Dowsing & Reynolds: Kitchen Finishing Touches
sell lighting, hardware and electrical fittings designed and hand-assembled in Yorkshire. We specify their pieces regularly, because they are one of the few suppliers whose switches and sockets are worth putting on show rather than hiding away. The company began with a concrete light fitting. Founder James made concrete sculptures in his spare time, and his wife Ally, having seen a concrete pendant in a magazine, suggested he could do better. He did, made a few extras, and sold them on eBay. They sold well enough that a business followed. What started online now has a showroom in Leeds' Victoria Quarter, which opened in September 2019. The range takes in striking light fittings, switches, sockets, door handles, drawer knobs and taps, all designed to coordinate with one another.
Kitchen Finishing Touches at a Glance
Finishing touches are the parts of a kitchen you actually touch: handles, knobs, switches, sockets and taps. They are specified late in the process but they set the tone of the whole room, because they are the only metalwork seen at close range. Coordinating them in one finish, whether brass, chrome or matt black, is what makes a kitchen look considered rather than assembled. At Handmade Kitchen Company we specify them alongside the cabinetry so the finish is decided as part of the design, not after it.
Knurled brass handles in the Saltby project
in brass were chosen for the
project. They give the cabinet doors and drawers a warm accent against the deep indigo blue hand-painted onto the units, and the contrast is what makes the scheme work.
The Skyscraper is the go-to handle in their hardware range. It is made from solid brass, comes in a choice of finishes and several lengths, and the knurling adds an understated touch of glamour. It also feels good in the hand, which matters more than people expect on a handle you use every day.
Other pieces worth considering
Pendants
Our guide to
covers how to layer light across a room. These are two fittings we return to.
A cluster of delicate transparent glass orbs on fabric cables, which makes a room feel grander than it is. Fit it with a dimmer to control the mood. Even switched off it still reads as a feature.
Bellucci Brass Fish Pendant Light.
Intricate detailing and a black fabric cable make this a sophisticated but genuinely fun addition to an eclectic room. It suits a spot where you want one piece to carry the personality.
Switches and sockets
Worth doing properly. Switches sit at eye level and sockets sit above the worktop, so they are seen constantly.
Matt black, controlling two circuits independently. Sleek, understated and the best of the range.
A brushed steel plate with knurled knobs, controlling three circuits from one plate. Useful where a room has several light sources.
A brushed brass finish with a USB port built in, which is useful when you have more devices than sockets.
Silver Double Unswitched Socket.
Stylish and practical at once, and good-looking enough that it does not need hiding. Use it above a worktop for appliances that have their own on/off switch.
Taps
Delicately curved grooves and a gold finish, and one of the few taps that genuinely earns a second look.
A graceful swan neck in satin silver. The elegance is the draw, but the weight of it in the hand is what people comment on.
Kitchen Finishing Touches FAQs
What are kitchen finishing touches?
The hardware and fittings specified after the cabinetry: handles, knobs, hinges, switches, sockets, taps and lighting. They are small items, but they are the parts of the kitchen seen and handled at close range every day, so they carry more visual weight than their size suggests.
Should kitchen handles match the taps and lighting?
They should relate, but they do not have to match exactly. Keeping to one metal family, brass and gold tones together, or chrome and steel together, is usually enough. A deliberate contrast can work well, for example brass handles against matt black switches, provided it is repeated across the room rather than done once.
What are knurled handles?
Knurling is the fine cross-hatched texture cut into the surface of the metal. It was originally there for grip on tools and instruments, and on a cabinet handle it adds a subtle texture that catches the light and gives a better hold than a smooth handle.
When should finishing touches be chosen?
Earlier than most people expect. Handles affect drilling positions, and switch and socket positions have to be agreed with the electrician before first fix. We settle them during the design stage rather than at the end.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company work?
We design, hand-build and hand-paint bespoke kitchens from our workshop in Essex, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London. If you would like to talk about a bespoke kitchen and the hardware to finish it,
today. We look forward to hearing from you.
