Cheyene Court Kitchen

The brief

The client required a fabricated kitchen comprising a fabricated sink worktop, hob worktop, and rear hob-run splashback, with the cabinetry, timber, and marble reading as one continuous composition. The sink was designed as an undermounted sink, while the hob was surface mounted to achieve a clean and seamless appearance.

Two key technical requirements drove the fabrication process. Firstly, the worktops were to achieve a finished thickness of 40 mm using a 12 mm porcelain slab, 10 mm honeycomb core, and 12 mm MDF construction. Secondly, careful consideration was given to the book match throughout the worktops and splashbacks to maintain the natural veining and continuity of the stone across all adjoining surfaces.

The problem: technical challenge

Statuario Michelangelo features strong, distinctive veining, which is one of the main reasons the client selected this material. However, its pronounced pattern also presented one of the biggest technical challenges of the project. As shown in the drawings, the long hob-run splashback was required to be installed vertically. Achieving a successful book match within a 3200 × 1600 mm slab while maintaining the desired vein orientation required careful slab planning and nesting.

Another challenge involved the hob detail. The client initially requested a flush-mounted hob to create a seamless finish. However, due to the width of the stone remaining around the hob cut-out, there was a significant risk of stone breakage during fabrication and installation. Following a technical review, the specification was revised to a surface-mounted hob, providing a safer and more reliable solution while maintaining the overall design intent.

Running the job

I took this from space plan through to final styling: technical drawings, contractor coordination, fabrication liaison, site supervision, budget and client communication.

Each major stone component needed its own technical drawing, and the fabricator worked from those rather than from measurements taken later on site. Holding the drawings, the fabricator and the contractors in step with one another was the main task, and the thing that kept the programme intact.

The kitchen was delivered within a larger residential renovation of the house.

The result

Although the client initially requested a flush-mounted hob, the specification was revised to a surface-mounted installation following the technical assessment. This change ensured the structural integrity of the worktop while maintaining the overall design intent.

The final result was a high-quality fabricated kitchen that met both the client's aesthetic expectations and the project's technical requirements. The revised solution integrated seamlessly into the overall design, and the client was very pleased with the finished outcome.