Kitchens for the long haul

When we’re designing our cabinetry, our overarching goal is to make something beautiful that will last for generations, not just a few years. Many of our clients tell us they’re building, moving to or living in their forever home and are keen to find bespoke furniture that won’t need replacing a few years down the line.

Frequently we are replacing cabinets purchased on the High Street or from Ikea which have lasted well for a few years but ultimately begin to fail with continued use. This tends to happen because beneath the surface of most kitchens is some form of particleboard.

Particleboard, such as chipboard and MDF, is cheaper than conventional wood and plywood and is used when appearance and strength is less important than cost. The boards are made more attractive by wrapping them in a plastic film or foil which can be plain, glossy or with a wood-like finish. Particleboard is highly prone to expansion and discolouration due to moisture in contrast to our furniture-grade birch plywood which can withstand frequent exposure to moisture without suffering detriment.

Unlike the ‘Weetabix’ structure of particleboard, birch plywood is free of voids throughout the sheet. So, for us cabinet-makers we find that screws will bite and hold with 100% of their threads, joints get 100% glue coverage and from an aesthetic perspective, the exposed edges of the plywood have a fantastic appearance. Using our complex joint techniques, and glueing and screwing every part of our cabinetry guarantees you furniture to last for a very long time (and lets us sleep better at night).