Initial Meeting
During our first visit to our client's property we look at ways of maximising the space under consideration rather than how to cram in as much furniture as possible. Our design teams are not sales people, they are qualified architects and designers motivated to create an environment you can enjoy for years. Our design work often leads us into looking at how the whole house
works and making recommendations on issues much wider than just the kitchen.
An initial design consultation is available for a nominal fee with no further obligations. Please call or email to talk about your project and set up an appointment with your nearest Johnny Grey Studios designer.
Design Proposal
Unlike most other kitchen companies we don't have a pre-designed line of furniture for you to choose from, so we will be working from scratch to prepare a design that is utterly unique to you and fabulous, of course!
This process is very labour intensive and so we charge for our design time.
If you like the ideas that we have discussed in the initial meeting then the next stage is for us to forecast all the time and meetings required to carry out the design work as per your brief and give you a fixed quote.
Concept Design
Once you engage us in the design we will start by exploring the possibilities of the room. Although you will have one point of contact throughout the project we tend to generate the concepts as a team. Typically this results in two or three different solutions to your space. These are not necessarily intended to be all conquering schemes.
Instead we present them in a deliberately rough and sketchy manner in order to provoke reactions and further discussion.
Moving forward we would typically cherry pick several preferred aspects from each solution and combine them into one workable scheme for further development.
Design Development
The development is not rushed or left to go for too long without consulting you on progress. Our approach is to work with you rather than for you, and in doing so we can understand your desires for the kitchen even if you find it hard to articulate them.
The process is potentially very enjoyable.
Watching and directing the evolution of your brief from initial conversations to a final scheme which will comprise a fixed quote, schedule of works, plans, elevations, sketches, sample materials and 3D watercolour visualisation.
Preparations
Once you commission the project we can start to make the necessary preparations to get into manufacture. This often involves liaising with architects, contractors and workshops and craftsmen but we also offer a variety of additional services from lighting
design and service planning through to full interior design services with specifications for soft furnishings, other furniture, fabrics, wall finishes and flooring.
Production
Our workshops are places where the use of head, hands and heart is balanced in the making of beautiful things. As such, a typical kitchen project will take three to four months from completion of the design to being ready for delivery. The first step is for us to produce workshop drawings, once complete we will go through them with you thoroughly to make sure that every detail
has been covered before we start to make the furniture.
You are welcome, in fact positively encouraged, to visit the workshops whilst your project is being made. The craftsmen are very proud of their skills and you will see the dedication that goes into each piece of your furniture.
Delivery and installation
We have a dedicated installation team to liaise directly with your contractors, ensuring that everything runs smoothly. If required we can even carry out minor site works ourselves or help you find any other contractors you may need. We take great pride in the final result so installation of the core furniture is not rushed and typically takes two to four weeks depending
on the complexity of the project.
We are proud to say that our installation team members are courteous, trained cabinetmakers who wear soft shoes and don't play loud radios!
Design Only
The level of project management involved in taking one of our designs from the drawing board to a finished project is intense and requires a high degree of expertise. However, if you feel that you have the necessary experience, you could considerably reduce costs by arranging the manufacture and installation yourself.
This service is currently only available to private clients and developers in mainland UK and will typically cost between £5k - £10k plus VAT and travel expenses. Please call our studio for more details.
Background
Johnny Grey started designing kitchens over thirty years ago after his aunt, the British cookery writer Elizabeth David, asked him to help design her kitchen. By working with her on that project, he realised just how little thought usually goes into the planning of such an important room. This eventually led him to develop the concept of The Unfitted Kitchen for Smallbone of
Devizes in the eighties.
Since then, an international kitchen design business has grown up around his ideas about unfitted kitchen ergonomics, soft geometry, sociability in the kitchen, the blurring of indoor and outdoor environments and hard-wired elements of comfort.
Books
Aside from our core business, Johnny has influenced much of today's kitchen design with four inspirational books. 'The Art of Kitchen Design' lays out an alternative approach for kitchen planning and is a must have for anyone contemplating their own kitchen. Its companion, 'The Hardworking House' extends his philosophy into the rest of the home.
The 'Kitchen Work Book' gives step-by-step instructions to help create your ideal kitchen. His latest work, 'Kitchen Culture' focuses on the kitchen as the centre of modern home life, where food is prepared and hospitality emanates.
Other projects
Whilst we are often initially brought in to work on a client's kitchen we do tend to be asked to work on other areas within the home. We have experience of designing bed and dressing rooms, bathrooms, studies,
conservatories, home cinemas, office buildings, boardroom tables and recently boat interiors.
Working with us
We are constantly looking to build on our team of experts including designers, architects, artists, craftspeople and installers. If you feel that you could work at the pinnacle of this profession then we'd love to hear from you. Feel free to call us or send in a CV and portfolio.
We promise that all applications will be read by a director of the company but we do not promise a response. Please do not send anything that you wish to be returned.