I blogged about the luxury kitchen company Plain English in June and The New York Times this week had an in depth article about the company. So, in case you missed it here’s that post again along with a link to the NYT article Cook Like a Scullery Maid on ‘Downtown Abbey.’
The luxury kitchen cabinet company Plain English known for their bespoke handcrafted cabinets recently opened a showroom at 51 East 10th Street. Tony Niblock and Katie Fontana founded the company in 1982 after discovering their own needs for traditional kitchen cabinets for their house in Suffolk were not being met. As “necessity is the mother of invention,” with their carpenter and a vision they designed, built and painted their own cabinets. The couple then went into business in a disused tannery, building and supplying cabinets. Graduating to a Georgian farmhouse as the company continued to grow, the outbuildings were converted to workshops and design studios.
These timeless kitchen cabinets are based on traditional designs drawing on inspiration from the formal grand houses of the Georgian period. As detailed on their website, “Plain English references the values of the past and gently evolves to embrace the modern ways we live now.” Entirely bespoke and meticulously handcrafted in Suffolk, the attention to detail and innovative design hidden behind an understated façade I find particularly appealing.
Interior decorating is currently indulging a nostalgia for past eras with the return of plush velvets, exotic wallpaper patterns and layers of passementerie, all of which I love. Plain English Kitchens with their refined timeless quality fit comfortably into this mood. Hidden however behind the deceptively plain cabinet doors and inside the drawers are ingenious designs to meet every contemporary need. I’d say that’s the best of both worlds!
Page Starzinger, a poet, perches clutching a cup on her marble-topped cabinets done in the blue-black shade “Railings.”Credit...Daniel Dorsa for The New York Times
What are your requirements for a fridge/freezer? Customize it to meet your specific needs
Wine drawer hand joined with dovetail joint corners
Finally, a home for the shoe shine kit - the tray’s removable too
A rainbow of paint finish options
The sample cabinet is a work of art in itself
Open shelving showcases white creamware ceramics from the Frances Palmer Pottery Cirrus Collection - manufactured by 1882 Ltd
Bespoke hardware and sinks
Not just limited to the kitchen Plain English can produce equally exquisite bespoke wood furniture for the living, dining, bed, laundry and mudrooms
