Mr & Mrs Robinson's Kitchen

When we began looking for a new kitchen I knew I wanted something with real visual impact to work in the space we were having built. However, as a keen cook, I also wanted a very practical kitchen with plenty of working space and storage. I had almost decided on a kitchen from another well-known local supplier but although I thought the design was excellent I was frankly underwhelmed by the range of units on offer. We had bought bookcases from Chris Sharp which we are very pleased with, and knew they were starting to do kitchens, but having seen the early more traditional designs I did not expect to find what I needed there.

However, just to reassure myself I did go and look, and was knocked out by the look of the modern range- so much so that we ended up going to Chris Sharp for the kitchen and utility room. Not only does our new kitchen look amazing, it is really well built. It was genuinely made to measure and there are none of those annoying 'tray spaces' put in by other manufacturers to fill the gaps between their units and our kitchen layout. The design process was pretty straightforward as I had already more or less sorted that, but even so the designer took time with us to iron out some potential snags and to refine the design, with emails flying back and forth for a few days to get it just right. I was particularly impressed with the speed of response on this and by the preparedness to adjust when I changed my mind.

We were able to buy some of the appliances ourselves and have them delivered direct to Chris Sharp, and Paul kept us well informed about the deliveries. The other appliances are from the CDA range and so far we have been pleased with these, especially the wine cooler, which is roomier and cheaper than the one our original company was offering- it even has two temperature zones which is really useful.

Once the design was finalised we did have to wait a few weeks but we were kept informed and Paul did everything he could to speed things up, the problem being caused by fitter availability. As the kitchen was manufactured, the units were delivered and assembled ready for fitting- we were lucky that as this was going into a new extension there was plenty of room for this. Once the fitters started we were amazed how quickly they did a really high quality job- they really were impressive. We were similarly impressed by the guy who came to measure for the granite- very high tech and painstaking- and then by the granite fitters, though this took much longer than we had expected- the best part of a day.

There have been a few hiccups- the granite measurer spotted a unit that wasn't quite straight, and the dishwasher door was a challenge- but in each case all it took was a quick phone call to Paul and the fitters were back, each time seeing the issue straight away and solving the problem in about five minutes. It would have been nice to be offered some of the little extras other places offer such as cutlery inserts, but others were provided such as a pull out unit for oils and vinegar, so maybe I just needed to ask! And actually the lack of drawer organisers has given me more flexibility to add in the sort I need.

We are about to entertain our first guests for a meal cooked in the new kitchen and I have just spent a day cooking things ahead of time. The layout worked really well, the worktop space made it all so easy and even clearing up was made easier by the layout and space. I can't wait to do more entertaining!

The kitchen is all I wanted and more. The utility room, which matches, is attractive as well as functional, and I have been inspired by it to think carefully about how to keep the space welcoming and user friendly. We have been very impressed by the product and the service, and the degree of individual attention from Paul and the team has been particularly impressive.

Muriel and Richard Robinson

Completed Look