The rules are changing

The rules have relaxed over the last century. In the old days storage was about protection from extreme temperature and pests. Nowadays pests are less of a threat and temperature can be controlled. Nevertheless, although modern materials have considerable thermal insulation properties, it still seems wrong to place a fridge next to an AGA or other permanently-on heat source. Why design a kitchen that places an appliance under pressure?
The size of a house and number of occupants determines the size of kitchen and that includes storage. Storage comes in two basic types; hidden and displayed. With shelves, dressers and glass fronted cabinets (which we can make to any bespoke size in any material) elegant possessions, glassware, crockery and treasured knick-knacks can be stored and displayed simultaneously.
Hidden storage has moved on from a curtain on a wire to sunken spiral wine cellars. Modern materials and bespoke kitchen cabinetmaking allows a cornucopia of drawers, racks, rails, cubbyholes, bins, hooks, cupboards and shelves. Whereas these used to be largely rectangular customers are increasingly asking for curves so storage has taken on a flowing grace in some kitchens following swooping worktops and islands.
Food storage should be in the traditional ‘cool, dry place’. Nowadays we like to include cool radiators like natural stone shelves in our larders and prefer an outside wall to allow a natural airflow – despite centuries of innovation it’s still pretty difficult to improve on this basic design for a larder. Larder fridges are a modern take but not as green as a custom-built cupboard with a window.

The nature of storage has changed?

Kitchen designers didn’t use to have to store audio visual elements like speakers. Today’s kitchen is a family entertainment room and not just for cooking and eating. Customers want to enjoy their meals with the option of music, television or the internet. And not just a small screen – we have fitted cinema size TVs in some kitchen diners and, like most home cinemas, cabinets have to house the controls, speakers, TV box and a subwoofer.
Dishwashers in drawers, vacuum sealers integrated in sous-vide appliances, electrical sockets that rise up from islands, disappearing downdraft extractors, waste disposal units and many other modern developments have all taken pressure off storage space.
Utility rooms, once the preserve of the wealthy are becoming commonplace. These rooms are the ultimate in removing clutter from the kitchen. Gone are the days when kitchens featured washing machines and dryers let alone suspended Sheila-maids weighed down with wet clothes.

What can we offer to help with your storage?

Anglia Factors starts with the customer; absorbing your ideas, suggesting new ideas and immersing themselves in the your dream. We have full time CAD specialists that can make these ideas into real images for the client to see and rearrange if they want to. Storage is laid out and can be adapted to strange shapes to make the most of space whilst still looking good. Often a compromise, the style and practicality of a kitchen is much better balanced when you have a clear picture to look at.
We design and manufacture at our workshop next to the showroom in Martlesham. Every cabinet and storage item is made by us and so it can be tailored to fit the most peculiar spaces. More and more of our new kitchens involve building work so that the spaces created aren’t that peculiar. The trend towards vaulted ceilings with pendant lighting has made spaces lighter and airier so that the old nooks and crannies, where storage could be creatively extended, don’t exist so much.
We have been doing this for over 40 years and have a considerable experience of advising customers to get the results that they want. As mentioned above we design, build and install our kitchens to control the whole process which gives clients an experienced one-stop shop.

What are the advantages of a bespoke kitchen?

The main advantage is ‘No Compromise’. Essentially bespoke kitchens give the customer control over everything; size, shape, materials, budget, timing and style. The first meeting is normally held on site so that we can visualise what you are describing. At this stage there is still a chance that building work may be necessary to stretch the ‘canvas’. Projecting the kitchen out into garden is a popular trend where kitchens either have large glass windows/doors fitted or actually build out into the garden. In these and other ways kitchens are becoming brighter and more spacious and this does mean that clutter becomes more obvious so a concomitant pressure on storage also arises. With a kitchen custom-built to a customer’s ideas these large rooms can feature creative cabinetmaking to provide excellent high levels of storage without cramping the open feel of the room.
By having a bespoke kitchen customers can make it their own. Although one is drawn to reminisce about films where a trendy bachelor has a Harley Davidson in his drawing room or where seaside properties have a kitchen island converted from a wooden boat these big dreams often remain just that. It’s in the small details that ‘bespoke’ comes up trumps: –
If you are a busy chef you can increase the ingredients storage; spices, pulses, pastas, herbs and go for small appliance storage as well as maybe showcasing specialist cooking equipment like copper pans or fish kettles
If you are a take-away fan then it’s about the convenience of consumption; a comfortable dining area with TV and music to make it just like eat-in. Big American style refrigerators and easy clean surfaces with large bins
Country kitchen fans can have rustic chopping boards, wicker storage bins, maybe hanging storage over the island and, of course, the Aga surrounded by open shelves displaying fresh country ingredients
Modern minimalists can hide everything except the cool, simple lines of their bespoke homage to their minimalist ideals. Storage is literally everything as to be uncluttered is paramount
In fact every customer is unique and will have ideas that combine elements of all of these and many more – that’s why using the services of an experienced designer of bespoke kitchens is a must!