At Kille, I’m lucky to work with some great clients, and often that relationship continues across more than one project. This particular client is someone I’ve worked with several times before, which meant there was already an understanding of how they live, what they’re drawn to and, just as importantly, what they don’t want.
That relationship between client and maker is something I place a lot of importance on. Good design rarely comes from simply being handed a brief and disappearing into the workshop. It comes through conversation, throwing ideas around, questioning details and gradually working out what feels right for the space and the people who will use it.
One of the things that makes working with Kille a little different is that you deal with the same person throughout the entire process. I’m involved from the first conversation and initial sketches through to making, finishing and finally fitting the piece. It means ideas don’t get lost between designer, maker and installer, and decisions can continue to evolve as the project takes shape.
For this kitchen, the starting point was relatively simple: the clients wanted oak, but they didn’t want a traditional oak kitchen. The house has a country and coastal feel, so the challenge was finding a balance – something clean and contemporary that still had enough warmth and character to feel at home in its surroundings.
Through our conversations, I suggested introducing a subtle texture to the surface of the oak. Rather than relying on colour or unnecessary detail, the texture gives the timber another dimension and brings out more of its natural character. We paired this with copper finger pulls, adding a warmer material that will continue to develop its own patina with use.
The finished kitchen is really the result of that collaborative process. There wasn’t one defining idea that arrived fully formed at the beginning. It developed through knowing the client, understanding the space and making decisions together along the way – which, for me, is often where the best work comes from.
