Q&A With Louisa Eggleston From Humphrey Munson

“Founded in 1995 by Peter Humphrey, we use traditional joinery techniques to manufacture handmade cabinetry at our workshop in Felsted, Essex. Working with residential clients across the UK and overseas, the H|M brand reflects the perfect balance of heritage and innovation in creating spaces that bring a fresh, clean look to classic English cabinetry design.

“As a design-led kitchen company, our showrooms in Felsted, Essex and St. Albans, Hertfordshire are destination experiences because we really want a visit to one of our showrooms to be like stepping into a real home with fully functioning kitchens, utility/laundry rooms and boot room spaces and of course the always-coveted walk in pantry.

“It’s a contemporary take on classic English design – the projects look fresh, clean but still very classic and undeniably English. The company has blazed a trail with a detail-oriented approach to the design, manufacturing and installation of the projects.”

“Whenever I’m asked this question, I’m always keen to reference the following quote from Peter Humphrey, our Founder and Design Director. Who better than him to encapsulate our closely guarded aesthetic?

"When it comes to the H|M style, I believe in the values of Georgian architecture – simplicity, proportion and balance – but I also love the crisp, fresh finish of clean, contemporary lines. It’s the combination of these qualities that give the spaces we design that calm, cool and understated look and feel.

"We design and manufacture all our kitchens and cabinetry at our workshop in Felsted, Essex. We pride ourselves on using traditional joinery techniques combined with an innovative approach to the manufacturing process and a commitment to only the best quality materials. So everything we make is the best, we won’t accept anything less.

“Colour on handmade timber kitchens should be embraced as these are the ultimate recyclable kitchens that can easily be updated in 10 years’ time. So we always say be brave with colour as you can always change it later down the line.

“We don’t follow trends at Humphrey Munson we just choose what we love and we advise our clients to do the same – there are no set rules to choosing colours for kitchens. Darker colours create instant mood and work well even in small spaces when they are balanced with other brighter elements such as the worktops and splashbacks. People say grey is out, but used in the right way you can create a beautiful room design using the right shade.

“Once the layout is agreed and you’ve specified the finishes in terms of colours, hardware, worktops etc., that’s then the perfect time to start thinking about styling the kitchen. Of course you may have vision boards in place for reference throughout the design process, but definitely wait until the layout and design details are confirmed before specifying the accessories and styling of the room.

“When it comes to choosing accessories, it’s lovely to mix in existing pieces with new ones and create a layered feel to the room. Think about the scale and group decorative objects together in a way that feels natural and cohesive.”

1. Always start with the question "how does this kitchen need to work?"

“Be completely honest with yourself about how you live. If it’s an open plan kitchen/dining area but you know you hate clearing away after meals, you can perhaps add a second dishwasher or keep the main sink/scullery area out of the way. Kitchens these days are really living rooms and they have multiple purposes throughout the day and late into the evening, so bear this in mind when you’re considering how you will use the space.”

2. When it comes to storage more is always more!

“We spend a lot of time during the design detail stage thinking about where everything is going to be stored so that the kitchen works perfectly and every single last item has a home.”