The client, a barrister with an eye for the details, wanted a timeless kitchen with quality touchpoints and precise manufacturing. One that would belong in a period flat rather than contrast with it.

The cabinetry is in our Frame style, where the plywood edge is concealed for a classic face that takes its character from what surrounds it. Finished in deep green with custom handles and marble worktops, and set against a marble splashback with a slim brass rail, it reads as a period-style kitchen with a modern feel.

Beneath the surface, every cabinet and drawer is hand-made from laser-cut plywood with oak veneer. For this client, it was the engineering that confirmed the decision. Around it, Kate Guinness layered the wider scheme of parquet flooring, statement lighting, art and antique furniture.

Designer’s view

“The brief was a clean, modern kitchen that still felt timeless. One that would sit happily in a period flat without pretending to be older than it is. Uncommon are known for a particular look, but their adaptable Frame style let us design a beautifully made kitchen with no exposed edge, where the handles, the colour and the marble do the talking. It doesn't announce itself as modern or period. It just works.

“What won my client over was opening the drawers. He loves knowing how things are made. So many kitchens disappoint the moment you open them; this one does the opposite.

“Uncommon understood us immediately and were generous collaborators. I know this will still feel right in twenty years.”

Kate Guinness, founder, Kate Guinness Studio

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If you would like to know more about Kate’s approach to interior design, read our Journal interview.