We've most recently been working on a project quite local at Lyndhurst Way creating beautiful hand painted cabinetry in Lamp Black Little Green Paint & Calke Green Farrow & Ball - we believe green is the new grey this year.

This project is a Framed Shaker style with drawers in American White Oak, dovetailed construction on full extension, soft close runners.

Hand painting is a fantastic way to create a more uniform finish and easy to touch up, however it is more costly than spray finish which we also do in our spray shop on site.

Our guys in the workshop are continuously working on new projects, sanding, painting and joining. Our workshop is fully equipt with a dovetail jointer, morticer jointer, panel saw and more.

We work with our clients to explore the types of wood which may work for their project. Above are pieces of Teak, Cherry and Iroko currently waiting for dovetailing for our drawer boxes.

​This September we were invited to the opening party for the new Cosentino City showroom in Old Street, London.
 ​

Just like the wonderful Spanish hospitality we were spoilt with delicious Iberico ham and Spanish cheeses from Brindisa, whilst browsing the stunning new space.

​The Cosentino City showroom offers clients a space to see the various work surfaces available in a very relaxed and inviting environment. The sample room allows you to select which work surface is right for you based on colour, thickness and style and highlights the options under LED lights.

If you don’t know already, Dekton is a worktop material produced by Cosentino (the same manufacture as Silestone). The properties of Dekton make it highly durable, heat resistant up to 300 degrees, scratch resistant and visually modern and lustrous.
 
Dekton is available in 8, 12 and 20mm and can be used in the kitchen, bathroom and as panels for flooring and walls.
 
Other worktop materials produced by Cosentino include Sensa Granite, Silestone Quartz and Prexury.

Ian Dunn Woodwork and Design are Elite Cosentino partners and have exclusive access to special finishes. During the design process we always advise clients to view larger slabs of any worktop before making their final decision. In our design studio we have samples of Dekton, Silestone and Sensa; these are to provide an indication of the colour and arrangement only.
 
For more information about starting your kitchen project with us, get in touch today.
Visit Cosentino City, London or Cosentino Warehouse, Hook.

Many of our clients are interested in incorporating a steam oven into their kitchen design but are never quite sure what it does…
 
As a Premium Miele Partner we will show you a few options from their Appliance range and try to explain in a few steps what a steam oven does and what the main benefits are.

​Comparison: Steam Oven vs. Conventional Oven. 
​
You can cook most things you would in a conventional oven in a steam oven; many favourites are vegetables, fish and desserts. The Multisteam technology developed by Miele for their steam ovens work by distributing steam through 8 ports heating up the oven quickly for even cooking. The steam distributed in the oven enables the food to be cooked without loosing moisture.
 
Because steam is able to transfer heat to food much faster than boiling water, you can cook, reheat and defrost food much faster in the steam oven than on the hob or in a conventional oven. 

Which size steam oven?

Built-in Steam ovens are available for a 45cm high niche, which provides a maximum 38 litre capacity. If you pair it with a single oven it would give you two options of cooking for a larger audience.
The Multi steam technology works by filing water in the easy to access water containers inside the appliances. This makes them very easy to operate and keep clean.

Healthy Cooking

Essentially cooking with steam allows to you to cook your food at the right temperature without added fats or oils.
​
As the food is not sitting in water, the goodness does not drain out, and the 13 vitamins as well as minerals and trace elements that are essential to good health are almost fully retained. For example, steamed food contains up to 50% more vitamin C than traditionally cooked food. 

We found a copy of the official Miele Steam Oven Cookbook! Wonderful selection of recipes.. you can even make a colourful Bouillabaisse, Moules Marinieres and Caribbean chicken.. the possibilities are endless!

Have we tickled your tastebuds?! read more about the Miele Steam Ovens on their website. Or better still we would be happy to arrange a appointment for you to see a Miele advisor at the London Experience Centre. 

Call the Ian Dunn Team on 020 8613 1781 or email [email protected]

​*Extracts taken from the Miele Steam Cookbook - Credit Miele Company Ltd
*Image credit, Miele and Miele Video extracted from YouTube

​Last week, the project manager and showroom coordinator took a trip to the Cosentino warehouse in Hook, Hampshire.
 
Equipped with two enormous mechanical cranes and enough quartz and granite to fit hundreds of kitchens it really was an amazing sight.
 
In our showroom we have plenty of samples of the different worktops available but to get a better understanding of the scale and impact of the colour it is well worth a visit. 

Cosentino is a Spanish company that is famous for its Quartz, Silestone; available in more than 90 colours and various finishes it is a worktop that has been popular for 25 years.
 
The newest product that was launched 4 years ago is Dekton, a man made compact worktop that is extremely hardwearing.  Entirely heat, stain and scratch resistant it is sure to last a lifetime.
 
Cosentino offer a 25 year warranty on Silestone and 10 years on Dekton.

Sensa is a Cosentino natural Granite, beautiful finishes and colours. Every slab is unique. 

​The Cosentino Hook warehouse is open to the public on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday 12-3.30pm. Book ahead to ensure someone can show you around and you can see specific worktops. 

1. Maximising storage space

Make sure you consider all the space available. For example if you have tall ceiling heights, utilise the width and vertical height of the area and allow the cabinets to extent to the ceiling.
Adding a cupboard on top of the wardrobe space would be an ideal option to store things you don’t need on a daily basis.

2. Height of the clothing rail

​Are you a person with lots of long dresses or business suits?
When we design internal dimensions we consider how to best use the internal space of the wardrobe. For long hanging, we generally allow 1.7m from the rail to the bottom of the wardrobe to allow for items such as coats and dresses.

3. How many drawers?

​Dovetail drawers are incredibly strong and well constructed and are undoubtedly the best way to store smaller items of clothing. 

4. Handles, handeless or touch latches?

The finishing touch to your wardrobe, which is the most essential, is how you are going to open them. Handles whether brass, brushed chrome or wood can add an extra feature to the front elevation.
If you want a seamless design, a handleless door can be achieved by various designs. For example you could have small cut outs for your hand to slip into or a J profile handle, which essentially is a ridge on the inside of the door frame which runs the whole length of the door.
Just to spice up you options once more, touch latches are another system, which would enable you to have a truly seamless wardrobe, there are no handles in sight!

5. Extras for fashion trend setters 

Adding mirrors to the front of your wardrobe doors can be a great way to add detail to the design whilst also making a smaller bedroom space feel larger.
 
​If you have a shallow space for the wardrobe to fit, consider using alternative hanging rails that extend laterally rather than horizontally.

Have lots of precious shoes?
Internal drawers can be fit with gadgets and mechanisms to make it easier to store awkward items. 

To view more of our work you can see our projects here on our website and
​on our Houzz profile!
We hope this post has been useful to get an idea of what you want in your design.
We are happy to provide a free quote, email us today!
 

​Choosing your ideal tableware for dinning can be a delicate decision.
Keen to ditch the Ikea ‘it will do for now’ type plates and replace them with something more long lasting, demure and stylish is tough…
 
So many options and styles, here are few designs we have chosen to share with you.

Thomas Goode
 
Pure elegance; established and ‘recognised as the home of the world’s finest china’.
The designs at Thomas Goode are pure luxury. The company has been under our radar since reading about their pieces in The World of Interiors.
The Meissen Blue Onion is a classic design; Meissen is one of the most famous porcelain manufactures and has been established since 1710.

Highland Stoneware
 
Entirely handmade in Scotland this rustic tableware is one of our favourites and would fit perfectly with one of our past projects in Fisherman’s Cottage.
 
The design shared with you is Pebble the effect is achieved by applying the coloured glazes onto the surface, which produces a lot of variation. Meaning every plate is unique, which is the brilliance of hand produced ceramics.

Anthropologie

​A wonderful store with a delicious mix of home and fashion, a regular stop
​on Regent Street.
For a floral splash of colour we have chosen the Sissinghurst Castle design. Suited to homes that don’t wish to loose hold of the summer feeling and keep it going all year round, this endearing pattern is eye catching with its painterly impression.

​Denby

​Established since 1809 and as their motto aptly says ‘Beautiful. British. And built to last.'
That’s why as a British company, we are including the wonderfully traditional Denby Imperial Blue range. Very popular and a beautifully simple design to suit any dinning table. 

Image credits to:
Highland Stoneware
Denby
Thomas Goode
Anthropologie

​Many of our clients need to maximize storage space in their London family homes.
​We build bespoke furniture, which enables us to design various ways of incorporating this into kitchens and rooms alike.
We have put together a few suggestions of how storage can be included into a space without loosing out on the desired design and style. 

The hidden draw
Under a hob the cabinet door panel hides the top and bottom draw. The base draw is large enough to fit pans so they are within easy reach and the top draw is slim enough to store spatulas and ladles.
These kitchen drawers are built in solid beech, dovetailed and fitted with a hand sprayed door finished in Farrow and Ball Elephants breath. 

Larder Unit
Every kitchen must is a larder unit, tall and an excellent room feature. This double cabinet is veered in American White Oak. The spice rack is ideal for stowing small items and the deep shelving and drawers provide ample storage space for larger items.
Occasionally clients request electrical sockets at the back of a larder so you can use the shelving space as a breakfast bar to stow away kettles and toasters.
The drawers are built in timber and dovetailed to deal with large internal weights. 

Sliding Doors
This large built-in cabinet has two large sliding doors, allowing you to access all three cabinet areas as storage whilst also displaying cherished items on the deep shelf. The internal cabinet lights emphasize the veneer and wine racking as a structural feature. These sliding doors are flush with the cabinet frame; cut out handle detail with a hand sprayed finish. 

Alcove storage
Making use of optimum space is shown in this archway shelving; the ornate columns, wood panelling and dado moulding compliment the period property and traditional design of the kitchen.
The open shelving is ideal for storing items needed for two different rooms i.e. a kitchen and dinning room. Exceptionally functional and chic!

Glass Cabinets
These wall-mounted cabinets are an example of how to display glassware and crockery in an attractive way. Rather than have the wall units boxed in by solid wood and spray finished. The garden seen through the large window is reflected in the glass doors and mirrors on the side of the cabinet, making the cabinet recede into the wall space thus making the room feel bigger.