Cream kitchens are perennially popular as they suit any style and period of property and provide a neutral background to your choice of appliances, worktops and accessories.
There are so many shades of cream that you can create a huge amount of variance through using different tones on cabinetry, skirting boards, walls, worktops and soft furnishings. Cream can be pared with beige, buff and brown tones for a neutral scheme, enlivened with primary colours or mixed with black for a monochrome design. Alternatively, you may decide to go for a bolder colour on your cabinetry and use cream as the ‘accessory’ for appliances, worktops and walls.
A cream kitchen is timeless and classic giving your space longevity that can be updated easily and affordably by changing accessories to suit your changing style.
What worktops suit cream kitchens?
The choices and types of kitchen worktops is wider than ever before and includes a huge range of natural materials and man-made options.
In most cases, a darker tone will set off lighter cabinetry well. If you prefer a more neutral scheme opt for beige or brown tones, either plain or with a pattern. Wooden worktops look beautiful with cream kitchens and the ranges of man-made wood effect are now extremely realistic and easier to maintain than real wood. These particularly suit more traditional designs and period properties.
Dark grey and black worktops are very popular and pare well with stainless steel and black appliances for a clean, contemporary appearance.
What tiles match a cream kitchen?
Kitchen tiles come in a huge range of colours, textures and sizes to suit traditional and contemporary designs.
Your choice should ideally be dictated by style, price, maintenance and suitability. For neutral schemes, go for complementary colours in cream, buff and terracotta hues and play with texture and pattern to add layering.
Add a pop of colour with greens, blues and soft pinks or opt for a monochrome scheme with the huge range of dark grey and black tiles available.
Ensure that whatever range you opt for is durable easy to clean and stain resistant. If the tiles are for a splash-back behind a hob or sink, ensure they are suitable for heat and water exposure.
What are the best colours to complement a cream kitchen?
The beauty of a cream kitchen is that almost any colour complements it.
If you have opted for black or stainless steel appliances and darker worktops, then you may want to use lighter colours for the walls and use accent colours for accessories and soft furnishings. Alternatively if your style is more contemporary then neutral or monochrome designs, using a palette of white, cream and buff for walls, worktops and accessories is very effective.
A pop of colour can be introduced through brightly coloured appliances, an eye-catching accent wall colour, patterned blinds and cushions or a statement piece of art which draws the eye.
Darker colours suit any style of property, and green and blue tones are very popular at the moment, replacing the shades of grey we have seen over the past few years. Don’t be afraid to use dark colours in north facing rooms, the right tone will make a room look cosier rather than gloomy and can really lift a cream kitchen.
How to accessorise a cream kitchen
Cream kitchens can be very easily accessorised as most colours will complement it.
How you choose to accessorise depends on your style and budget and may be as easy as introducing a pop of colour with fresh tea-towels, pretty plants and bright and cheerful crockery.
For neutral themes, consider layering with different types of fabric, textured furnishings, wallpaper and tonal crockery and appliances.
Bolder designs can introduce pattern and colour through soft furnishings, smaller appliances and wall colours to great effect.
What door handles work with cream cabinets?
Most types of door handle will complement cream cabinets but the style depends on whether you want a more traditional or contemporary design.
There are a huge range of styles, colours and textures available and a mix of materials to suit all tastes. These range from traditional black ironmongery and painted wood handles to more contemporary choices such as stainless steel and burnished brass.
When choosing your handles, consider the durability, how easy they will be to clean, the size (make sure they are the right size for your hands) and the texture.
Consider choosing a different style of handle for drawers and doors to create a contrast and subtle design detail.
Homes & Gardens, the UKs leading interiors magazine has published it’s Guide to the Top Kitchen Designers. As part of this prestigious group, we are pleased to offer kitchens and ancillary rooms that both inspire and excite our customers. Our journey is a collaboration to ensure that every kitchen we design is exactly right for that client, their lifestyle and their home.
Our beautiful Odiham kitchen is featured as part of a case study of this stunning property, in the March issue of The English Home magazine. This Georgian residence has been completely refurbished by the current owners with a luxurious ‘contemporary country’ interior.
The Kitchen which was moved to a larger space at the back of the house is designed with our signature mix of fitted and freestanding furniture. We used a symmetrical design to compliment the original Georgian features within the room. The classic tailored appearance includes every modern luxury for serious cooking and easy entertaining. Odiham Kitchen
Whilst we stay at home and keep safe, now might be the ideal time to plan your new kitchen project ready for when our world returns to normal.
We have set up a virtual consultancy to assist you in planning your dream kitchen from the comfort of your home. Let us guide you through the process via our new Online meeting system operating across several platforms.
To get your project started please email enquiries@lewisalderson.com for further details or call us on 01252 844 883
Keep Safe & Well.
Tom, Neil and the Team at Lewis Alderson & Co.
Home Survey Guide:
In our time of social distancing and keeping safe, we believe it’s a good opportunity to crack on with designing your new kitchen in preparation for a return to normality. If you don’t have Architects plans to send us or your kitchen is a replacement, we have made this guide to assist you in correctly surveying your kitchen space in the safety of your own home. It’s pretty straight forward, but there are a few key points that will assist us in designing your new kitchen.
Make a sketch
Draw the footprint or plan of your room, indicating where the windows and doors are located and which way they open. Make a note of where architectural features are such as skylights.
Measure
Before starting check that the walls are vertical and if they are square. Measure the available wall space (not including architraves) around the perimeter of the room. If your measure isn’t long enough, make a small mark on the wall or make note of a feature on a piece of furniture then add up consecutive dimensions. If you are unsure if the room is square, you can try to measure diagonals.
Measure heights
Measure the height of the room and to the underside of any beams or arches.
Measure features
For windows, measure from the floor to the underside of the cill (window board) and then from that point to the top of the window. Measure across the architrave of doors, from outside edge of the architrave to outside edge. Measure to the top of doorframes, it maybe helpful in staging proportions of any adjacent furniture. Also note down the location of any radiators. If you’re planning to have under floor heating, consider where the manifold and controls will be located and make a note.
Photographs
Take photographs of all the walls of the room, paying particular attention to any features such as beams, pipework or radiators.
Access
It’s a good time to consider access into your home. Are there any steps up to the kitchen, pinch points or narrow doorways, these can impact the finished design.
Services
If you are considering moving the location of the sink (or adding another one), or adding power to an island, we recommend checking with your plumber or electrician. Usually if the flooring is being replaced it’s not an issue but a quick check is worth while.
Send to Lewis Alderson & Co.
Email a photo of the dimensioned sketch , any notes and photographs to us at enquiries@lewisalderson.com and we will arrange a virtual meeting at a convenient time to discuss your requirements face to face.
After between 5 and 7 working days we will present our ideas to you in the same virtual space, together with a full quotation and list of appliances.
We are proud to have been featured in the Sunday Times Home feature on “Larders or Pantry? The best ones to buy for stylish food storage.”
Interiors editor Katrina Burroughs chose our walk in Pantry as her stand out favourite and posted our photo directly to her instagram account @katrina_burroughs
Excerpt from the feature – Most homeowners still commission pantries in workhorse hues — shades of white or grey, green or blues — but there is a growing appreciation for statement colours that make the pantry the focus of the kitchen ….. Tom Edmonds, the design director of Lewis Alderson, paints his pantries in custom colours such as an English mustard hue called Condiment, and adds ceiling lights with hand-stitched silk lampshades from Beauvamp as a finishing touch. He advises clients who want to add value to their properties that a standout pantry can clinch a house sale. “They look fantastic on a house spec. They suggest a certain aspirational lifestyle. If a house has an Aga or a Wolf cooker, great. If it’s got a beautiful pantry, that might be the thing that sticks in your mind, and it makes the difference.”
To celebrate the ease of lock-down and the re-opening of our Showroom (appointment recommended), Lewis Alderson & Co are offering three beautiful Fritz Fryer Upton Ribbed glass pendant lights with all kitchen orders confirmed during June, July and August 2020. (*T&Cs apply).
The classic elegance and quality of Fritz Fryer lighting beautifully complements Lewis Alderson Furniture and is why we have been specifying them for our clients for nearly 10 years. What better way to finish a fully bespoke hand-made British kitchen than with three stunning and complimentary hand-made British lights to display above the Island?
(*Terms & Conditions: This Promotion is open to new Lewis Alderson & Co clients with designs from June 2020 who order a Kitchen with a furniture and worktop order over £25k ex VAT. The Promotion is for three XL Upton Ribbed glass pendant lights or equivalent cost towards alternative Fritz Fryer products. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions.)
In our time of social distancing and keeping safe, we believe it’s a good opportunity to crack on with designing your new kitchen in preparation for a return to normality.
If you don’t have Architects plans to send us or your kitchen is a replacement, we have made this guide to assist you in correctly surveying your kitchen space in the safety of your own home.
It’s pretty straight forward, but there are a few key points that will assist us in designing your new kitchen.
Make a sketch
Draw the footprint or plan of your room, indicating where the windows and doors are located and which way they open. Make a note of where architectural features are such as skylights.
Measure
Before starting check that the walls are vertical and if they are square. Measure the available wall space (not including architraves) around the perimeter of the room. If your measure isn’t long enough, make a small mark on the wall or make note of a feature on a piece of furniture then add up consecutive dimensions. If you are unsure if the room is square, you can try to measure diagonals.
Measure heights
Measure the height of the room and to the underside of any beams or arches.
Measure features
For windows, measure from the floor to the underside of the cill (window board) and then from that point to the top of the window. Measure across the architrave of doors, from outside edge of the architrave to outside edge. Measure to the top of doorframes, it maybe helpful in staging proportions of any adjacent furniture. Also note down the location of any radiators. If you’re planning to have under floor heating, consider where the manifold and controls will be located and make a note.
Photographs
Take photographs of all the walls of the room, paying particular attention to any features such as beams, pipework or radiators.
Access
It’s a good time to consider access into your home. Are there any steps up to the kitchen, pinch points or narrow doorways, these can impact the finished design.
Services
If you are considering moving the location of the sink (or adding another one), or adding power to an island, we recommend checking with your plumber or electrician. Usually if the flooring is being replaced its not an issue but a quick check is worth while.
Send to Lewis Alderson & Co.
Email a photo of the dimensioned sketch , any notes and photographs to us at enquiries@lewisalderson.com and we will arrange a virtual meeting at a convenient time to discuss your requirements face to face.
After between 5 and 7 working days we will present our ideas to you in the same virtual space, together with a full quotation and list of appliances.
As a small family business, the health and safety of our customers and team are of the utmost importance, however, at this time it is still very much business as usual for us.⠀
⠀
We have been closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it unfolds. All production and installations are continuing as planned. We will keep our customers informed of any changes to our schedule in the coming weeks should the need arise.⠀
⠀
If you’re planning a new project, we are continuing to operate “by appointment” at our Hampshire showroom, which for your peace of mind will be cleaned before and after each visit.⠀
⠀
For any further information or to book an appointment to discuss your new project, please don’t hesitate to contact us through enquiries@lewisalderson.com or call us on 01252 844 883.⠀
⠀
Thank you and best wishes, Neil, Tom and the team at Lewis Alderson & Co.
Our latest Case Study is available in the February issue of Essential Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom magazine and features our trademark luxe tailored cabinetry with plenty of hidden storage and a statement island.
Take a peak at our January Newsletter and take advantage of our Special Offer. Indulge at our Spotlight Hotel and enjoy some family time at our featured Weekend Visit. Enjoy!
