Bespoke vs. Made-to-measure Kitchens

Our team of designers at Mayfair Kitchen Studio offer decades of experience in designing beautiful bespoke kitchens that are exactly what our customers dream of. Our passion is creating kitchens that perfectly suit our customers’ lifestyles and the space in their home.

When customers from across Cheshire visit us at one of our showrooms, they often have an idea in mind of how they want their new kitchen to look, complete with colour schemes, ideas for materials and where they want things to be positioned. Our team of designers can work with you to maximise the potential for your living space. A question we often get asked by customers is what is the difference between bespoke and made to measure kitchens – aren’t they the same?

No two kitchens are ever the same, and a kitchen can cost anywhere from just a few thousand pounds to tens of thousands – it’s all a matter of choice and budget. When considering a new kitchen, it is always worth asking yourself whether you want a completely bespoke kitchen, or whether you want a standard range of kitchen units that are essentially ‘off the peg’. There are many positives to having a bespoke kitchen. There are unlimited colours and materials to choose from, as well as different ranges of cooking appliances, worktops, taps, handles, cupboard designs, lighting and more.

When you have a bespoke kitchen, it is completely made for you and only you. There is no second version – no other kitchen will be like yours. It is exclusive and individually crafted to your specific instructions and needs. Bespoke kitchens are made from raw, natural materials and are often handmade (like ours at Mayfair Kitchen Studio), using time-honed crafting techniques. Made to measure kitchens are much cheaper and are made as factory runs.

Just as you have the option to have a bespoke suit made from an exclusive tailor, or to purchase a suit from a shop off the peg, this is exactly the same choice you have when deciding to have a new kitchen. A handmade bespoke suit takes much longer to produce, as measurements and fittings need to be undertaken to ensure that it fits absolutely perfectly. It’s the same with a bespoke kitchen – your kitchen is specifically made to the kitchen designer’s drawings and specifications. To create a bespoke kitchen from scratch can take 8 weeks or even longer, depending on how ambitious the design is, the materials used and the size of the space being occupied.

Unlike a made to measure kitchen, you can be as creative and bold with a bespoke kitchen as you dare to – nothing is impossible and your kitchen designer will do everything they can to meet your requirements and plans. Height, curves, straight lines, depth… everything is possible – it all depends on your imagination and creativity. Bespoke kitchens are made up of cabinets, while made to measure kitchens are comprised of units. Units that are mass produced, piled high and often sold rather cheaply. As a result, production costs are cheaper, too, meaning that made to measure kitchens won’t last as long or have the resilience to wear and tear that a bespoke kitchen will.

The type of kitchen you decide on will depend on the budget you allow for and whether or not you want that kitchen to last years into the future. The higher the budget you allow for, the more chance you have of being able to have the kitchen of your dreams, crafted to an exceptionally high standard in a studio such as ours.