It’s the question everyone wants answered before they’ll pick up the phone or sends an email. And it’s the question most bespoke kitchen makers studiously avoid, hiding behind “every kitchen is different” and “get in touch for a quote.”
They’re not wrong — every kitchen is different. But I think you deserve a more honest answer than that. So here it is.
The short answer
A bespoke kitchen from Made Ply Hand starts from £25,000 for the cabinetry and joinery. Most of my commissions sit somewhere between £25,000 and £40,000 for the cabinets alone, depending on the size and complexity of the kitchen. Worktops, appliances, and professional fitting are quoted separately on top of that.
If that number is higher than you expected, keep reading — because understanding what drives the cost is the only way to make sense of it.
Why bespoke kitchens cost what they cost
When you buy a kitchen from a high street company, you’re buying set components and standard cabinets from a pre made ‘range’. The carcasses and doors are made in a large factory from chipboard or MDF, produced in bulk by machines, and the whole thing is assembled by a fitter who has never met the designer. The price is low because the process is industrialised and the materials are cheap.
When you commission a bespoke kitchen from me, something entirely different happens.
Every cabinet, drawer box and door front is made from scratch in my workshop in Perranporth, sized exactly to your space — not adapted from a standard size. The hardware is the best available, not the cheapest but lasts the longest. The design understands and appreciates your space and reacts to it, not just seeing how many cabinets fit along a wall. A considered approach is taken. And most importantly, the person who designs your kitchen is the same person who builds it and project manages it.
That takes time. Skilled, measured time. And time, done properly, costs money.
What’s included in the cabinetry price
When I quote for a kitchen, the cabinetry price includes:
A full design consultation at my Perranporth showroom
A site visit to measure and understand your space
Detailed design drawings developed around how you actually live
All cabinetry made by hand in my workshop, using FSC-certified birch plywood as a core for all my cabinets and doors.
Premium hardware throughout
Bespoke drawer interior layouts and cupboard interior layouts.
My time managing the project from first sketch to final fit
What it doesn’t include — and what I quote separately — is worktops, appliances and fitting. I can source and coordinate all of these on your behalf, but they’re quoted as separate line items so you can see exactly where your money is going.
What drives the cost up or down
The biggest variables in the price of a bespoke kitchen are:
Size. A large open-plan kitchen with an island, a larder, and floor-to-ceiling cabinetry costs considerably more than a compact galley kitchen. The number of cabinets, drawers, and doors is the single biggest driver of cost.
Complexity. Integrated appliances, curved elements, open shelving with lighting, bespoke storage solutions — all beautiful, all adding time and therefore cost. As mentioned before, a large percentage of my cabinets that form a kitchen for a customer is tailored for their space. Whether that be a certain height, or space for a particular set of spices the detail is granular but makes the kitchen completely bespoke to you and how you use it.
Materials. I build in birch plywood as standard, and I wouldn’t build in anything else. Door finishes including various types of laminate and different species of real wood veneer — affects the price. Some finishes cost more than others.
How does that compare to the high street?
Honestly? Less than you might think — and more than the headline price suggests.
A Magnet or Wren kitchen might quote you £8,000–£15,000 for a medium-sized kitchen. But that price is for chipboard carcasses, budget hardware, and a one-size-fits-no-one approach to design. By the time you’ve upgraded the doors, the worktops, the handles, and the appliances, the gap narrows considerably. And you still end up with a kitchen that looks like everyone else’s, made from materials that won’t last twenty years.
What you get with a bespoke kitchen — made properly, from the right materials, by someone who cares — is something that will outlast the house it’s in. That’s not marketing language. It’s the nature of the material and the method.
Is a bespoke kitchen worth it?
I’m obviously not a neutral voice on this question. But here’s what I’d say.
If you’re after a functional kitchen that looks reasonable and you’re not particularly bothered about longevity or individuality — the high street will serve you perfectly well.
But if you’re renovating a home you intend to stay in, if you spend real time in your kitchen, if you care about quality and craftsmanship, and if the idea of something made specifically for you — by one person, from start to finish — appeals to you, then a bespoke kitchen isn’t an indulgence. It’s an investment that pays back every single day.
I’ve had clients tell me their new kitchen changed how they feel about their home and I’ve had tradespeople remark on the quality of the cabinetry when fitting. I’ve never had a client tell me they wish they’d spent less.
How do I get started?
The first step is a conversation. Get in touch with a brief description of your project and I’ll invite you to my showroom in Perranporth — moments from the beach, proper coffee included, no sales pitch.
From there I’ll put together a complimentary rough 3D sketch and initial estimate based on your dimensions. No obligation, no pressure. Just an honest starting point.
I take on a maximum of six commissions a year. If you’re planning a kitchen and would like to talk it through, I’d love to hear from you.
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I was approached by a customer to produce a bespoke birch plywood kitchen cabinet. It was my biggest custom build to date, and also my proudest build. I loved the attention to detail and precision in the design. Details, spec and pictures below… The kitchen cabinet measures 180cm x 72cm x 30cm and is made …
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How much does a bespoke kitchen cost? An honest answer from a Cornwall maker.
It’s the question everyone wants answered before they’ll pick up the phone or sends an email. And it’s the question most bespoke kitchen makers studiously avoid, hiding behind “every kitchen is different” and “get in touch for a quote.”
They’re not wrong — every kitchen is different. But I think you deserve a more honest answer than that. So here it is.
The short answer
A bespoke kitchen from Made Ply Hand starts from £25,000 for the cabinetry and joinery. Most of my commissions sit somewhere between £25,000 and £40,000 for the cabinets alone, depending on the size and complexity of the kitchen. Worktops, appliances, and professional fitting are quoted separately on top of that.
If that number is higher than you expected, keep reading — because understanding what drives the cost is the only way to make sense of it.
Why bespoke kitchens cost what they cost
When you buy a kitchen from a high street company, you’re buying set components and standard cabinets from a pre made ‘range’. The carcasses and doors are made in a large factory from chipboard or MDF, produced in bulk by machines, and the whole thing is assembled by a fitter who has never met the designer. The price is low because the process is industrialised and the materials are cheap.
When you commission a bespoke kitchen from me, something entirely different happens.
Every cabinet, drawer box and door front is made from scratch in my workshop in Perranporth, sized exactly to your space — not adapted from a standard size. The hardware is the best available, not the cheapest but lasts the longest. The design understands and appreciates your space and reacts to it, not just seeing how many cabinets fit along a wall. A considered approach is taken. And most importantly, the person who designs your kitchen is the same person who builds it and project manages it.
That takes time. Skilled, measured time. And time, done properly, costs money.
What’s included in the cabinetry price
When I quote for a kitchen, the cabinetry price includes:
What it doesn’t include — and what I quote separately — is worktops, appliances and fitting. I can source and coordinate all of these on your behalf, but they’re quoted as separate line items so you can see exactly where your money is going.
What drives the cost up or down
The biggest variables in the price of a bespoke kitchen are:
Size. A large open-plan kitchen with an island, a larder, and floor-to-ceiling cabinetry costs considerably more than a compact galley kitchen. The number of cabinets, drawers, and doors is the single biggest driver of cost.
Complexity. Integrated appliances, curved elements, open shelving with lighting, bespoke storage solutions — all beautiful, all adding time and therefore cost. As mentioned before, a large percentage of my cabinets that form a kitchen for a customer is tailored for their space. Whether that be a certain height, or space for a particular set of spices the detail is granular but makes the kitchen completely bespoke to you and how you use it.
Materials. I build in birch plywood as standard, and I wouldn’t build in anything else. Door finishes including various types of laminate and different species of real wood veneer — affects the price. Some finishes cost more than others.
How does that compare to the high street?
Honestly? Less than you might think — and more than the headline price suggests.
A Magnet or Wren kitchen might quote you £8,000–£15,000 for a medium-sized kitchen. But that price is for chipboard carcasses, budget hardware, and a one-size-fits-no-one approach to design. By the time you’ve upgraded the doors, the worktops, the handles, and the appliances, the gap narrows considerably. And you still end up with a kitchen that looks like everyone else’s, made from materials that won’t last twenty years.
What you get with a bespoke kitchen — made properly, from the right materials, by someone who cares — is something that will outlast the house it’s in. That’s not marketing language. It’s the nature of the material and the method.
Is a bespoke kitchen worth it?
I’m obviously not a neutral voice on this question. But here’s what I’d say.
If you’re after a functional kitchen that looks reasonable and you’re not particularly bothered about longevity or individuality — the high street will serve you perfectly well.
But if you’re renovating a home you intend to stay in, if you spend real time in your kitchen, if you care about quality and craftsmanship, and if the idea of something made specifically for you — by one person, from start to finish — appeals to you, then a bespoke kitchen isn’t an indulgence. It’s an investment that pays back every single day.
I’ve had clients tell me their new kitchen changed how they feel about their home and I’ve had tradespeople remark on the quality of the cabinetry when fitting. I’ve never had a client tell me they wish they’d spent less.
How do I get started?
The first step is a conversation. Get in touch with a brief description of your project and I’ll invite you to my showroom in Perranporth — moments from the beach, proper coffee included, no sales pitch.
From there I’ll put together a complimentary rough 3D sketch and initial estimate based on your dimensions. No obligation, no pressure. Just an honest starting point.
I take on a maximum of six commissions a year. If you’re planning a kitchen and would like to talk it through, I’d love to hear from you.
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