Handmade In-Frame Shaker Kitchen for @ourruralnest
Brigg

We had originally supplied and installed a modern Häcker kitchen in this house as part of a bespoke development of 14 homes in Brigg, completed around 2020. The original kitchen was a good one, but just two years later, the homeowner came back and asked to have it taken out. 

They had decided they wanted something more classic, more handmade and more individual than the original specification. The direction was clear: an in-frame kitchen, very neutral, with New England influences and a strong emphasis on the kind of considered classic detailing that a standard fitted kitchen cannot replicate. It is not the most common brief we receive at Samuel Neal Kitchens, and it sits at the more traditional end of the work Sam typically takes on, but the clients were specific, they trusted us to deliver it, and the result speaks for itself.

The layout was reworked substantially as part of the redesign. In the original kitchen, the hob sat where the bespoke appliance garage now is, the range cooker was in a different position, and the island was connected to the main sink run as a peninsular arrangement. The new design detached the island entirely, rotating it 90 degrees to sit independently in the room, which gives the kitchen a more open, sociable layout and makes the island the practical and social centre of the space. The sink was kept under the window (one of the few elements that carried over from the original plan), while the Rangemaster range cooker and bespoke canopy were repositioned to the back wall to create a proper standout feature on the main cooking elevation. 

The detailing throughout was specified carefully and deliberately. T&G panelling adds texture and depth to the kitchen without making it feel heavy. The island has skirting-style plinth rather than the standard kickboard you would find in a fitted kitchen, which gives it a more furniture-like quality at floor level. Chopping board and tray storage are built in as bespoke practical features and every element of the design has a reason for being there, which is what gives the kitchen its settled, cohesive feel.

The cabinetry is handmade in the UK, painted in a soft neutral finish chosen to suit the overall tone of the house. The in-frame construction gives each door a solid, well-made quality that is immediately apparent in person and that will hold up particularly well over time. Brass hinges and handles, and whitewashed oak accents carry through the New England aesthetic consistently without being laboured. The worktops are Calacatta Gold quartz, a surface that works naturally with the painted cabinetry and the warm, neutral palette of the room. 

The Belfast sink is a natural choice for a kitchen of this character and the Rangemaster range cooker works well as the focal point of the cooking wall, set within the bespoke canopy. Integrated appliances are Neff throughout, including a fridge freezer and dishwasher. The bespoke appliance garage on the back wall (occupying the position where the hob sat in the original kitchen) keeps smaller appliances out of sight and the worktops clear, which matters in a kitchen where the visual calm of the surfaces is part of what makes the space feel right.

The bespoke canopy is the most prominent feature of the back wall. Its proportions and detailing were developed in close collaboration with the clients, who had a clear vision for how this element should look. It is quite traditional and bold in its form, which suits the overall direction of the kitchen and gives the cooking area proper visual weight within the room. 

The island is equally carefully considered. Beyond the seating and the changed orientation (from a connected peninsular to a freestanding piece, rotated 90 degrees), the skirting-style plinth gives it a quality that reads differently from a standard fitted island, more like a piece of furniture than a kitchen unit. The whitewashed oak elements introduce natural material into what is otherwise a painted kitchen, adding warmth and variation without disrupting the neutral palette. It is a restrained approach to detailing, but the cumulative effect is a kitchen that feels considerably more individual than most.

The client documents her home on Instagram under the handle @OurRuralNest, where she has built a following of over 210K people. She photographed the kitchen herself, shared it on her platform and gave us permission to use the imagery. The kitchen has been seen and shared widely as a result, which is a great reflection of how well it works as a finished space!

Sam remained closely involved throughout, from the initial redesign conversations through to installation. The project required a full removal of the original kitchen before the new one could be fitted, which was coordinated cleanly as part of the wider job. The handmade cabinetry, bespoke canopy and detailed island all required careful installation to fit properly in the space, and Sam oversaw the key stages to make sure the finished kitchen reflected what had been agreed.

This is, by Sam’s own admission, about as traditional as Samuel Neal Kitchens gets. We don’t usually specialise in heavily ornate or fussy traditional kitchens (and this project is certainly not that, but it is a very good example of what a handmade classic kitchen can look like!). The finished kitchen suits the house, suits the household and will continue to do so for a long time.