Handmade kitchen ideas: 11 designs to inspire your project

There's nothing quite like a bespoke, handmade kitchen to ensure the individuality of your kitchen space. Be inspired by our pick of 11 gorgeous design ideas

handmade kitchen
(Image credit: Colin Poole)

Investing in a bespoke, handmade kitchen design is the perfect way to make the most of your space, enhance its functionality and add value to your home.

After all, every modern-day kitchen is now the social hub of the home, and gone are the days where this space was solely reserved for food preparation. By opting for a bespoke kitchen, you can make your space multifunctional and in doing so, it will become the perfect space in which to cook, eat and entertain too. To this end, choosing a new kitchen that works in harmony with family life as well as your home’s unique features has never been more important, so we're going to share 11 of our favourite handmade kitchen ideas below. 

For more kitchen ideas and advice be sure to pay our gallery a visit when you're done.

  • Take a look at our kitchen design advice page if you're remodelling your space from scratch.

Handmade kitchen benefits

‘The benefits of a handmade kitchen are not only in the wow factor and individuality, but also in the lifespan, as they can last for decades,’ says Papilio managing director, Matt Prall. So we're here to inspire you with our round up of beautiful and unique designs.

A bespoke in-frame kitchen will have solid wood carcasses and doors, with traditional shelf lippings and dovetailed drawers – quality that should ensure it is far more durable than any off-the-shelf cabinetry. ‘In not being restricted by standard sizes, you can specify the exact dimensions required and build around odd features, such as awkward pillars or low ceilings,’ says Richard Moore, design director at Martin Moore.

1. A contemporary classic handmade kitchen

Tom Howley oak kitchen

From £35,000, Tom Howley

 This beautiful kitchen design, hand-painted in a serene shade of Willow, features natural oak veneer cabinets and Yukon Silestone worktops, complemented by white walls and marble flooring.

2. A handmade kitchen in striking ebony and ivory

Rencraft hand-painted kitchen

From £18,000 for a complete kitchen, Rencraft

Zimbabwe Black granite worktops and black cabinet handles offset this bespoke kitchen hand-painted in Farrow & Ball’s Lime White. Featuring a classic pattern door, turned end columns, two-tier plate rack and chimney surround, the design is completed with a mosaic splashback.

3. A Shaker-style handmade kitchen

British Standard shaker style kitchen

From £8,000 for a similar design, British Standard

Farrow & Ball’s Off Black has been used here on this Shaker-style kitchen for dramatic impact, accented with brushed copper fixtures and complemented by a dark range cooker and checkerboard terracotta tiling.

4. A handmade kitchen with a polished finish

Cue and Co Bovingdon kitchen

From £35,000, Cue & Co of London

This Bovingdon kitchen made from solid oak, oak veneer and tulipwood, has been hand-painted in Dark Lead by Little Greene. Polished concrete worktops and a Venetian plaster splashback complete the look.

5. A handmade kitchen with a traditional design

Old Creamery handpainted kitchen

From £5,000, Creamery Kitchens

Made from pine and tulipwood, this classic Victorian kitchen has been hand-painted in Merriott, with timber worktops, brushed steel fixtures and on-trend grey walls providing a contemporary touch.

6. A never-dates handmade kitchen

JL of Hungerford artisan kitchen

With hardwood frames and European oak drawers, this Artisan in-frame kitchen has been hand-painted in Old Bell House, with the island in Pantry White. Terra Bianca natural granite worktops and splashback add additional wow factor.

7. A rustic cottage handmade kitchen

Churchwood inframe kitchen

From £20,000, Churchwood

Created from natural pippy oak, with its close burr cluster patterns, this in-frame design perfectly complements this country kitchen, complete with cream Aga and dark grey granite worktops.

8. A modern farmhouse handmade kitchen

Devol classic English kitchen

From £25,000, Devol

In keeping with the high timber beams, the Classic English design in this converted dairy is made from tulipwood and maple with solid oak drawers. Hand-painted in Flint and a custom-mixed shade, it’s finished with honed black granite worktops and Bella brass door furniture.

9. A handmade kitchen with colourful accents

Smallbone bespoke kitchen

From £45,000, Smallbone of Devizes

A solid bronze carcass base island with handleless drawers and Patagonia marble work surface give this bespoke Brasserie kitchen, hand-painted in RAL colour 0102025, a truly contemporary feel.

10. A handmade kitchen with a light-filled look

Martin Moore bespoke kitchen

From £35,000, Martin Moore

Wardrobe cupboards make the most of the high ceilings and windows in this kitchen. The bespoke design is hand-painted in Fired Earth‘s Bone White and Après Ski inside the cabinetry, completed with Moon White granite worktops in a leathered finish.

11. A handmade kitchen with island appeal

Edmonson interiors maple kitchen

From £40,000, Edmondson Interiors

This bespoke maple kitchen, hand-painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hardwick White, features large dovetailed oak drawers on fully extending soft-close runners. An island painted in Hague Blue, topped with French oak, provides a pop of colour, with copper pendant lights and large tumble-edged limestone flags providing complementary accents.

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