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Holloways of Ludlow open new kitchen showroom in London's Brook Green

Holloways of Ludlow has announced the opening of its new kitchen showroom, located adjacent to its well-established interior fixtures and fittings shops in Brook Green, West London.

Founded in 2005, the company believes the success of its bespoke kitchen business is due to the passion and flair of its design team, combined with the skills and enthusiasm of its cabinet-makers - and its new kitchen showroom aims to show off their clever blend of craftsmanship and creativity.

The bespoke kitchen displays have been made by using an ambitious range of materials and manufacturing techniques perfected at the West London workshop. "There is none of the chipboard or mdf usually associated with kitchens in the UK," says the manufacturer. "These displays are hardwearing and fully functional, featuring working appliances from Gaggenau, Wolf and ABK, which will be utilised for cooking demonstrations in the near future.

Throughout the showroom, the company has created displays, which blur the lines between furniture design and kitchen design. The first display to greet customers provides a timeless example of traditional English cabinet-making used in kitchens for hundreds of years, but made contemporary with 21st century appliances, LED lighting, smooth running mechanisms, crisp lines and exaggerated proportions. The glazed wall cabinets extend almost 2m in height. The framed kitchen cabinets are hand-painted in a combination of Farrow & Ball Cornforth White and Hardwick White, which blend in beautifully with authentic Carrera marble worktops and white crackle glazed tiles. The impact of this display is enhanced by a large bespoke canopy hood from Westin.

Against the opposite wall, is an example of how modern kitchen appliances can be integrated into furniture of a style not typically associated with kitchens. With the trend towards more open plan living, many households prefer their kitchens to look less like kitchens - and the designers at Holloways of Ludlow enjoy the creative opportunities that this trend presents. The doors and panels in this display have been constructed using dark stained, solid walnut, finished with a high gloss polyester lacquer and mounted on mirrored glass. In addition to the Gaggenau single oven, steam oven and warming drawer, the display conceals a wide pull out larder, a large integrated Gaggenau Fridge and a 'breakfast cupboard' with solid walnut worktop, steel splash back, and a built-in Gaggenau microwave.

Mixing old with new is a technique mastered by Holloways of Ludlow, and the technician's expertise in working with reclaimed materials is clearly demonstrated in the island display. Antique Belgian oak floorboards create rustic door fronts which flank a modern 'finger bar' opening system and mask an array of practical accessories including drawers, pull out waste bins and wine storage. The thick fossilised Belgian Bluestone worktop provides a practical and hardwearing preparation surface while juxtaposing the slim Gaggenau induction hob, which uses the latest in induction technology.

It is unusual to see Corian and natural stone combined in one display. However, the designers have used the synthetic consistency of Corian to contrast and accentuate the striking natural features of 'Copper Dune', a granite with the kind of long strongly defined, sweeping veins usually associated with marble. The effect is enhanced by the use of the granite as door panels for the wall cabinets. These panels are meticulously arranged so that the features in the 'Copper Dune' flow continuously through the granite display, which is neatly interlocked with the clean, straight, and continuous lines in the Corian cabinets.

A combination of manmade and natural materials has also been used for the design of the showroom's workstation. The company has blended an industrial looking pewter desk, with sections of burr black American walnut veneer. The effect is of a block of wood partly submerged into molten metal. This combination of a highly figured and textured veneer contrasted with the straight, smooth, characteristics of metal, extends above the desk to create an elegant frame for the 55 inch TV unit used to showcase animpressive catalogue of bespoke kitchens.

As a final demonstration of how a kitchen can be designed to look less like a kitchen, the company has created a beautiful set of classic style concertina doors, which fold neatly away to reveal a very contemporary 'hidden kitchen' tucked into a small alcove. The cabinets are manufactured from a mix of spray-paint and coloured glass, and the ABK 4mm thick steel its bespoke kitchens, the company is a dealer for 'Schuller', a German kitchen company with a large range of very good quality, well designed, modular kitchens in a contemporary style. These kitchens are on display in the neighbouring Holloways of Ludlow shop at 121 Shepherds Bush Road.

Robert Burnett, Head of Design at Holloways of Ludlow comments: "I am delighted that prospective customers will now be able to see what makes Holloways of Ludlow different to other kitchen companies in the bespoke marketplace. Hopefully our designers' passion and creativity, and the skills of our cabinet makers, will shine through from these displays, and perhaps inspire customers to try something out of the ordinary."

T: 0207 602 5757
www.hollowaysofludlow.com

8th November 2013