The completed London kitchen, with grey island storage, granite worktop and white wall cabinets.
The completed London kitchen, with grey island storage, granite worktop and white wall cabinets.

London · Architect collaboration

A white and grey FENIX kitchen,
made around an architect’s plans.

A large granite-topped island, tall white cabinetry and grey handleless fronts bring this London kitchen together. Working from drawings by Jernej Cencic Studio, JS DECO developed the furniture specification, manufactured the cabinetry and installed the finished kitchen.

Project
Large island kitchen, London
Finishes
FENIX Grigio Antrim & Bianco Alaska
Architectural drawings
Jernej Cencic Studio
JS DECO’s role
Technical development, manufacture & installation
The large island between the two cabinet runs, with the refrigerator and built-in appliances alongside.
The large island between the two cabinet runs, with the refrigerator and built-in appliances alongside.

Making a large room work

A working island between
two substantial cabinet runs.

The kitchen was part of a reconfiguration of the ground floor. The brief called for a calm, handleless design with extensive storage, integrated appliance provision and a strong relationship with the adjoining living space.

The island brings cooking, preparation and seating into the centre of the room. Its granite surface extends beyond the grey cabinetry at the seating end, while drawers and cupboards make the body of the island useful for storage.

On one side, tall white fronts accommodate storage alongside built-in cooking appliances and the refrigerator. Opposite, a long worktop runs beneath wall cabinets. Keeping these larger elevations in white gives the darker island a distinct place within the room.

This is a particular application of our bespoke FENIX kitchen furniture: cabinet dimensions and the arrangement of fronts were developed around the room, rather than selected from a fixed set of unit sizes.

Tall storage and appliance integration

The tall elevation keeps the oven stack and refrigerator within one coordinated run. Bespoke cabinet sizing allowed the furniture to respond to the ceiling height, room geometry and appliance allowances. The long lines of white fronts give the storage a consistent appearance.

Worktops, lighting and everyday access

The finished photographs show granite across the island and surrounding worktops, with lighting beneath the wall cabinets and at plinth level. The gas hob sits within the island, facing into the room; the seating area occupies its other end.

From architectural intent to fitted furniture

Developing the design
with Jernej Cencic Studio.

The architectural and design drawings prepared by Jernej Cencic Studio established the layout and visual direction. JS DECO’s contribution was to develop that scheme into cabinetry that could be manufactured and fitted, refining the specification and construction while retaining the architect’s intended form.

Room dimensions, services and appliance positions all informed that development. The design-stage views below show how the island, tall storage and long wall cabinets were considered together before the furniture was made.

The room before kitchen installation

The preparation photographs show unfinished wall areas, exposed services and the brick chimney breast. They record the room during renovation, before the new cabinetry was installed. The position of these existing features had to be considered alongside the proposed furniture.

Cabinetry made for the prepared space

The finished layout follows the room’s proportions and connects the kitchen to the adjoining glazed space. The before and completed views show the change from a room with visible building work to a fitted kitchen with clearly defined storage, cooking and preparation areas.

With the layout and specification agreed, the furniture moved into production. Cabinet alignment, drawer clearances and internal layouts were checked in the workshop. The assembly photographs show the drawer systems and pull-out bin arrangement before the fronts and worktops completed the kitchen.

For a wider explanation of the stages behind this project, read how bespoke furniture really works. The drawings, workshop views and finished photographs here show those stages within one actual commission.

White, grey and granite

FENIX finishes with
a continuous granite work surface.

The fronts combine FENIX NTM Grigio Antrim grey and Bianco Alaska white. The grey defines the island, while white connects the tall and wall-mounted cabinets around it. Granite worktops bring a visible natural pattern to the otherwise restrained surfaces.

The specification includes Blum soft-close hinges and drawer runners. Together with the planned internal storage and handleless front arrangement, these details address how the furniture opens and is used as well as how it looks.

The carcases are 18 mm Egger MFC (melamine-faced chipboard). The doors, end panels and plinths use an 18 mm birch-plywood core laminated with FENIX NTM. These are different parts of the construction: this project combines MFC cabinet interiors with plywood-core finished fronts and panels.

For broader material and construction options, explore our plywood kitchen range. The specification below describes this individual project.

White FENIX wall cabinets above the granite worktop, with the island in the foreground.
White FENIX wall cabinets above the granite worktop, with the island in the foreground.

Project specification

Location
London
Front finishes
FENIX NTM Grigio Antrim & Bianco Alaska
Carcases
18 mm Egger MFC
Doors, end panels & plinths
18 mm birch-plywood core with FENIX NTM
Base carcase height
770 mm
Plinth height
100 mm
Wall cabinet height
1,100 mm
Worktops
Granite, including the full island surface
Layout
Large island, tall storage & long wall-cabinet run
Front arrangement
Handleless
Design collaboration
Architectural drawings by Jernej Cencic Studio
Furniture delivery
Technical development, manufacture & installation by JS DECO
Hinges
Blum soft-close hinges
Drawer runners
Blum MOVENTO, 40 kg load class
Blum hardware guarantee
Blum hardware is covered by Blum UK’s lifetime guarantee, subject to its terms.

What bespoke sizing contributed

The original brief called for taller and deeper cabinetry to make use of the available space. Treating the cabinet dimensions as part of the design allowed storage, front proportions and appliance accommodation to be considered together.

For a similar project, working height and access should be discussed alongside capacity. The finished worktop height depends on the cabinet, plinth and surface thickness; a taller cabinet alone does not establish the right height for every user.

Our guide to the long-term value of bespoke furniture explores the broader decisions behind choosing individually specified cabinetry.

The completed island and long worktop run leading towards the adjoining glazed space.
The completed island and long worktop run leading towards the adjoining glazed space.
Customer review by Cosette Reczek, describing design communication and installation.
Customer review by Cosette Reczek, describing design communication and installation.

Customer feedback

Communication through
design and installation.

“Jacek was responsive to any and all queries raised throughout the process”

Cosette Reczek · Customer review

In the customer review shown here, Cosette describes choosing bespoke furniture after initially considering standard pre-made cabinets. She highlights communication between the customer, architect and building team, practical advice on available options and attention to the installation.

Her account also describes design adjustments during fitting and the team’s response on site. It provides a customer perspective on the coordination involved in turning an agreed design into an installed kitchen.

For homeowners, architects and interior designers

Have plans for a kitchen
that needs bespoke cabinetry?

Share your room, requirements and any drawings you already have. We can discuss the furniture specification, storage and installation scope, including how JS DECO can work alongside your architect or designer.

You do not need a complete drawing package to make an enquiry. Room photographs, an outline of your priorities and your project location are a useful starting point.

JS DECO works with private clients and commercial project teams. Explore our commercial collaboration approach, or contact the workshop to discuss your plans.

Useful information to include

  • Your location and renovation stage
  • Available room plans, elevations or photographs
  • Preferred finishes and appliances
  • Storage, working-height and seating requirements
  • The architect, designer or building team involved
Discuss your kitchen project

Mention the “white and grey FENIX kitchen in London” if you would like us to use this project as a reference.