45 Years of Handcrafting Kitchens
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 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.
![Handmade butcher's block in Tunbridge Wells](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Renvcraft-Showroom-24-scaled.jpg")
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.
