Bespoke Kitchens: How Pricing Works

Bespoke kitchens are beautifully, uniquely you. They’re designed to fit your home, and your lifestyle, like a glove. But having a tailored space usually comes with a price tag... 

The London Kitchen Company’s prices start at £30k, and in this article we’re going to break down exactly why bespoke kitchens cost more than standard designs, and what you can expect for your investment. If you’re planning on making the jump, we have some top tips on where cost savings can be made, without ever compromising on quality... 

What makes costs go up?

“There’s a misconception about where the costs are when designing and installing kitchens - usually people assume the materials are the greatest expense. In fact, they are a small part of the cost, it’s what you do with the materials that matters.”.

Sebastian, director of The London Kitchen Company, explained how the majority of bespoke kitchen costs are the processes. 

He described how the complexity of design and installation is the real culprit for cost rises. Essentially, the more specific a client is regarding what they want, the higher the price. 

For example, for the larder below we designed and made the spice racks by measuring and counting the customers’ spice collection. The drawers and shelving is also designed around their specific requirements. All in solid oak, and lit by door-activated LED spotlights.

In fact, craftsmanship is the key word, and a prime reason why bespoke kitchens are more expensive. The more artistry involved, the more you can expect to pay, and that choice is down to the customer. 

The investment into something truly bespoke can be stunning, and many of our customers would agree it is worthwhile to achieve a kitchen which is one of a kind. 

For example, book matching wood and stone veneer can be a spectacle in a kitchen - but it’s no easy feat. Wood and stone veneer is applied to kitchen worktops, cabinets and other panels, and with skill, intentional patterns can be created. For example, a wooden veneer may consist of a single sliced tree, which will have a specific grain. Carefully putting two slices of the same tree together, beautiful and consistent designs can emerge. The same can be achieved with stone, for example with the swirling patterns within marble. 

Sebastian commented: “it’s certainly an investment, but if you have the budget for it, the result can be striking and completely unique.” 

What makes costs go down?

The best way to keep bespoke kitchen costs down is - keep it simple. 

Removing layers of labour by stripping your kitchen design down to the basics is the real money saver. This point is highlighted by the fact that the cost of your kitchen is not necessarily determined by the size of it.

Sebastian said, “people think that having a smaller kitchen is cheaper… but it’s about the number of cabinets. You could have a two-meter square kitchen filled with cabinets, making use of every inch of space. There could be thirty cabinets in a small room! But you could have a big kitchen which is more sparsely furnished…which may even use fewer cabinets, so ends up costing less.”

The London Kitchen company prides ourselves on creating high-quality kitchens, so we only ever use the highest quality materials and components - we never try to save money by compromising on quality. However there are choices that can help to keep the project within budget, whilst keeping the aesthetics beautiful. 

“There are certain materials where the cost can vary hugely. Some of the most expensive quartz worktops can be three times the price of the cheaper ones - it’s the same material, but a different look. The cheaper one may have a plain, white-ish finish, while the other may have an intricate marble finish. If you are very specific about what you want, it can push the budget up. It’s the first place we look for savings if the budget is getting stretched” said Sebastian. 

Another area that can make a big difference to the cost in your kitchen is with appliances. 

“Appliance costs can make an enormous difference. Budget allocation for  appliance brands such as Bosch or Neff may be only a few thousand, but can easily move into the tens of thousands depending on the brands.”

Sebastian explained how appliances are mostly standard sizes, which means they can always be upgraded later on with no hassle. “But you can’t change the furniture without doing the whole kitchen, so I would always recommend prioritising the budget there..”

He also went on to say, “having said that, a really good tap is important and is worth the investment. There’s a huge difference between a cheap and expensive tap. Every time you use it, and it’s running solidly and smoothly, you’ll thank yourself…”

Ultimately, each customer’s needs are different, and we work around a client’s budget, while bearing in mind the look they’re going for. It’s a balancing act we’ve been perfecting for 15 years. We come up with a list of suggestions to achieve their vision, without ever compromising on quality. 

What are customers getting for their investment with The London Kitchen Company?

The real prize our customers receive when working with The London Kitchen Company is a completely unique kitchen, customised to their needs. But our clients not only receive a beautiful end product - the difference working with us is that the design and installation process involves far fewer headaches… 

With decades of experience, The London Kitchen Company team has picked up a lot of knowledge about the materials, processes and regulations along the way. 

“We take responsibility for the whole installation process. From regulations, project management, communicating with trusted electricians and plumbers… we make sure everything is in it’s right place” said Sebastian. 

Having the installation process in safe hands has been a common accolade from our customers. 

Sebastian explained, “it’s really important that whoever is designing your kitchen understands the regulations well, and takes responsibility. There’s a lot involved, for example there are ventilation requirements in building regulations for extractor fans… you need to be experienced to understand it. We make sure our kitchens are ticking the right boxes, and are safe for our customers”.

Sebastian also described how liaising with tradespeople makes a big difference to the final aesthetics, ensuring pipework and electrical cables are integrated into the kitchen design, not existing outside of it. 

“We have our own installers, who are cabinet makers rather than general handymen. First and foremost they are craftspeople, which keeps the installation high quality and without problems. Secondly they know in depth how the cabinetry is constructed, so anything that needs to be adapted - they just get on and do it!  This makes for a much smoother experience, and installations stick to their timelines.”

The London Kitchen Company is based in East London, and we place importance on working with local and reliable suppliers. We are very selective about who we work with, and are very demanding of quality, and service. All our suppliers are in the UK, and we have built very good relationships with them, which means we can do the same for our customers. It’s a chain that helps everybody.

“We don’t have the issues of materials not arriving… we usually have everything on site on the day we need… and if something is broken, we can usually  get it the next day, which keeps everything well scheduled” said Sebastian. 

Another huge bonus of working with The London Kitchen Company is that the director is involved in every project. 

Sebastian said, “I’m a cabinet maker myself, and I understand all the elements involved: design, manufacturing, installing. I know what standards can be achieved, so make sure everything is done to the highest quality. Everything is based around reality… because you understand the entire process. Often, designers can come up with wonderful ideas which are unfortunately not physically doable... They might promise the customer something which isn’t possible. Understanding everything myself, there’s a consistency which runs throughout”.

Finally, the relationship with our customers extends beyond the completion date. Each customer receives aftercare once their kitchens are completed. “We keep in touch with our customers and return to make sure everything is perfect in their kitchens. Usually the changes are small, some settling-in may mean a door gap isn’t quite right… but it’s also a visit to look for ourselves and ensure we have transparent relationships with our customers” said Sebastian. 

Is the first consultation free?

“Yes, the philosophy around that is, we don’t want to charge until the customer has enough information to make a decision to work with us. We don’t charge until they’ve seen a first design and cost…I’d like them to know something concrete before committing” Sebastian explained.

After an initial call in which we get a rough idea of the customers’ vision and give them an idea of how we work,  we book a longer meeting. This is a more in-depth discussion to understand what they are looking for, and is more focused on who the customer is as a person and their lifestyle, which helps inform our design decisions. 

From there, we have enough information to create a draft design and a quote. Then, the prospective customer decides if they want to work with us, and we take a confirmation deposit to confirm. Following that, we work on refining the design until the customer is 100% happy with it. At this point, a second payment is taken before materials are ordered. We never issue the final invoice until everything is completed and the customer is happy.

Bespoke kitchens are an investment, but working with The London Kitchen Company, we balance your budget with your vision to turn your dream space into reality. To book your free 30-minute consultation, click here.