Harvey Jones kitchen designer Claire Watson is featured in the July 2026 issue of KBB Magazine as part of the publication’s renowned Drawing Board series. The feature shines a spotlight on real kitchen projects by inviting designers to walk through their thinking, and, more importantly, the process behind a finished space.
For Claire, based at our Harrogate showroom, the project is a characterful kitchen-diner for a family home with strong architectural bones. It’s a design that balances heritage with personality balances heritage with personality and, in doing so, shows exactly what considered, modern bespoke kitchen design looks like in practice.
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What is KBB Magazine’s Drawing Board Feature?
KBB Magazine is one of the UK’s leading publications for the kitchen and interiors industry. In particular, its Drawing Board feature regularly highlights different designer interpretations of the same real project brief.
Being selected for Drawing Board is a mark of design quality and, crucially, considered thinking. It recognises the depth of process that goes into a truly bespoke handmade kitchen from first brief to final brush stroke.
A Home With Presence
The brief Claire received was clear: create a deeply personal kitchen that respects the home’s architectural character. The property has real presence. Exposed ceiling beams and a stone fireplace are features that deserve to be incorporated into a modern design.
“The brief was to create a deeply personal and characterful kitchen while respecting the home’s architectural heritage,” Claire explains. “Instead of competing with these features, I designed the kitchen to enhance them – allowing the new elements to fit seamlessly within the existing structure of the house.”
This is the kind of thinking that defines high end kitchen design. The architecture leads, the cabinetry is designed to complement.
Opening Up the Space
One of Claire’s earliest structural recommendations was to remove the dividing wall between the kitchen and dining room, therefore creating a single generous kitchen-diner in its place.
“I suggested removing the dividing wall to create one generous kitchen-dining room,” she says. “This change allows light to flow freely across the space, while making it easier for the family to move between cooking, dining and relaxed seating areas.”
The result is a layout that supports the rhythm of everyday family life while also creating a natural setting for longer, more social evenings. As a result, cooking, gathering and relaxing all happen within the same connected space, without any one zone feeling compromised.
Crucially, removing the wall also unlocked two things the client had requested: a walk-in pantry and a dedicated utility area. Both are now achieved without the kitchen feeling storage-heavy or cluttered.
A Colour Palette Built on Confidence
The clients – Sarah and her family – approach their kitchen renovation with a clear sense of personality. Because they love colour, collect art in particular, have an eye for antique and freestanding furniture. So, translating that into a kitchen palette required an eye for interiors and confidence to go bold.
The clients’ blue AGA is retained and deliberately positioned as a focal point. Claire anchored the design around it, first designing the sink and fridge wall in Harvey Jones Porridge – a warm, grounding neutral that establishes calm and structure. Claire designed the kitchen island in Ember, a rich terracotta that adds warmth and dept, yet not overpowering the room. Finally, she finished the utility space in Thistle, a deep forest green.
“I balanced the AGA with a warm neutral colour along the sink and fridge wall to establish structure and calm, then introduced a terracotta island to add warmth and depth,” Claire explains. “The colour palette reflects the clients’ appreciation for green and orange tones without overwhelming the room.”
The warm neutral perimeter cabinetry serves a longer-term purpose. By keeping it neutral, Sarah has the freedom to bring in personality through collected objects, artwork and textiles.
Mixing Collections: Shaker Meets Linear
For the cabinetry itself, Claire drew from two Harvey Jones collections to achieve the right balance between heritage and modernity. The perimeter cabinetry uses the classic Harvey Jones Shaker kitchen design.
It’s a timeless choice for a home with period detail, where in-frame joinery and considered proportions feel entirely at home. The Linear cabinetry style drawers introduce a quieter, more contemporary edge.
“The clients were drawn to traditional Shaker cabinetry but desired something unique that reflected their love of colour, modern art and collected furniture,” Claire says.
“I combined Harvey Jones’ classic Shaker cabinetry with elements from the Linear collection to strike this balance. The Shaker detailing emphasises craftsmanship and heritage, while the Linear drawers add a subtle contemporary edge.”
This kind of cross-collection approach is one of the advantages of working with a Harvey Jones bespoke kitchen designer because every kitchen is fully personalised. As a result, clients rarely regret choosing a kitchen that feels personal rather than off-the-shelf.
Designed Around How They Live
Sarah values her antique and freestanding furniture, including a large dining table and a dresser. Rather than designing around a fixed aesthetic, Claire instead designed the space around the pieces Sarah already loves.
“I designed the cabinetry to complement and accommodate these pieces rather than compete with them,” she says. “By keeping the perimeter cabinetry in a neutral tone, the client can introduce personality through colour, texture and materials through the seasons.”
The storage is equally considered. A double pantry larder with integrated spice racks provides generous pantry storage within the kitchen while maintaining a sense of separation from the entertaining zone.
The structural changes freed up the inner hallway, which now operates as a dedicated utility room area. As a result, the space houses Shaker cabinetry, washer-dryer storage, a pull-out bin and a bespoke niche designed specifically for the family’s whippet, Pip.
A bespoke fitted kitchen should solve real problems for the people who live in it – including pets! By designing separate dedicated storage and work spaces, Claire clearly defines zones, therefore the main kitchen feels calmer.
The Design at a Glance
Cabinetry:
- Island: Ember
- Perimeter: Porridge
- Utility: Thistle
Collections: Harvey Jones Shaker (perimeter and utility) with Linear drawer elements
Investment:
- Cabinetry: £50,798
- Painting and installation: £6,000
- Appliances, sinks and taps: £8,572
- Worktops: £5,964
- Total: £71,334
Your Design Story Starts Here
Claire’s project is a reminder of what thoughtful, unhurried design can achieve. Not only does the kitchen respect the home’s history, but it also creates a space that genuinely works for the family inside it. As a result, the design will look just as considered in ten years as it does today.
If you are planning a modern bespoke kitchen and want to work with a Harvey Jones kitchen designer, we would love to hear about your project.
FAQs about Harvey Jones Kitchen Designers
What does a Harvey Jones kitchen designer do?
A Harvey Jones kitchen designer guides clients through the full journey, from the first consultation and spatial planning to cabinetry selection, colour, storage and installation. As a result, every design feels bespoke and built around how the client lives, cooks and gathers. Plus, designer also manage the relationship between the kitchen and the wider architectural character of the home.
Can I mix Harvey Jones kitchen collections in one design?
Yes. Because every Harvey Jones kitchen is fully bespoke, designers can combine elements from different collections to achieve the right balance for a particular space. In this project, Claire used Shaker cabinetry for the perimeter with Linear drawers to introduce a contemporary edge alongside more traditional detailing.
How much does a luxury bespoke kitchen cost?
Investment varies depending on size, specification and appliance choices. Claire’s design for this project – including cabinetry, painting and installation, appliances, sinks, taps and worktops – came to £71,334 in total. A Harvey Jones designer will work with your brief and budget to create a design that is right for your home.
What is the difference between a bespoke kitchen and an off-the-shelf kitchen?
We design and build a bespoke handmade kitchen specifically for your home and the way you live. We tailor every dimension, storage solution and finish to suit you. By contrast, manufacturers assemble standard off-the-shelf kitchens from pre-made units, which limits the level of personalisation available. Harvey Jones kitchens are always fully bespoke and handcrafted in our Cambridgeshire workshop.
Discover real, bespoke kitchen & home inspiration.
