Crafting the perfect kitchen built for eternity…
The kitchen for many is the heart of the home and the place we host family and friends who share a love for food. Crafting and creating a kitchen can be a daunting prospect and is a process that involves true craftsmanship. Eternal Kitchens have combined their love for raw and natural materials with a passion for creating spaces that are to become a convivial room full of comfort and cookery. We spoke to Stefan Elswood of Eternal Kitchens about what goes into making kitchens that are more than just a practical space.
Skilled craftsman…
“I trained as a cabinet maker when I left school and after a few years working for other joinery firms I had a great desire to start my own business and so Eternal was born in 1993. We now have a team of craftspeople rather than business people and we care deeply about what we design and make. These days it’s very unusual to find a workshop that takes the raw timber in at one end and then produces a finished kitchen or piece of furniture. It is essential for me and the team that we are in control of every single step of the process, which means that we can ensure our finished kitchens are made and installed perfectly. As with all handmade crafts, my love for my craft is embedded in our kitchens and furniture, which is what makes them all so personal and unique.”
The beauty of wood…
“Wood is commonplace worldwide and yet every piece of wood is unique. My passion for wood first started at school, when I discovered the versatility of this amazing natural product. Its ability to be used as a construction material is boundless and the design possibilities are endless thanks to the varied choice of tree species. Also, it shouldn’t be forgotten that it is a renewable natural product with a timeless beauty and appeal.
With my understanding, knowledge and experience of using different forms of timber, I enjoy traditional joinery techniques to extract the best out of the wood. I love the sheer versatility of timbers we use in the workshop at Eternal Kitchens, which always varies depending on the project we are working on.”
Choosing your material…
Oak – the classic English hardwood is now rarely sourced from the UK but instead from sustainable forests in France. This truly beautiful timber has a lot of variety and character, which makes it an ideal material for furniture. It is strong, durable and attractive, which is why I like to use it for the drawers in our kitchens and for work surfaces when required.
Maple – a pale hardwood mainly sourced from the USA. Another strong and durable timber, but also very stable, which is why it’s the preferred timber for our painted kitchens.
Pine – a softwood that we use for the ‘behind the scenes’ construction work in a kitchen, for example, if a client wants a false chimney surround feature. The smell from this timber lifts my spirit too.
American Black Walnut – a dark, rich beautiful hardwood from the USA, which is lovely to work with and provides a high-class look for any piece of furniture.
Iroko – a great hardwood to use for kitchen work surfaces as it contains an oily residue in the timber that makes it naturally water resistant. It is also used for joinery applications externally, such as window casements and outdoor furniture.
What does Eternal Kitchen predict the 2018 kitchen trends to be…
- Smart storage – creating homes for kitchen appliances to reduce worktop clutter, but still allowing for easy day-to-day access.
- Quartz worktops – durable, practical and offering an impressive colour selection; white and marble hues are popular choices.
- Dark kitchens – bold colour choices to add drama; moody blues, industrial greys and more recently, earthy greens. Black kitchens are also a trend predicted for 2018.
- Open shelves – style it like your local coffee shop to show-off your collection of cookbooks, spice jars, crockery etc.
- Statement ovens – the kitchen is the heart of the home and a range cooker seems to be the heart of the kitchen – they remain top of the list in the majority of our clients’ kitchen wish lists.