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This Stourton kitchen is a powerful example of what can be achieved when a project is approached as true bespoke furniture rather than a series of standard kitchen units. Every element was made specifically for the space, allowing the design to be resolved with a level of precision, material consistency, and detailing that gives the finished room real presence.
At first glance, the kitchen feels calm, clean-lined, and confidently understated. Spend a little more time with it, though, and the depth of the design becomes much more apparent. The interplay between lacquered plywood, soft matt linoleum, fluted glass, stainless steel, lighting, and full glass splashbacks creates a kitchen that is not only visually striking but layered with texture, warmth, and craftsmanship. It is contemporary, highly functional, and unmistakably bespoke.
Project Overview
For this project in Stourton, we created a completely bespoke plywood kitchen designed around strong architectural lines and beautifully judged materials. The brief called for something distinctive and design-led, but also practical enough to perform brilliantly as an everyday working kitchen. That balance is where this project really succeeds.
The overall scheme is defined by long, uninterrupted runs of cabinetry, a substantial wall of tall furniture, and a composition that feels ordered and deliberate from every angle. Rather than relying on obvious statement pieces, the design builds its impact through proportion, rhythm, detailing, and contrast – the exposed edges of the ply against the smooth Forbo finish, the softness of the fluted glass against the sharper presence of the stainless steel, and the clean geometry of the cabinetry against the warmth introduced by lighting and natural material character.
This is not a kitchen that depends on excess. Its quality comes from how carefully each element has been considered and how confidently the design has been held together.
A Kitchen Defined by Bespoke Design Features
What sets this project apart is the number of bespoke details working together within an apparently restrained design.
The cabinetry itself was made entirely of lacquered plywood, including the drawer boxes. That immediately gives the kitchen a different feel from a more conventional painted or veneered scheme. There is a visible honesty to the construction, with the layered edge of the plywood becoming part of the aesthetic rather than something hidden away. It adds depth, character, and a crafted quality that runs consistently throughout the room.
The doors were faced in Forbo Aquavert linoleum, an eco-friendly soft matt finish that gives the kitchen its calm, tactile appearance. Visually, it tempers the strength of the plywood and introduces a velvety, muted surface that absorbs light beautifully. Functionally, it is fingerprint-resistant and naturally restorative, making it a particularly clever choice in a kitchen where the client wanted both visual refinement and everyday usability.
One of the most distinctive design moves is the handle detail. Rather than applying separate handles or using an off-the-shelf rail, the handles were rebated directly from the ply and finished with a bevel to ease opening. This is a small detail in one sense, but it has a huge impact on the final result. It keeps the cabinetry face uninterrupted, reinforces the bespoke nature of the kitchen, and makes the plywood edge itself part of the visual language. It is the sort of detail that looks effortless when finished, but only works properly when it has been designed and made with precision.
The wall units bring another level of craftsmanship and texture to the room. Finished in lacquered ply and fitted with fluted glass centre panels, they lift the scheme and stop the upper cabinetry from feeling too heavy or flat. The fluted glass softens the visual weight of the units, introduces a subtle play of light, and gives the upper run a furniture-like quality that works beautifully with the rest of the joinery.
The tall furniture is equally impressive. Rather than feeling like a standard bank of appliance housings and storage towers, it reads as a carefully composed architectural wall. The integrated ovens sit neatly within the composition. At the same time, the open illuminated display sections, shelving, and bespoke wine storage break up the mass and give the whole elevation much more interest. The lighting within these sections adds warmth and depth, helping the tall cabinetry feel feature-led and tailored rather than simply functional.
Materials and Why They Matter
Material choice is central to this kitchen. Not just in terms of appearance, but in how the kitchen feels to use and how it will age over time.
Lacquered plywood cabinetry and drawer boxes
The lacquered plywood brings structure, durability, and a strong sense of craftsmanship. Because the ply edge remains visible, the material contributes far more than simple function – it becomes one of the defining visual features of the room. It gives the cabinetry warmth and identity, while the lacquered finish keeps the overall presentation crisp and refined.
Forbo Aquavert-faced plywood doors
The Forbo Aquavert linoleum gives the doors their soft matt finish and is a big part of what makes the kitchen feel so considered. It offers an eco-friendly surface with real practical value. Still, it also contributes aesthetically by calming the scheme and giving it a richness that a flatter, more synthetic finish would not achieve. The fingerprint-resistant and naturally restorative qualities are particularly important in a kitchen of this style, where the clean lines and uninterrupted surfaces need to remain looking good in daily life.
Fluted glass wall unit panels
The fluted glass centre panels add texture, variation, and refinement. They stop the wall units from feeling too solid, while still preserving the clean-lined character of the design. This kind of contrast is essential in a scheme like this. Without it, the room could have felt too monolithic. With it, the cabinetry gains lightness and subtle complexity.
Bespoke stainless steel worktop with fabricated inset sink
The stainless steel worktop is one of the boldest and most impressive features in the room. Completely bespoke and fabricated to include an inset sink, it introduces a harder, more technical material into the palette and gives the kitchen a sharper, more architectural edge. There is a professional quality to it, but in this setting, it also feels highly design-led. It works because it is balanced by the warmth of the plywood and the softness of the Forbo finish.
The fabricated inset sink helps the whole run feel seamless and purpose-built. There is no visual compromise and no sense of individual components being pieced together. It reads as one continuous, considered working surface.
Full glass splashbacks
The full glass splashbacks continue the clean, precise feel of the scheme. They keep the background crisp and easy to maintain while reflecting light back into the space. Importantly, they do this without competing with the other materials. In a kitchen with this many strong features, restraint matters, and the glass splashbacks play that role well.
Craftsmanship in the Joinery
One of the reasons this project feels so premium is that the craftsmanship is visible throughout, not in an ostentatious way, but in the quality of the joinery and the consistency of the detailing.
You see it in the rebated and bevelled handles, where the opening detail has been integrated into the furniture rather than added afterwards.
You see it in the way the fluted glass units sit within the upper run, adding contrast without breaking the visual rhythm of the design.
You see it in the composition of the tall cabinetry, where the appliance housings, open shelving, illuminated niches, and wine storage all feel balanced and intentional.
And you see it in the way the stainless steel worktop and sink have been resolved as part of the overall scheme rather than as a separate utility element.
This is where bespoke design really separates itself from standard kitchen manufacture. It is not just about having something made to size. It is about being able to resolve every junction, every reveal, and every finish in a way that supports the whole design.
Challenges and Solutions
The challenge with a project like this is that the cleaner and more minimal the design appears, the more exacting the execution has to be. Simplicity leaves nowhere to hide.
This kitchen brought together a number of specialist elements – lacquered plywood cabinetry and drawer boxes, Forbo-faced ply doors, rebated bevelled handles, fluted glass wall units, bespoke stainless steel worktops, a fabricated inset sink, full glass splashbacks, integrated Neff appliances, illuminated display sections, and bespoke wine storage. Each of those elements has a strong identity in its own right, so the key was making sure they worked together as one coherent composition.
That meant resolving the project very carefully so that the materials complemented one another rather than competing. The warmth of the plywood needed the calm softness of the linoleum. The solidity of the tall cabinetry needed the relief of fluted glass and lit display sections—the crispness of the stainless steel needed to feel deliberate and architectural, not cold. Because the entire kitchen was made on a completely bespoke basis, all of those details could be handled as part of one joined-up design rather than forced into a standard framework.
The Result
The finished kitchen has real authority. It is bold, but not loud. Sophisticated, but not sterile. Practical, but never ordinary.
From a distance, it reads as a clean and confident contemporary kitchen with beautifully strong lines. Up close, the richness of the project becomes even clearer – the exposed ply edges, the tactile matt door finish, the texture of the fluted glass, the sharp precision of the stainless steel, the glow from the illuminated shelving, and the way every element has been made to sit exactly where it should.
There is also a real sense of permanence to the finished room. The materials feel honest and substantial, the detailing feels resolved, and the overall design has the kind of quiet confidence that will age well because it is rooted in craftsmanship rather than fashion.
This is exactly what a high-end bespoke kitchen should do. It should feel distinctive because it has been designed properly, not because it has been overloaded with features. It should reward daily use as much as first impressions. And it should leave no doubt that it was made specifically for the home it sits in.
Showcasing the value of bespoke design
This Stourton project showcases the value of true bespoke kitchen design at its best. Through the careful use of lacquered plywood, Forbo Aquavert-faced doors, rebated bevelled handle details, fluted glass wall units, a completely bespoke stainless steel worktop with fabricated inset sink, full glass splashbacks, tailored display storage, wine storage, and integrated Neff appliances, we created a kitchen with genuine individuality and presence.
It is a kitchen that feels architectural yet warm, highly practical yet deeply design-led, and refined in a way that only comes from careful material selection and skilled craftsmanship. Every line, finish, and detail contributes to a room that looks effortless, but is in fact the result of a huge amount of thought, making, and precision.
Visit our Plywood Kitchen Design page to find out more about this wonderful design style.
Why Choose Matthew James Kitchens
We were responsible for ensuring that from the initial drawings through the final fit-out, all elements including cabinetry, appliances, finishes and on-site trade work would result in a high quality finish. Each detail; scribes, shadows, gaps and mitered joints were planned carefully so the rooms are built with a craftsman’s attention to detail as opposed to merely being constructed.
If you’d like us to assess your current space to see if it could be completed at an equal level of functionality and finish, we’d love to assist you in doing so – please stop by one of our two showrooms (Birmingham & Bromsgrove) to begin your design process.
A Personal Journey with Matthew James
At Matthew James Kitchens, we've been at the heart of homes for generations, watching kitchen trends evolve while staying true to timeless craftsmanship. As a family-run business deeply rooted in our community, we understand that your kitchen is more than just a room—it's the soul of your home.
- Award-winning designs featured in Beautiful Kitchens magazine
- Over two decades of experience
- Bespoke kitchen designs tailored to individual tastes and lifestyles
- Wide range of styles
- Fully equipped showroom
- Finance options
Have a question?
As a family-run business that values transparency, we understand the importance of timing. Every kitchen is unique, just like the families we serve. Typically, from initial design to the final polished surface, a bespoke kitchen can take anywhere typically from 3 - 4 weeks to 6 weeks if a project is incredibly complex. But rest assured, we'll work closely with you to ensure the process fits seamlessly into your life.
This is where our expertise truly shines. There's no one-size-fits-all answer, as each home and homeowner has different needs. We take pride in sitting down with you, perhaps over a cup of tea in our showroom, to understand how you live, cook, and entertain. Whether it's a classic work triangle or a more modern zoned approach, we'll craft a layout that's as functional as it is beautiful
This is a question we get asked all the time. In our experience, clever storage solutions are the unsung heroes of a well-designed kitchen. From pull-out pantries to bespoke corner units, we have a myriad of tricks up our sleeves to ensure every inch of your kitchen works hard. After all, a clutter-free kitchen is a joy to cook in, whether you're whipping up a quick weekday dinner or hosting a grand Sunday roast for the family.
