The Fox Project was set within a lovely village in the Lincolnshire countryside, the project included painting a stunning bespoke kitchen, matching utility room and a purpose-built TV media display unit — all carefully hand painted to create a consistent finish throughout the home. This was another beautiful hand-painted kitchen completed on behalf of Cooks & Company of Newark-on-Trent.
The Fox Project is a great example of the quality bespoke kitchens produced by Charles Yorke Ltd and supplied and Fitted by Cooks & Company. This also demonstrates the additional care and preparation required when hand painting a newly installed kitchen.
Working with Kitchen Companies
Sharon and myself have worked on a number of bespoke kitchen installations for Cooks and Company, as well as hand painting several kitchen displays within their extensive Newark-on-Trent showroom. We also hand paint new installations direct to and on behalf of Charles Yorke Ltd
It is always a pleasure working with beautifully made cabinetry, and new bespoke installations such as this require a very different approach from the refurbishment of an existing kitchen.
Hand Painting a Newly Installed Kitchen
When hand painting a brand-new kitchen, careful planning is particularly important.
New kitchens are often being installed as part of a larger renovation or new-build project, which can mean several trades working in the property at the same time, all with their own schedules and completion dates.
We always try to be as accommodating as possible, whilst working around other trades but when producing a high-quality hand-painted finish, a clean and dust-controlled environment is essential.
There is little point spending hours carefully preparing and finishing cabinetry if dust from surrounding building work is still circulating through the room.
Where possible, we therefore coordinate the painting stages with the other trades to give the kitchen the best possible environment for finishing.
A Helping Hand from The Kitchen Paintress
A project of this size involves a considerable amount of preparation and, of course, plenty of hand painting.
For larger installations I am often joined by my colleague Sharon — The Kitchen Paintress.
Sharon has many years of experience working with hand-painted kitchens and brings a great deal of practical knowledge and skill to these projects.
Having another experienced pair of hands is invaluable on a large bespoke installation, particularly where there are numerous doors, drawers, frames, utility cabinetry and additional furniture to prepare and finish.
Removing and Organising the Doors and Drawers
As with painting an existing kitchen, the doors and drawers are removed before the finishing process begins.
Each component needs to be kept organised so it can be returned to its correct position once painting is complete.
The doors and drawer fronts are then placed onto our portable drying racks in a suitable dust-free area or, where appropriate, taken back to the workshop for preparation and painting.
Working this way gives us better access to the fixed kitchen frames while also allowing the removable components to be prepared and finished properly.
Masking an In-Frame Kitchen
Many bespoke kitchens are constructed using an in-frame design.
The internal carcasses are often factory stained or lacquered and are intended to remain as natural timber, while the surrounding face frames, doors and drawer fronts are painted.
This means accurate masking is extremely important.
We carefully mask along the internal edges where the painted frames meet the finished carcass, helping to create a clean, sharp line between the two surfaces.
It is a small detail, but exactly the sort of detail that contributes to a professional finish.
On some installations, the worktops will already have been fitted before we arrive.
On many other new installation projects, however, the work surfaces are installed after the painting has been completed.
Either arrangement is perfectly manageable, although painting the cabinetry before the worktops are fitted can make access slightly easier and removes the need to protect newly installed surfaces.
Preparation Before Painting
Although new bespoke cabinetry will often arrive factory primed, I never regard that as meaning it is ready for the finishing coats immediately.
Every surface is checked and given a thorough preparation.
The cabinetry is lightly sanded to remove small imperfections and provide the correct surface for the coatings that follow.
I then apply my own high-adhesion primer, giving me confidence in the foundation beneath the finish.
Once the primer has dried and been prepared, the kitchen receives two finishing coats — and occasionally a third coat where the particular colour or coverage requires it.
The Fox Project was finished in a colour equivalent to Farrow & Ball Cornforth White, a soft and understated neutral that worked beautifully with the surrounding interior.
More Than Just the Kitchen
The project did not stop with the main kitchen.
The matching utility room cabinetry was hand painted in the same finish, creating continuity between the different areas of the home.
We also painted the large built-in TV media display unit, again using the same colour so that the bespoke joinery throughout the property felt connected.
This is one of the advantages of hand-painted cabinetry.
Rather than treating every fitted element as a separate piece of furniture, colour can be used to bring the whole interior together.
A Beautiful Finish That Also Needs to Work Hard
This kitchen was designed to become the heart of a family home with young children and dogs.
That means the finish has to do considerably more than simply look attractive on the day the project is completed.
Kitchen cabinetry is touched and used constantly.
Doors are opened, drawers are handled, surfaces are cleaned and family life inevitably creates the occasional knock or mark.
For that reason, the specialist coatings I use are selected not only for their appearance but also for their durability and suitability for everyday kitchen use.
A beautifully painted kitchen needs to be practical as well as aesthetically pleasing.
Specialist Hand-Painted Kitchens
At Russ Pike Interiors, I have been hand painting luxury bespoke kitchens, fitted cabinetry and existing wooden kitchens for many years.
Every project is slightly different.
A newly installed bespoke kitchen requires a different approach from a 20-year-old oak kitchen being refurbished, but the principles remain the same:
careful preparation, appropriate paint systems, skilled hand application and close attention to detail.
Understanding what is underneath the paint and choosing the correct process for that particular surface is every bit as important as applying the final coat.
The aim is always to create a finish that complements the quality of the cabinetry rather than simply covering it.
Considering a Hand-Painted Kitchen?
Whether you have a newly installed bespoke kitchen that requires professional finishing or an existing kitchen that deserves a complete transformation, I would be very happy to discuss your project.
Russ Pike Interiors provides specialist hand-painted kitchen and cabinetry finishing from Nottingham throughout Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and the wider East Midlands.
If you would like to discuss your kitchen and obtain a quotation, please Get in Touch.