Materials

Timber

Much of the timber we use is locally grown. We source good quality logs of Elm, Oak, Ash and Beech from local farms and estates. Some of these are converted on the premises but we also use the services of a local sawmill.

Locally grown timber is normally far richer in character than commercially produced hardwood. The grain patters are generally wilder with streaks of different colour and patches of burr. After sawing, the timber is carefully stacked and left to season in our drying sheds. This can take several years so we need to be patient. We also need to continually keep replenishing our stocks. It’s a lot of hard work; sourcing our own timber this way. It would be much easier to simply order in a lorry load of pre processed imported boards but the rich grain and unique shapes and patterns of local timber are well worth the effort.

Sometimes we are offered a real specimen tree, an old wind blown Elm for instance, covered in twisted burrs and lumps, perhaps four feet in diameter. Some of these trees can be a couple of hundred years old. Often the heart will have rotted away and the lower section will be full of treacherous ironwork that ruins our saw blades. The wood will be twisted and brittle, full of tension that causes it to split and bend as it dries. More than half the timber from such a tree becomes firewood but what we can salvage is wonderful stuff – full of rich colours and fabulous patterns – far more "exotic" than any imported wood.

Of course not everyone wants swirling grain patterns and strong colours. Sometimes we need to make furniture that is simple, calm and understated. We can use plain grained commercial timber for this and select the boards accordingly.

Timber selection is an important part of the process here at Lethenty Mill. The panels for a pair of large cabinet doors for instance, will be assembled with care and attention in order to create a balanced and harmonious result. We’ve often found ourselves sorting through a several stacks of heavy rough boards in order to find just one pair of panels that "belong" together. It’s one of the most satisfying parts of our work.

Timbers we regularly use;

• Oak
• Elm
• Ash
• Beech
• Cherry
• Walnut
• Birch
• Maple
• Quarter sawn Douglas Fir

Cabinets

The cabinets are the main structure of any kitchen so naturally, our cabinets are rigidly constructed and are made to be extremely durable.

These are normally made from either Scandinavian Birch plywood or from solid timber (never from chipboard!). The cabinets are screwed together, not dowelled, and are fitted with rigid 12mm backs, screwed into rebates. This helps ensure they remain perfectly square. Of course, we can make our cabinets to any depth, width or height but the majority of our clients seem to prefer a cabinet height of 760mm with an internal depth of 530mm.

Commercially produced kitchen cabinets are normally 710 – 720mm high. Ours are higher because we usually install them with a 100mm plinth. The usual 150mm plinth seems to us a waste of cupboard space.

Birch Plywood

We consider these to be the very best kitchen cabinets available. We use the highest grade of plywood – 19mm Scandinavian Birch multi ply. The 13 layers of alternating grain are incredibly strong and stable. The Finish and Swedish Birch timber has a beautiful light coloured swirling grain pattern. This makes sure that the inside of a Lethenty Cabinetmakers kitchen is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

To finish the front edges of these cabinets, we usually fit a 19 X 19mm solid wood edging piece. This can be made from matching Scandinavian Birch or it can be made using the same timber as the doors. These are fitted with a full length tongue and groove joint and are glued and clamped in place.

Solid Timber

Cabinets can also be built using solid timber, normally a good grade of native hardwood such as Oak, Ash, Birch or Elm.

Because of the inevitable seasonal movement inherent in natural timber, solid wood construction suits a more freestanding style of kitchen.

Drawers

Drawer boxes are always made from solid timber (usually Beech or Birch) with a Birch plywood base. They are fitted together with dovetailed joints, this is exceptionally strong but also looks attractive too. The drawers are fitted with concealed metal runners which extend fully and run very smoothly on ball bearing runners. They are rated to carry up to 50kg per drawer and are fitted with "Blumotion" soft close mechanisms. We can make drawers to any width, depth or height.

Doors

Whether oiled, lacquered or brush painted our doors are made from solid hardwood throughout, held together with glued mortice and tenon joints. These can be made in a variety of ways, with plain, flat panels, with raised, fielded panels, with mitred mouldings, etc.

Our doors can be fitted overlay – i.e. in front of the cabinets and hung on modern adjustable metal hinges. Or we can fit them inset – i.e. set inside the frame of the cabinet usually on traditional brass or satin chrome butt hinges. This takes a little longer as each door must be accurately trimmed to match each opening – there’s no adjustment available on traditional hinges.

Ecological / Environmental

When looking at replacing an older kitchen the most ecologically sound decision you can make is to do nothing. For minimal environmental impact, "Make do and mend" with what you’ve got.

If this is not an option for you or if you are building a new home and you are concerned about the environmental consequences of your choices then we would suggest that the second most environmentally sound decision you can make is to buy something that is truly durable. We do not make kitchens with "built in obsolescence" We would rather build something that will last well for several decades.

• Local timber, processed on site
• Use waste sawdust and shavings to dry timber
• Local manufacture – use less transport
• Water based lacquers
• Plans for the burn – hydro power
• Waste is recycled
• Local jobs – training in skills
• Used appliances for free
• Durable product – lasts for decades

Worktops

There are a wide variety of materials available for use as kitchen worktops. All of them have their strengths and weaknesses and in practice we find that using a combination of different worktops works best. This helps to define the different areas of the kitchen as each type of worktop is ideal for a specific purpose.

Timber
The unique grain patterns, warmth and integrity of solid wood make it an ideal choice. There are a huge variety of timbers available from the classic richness of dark Walnut to the delicate lightness of Maple.

Our recommended choice of timber is often Iroko – a dense and stable African hardwood, similar to Teak. It is available in wide, clear lengths and comes from sustainably managed sources. It is very stable and is naturally oily so it is resistant to staining.

Lightly coloured timber worktops can look beautiful but they are more prone to movement and staining. We do use Beech however to make solid end grain tops for Butcher’s chopping blocks.

Commercially produced timber worktops are available in a variety of timbers. These are usually made with hundreds of narrow staves jointed together. However, we prefer to make our own. These are made from long wide planks which are stronger and show the grain patterns to their full advantage.

The choice of timber worktops partly does depend on the individual client. Keeping wooden worktops in perfect condition over many years does require some care and regular oiling. The tops should be protected from very hot items. An iron trivet near the cooker is ideal or we can recess a small slab of slate into the worktop next to the source of heat. Also splashes of water should be mopped up around the sink.

Having said that, not everyone needs to keep their kitchen worktops in perfect condition; after twenty years of cooking, eating, oiling, writing, rolling pastry, homework, sewing, DIY etc. the surfaces become covered with a rich pattern of tiny marks and dents. Some of our clients are perfectly at home with this and regard these marks as "character" rather than defects.

Granite
Granite worksurfaces have many qualities that make them the ideal choice in a kitchen. They are heat proof, water proof, scratch proof, hygienic and can be very beautiful. They are relatively expensive though, and some people don’t like the hard shiny finish.

There is a bewildering variety of granite worksurfaces available. We keep a selection of large size samples in our showroom. Many of these are now available with a honed, riven or shotblasted surface finish.

When supplying granite tops we will normally fully fit the kitchen cabinets then make precise templates for the granite sections. These are taken away and used to cut and polish the granite tops. This can take a couple of weeks so, if required, we will often fit a temporary top while waiting for the granite.

Slate
Part of our showroom at Lethenty Mill features an Oak kitchen with dark green honed slate worktops from Cumbria. After seeing the slate here, several of our customers have had the same material fitted. Honed slate has a more matt finish than polished granite which makes it a little easier to live with. It’s slightly softer than granite though, and it’s not available in long lengths but it’s a beautiful material, sometimes flecked with inclusions of white quartz and it can be supplied in any thickness.

Marble
Marble is a classically beautiful material. We have used it occasionally; creamy white Carrera marble streaked with misty gray colour. However, marble is not very stain resistant. It’s also soluble in acid (citrus juice, vinegar etc). This means it’s not ideal for a working kitchen surface. It can be used on furniture though, and bathroom surfaces but you do need to be careful with it – a red ring from a wine glass will stain marble deeply.

Corian
Corian is one of the most well known of the man made composite worktops. It’s a very versatile material, available in more than 50 varieties and it can be moulded and joined seamlessly. Because the top resin layer is 12mm thick, it can be machined and sanded like wood. Sinks and upstands can be smoothly moulded in which makes it easy to keep clean. It costs a little less than granite but more than most timber worktops.

Glass
Either transparent or coloured glass up to 30mm thick. This creates a light and modern looking worktop.

Stainless Steel
We can prepare custom made stainless steel worktops with seamlessly integrated hobs, sinks and drainers. Generally used in commercial or minimalist kitchens.

Finishes

Our furniture can be supplied in a variety of surface finishes – oiled, lacquered, painted, etc. There are pros and cons to each finish.

Oiled
Applying furniture oil to natural timber, particularly Oak, creates a lovely finish. It leaves a flatter, more natural looking surface than varnish or lacquer. It’s not as hard or stain resistant as a more modern finish and it may need to be re-oiled occasionally so it’s not ideal in a kitchen but what might not work for one customer may be the perfect finish for another.

An oil finish is generally a more environmentally friendly finish than lacquer – It’s based on natural products, there’s no waste created when applying it and it releases far less pollutants into the atmosphere.

Lacquered
Many of our kitchens are given a satin sheen, lacquered finish. This is a fairly bullet proof finish – It’s a modern, twin pack, spray applied coating that’s about as scratch proof, water proof and heat proof as you can get. Of course if you put a very hot casserole dish, straight out of the oven, onto a lacquered surface, it will mark but it’s more resilient than paint or oil. We rarely use gloss lacquer – we find that a low sheen finish is best to highlight the beauty of the grain. We have recently been experimenting with water based lacquer. This is a more environmentally friendly finish but it’s not quite as tough as the solvent based so we tend to use it more for bedroom furniture.

Spray painted
Our spray painted finish is an opaque, colour tinted version of the lacquer described above. It creates a hard, smooth, satin finish that’s easy to keep clean. It is available in any colour.

Brush painted
Most of our painted kitchens are supplied with a hand applied, brush finish. This is a little softer than the spray paint but it creates a more natural, less factory like effect. We can use any make of paint but we do prefer using the traditional oil based eggshell paints made by Farrow & Ball. They produce a beautiful range of colours and the paint is excellent for hand painting. The brush marks are quite subtle yet distinctive. We will often paint on top of Ash timber. The grain patterns of Ash can be faintly felt through the brush marked surface. Steve Gordon, our painter, puts a lot of time and effort into creating beautifully finished hand painted kitchens.