REFERENCE SURFACE: WHITE MARBLE, GREY VEIN
PART 06.1 — SCOPE OF THIS SHEET
A kitchen is cut from three materials and finished in three parts. Kitchen Atelier builds made-to-measure kitchens in its own workshop in wood, stone and metal. This sheet covers the cabinet fronts, benchtops and hardware you choose from, what to weigh up with each one, and where each choice shows up in your estimate.
PART 06.2 — SAMPLE BOARD
REFERENCE: FINISH BOARDS ON A DISPLAY RACK
THE SAMPLE BOARD
06.A
FRONTS
Fronts are the surface you see from every corner of the room, so choose them in the light they will live in. Hold a sample against your floor and wall colour, and think about fingerprints, cleaning and wear on the doors nearest the sink and bin.
ON THE ESTIMATE — front material is one of the five factors that set your estimate, and it repeats across every door and drawer in the run.
06.B
BENCHTOPS
The benchtop is the working line of the kitchen. It takes heat beside the cooktop, water around the sink and knives everywhere in between. Look at the edge as closely as the face, and ask where joins will fall on a long run or around an island.
ON THE ESTIMATE — the benchtop is a direct estimate factor, and its effect grows with the length of your kitchen and the shape of the layout.
06.C
HARDWARE
Hardware is where metal meets the hand. Handles, knobs and pulls set the rhythm of the fronts, so try each one at full grip and check it suits tall doors and deep drawers alike. Match the finish to your tap and appliances.
ON THE ESTIMATE — bring your hardware shortlist to the designer visit so it goes into the quote with your fronts and benchtop.
PART 06.3 — PAIRING
PAIRING WOOD, STONE AND METAL
W
WOOD. Timber brings warmth and grain to fronts, open shelving and panels. Decide early whether you want the grain to run visibly across a line of doors or sit quietly in the background.
S
STONE. Stone carries the benchtop and sometimes the splashback. Its veining, or lack of it, decides how busy the room feels, so settle the fronts first and choose the stone to answer them.
M
METAL. Metal shows up in the hardware, the tap and the appliance trim. Keep to one or two finishes so they read as a set.
Wood, Stone and Metal: Pairing Kitchen Materials →
See the pairing across styles: Modern, Classic, Scandinavian, Loft, Neoclassical.
PART 06.4 — ON THE SAW
WHERE THE CHOICE SHOWS UP.
An estimate is set by five things. Two of them are material choices made on this sample board, so a clear shortlist gives the designer a sharper starting point for your quote.
01 LAYOUT
02 LENGTH
03 FRONT MATERIAL ■
04 BENCHTOP ■
05 APPLIANCES
PART 06.5 — BEFORE YOU ENQUIRE
SHORTLIST FIRST, THEN BOOK THE VISIT.
Samples look different in a showroom than beside your own window. Bring your shortlist, or photos of the finishes you picked, to the free measurement visit. The designer can talk it through with you in the room itself, next to the walls and the light your kitchen will actually live with.
01 Two or three front finishes you keep coming back to.
02 One benchtop direction, plus a second choice.
03 A hardware finish that sits well with your tap and appliances.
04 Photos of your current kitchen in daylight and at night.