Example photo by Decima Athens on Unsplash, not our project
Islington · London
Clerkenwell Bespoke Kitchens
Bespoke and fitted kitchens with cabinets made to the room, for homes in Clerkenwell. After a design visit and a written quote, it’s built in our workshop and fitted in your home.
- Cabinets for a narrow kitchen
- Open shelves with cupboards below
- An island where space allows
Need bespoke kitchens in Clerkenwell?
About our bespoke kitchens in Clerkenwell
We often use moisture-resistant MDF in kitchens, because it stays stable and takes paint beautifully. For drawer boxes and shelves, birch plywood is a good choice. Cabinets are spray painted in the workshop or hand painted, in colours agreed with you. People typically come to us about a painted dresser for the kitchen and cabinets for a narrow kitchen; the furniture is made from moisture-resistant MDF and strong birch plywood, with a painted finish.
In a flat, the kitchen often opens onto the living room, so it has to look like furniture as much as a kitchen, and doors, panels and paint colour are chosen with that in mind. Most households around Clerkenwell live in purpose-built flats. End panels and a matching tall unit can tie the kitchen to the living space.
After the design visit, we send you a quote in writing. It sets out the design we have talked through, the materials and the finish.
- Location
- Clerkenwell (N1, EC1V, WC1X)
- Area
- Islington
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- Design visit, then a written quote
- Where it’s made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Made from
- MDF and plywood, painted to order
- When we fit
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by prior arrangement
- Contact
- The contact form
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Made for the room, or bought in a box?
Many off-the-shelf kitchens use chipboard carcasses with a printed or wrapped finish. We use moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, painted in colours you choose, finished to suit the room. In a flat, every bit of floor counts, and standalone furniture uses more of it than it needs. Built-in pieces use the full height and the awkward corners.
No two rooms cost the same to furnish, because the size, the layout and the finish all vary. A spray finish and a hand-painted finish involve different work, and that shows in the price. You will see the figure in your written quote, after the design visit.
What you get with us
- Every quote follows a design visit
- Saturday work by arrangement
- Finished by spray or by hand
- Made for your room, not a standard size
See our comparison of bespoke and off-the-shelf and what to look for in a quote.
Made-to-measure kitchens in Clerkenwell
Homes built before 1919 make up about 32% of the housing in the area around Clerkenwell, with about 28% built since 2000, based on the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax data. We take that into account at the measuring visit, since older and newer walls take different fixings. There are 369 entries on the National Heritage List within half a mile of the centre of Clerkenwell. Older homes nearby may have original joinery, shutters or panelling worth keeping, and the furniture can be designed around them rather than over them. The ULEZ, run by TfL, takes in all of London, so Islington is inside it. Vans bringing furniture to Clerkenwell fall under it, just as they do across the rest of London. We go through parking and access during the design visit.
If you live in a flat close to Farringdon station, check any building rules on lifts and working hours early, and the sections will be sized for the way in. Dr Johnson's House, about 0.8 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area. If your own home is a period one, cabinets will be scribed to walls and floors that are rarely true. If your home is one of the older houses near St James's Church, cabinets will be scribed to walls and floors that are rarely true.
Clerkenwell is about 2 miles north of Highbury, part of the London Borough of Islington. We cover Clerkenwell as part of our work across Islington, and the process is the same everywhere we work. Our Islington coverage includes Clerkenwell.
Every home in N1, EC1V and WC1X is covered for bespoke kitchens. We cover homes on streets like Long Lane, City Road and Noel Road, along with the roads around them, whether you want bespoke kitchens or another piece made for the room. Main roads around Clerkenwell include the A1 and A5201. Neighbouring places we cover for bespoke kitchens include Farringdon (1 mile south), Angel (1 mile north), Smithfield (1 mile south), Holborn (1 mile south-west) and St Pancras (1 mile west). Other parts of Islington we cover include Highbury (2 miles north), Holloway (2 miles north), Mildmay (2 miles north-east), Upper Holloway (3 miles north-west), Nag's Head (2 miles north) and Lower Holloway (2 miles north). As one of the bigger places in Islington, Clerkenwell is covered for all of our fitted furniture.
Near you in Clerkenwell
Our area takes in the homes around The Sekforde pub, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School and Tech City College and the streets around them. Clerkenwell has its own railway station: Farringdon station. A little further out are Montfichet's Tower (0.9 miles south) and Finsbury Health Centre (within half a mile west). Open spaces near Clerkenwell include Barnsbury Wood and Ludgate Hill.
Flats, conversions and lettings
Many London terraces have been converted into flats, which often brings a shared hall and tight turns on the stairs. Each section is sized with that in mind, once we’ve measured the way in.
Mansion blocks and purpose-built blocks often have house rules about lifts, entry systems and when trades can come in. Let us know about them at the design visit, and we will plan the fitting around them.
What we don’t do
Not everything around bespoke kitchens is carpentry, from an electrician to a plumber or a Gas Safe engineer. Here’s what to know:
- Knocking through or rebuilding walls
- New sockets or circuits
- Plastering, tiling or decorating
Not sure whether your space suits bespoke kitchens? You can fill in our short enquiry form and we will tell you. How it works.
What it is made from
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Islands where space allows
- Spray-painted finish
- Larders and dressers
- Hand-painted finish
- Birch plywood
Common questions about bespoke kitchens
Do I need permission for fitted furniture in a conservation area?
Typically not: conservation area rules mainly cover the outside of buildings, and fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. Listed buildings are different, as works inside that affect their character can require listed building consent from the council. If you are unsure, the council can confirm.
Can you make bespoke kitchens for a home in Clerkenwell?
Yes. We cover all of Islington and the rest of London, and Clerkenwell is part of that. The first step is a design visit, where we measure and talk through the design, followed by a quote.
What happens when you come to measure?
We measure the room, check how level the walls and floors are and discuss the design with you. Access and parking are worth talking about too.
Can I choose my own worktop and appliances?
The worktop, sink and appliances are the ones you choose, and the cabinets are made to suit them. The materials and finish are agreed in your quote.
Can you come on a Saturday?
Yes, by prior arrangement. If a Saturday works better for you, say so when you contact us.
What are the kitchen cabinets made of?
Our kitchens are made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, then spray painted or hand painted. The materials and finish are agreed in your quote.
Boards, parts and paint
Birch plywood
Long kitchen shelves can sag under plates and jars, and birch plywood helps.
Hand-painted finish
Touching up or repainting is straightforward with a hand-painted finish.
Also near Clerkenwell
Other services in Clerkenwell
What happens on fitting day
There is not much for you to do on fitting day. Someone needs to let us in, and the room should already be cleared. From there, we protect the floors, bring the furniture in and get on with the fitting. The time the fitting takes depends on how many units there are and how the room is laid out, and your quote sets out the fitting days. With little room to spare in a flat, pieces come in as they’re needed. We protect the floors and keep dust to a minimum. The fixings suit each wall, whether solid or stud.
- First, you let us know about the room.
- The design visit covers measuring and planning the layout.
- You receive a written quote, setting out the cabinets, materials and finish.
- The kitchen is made in our workshop.
- The cabinets are fitted in your home, with plumbing, gas and electrics by your plumber, an engineer on the Gas Safe Register and your electrician.
How to prepare
- Arrange any electrical changes with your electrician in advance
- Clear the area where the furniture is going
- Let us know about parking near your home
Ask for a quote
It’s useful to see the room before we come. A few pictures showing the walls, the corners and where the ceiling meets them give us a good feel for the space. To share them, get in touch through our contact form, and we’ll arrange a design visit.