Interior Designer Linda Barker

Off-the-shelf’ wouldn’t cut it when Interior Designer, Writer and TV presenter Linda Barker designed a unique kitchen for her Yorkshire home renovation

As part of a major renovation, Linda Barker needed to replace the old and tired 1970s kitchen of her Yorkshire home, which was no longer fit for purpose. She designed a large, statement kitchen that reflected her style and made more practical use of space and storage.

Linda explains: “I wanted the new kitchen to be somewhere both practical and fun. A mixture of textures and colours, including a concrete worktop and an island big enough to socialise around.

“I designed open shelves and Birch Ply wall cabinets to take advantage of the high ceilings, with painted drawers in the island to introduce a block of colour.

“I looked online for companies that could supply the bespoke cabinets and Basically Trade immediately stood out; they had all the CNC capabilities I was looking for, and a wealth of glowing reviews. It’s a fairly unique firm, and by the time I’d visited the workshop and spoken to Steve and his team, I knew I needn’t consider any other companies.

“I had sketched out the design and knew exactly the look of the kitchen I wanted and Steve was still on hand to make all the finite adjustments needed to make my kitchen a reality. Everything worked really smoothly.”

Basically Trade manufactured the made-to-measure bespoke Birch Ply cabinets, as well as book-matched and edged Querkus doors, and dovetailed drawer boxes.

Drawer fronts were 22mm premium painted MDF from the premium Halsted & Ward range, ensuring they were the exact desired shade of green, and guaranteed to stand up to all the knocks and bumps you’d expect in a busy kitchen.

Carcasses, drawers and doors were delivered ready assembled for the client to install. And - like all Basically Trade products - they were manufactured using only sustainably sourced Birch Ply timber and MDF products, and came with a reassuring ten-year guarantee.

Judith Ward says: “It was a pleasure to work with Linda and help bring her kitchen concept to completion. We were delighted to see it featured in Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms magazine, and Linda returned soon after for some matching utility room storage – which is a good reflection of the quality of our work and service. In fact, the majority of our work is repeat business because we always strive to go the extra mile for our customers and work with them to achieve their specified designs.”

Linda said: “I would thoroughly recommend Basically Trade to any designer or architect, because they made it so simple and straightforward to accommodate new ideas. I get the impression that nothing fazes them.

“I love my kitchen; it’s such a welcoming space. And I’ll definitely be in touch with Steve, Judith and team the next time I need any bespoke storage or made-to-measure furniture.”

“I had a very specific idea in mind, and I needed a company that could bring the design to life without compromise.

“When design is both your passion and your job, the interiors choices you make at home must stand up to your own critical eye day after day.

“Working with Basically Trade ensured the finished kitchen was exactly how I had envisioned it.”

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Photography Courtesy of Heidi Marfitt