01
Clarity
On what your space can actually do, not simply what a standard layout allows.
HOW IT WORKS
Before you spend thousands, make sure you’re solving the right problem.
A clear look at how we work - from your first conversation through to the finished kitchen - so you always know what's happening next, and what it costs, before you commit to anything more.
25+
Years designing kitchens
One
Point of contact, start to finish
Limited
Projects taken on at any one time
PHASE ONE
Explore what’s possible
A relaxed first conversation — £695 inc. VAT, credited in full against Design & Specification if you go ahead
We meet - in your home, wherever we can - and talk through the space itself: how you live in it, what isn't working, and what you're hoping for. There's no brochure, no fixed package, and nothing pre-designed for you to choose from.
You'll get a straight answer on what's realistic for the space you have and the budget you're working with, including if that budget doesn't stretch as far as you'd hoped. This isn't a sales conversation; it's the conversation you need to have before you spend anything on a kitchen at all.
The fee is payable on the day and isn't refundable. If you go ahead to Design & Specification, it comes straight off that fee.
Phase two
Design & specification
A fixed fee for the full design — £5,000 inc. VAT
- A full measured survey of your space, and accurate existing plans
- Mood boards and material direction, agreed before anything is drawn
- Layout options, refined together until we land on the right one
- Showroom visits to choose materials, finishes and storage in person
- Photorealistic renders, so you can see the kitchen before it’s built
- A full specification and drawings ready for manufacture
- Technical drawings for electrics, plumbing and lighting, so nothing is guessed on site
By the end of this stage you’ll have a complete, fixed-price specification for your kitchen — documented clearly enough that you’re never locked in by default.
PHASE THREE
Build & project management
Once you’re ready to go ahead, we manage the whole installation — trades, scheduling, deliveries, parking and access, and everything that comes up on site that nobody warns you about in advance.
You’ll have one point of contact throughout: me. Not a rotating cast of project managers, and not a call centre. If something needs solving on site, it gets solved — and you’ll hear about it from the person who was actually there.
Aftercare doesn’t stop at handover either — if something needs attention once you’re living with the kitchen, we’re still the people to call.
What you leave with
Not a sales pitch, and not a generic quote - a clear, realistic picture of what’s possible for your space, and what it would take to get there.
02
An honest view
Of what is realistic, what isn’t and where your budget is best spent.
03
Real direction
Specific to your home, your priorities and the way you live.
04
A sense of cost
A realistic budget range, discussed before you commit to the next stage.
Is this right for you?
This only works well if it’s the right fit on both sides — for you, and for us.
This is for you if
- You want to be involved in the design, not just hand over a blank cheque and hope for the best
- You'd rather work with someone you trust than collect three quotes and pick the cheapest
- You're ready to invest real time and budget in getting this right
Probably not, if
- You're gathering quotes from several showrooms to compare on price
- You've got your heart set on a specific brand-name kitchen
- You'd rather hand over the space with no further input — a legitimate way to work, just not how we work together
Frequently Asked Questions
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That's a bit like asking how long is a piece of string. As a starting point, though, my kitchens typically cost £50,000 to £150,000, or more depending on scope.
I take a holistic view of every project, and that extends to how I talk about pricing. These figures cover the whole of the work involved in creating your new kitchen, not just the cabinetry, worktops and appliances, which is often what "kitchen cost" means elsewhere. Every kitchen is different, but the costs involved often include removing the existing kitchen, electrical work, plumbing, plastering, decorating and new flooring, as well as any building work needed, from knocking through a wall to building an extension.
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A standard showroom kitchen comes from a pre-designed, modular range: fixed sizes, a limited set of colours and finishes, built for mass production. The cabinetry is off the shelf, and the designer's job is to fit those ready-made cabinets into your space.
There's a middle ground too: kitchens made to order, but still based on a standard design. You might alter the dimensions, though not the shape, or choose from a list of colours, sometimes any colour you like, but not the exact finish. The doors are still the same doors. That's customisation, not bespoke design.
A bespoke kitchen starts at the other end: with your space, your vision and your particular requirements, designed around that before it's made. It's the difference between ordering from a menu and hiring a chef: one hands you the nearest thing to what you wanted, the other asks what you actually want, then goes and gets the ingredients.
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Either. Some clients already have a builder and trades in place; I design and install the kitchen and coordinate with your existing team. Others want me to manage everything, including the building work, bringing in my own electricians, plumbers, plasterers and decorators, so one team carries the whole project, with a single point of contact and responsibility. This full-service option is one of the main reasons clients come to me. We'll agree the right approach at the consultation.
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The design stage varies; I don't put a time limit on it, because getting it right matters more than speed. Once the design is finalised, it typically takes one to three months to get your kitchen made. Installation varies depending on any building work, but is usually between three to six weeks unless there's more major work involved.
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Always. My own installers, who are cabinet makers themselves, fit every kitchen, so the finish matches the design and the work is guaranteed.
Ready to explore what’s possible?
Questions first? Email info@thelondonkitchencompany.co.uk or call 07827 749 890