Product Name
Walnut Kitchen
Designer
The Secret Drawer
Kitchens
Island kitchens and Wooden kitchens

Imagine commissioning a handmade kitchen, bedroom or piece of furniture and then discovering three years later there was more to it than first you thought. Unbelievable it may seem, but three years is the current record for a secret drawer to remain undiscovered by the customer in a kitchen built by Yorkshire craftsmen at The Secret Drawer in Skipton.


With its tiny dovetailed joints and magical push catches, this signature speciality is not only cleverly hidden but also serves a purpose. A secret drawer is an incredibly handy place for squirreling something away - once you've found it, of course!


So secret are the secret drawers built into their furniture that even owner, Richard Mason, has a hard job finding them. An award winning cabinet maker and designer himself, he offers an annual incentive 'Secret Drawer of the Year' competition for one of his staff to win a coveted prize for the most cleverly hidden drawer. Skilled craftsman David Cooper has won the award two years running for his well hidden designs which kept Richard foxed for a while. His last prize, a set of specialist craft tools by Lie Nielsen, helps to make him a strong favourite for winning again.


It's not only the technology of the secret drawer that is clever about this beautifully crafted furniture, however; smooth running flat-screen television screens are just as likely to silently emerge from a bed-foot cabinet, while the kitchens boast top of the range appliances from Wolf, Sub Zero, Lacanche and Miele - all cleverly incorporated to exude quality.


Understated clean lines and contemporary curves are complemented by traditional wood craftsmanship in an array of different woods and paint finishes. Oak is enduringly popular - and Richard's personal favourite for its warmth and character - but walnut and harder to source pippy sycamore also feature among the more unusual woods crafted here. The timber arrives complete with bark and the Secret Drawer customers can enjoy seeing it in its most natural form, knots and all, before it is planed and crafted into their furniture.


Each design is truly unique and Richard prides himself on doing all his drawings by hand in pencil in preference to CAD. "It's very rare these days," he explains "and yet our customers really appreciate it. It reflects the individuality of both the customer's project and our business".


That's not to say that the company are Luddites however, for although much of the finer detailed work is done by hand, Richard has invested in state of the art machinery for sawing, planing and precision cutting work. There is no sense of a production line here in this 12, 000sq ft light and airy workplace though - in fact that would be completely alien to the company ethos.


Unusually for the furniture trade, rather than one man building the base, another producing doors and so forth, each craftsman at the Secret Drawer looks after every aspect of his own project. It means they develop a genuine feel for their work and - like any artist - take a huge personal pride in perfection. David Cooper, John Whittaker, Darren Lambert and John Turton each operate within their own space in the workshop, sharing the larger machinery and using their own craftsman's tools.


Perhaps the only exception to that philosophy is Tony Avis, whose specialist skills in polishing and painting ensure he invariably gets to work on every piece once it is constructed, finishing it to an impeccably high standard in his specially equipped and ventilated area with several coats of spray added before two hand-painted coats to finish.


The creative team is overseen by Richard himself and his right hand man, Workshop Manager Robert Boughen who has been with the Secret Drawer for many years. Apprentice Marcus Cunningham is learning the ropes and has the necessary passion for wood that turns a job into a craft, work into a career. Surrounded by talented people with a love for their work he is finding his own niche in the business.


Spotlessly clean, the workshop is also very environmentally friendly, with not a scrap of wood going to waste. Customers' old kitchens, waste wood and cardboard are used to fuel the huge wood burning stove which heats the workshop, while shavings and dust are extracted and stored for use by a local farmer for livestock bedding.


Once the furniture is crafted, customers benefit from the Secret Drawer's own team of fitters. It ensures the work is finished promptly, with the same level of quality care and precision demanded by the beauty of the product. With a builder, plumber, electrician and decorator all on hand and trained to exacting Secret Drawer standards, the work is guaranteed for six years. KBSA insurance and consummate after care service, including a 12 month re-visit, ensures complete customer satisfaction.


Not exactly a well kept secret itself, although based in Skipton, the company's reputation has not surprisingly spread much further afield than the north of England. With 90% of their work coming from recommendation, Richard and the team have customers all over the UK and have even travelled with four kitchens in an articulated lorry across Europe to fit them in Spain.


As well as the workshop in Skipton, the Secret Drawer has a showroom in the nearby village of Cononley with some inspirational kitchen, bedroom and bathroom displays. In the centre of Ilkley is a further interiors showroom which is also a major Farrow & Ball stockist. Interior Designer Rosalind Asmussen is based there, offering consultancy advice on all aspects of home furnishings from fabrics, wallcoverings and paint to kitchen design, flooring and upholstery.

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