excite this Spring/Summer season. After years of pared-back, cool-toned minimalism, kitchen design is taking a new direction this year and we’re delighted to be filling our mood boards with pizzazz and personality.
Here’s what we’re seeing, loving and designing in our clients’ kitchens across Kent right now.
Warm, earthy palettes are having a major moment and we’re absolutely here for it. Think soft terracottas, toasty taupes, deep ochres and muted clays; colours that make you want to try out those delicious-sounding recipes from the new Ottolenghi cookbook you’ve had sitting on the shelf and invite your friends over for a catch-up.
Our Cinnamon Kitchen display on the first floor of our Tunbridge Wells showroom is bursting with terracotta tones, natural wood accents and a bronze mirror which brings the space together with elegance and style, so why not pop in and take a look?
Hard edges are out and soft, sculptural shapes are very much in. Rounded cabinetry, curved islands, arched alcoves, gently bowed doorways; there’s something genuinely beautiful about a kitchen that flows rather than angles. It feels more considered, more architectural, and (it has to be said) a great deal more interesting to look at than a room full of sharp corners.
The overall result is a space that feels almost as though it has been sculpted rather than simply built, and once you’ve seen the beautiful curve of our oak butcher’s block and the cosy nook of our banquette seating in our Italian kitchen display in the flesh, it’s rather difficult to go back.
There’s a quiet rebellion happening in kitchen hardware, and we think it’s rather wonderful. Aged brass and bronze finishes which look as though they’ve been around for generations are replacing the polished and the pristine, and the best bit is that these finishes never feel as though they’re trying too hard. Like a fine wine, they have warmth, depth and the sort of understated elegance that only improves with age. Even better, when you pair them with the right cabinetry, a beautiful aged brass handle becomes the detail that pulls an entire kitchen together, creating the finishing touch that makes everything else fall into place.
81, The Penthouse is a wonderful example of this, with its liquid metal worktop in the cocktail bar and myriad metal accents which reflect the light beautifully from morning until evening.
2026 is shaping up to be a deeply tactile year and the best kitchens are leaning into that fully. Texture has become the quiet lynchpin of great kitchen design: not just a finish to look at, but a layer of warmth and character that makes a space feel genuinely lived-in. We’re seeing reeded glass fronts that catch the light and cast delicate patterns across a room, match striker handles that break up the uniformity of slab-door cabinetry, tongue-and-groove panelling behind glazed doors and mixed-material worktops that pair natural stone with wood for a result that feels carefully considered.
Want to see these beautiful textures in real life? Why not take a wander through our latest ground floor display in Tunbridge Wells, The Cabinetmaker’s Kitchen?
Walnut is back at the top table and we couldn’t be happier to see the return of a material with such depth and richness. With such natural beauty, there can be nothing more pleasing than an expertly crafted walnut cabinet that no paint colour in the world could match.
Darker oak is also making a strong showing in 2026, lending a contemporary gravitas to both classic and modern schemes. Used as an island, a statement run of cabinetry or even just a few well-chosen drawer fronts, these woods have a way of transforming a room that you really do have to see in person to fully appreciate.
The best storage is the kind you never see, and this year seamless integration is everything. Appliances are disappearing behind beautifully crafted cabinet doors, awkward corners are being transformed into clever pull-out pantries, and bi-fold countertop cabinets are creating prep stations that fold neatly away when not in use.
Wider drawers are also gaining traction (because life is genuinely too short for a drawer you have to wrestle your roasting tin out of), and we’re designing more of them than ever. When a kitchen hides its workings this well, the result is a space that always looks effortlessly put together, no matter what clutter you might have secreted behind those beautiful doors.
Finally, we come to the all-important worktop, which this year is very much refusing to play second fiddle any longer. Dramatically veined stones, whether marble, quartz, granite or porcelain are all being chosen as much for their sheer visual impact as for their practicality.
A striking stone surface can anchor an entire kitchen, giving it a sense of drama and permanence that no other material quite achieves, and when the veining is right, it becomes something that genuinely stops people in their tracks. Choose well and it will be the first thing every guest comments on.
If you’re looking for worktops to wow, our award-winning showroom in Tunbridge Wells is a must-visit, as we have everything from Carrara marble to Rosso Levenato marble, from Laminam Ossido Bruno and Silestone Jardin Emerald on display.
And if mention of all these displays isn’t enough to whet your appetite, we also have our samples cupboard and architect’s chest where we keep some of our favourite handles, worktop and paint samples for you to choose from, meaning you are bound to find inspiration aplenty!
Our designers are ready and waiting, coffee in hand, at our showrooms in Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks, so why not call us on 01732 762682, or drop us a line at info@rencraft.co.uk to book an appointment.
We look forward to welcoming you soon.
Traditionally baked for Easter, Hot Cross Buns date back centuries, with their iconic cross said to symbolise the crucifixion and their warm blend of spices marking the end of Lent. Over time, they’ve become more than just a seasonal bake and are now a comforting ritual, best enjoyed toasted with a generous spread of butter.
This recipe takes that familiar comfort and turns it into something just a little more indulgent which is perfect for a quiet weekend or an Easter gathering. By transforming hot cross buns into a rich, golden bread and butter pudding, you get all those cosy notes of spice and sweetness wrapped in a silky custard, with crisp edges and a soft, melt-in-the-middle centre.
![Tunbridge Wells recipe](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/eggs3-scaled.jpg")
· 8 Hot Cross Buns
· 100g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
· 6 eggs
· 200g caster sugar
· 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and deseeded
· 500ml whole milk
· 500ml double cream
To serve: a big dollop of cream or a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream
![Hot Cross Buns Recipe](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pudding-scaled.jpg")
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Prepare the buns by breaking them into rough pieces and arranging them in a deep ovenproof dish. Dot the cubes of unsalted butter in between the chunks.
Now make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, caster sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod until well combined. Pour in the whole milk & double cream and stir until everything is incorporated.
Pour the custard evenly over the buns and press them down gently so they absorb the liquid. Leave to soak for at least an hour, but preferably overnight in the fridge.
When you’re ready, transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 45–60 minutes, until the custard is just set. To check, pierce the centre with a knife – there should be no liquid underneath.
To serve: Add a good glug of double cream or custard, or even a giant dollop of ice cream, if you prefer.
This pudding is also delicious cold, if you’ve got any left over!
RENCRAFT AT HOME
Traditionally baked for Easter, Hot Cross Buns date back centuries, with their iconic cross said to symbolise the crucifixion and their warm blend of spices marking the end of Lent. Over time, they’ve become more than just a seasonal bake and are now a comforting ritual, best enjoyed toasted with a generous spread of butter.
This recipe takes that familiar comfort and turns it into something just a little more indulgent which is perfect for a quiet weekend or an Easter gathering. By transforming hot cross buns into a rich, golden bread and butter pudding, you get all those cosy notes of spice and sweetness wrapped in a silky custard, with crisp edges and a soft, melt-in-the-middle centre.
· 8 Hot Cross Buns
· 100g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
· 6 eggs
· 200g caster sugar
· 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and deseeded
· 500ml whole milk
· 500ml double cream
To serve: a big dollop of cream or a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Prepare the buns by breaking them into rough pieces and arranging them in a deep ovenproof dish. Dot the cubes of unsalted butter in between the chunks.
Now make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, caster sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod until well combined. Pour in the whole milk & double cream and stir until everything is incorporated.
Pour the custard evenly over the buns and press them down gently so they absorb the liquid. Leave to soak for at least an hour, but preferably overnight in the fridge.
When you’re ready, transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 45–60 minutes, until the custard is just set. To check, pierce the centre with a knife – there should be no liquid underneath.
To serve: Add a good glug of double cream or custard, or even a giant dollop of ice cream, if you prefer.
This pudding is also delicious cold, if you’ve got any left over!
We are delighted to announce that our flagship showroom in Tunbridge Wells has been crowned the Kitchen Showrooms of the Year at the KBB Review Retail and Design Awards for the second time!
Our refurbished Georgian townhouse was recently described as Narnia, where once inside you are greeted with 4 magical floors of inspirational design, making your journey with Rencraft the most enjoyable and easiest part of your project.
![Luxury bespoke kitchen design in Tunbridge Wells and award-winning showrooms by Calverley Park](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/tunbridgwellsshowrooms-scaled.jpg")
Our showroom is a must-visit for anyone considering a kitchen makeover or other home improvement project and our friendly designers will happily show you around our eclectic range of displays featuring handmade cabinetry, interior design’s most highly sought-after kitchen trends and a fantastic choice of luxury appliances.
We are open from 9am – 5.30pm from Monday to Friday or from 9.30 – 5pm on Saturdays and welcome all visitors, with or without an appointment.
Why not call 01732 762682 or hit the button below to arrange a meeting with one of our talented designers?
KBB Review Retail & Design Awards 2026
We are delighted to announce that our flagship showroom in Tunbridge Wells has been crowned the Kitchen Showrooms of the Year at the KBB Review Retail and Design Awards for the second time!
Our refurbished Georgian townhouse was recently described as Narnia, where once inside you are greeted with 4 magical floors of inspirational design, making your journey with Rencraft the most enjoyable and easiest part of your project.
Our showroom is a must-visit for anyone considering a kitchen makeover or other home improvement project and our friendly designers will happily show you around our eclectic range of displays featuring handmade cabinetry, interior design’s most highly sought-after kitchen trends and a fantastic choice of luxury appliances.
We are open from 9am – 5.30pm from Monday to Friday or from 9.30 – 5pm on Saturdays and welcome all visitors, with or without an appointment.
Why not call 01732 762682 or hit the button below to arrange a meeting with one of our talented designers?
As parents, we spend hours dreaming about the perfect nursery, agonising over paint colours and deliberating where to put the cot and yet so often, once those early years pass, children’s rooms become an afterthought. Hands up who can relate to a haphazard mix of outgrown furniture and overflowing toy boxes! But here’s the thing: why shouldn’t your children have spaces that are just as thoughtfully designed and beautifully crafted as the rest of your home?
At Rencraft, we believe that luxury children’s furniture isn’t about extravagance but about creating spaces that work hard, cater for study and play, but also look beautiful whilst growing with your family for years to come.
Join us as we riffle through the treasure chest of our favourite rooms which we handcrafted for some of our smallest clients.
![Handmade luxury cabinetry in Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Braddocks-47-scaled.jpg")
When we talk about children’s furniture, we’re not just thinking about a wardrobe and a bed. We’re thinking about the whole picture: the morning rush when everyone’s trying to get ready for school, the homework sessions at the desk, the bedtime stories, and yes, the endless tide of toys that somehow multiply overnight.
That’s why we approach children’s spaces with the same care and attention to detail that we bring to every Rencraft project; because when a room is thoughtfully designed it doesn’t just look good, it makes daily life easier, calmer and more enjoyable for everyone.
![Bespoke dressing room bedroom furniture in Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/245-Singlewell-Road-68-scaled.jpg")
One of the very best things about bespoke furniture is its ability to evolve. Take a children’s dressing room, for instance. When they’re little, those lower hanging rails are perfect for tiny coats and dresses, but as your children grow you can adjust the interior to accommodate longer items, add more drawers for their expanding wardrobe, or even create a space for their growing trainer collection (something needs to be done to stop the kids taking over all but one of the shoe nooks in the boot room!).
We recently designed these beautiful dressing rooms for a family’s forever home where we incorporated adjustable shelving and hanging space that can be reconfigured as their children mature from nursery age through to their teenage years. The hand-painted cabinetry and open shelving feel elegant and sophisticated with nothing childish about them, yet it’s perfectly practical for small hands to reach and designed to make it easy for little ones to pick and choose their outfit without pulling everything out of the wardrobes first.
![Children's luxury playroom with bookcases and bench seating, a media wall and cupboards for storage.](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/245-Singlewell-Road-33-scaled.jpg")
Let’s be honest: children come with a lot of stuff! But that doesn’t mean your home needs to look like the Jelly Cat shop exploded and this is where custom design really comes into its own.
We designed these bespoke playrooms with floor-to-ceiling storage that cleverly conceals everything from building blocks to art supplies and from board games to the entire contents of the Barbie mansion.
In both these projects we included a mix of open and closed storage with shelving to house books, snow globes, models and mementos, as well as large cupboards on either side of a television to form a media unit. We fashioned the hand-painted doors to ensure that they close smoothly (no finger-trap hazards here), also meaning the clutter is hidden away and the room transforms from a playroom being put through its paces to an elegant and organised family space in moments.
![Bespoke children's furniture Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/245-Singlewell-Road-64-scaled.jpg")
One of our favourite solutions is creating a dedicated study area which works perfectly from the days of learning phonics and times tables to the years of GCSEs and beyond. We often design a desk nestled between two wardrobes with open shelving above, making it perfect for displaying favourite books, trophies and keepsakes whilst keeping stationery and schoolwork neatly organised underneath.
And because childhood should never be all work and no play, we also create personal little spaces like this beautiful window seat which not only serves as cosy reading nook to curl up with a favourite book, but also boasts a secret storage compartment underneath the seat for tucking away toys, games and all those special treasures.
![Dark blue handmade boot room with bench seating.](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/245-Singlewell-Road-27-scaled.jpg")
If you have school-age children, you’ll be able to relate to the daily avalanche of hockey sticks, rugby boots and clarinets which tumble through the door and this is where a well-designed boot room or bootility becomes absolutely invaluable.
We design boot rooms with individual bench seating (with more of that clever hidden storage underneath for seasonal items), dedicated pegs at the right height for each child and cubby holes for school bags and shoes. When everything has its proper place, those frantic morning searches for missing PE kits become a thing of the past and the school run becomes a breeze.
One client told us their new boot room had transformed their mornings and their children now come in from school and actually put their things away (most of the time, anyway. Disclaimer: we’re not miracle workers!)
What truly sets bespoke furniture apart is our meticulous attention to detail. Our craftsmen shape every piece by hand in our Sevenoaks workshop using traditional joinery techniques. Drawers glide open smoothly (crucial when little hands are opening and closing them dozens of times a day), doors close quietly without that jarring slam and every edge is beautifully finished and perfectly smooth.
Children aren’t always gentle with furniture, which is why we build everything to withstand real family life. This isn’t furniture that will need replacing in a few years because it’s built to last for decades, serving your children now and potentially your grandchildren in years to come. Even better, our cabinetry can be repainted with ease, so when the blush pink and baby blue need to be replaced by something more grown up, there’s no need to replace, just to choose a new colour for a total transformation fit for a trendy teenager.
Every piece we create is made to order, allowing us to customise everything from dimensions to finishes, ensuring it’s exactly right for your space and your family’s needs. Whether you need a desk for a budding artist or writer, open shelving for those meticulously put together Lego creations, or a dressing room to accommodate casual clothes, an array of sports kit and school uniform, we craft furniture that fits perfectly into your home.
One of the joys of choosing Rencraft is creating furniture that flows beautifully through your entire home. Your child’s bedroom wardrobe can be designed to complement the boot room cabinetry, which in turn works harmoniously with your kitchen, so that everything feels intentional and considered rather than cobbled together. We often work on whole-house projects where we design bedrooms, playrooms, dressing rooms and boot rooms too, ensuring that the same quality and attention to detail runs throughout.
Yes, bespoke children’s furniture represents a greater initial investment than flat-pack or high street alternatives, but the true value becomes clear when you consider the bigger picture. This is furniture that will last for decades, adapt as your children grow and even become a cherished family heirloom. More than that, it’s about creating a home environment that truly works for your family because there’s no denying that an organised bedroom makes mornings run smoothly and children can actually keep their spaces tidy, these small improvements to daily life add up to something rather wonderful.
![Bespoke bootility room](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kippington-Road-66-scaled.jpg")
![Children's luxury playroom with bookcases and bench seating, a media wall and cupboards for storage.](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/245-Singlewell-Road-31-scaled.jpg")
![Luxury bespoke handmade children's bedroom furniture Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kippington-Road-26-scaled.jpg")
If you’re thinking about creating beautiful, bespoke spaces for your children, we’d love to help and you can rely on our friendly designers to take the time to understand how your family lives and design furniture that supports and enhances your daily life.
Just pop into our award-winning showrooms in Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks or, if you’d like to make an individual appointment, call us on 01732 762682 or email info@rencraft.co.uk . Alternatively, you can hit the button below to ask a member of our team to contact you personally.
We look forward to welcoming you soon.
Family Living
As parents, we spend hours dreaming about the perfect nursery, agonising over paint colours and deliberating where to put the cot and yet so often, once those early years pass, children’s rooms become an afterthought. Hands up who can relate to a haphazard mix of outgrown furniture and overflowing toy boxes! But here’s the thing: why shouldn’t your children have spaces that are just as thoughtfully designed and beautifully crafted as the rest of your home?
At Rencraft, we believe that luxury children’s furniture isn’t about extravagance but about creating spaces that work hard, cater for study and play, but also look beautiful whilst growing with your family for years to come.
Join us as we riffle through the treasure chest of our favourite rooms which we handcrafted for some of our smallest clients.
When we talk about children’s furniture, we’re not just thinking about a wardrobe and a bed. We’re thinking about the whole picture: the morning rush when everyone’s trying to get ready for school, the homework sessions at the desk, the bedtime stories, and yes, the endless tide of toys that somehow multiply overnight.
That’s why we approach children’s spaces with the same care and attention to detail that we bring to every Rencraft project; because when a room is thoughtfully designed it doesn’t just look good, it makes daily life easier, calmer and more enjoyable for everyone.
One of the very best things about bespoke furniture is its ability to evolve. Take a children’s dressing room, for instance. When they’re little, those lower hanging rails are perfect for tiny coats and dresses, but as your children grow you can adjust the interior to accommodate longer items, add more drawers for their expanding wardrobe, or even create a space for their growing trainer collection (something needs to be done to stop the kids taking over all but one of the shoe nooks in the boot room!).
We recently designed these beautiful dressing rooms for a family’s forever home where we incorporated adjustable shelving and hanging space that can be reconfigured as their children mature from nursery age through to their teenage years. The hand-painted cabinetry and open shelving feel elegant and sophisticated with nothing childish about them, yet it’s perfectly practical for small hands to reach and designed to make it easy for little ones to pick and choose their outfit without pulling everything out of the wardrobes first.
Let’s be honest: children come with a lot of stuff! But that doesn’t mean your home needs to look like the Jelly Cat shop exploded and this is where custom design really comes into its own.
We designed these bespoke playrooms with floor-to-ceiling storage that cleverly conceals everything from building blocks to art supplies and from board games to the entire contents of the Barbie mansion.
In both these projects we included a mix of open and closed storage with shelving to house books, snow globes, models and mementos, as well as large cupboards on either side of a television to form a media unit. We fashioned the hand-painted doors to ensure that they close smoothly (no finger-trap hazards here), also meaning the clutter is hidden away and the room transforms from a playroom being put through its paces to an elegant and organised family space in moments.
One of our favourite solutions is creating a dedicated study area which works perfectly from the days of learning phonics and times tables to the years of GCSEs and beyond. We often design a desk nestled between two wardrobes with open shelving above, making it perfect for displaying favourite books, trophies and keepsakes whilst keeping stationery and schoolwork neatly organised underneath.
And because childhood should never be all work and no play, we also create personal little spaces like this beautiful window seat which not only serves as cosy reading nook to curl up with a favourite book, but also boasts a secret storage compartment underneath the seat for tucking away toys, games and all those special treasures.
If you have school-age children, you’ll be able to relate to the daily avalanche of hockey sticks, rugby boots and clarinets which tumble through the door and this is where a well-designed boot room or bootility becomes absolutely invaluable.
We design boot rooms with individual bench seating (with more of that clever hidden storage underneath for seasonal items), dedicated pegs at the right height for each child and cubby holes for school bags and shoes. When everything has its proper place, those frantic morning searches for missing PE kits become a thing of the past and the school run becomes a breeze.
One client told us their new boot room had transformed their mornings and their children now come in from school and actually put their things away (most of the time, anyway. Disclaimer: we’re not miracle workers!)
What truly sets bespoke furniture apart is our meticulous attention to detail. Our craftsmen shape every piece by hand in our Sevenoaks workshop using traditional joinery techniques. Drawers glide open smoothly (crucial when little hands are opening and closing them dozens of times a day), doors close quietly without that jarring slam and every edge is beautifully finished and perfectly smooth.
Children aren’t always gentle with furniture, which is why we build everything to withstand real family life. This isn’t furniture that will need replacing in a few years because it’s built to last for decades, serving your children now and potentially your grandchildren in years to come. Even better, our cabinetry can be repainted with ease, so when the blush pink and baby blue need to be replaced by something more grown up, there’s no need to replace, just to choose a new colour for a total transformation fit for a trendy teenager.
Every piece we create is made to order, allowing us to customise everything from dimensions to finishes, ensuring it’s exactly right for your space and your family’s needs. Whether you need a desk for a budding artist or writer, open shelving for those meticulously put together Lego creations, or a dressing room to accommodate casual clothes, an array of sports kit and school uniform, we craft furniture that fits perfectly into your home.
One of the joys of choosing Rencraft is creating furniture that flows beautifully through your entire home. Your child’s bedroom wardrobe can be designed to complement the boot room cabinetry, which in turn works harmoniously with your kitchen, so that everything feels intentional and considered rather than cobbled together. We often work on whole-house projects where we design bedrooms, playrooms, dressing rooms and boot rooms too, ensuring that the same quality and attention to detail runs throughout.
Yes, bespoke children’s furniture represents a greater initial investment than flat-pack or high street alternatives, but the true value becomes clear when you consider the bigger picture. This is furniture that will last for decades, adapt as your children grow and even become a cherished family heirloom. More than that, it’s about creating a home environment that truly works for your family because there’s no denying that an organised bedroom makes mornings run smoothly and children can actually keep their spaces tidy, these small improvements to daily life add up to something rather wonderful.
If you’re thinking about creating beautiful, bespoke spaces for your children, we’d love to help and you can rely on our friendly designers to take the time to understand how your family lives and design furniture that supports and enhances your daily life.
Just pop into our award-winning showrooms in Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks or, if you’d like to make an individual appointment, call us on 01732 762682 or email info@rencraft.co.uk . Alternatively, you can hit the button below to ask a member of our team to contact you personally.
We look forward to welcoming you soon.
Our MD, John Stephens is part of the furniture at Rencraft, having started his career here straight out of school, and if there’s something he doesn’t know about handcrafting cabinetry or luxury kitchen design, we would be astounded!
Here we go behind the scenes as we ask him about Rencraft’s heritage, ethos and secret to success as we celebrate another milestone birthday and discover how Rencraft has evolved over the past 45 years, and never missed a delivery date!
![Rencraft kitchen workshop where luxury kitchens are hand made.](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DS6A0891-1-scaled.jpg")
Rencraft was started 45 years ago in 1980 by Nick Pile at Chart Farm, where we still are today. When I joined Nick in 1986 we had a small corner of one of the workshops and then over the years we have grown the business, increasing the workshop capacity along with the showroom and offices, whilst remaining on the farm.
We reside just outside the commuter town of Sevenoaks, surrounded by rolling countryside and open spaces, so plenty of room for clients to park and staff to enjoy!
![Rencraft kitchens handcrafted luxury kitchens Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMGL8901-scaled.jpg")
We have a close-knit team in the workshop and mill who work alongside the office and the designers. We all work closely as one big team, each role contributing toward the same goal – pieces of beautiful furniture that last a lifetime.
The beauty of Rencraft is having the workshop and showroom in Sevenoaks on the same site, so everyone interacts brilliantly. It creates an atmosphere of good understanding at every part of the business and, should there be any questions, it’s easy to access the correct information or explanation.
We also have our flagship showroom in Tunbridge Wells which is only 12 miles away. It’s very different to Sevenoaks, showcasing the beauty and broad range of our skill set and imagination. Regardless of location, the team’s commitment remains the same, and the designers based in Tunbridge Wells often come to Sevenoaks and talk to the workshop team about their projects. All our designers know the workshop team well since they have all worked at Chart Farm at some point during their career with Rencraft.
![Luxury kitchen design in Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMGL0826-1-scaled.jpg")
In the first instance, we would encourage clients to come to the showroom and meet a designer. If they are happy with that designer, they will stay with them right up to the end of their project and beyond. The designer will visit the site, meet with the clients and their builder and the various trades, sharing any drawings, and discussing what needs to be where. This will include electric sockets, ducting for extractors and plumbing for appliances; all the things that need to be ready for when we fit the kitchen.
This approach ensures it is a much smoother journey and we believe it is one of our unique strengths. Keeping the same designer ensures they can project manage from inception to completion so nothing is lost in translation and clients can feel safe and secure dealing with one person. We believe it establishes trust, rapport and understanding.
![Rencraft luxury wooden kitchen design](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Untitled-4.jpg")
Rencraft’s belief from inception was to make a product that would stand the test of time and that remains true to this day. We have always been passionate believers in the materials we use, the techniques we incorporate in our build process, as well as the strong designs we plan and implement.
One of the things Rencraft offers that is quite rare these days is that we really do everything ourselves – we make it all. When we started with our first kitchen it was called The Wooden Kitchen and it was made from solid wood carcasses, and we still do that today.
The timber arrives at the mill, where it is machined and cut to size. We then make all our own drawer boxes, carcasses and doors and we really do make everything from scratch, using quality materials in a quality build process, producing individual pieces of furniture.
![Handmade kitchens in Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DS6A1218-scaled.jpg")
One of the things we have always liked is to be in control of the product from start to finish. A testament to this is a member of our valuable workshop team, Neil, who has been making our drawer boxes for 25 years. The attention to detail, the skill and commitment to each drawer box is exemplary, every single drawer and door is made here on Chart Farm. Whilst we could buy in some components to speed up the operation, we still follow our original ethos of making it all ourselves.
Attention to detail has always been very important to us, and that pays dividends for our clients. We are in full control of our process and quality which means we have never missed a delivery date in our 45 years.
![Knife block and spice rack in kitchen drawer.](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Dale-Cottage-33-scaled.jpg")
Inside our cupboards and drawers, you will see various solutions, our first choice for internals is to use wood because it makes it feel like furniture; less like a kitchen and more like individual pieces of furniture that have been fitted together to make a kitchen.
The aesthetics are very important to us and that is why we don’t tend to use metal racks and pull-outs because over time they will degrade, they won’t last, whereas wood will last a lifetime.
![Farrow & Ball Studio Green handpainted cabinetry with glazed fronts](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Rencraft-March-2024-29-scaled.jpg")
We prime all our kitchens in the workshop, but the final coats of paint are applied on site.
The beauty of a hand-painted kitchen is it can be painted any colour the client desires, you can even wait until your cabinetry is in-situ before making the final colour decision.
We have clients who return after many happy years and would like a change and the beauty of a Rencraft hand-painted kitchen is that, with a fresh coat of paint, the kitchen can feel brand new, thanks to the quality of the timber and the furniture.
![Urban kitchen with exposed brick, Gaggenau appliances and pink handpainted butchers block.](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Rencraft-March-2025-51-scaled.jpg")
When Rencraft first started, a kitchen was just a kitchen – a place to cook for the family. As the kitchen has evolved, I look at is as cabinetry and furniture within a room, it must be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.
The best kitchens are the ones that deliver from a practical and functional point of view, but at the same time pleasing to look at. The kitchen is now a multifunctional, multipurpose family living space.
I always use the analogy that in an antiques shop you will see pieces of furniture made from pieces of wood that were designed to still be attractive and functional hundreds of years later. In a modern way we try and emulate this, and, to me, that is the greatest sustainability you can have.
We have complete confidence in our products and the manufacturing techniques we use, which is why we guarantee our kitchens for as long as that client is living in that home.
There is no time limit so even if the client lives there 20, 30 or 40 years, we will guarantee the furniture for that amount of time.
![House of Rencraft handmade kitchen](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rencraft-November-2024-10-scaled.jpg")
It’s situated at the top of Calverley Road, a grand four-storey Georgian building which is beautiful and a very different vibe to Sevenoaks. It has imposing sash windows which let in heaps of light and it feels like a home rather than a showroom.
We have always been keen to maintain that effect and to create a very special feel from the moment you walk in. With 11 very different show kitchens, each one showcasing the eclectic styles we manufacture, and being truly handcrafted, clients can mix and match different elements to create their dream kitchen.
I’ve already had one client say they would like to move in!
![Armac Martin Handles Rencraft kitchen](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Rencraft-Feb-24-28-scaled.jpg")
I often get asked to pick my favourite project, and I can genuinely say that I don’t have favourites.
I love them all for different reasons – whether it is the client, the property, the style of the furniture being fitted, every job I’m involved in will put a smile on my face.
Longevity, detail, passion.
45 Years of Handcrafting Kitchens
Our MD, John Stephens is part of the furniture at Rencraft, having started his career here straight out of school, and if there’s something he doesn’t know about handcrafting cabinetry or luxury kitchen design, we would be astounded!
Here we go behind the scenes as we ask him about Rencraft’s heritage, ethos and secret to success as we celebrate another milestone birthday and discover how Rencraft has evolved over the past 45 years, and never missed a delivery date!
Rencraft was started 45 years ago in 1980 by Nick Pile at Chart Farm, where we still are today. When I joined Nick in 1986 we had a small corner of one of the workshops and then over the years we have grown the business, increasing the workshop capacity along with the showroom and offices, whilst remaining on the farm.
We reside just outside the commuter town of Sevenoaks, surrounded by rolling countryside and open spaces, so plenty of room for clients to park and staff to enjoy!
We have a close-knit team in the workshop and mill who work alongside the office and the designers. We all work closely as one big team, each role contributing toward the same goal – pieces of beautiful furniture that last a lifetime.
The beauty of Rencraft is having the workshop and showroom in Sevenoaks on the same site, so everyone interacts brilliantly. It creates an atmosphere of good understanding at every part of the business and, should there be any questions, it’s easy to access the correct information or explanation.
We also have our flagship showroom in Tunbridge Wells which is only 12 miles away. It’s very different to Sevenoaks, showcasing the beauty and broad range of our skill set and imagination. Regardless of location, the team’s commitment remains the same, and the designers based in Tunbridge Wells often come to Sevenoaks and talk to the workshop team about their projects. All our designers know the workshop team well since they have all worked at Chart Farm at some point during their career with Rencraft.
In the first instance, we would encourage clients to come to the showroom and meet a designer. If they are happy with that designer, they will stay with them right up to the end of their project and beyond. The designer will visit the site, meet with the clients and their builder and the various trades, sharing any drawings, and discussing what needs to be where. This will include electric sockets, ducting for extractors and plumbing for appliances; all the things that need to be ready for when we fit the kitchen.
This approach ensures it is a much smoother journey and we believe it is one of our unique strengths. Keeping the same designer ensures they can project manage from inception to completion so nothing is lost in translation and clients can feel safe and secure dealing with one person. We believe it establishes trust, rapport and understanding.
Rencraft’s belief from inception was to make a product that would stand the test of time and that remains true to this day. We have always been passionate believers in the materials we use, the techniques we incorporate in our build process, as well as the strong designs we plan and implement.
One of the things Rencraft offers that is quite rare these days is that we really do everything ourselves – we make it all. When we started with our first kitchen it was called The Wooden Kitchen and it was made from solid wood carcasses, and we still do that today.
The timber arrives at the mill, where it is machined and cut to size. We then make all our own drawer boxes, carcasses and doors and we really do make everything from scratch, using quality materials in a quality build process, producing individual pieces of furniture.
One of the things we have always liked is to be in control of the product from start to finish. A testament to this is a member of our valuable workshop team, Neil, who has been making our drawer boxes for 25 years. The attention to detail, the skill and commitment to each drawer box is exemplary, every single drawer and door is made here on Chart Farm. Whilst we could buy in some components to speed up the operation, we still follow our original ethos of making it all ourselves.
Attention to detail has always been very important to us, and that pays dividends for our clients. We are in full control of our process and quality which means we have never missed a delivery date in our 45 years.
Inside our cupboards and drawers, you will see various solutions, our first choice for internals is to use wood because it makes it feel like furniture; less like a kitchen and more like individual pieces of furniture that have been fitted together to make a kitchen.
The aesthetics are very important to us and that is why we don’t tend to use metal racks and pull-outs because over time they will degrade, they won’t last, whereas wood will last a lifetime.
We prime all our kitchens in the workshop, but the final coats of paint are applied on site.
The beauty of a hand-painted kitchen is it can be painted any colour the client desires, you can even wait until your cabinetry is in-situ before making the final colour decision.
We have clients who return after many happy years and would like a change and the beauty of a Rencraft hand-painted kitchen is that, with a fresh coat of paint, the kitchen can feel brand new, thanks to the quality of the timber and the furniture.
When Rencraft first started, a kitchen was just a kitchen – a place to cook for the family. As the kitchen has evolved, I look at is as cabinetry and furniture within a room, it must be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.
The best kitchens are the ones that deliver from a practical and functional point of view, but at the same time pleasing to look at. The kitchen is now a multifunctional, multipurpose family living space.
I always use the analogy that in an antiques shop you will see pieces of furniture made from pieces of wood that were designed to still be attractive and functional hundreds of years later. In a modern way we try and emulate this, and, to me, that is the greatest sustainability you can have.
We have complete confidence in our products and the manufacturing techniques we use, which is why we guarantee our kitchens for as long as that client is living in that home.
There is no time limit so even if the client lives there 20, 30 or 40 years, we will guarantee the furniture for that amount of time.
It’s situated at the top of Calverley Road, a grand four-storey Georgian building which is beautiful and a very different vibe to Sevenoaks. It has imposing sash windows which let in heaps of light and it feels like a home rather than a showroom.
We have always been keen to maintain that effect and to create a very special feel from the moment you walk in. With 11 very different show kitchens, each one showcasing the eclectic styles we manufacture, and being truly handcrafted, clients can mix and match different elements to create their dream kitchen.
I’ve already had one client say they would like to move in!
I often get asked to pick my favourite project, and I can genuinely say that I don’t have favourites.
I love them all for different reasons – whether it is the client, the property, the style of the furniture being fitted, every job I’m involved in will put a smile on my face.
Longevity, detail, passion.
We’re all so used to accepting THE Colour of the Year, but with so many tones on the spectrum, why do we settle for just one pantone when there are so many to choose from? And that’s exactly the thinking Dulux have adopted, as for the first time in 25 years, they have broken tradition by naming not one, but three shades as their Colour of the Year.
We at Rencraft believe that this unprecedented move signals something significant: that blue is no longer just a trend, it’s becoming the new neutral in luxury kitchen design.
Here’s how you can make the most of the blue hues on offer.
![Blue handpainted shaker kitchen Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PAINTEDBLUE44.jpg")
You know how that perfectly tailored navy suit just works? Or how your favourite pair of jeans goes with absolutely everything? That’s exactly what blue brings to your kitchen – it’s effortlessly elegant without trying too hard.
Here’s what we love about it: blue gives you a beautiful foundation that works with everything, so whether you’re drawn to pale stone-washed shades or something darker and moodier, blue creates a sophisticated backdrop that lets you layer in your personality through accent colours and textures.
How can you use those cool undertones to maximum advantage, we hear you ask? Take this project’s pale blue cabinetry and picture how you could use it as a gorgeous blank canvas for whatever you want to throw at it. Rich timber features, chequered tiling, gleaming metallic hardware, stainless steel appliances – blue just complements them all with a remarkable ease that’s hard to find in other colours.
Another thing we love about blue is that it plays well with others. Really well, in fact, and that means you have options. Let’s walk through some of our favourite projects where we’ve used blue to create a winning formula:
![Blue hand-painted kitchen island in a luxury kitchen in Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/220525_Rencraft_0056-Edit_HG_Screen.jpg")
Picture this: you keep your perimeter cabinetry in a crisp white or soft neutral, then boom – we hand-paint your island in a stunning deep blue that just commands attention. It’s this approach which gives you drama without overwhelming the space, creating a natural focal point that draws people in.
We brought this beautiful design to life for our clients who wanted a space focused on entertaining, as well as one which complemented their rural location. We achieved this by blurring the boundary between the inside and outside spaces, with the added bonus of the panoramic view from the windows providing the perfect background for our handmade cabinetry.
![Luxury in-frame Shaker kitchen in Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/EDWARDIANMODERN69.jpg")
Or maybe you’re thinking, why not go all in?
A fully blue kitchen can certainly be absolutely breathtaking when you play with different tones and finishes, so why stick to just one blue? Think matte cabinetry paired with glossy tiles, an antique mirror splashback, or mixing a softer blue on upper cabinets with something deeper below.
The key is layering shades to give depth and interest rather than one flat colour, much like creating a melody with different notes, each one harmonising with the others.
We designed this kitchen for our clients who were extending their Edwardian family home and wanted a contemporary feel for their new kitchen that was still in-keeping with the character of the rest of their property.
![Farmhouse country kitchen Kent with blue Aga](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/211125_Rencraft-LALF_0029-Edit_HG_Screen.jpg")
Not ready to commit to blue cabinetry? We get it.
Why not start with a beautiful blue splashback, some statement tiles or even a blue range cooker. Alternatively, you could have your larder cupboard or butcher’s block hand-painted in a contrasting blue hue so you can bring in colour without the full commitment. After all, sometimes the most elegant designs are the ones that show restraint.
And if this kitchen looks a little familiar that’s because it’s no stranger to the stars, with Gordon Ramsay and Jason Statham just two of the celebs who have filmed within its four walls!
Let’s talk about the practical stuff because choosing blue isn’t just about falling in love with a colour swatch (though that’s definitely part of it), but about how you can make it work in your home and blend into your overall aesthetic.
![Blue hand painted bespoke luxury open plan kitchen with Bora hob, Wolf ovens and kitchen island with seating in Gravesend Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/245-Singlewell-Road-13-scaled.jpg")
Natural light is blue’s best friend. A north-facing kitchen might want to lean towards warmer blues or balance with warm metallics and wood tones, but if you’ve got tons of light flooding in (lucky you!) then you can go as bold and cool as you like.
This stunning new build property sits just outside one of Kent’s historic towns and boasts an elevated position with views across a golf course.
We love how the kitchen flows seamlessly into a number of other carefully zoned areas including a family TV room, a formal dining area for entertaining and a bespoke bar.
![Handmade shaker kitchen with kitchen island with storage and seating](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Dale-Cottage-16-scaled.jpg")
Blue absolutely sings against natural materials, so why not mix your finishes? Think matte doors with polished handles, smooth cabinetry with textured tiles, marble worktops, wooden floors, brass hardware – they are all there to elevate blue to the next level.
And if you’re going for that luxury feel that we’re all about at Rencraft, this is where the magic happens, giving your kitchen that “Wow, who designed this?” vibe.
At this property, as well as a walk-in pantry and bootility room, we also handcrafted a bespoke bar nook for our client’s dining room and hand-painted it in the same shade as the kitchen island, so bridging the gap between the two areas the home.
![Bespoke media unit Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kippington-Road-52-scaled.jpg")
Here’s where things become really exciting – why stop at the kitchen when you’ve found a blue you love?
In this project our client wanted each room to seamlessly seep into the next and loved the idea of colour drenching. This exciting trend flows the same colour palette throughout your home and has become one of the most sophisticated ways to create a cohesive, luxurious feel.
Imagine this: your stunning blue kitchen cabinetry flowing seamlessly into your bootility room, TV snug and billiards room, then appearing again in your home office bookshelves, or as beautiful wardrobes in your bedroom. It’s not about making everything matchy-matchy but rather creating a harmonious thread that ties your spaces together.
![Luxury handmade kitchen cabinetry in Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Braddocks-3-scaled.jpg")
Trends come and go – remember when everything had to be avocado green or that brief moment when grey took over the world? But blue feels different.
Maybe it’s because blue has been around in design forever: from classic Delft tiles to blue skies, from bluebells to coastal cottage vibes, it’s a colour with longevity that never feels dated.
Or maybe it’s because in our increasingly hectic world, blue brings a sense of calm and sophistication that we’re all craving in our homes. Or perhaps it’s because blue is forgiving, and when you throw in the flexibility for changing your mind that our hand-painted kitchens provide, it’s a decision which really seems worth plumping for.
![Blue hand painted bespoke luxury kitchen with oak interiors and walk in pantry in Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/245-Singlewell-Road-18-scaled.jpg")
Are you feeling inspired to bring some blue into your kitchen? Whether you’re ready to go full Rhythm of Blues or just want to dip your toe in with a subtle accent, there’s a shade and approach that’ll work for your space.
As blue’s favourite cheerleader, Violet Beauregarde would say: “I want it now!”
Why not book a consultation with one of our designers at either our Sevenoaks or Tunbridge Wells showrooms. Just call us on 01732 762682 or email info@rencraft.co.uk to make an appointment or you can contact us via the button below.
We look forward to welcoming you soon.