Button and Loop

Sustainable Kitchen Extension & Bespoke Fitted Kitchen, Oxfordshire

The brief was clear from the outset: refurbish as sustainably as possible, within a real budget. No greenwashing, no compromise on quality just honest, considered choices at every step.

We were appointed to project manage and build a new extension, reconfigure the internal layout and design and build a new kitchen and utility. Working from an architect’s drawings, we brought together a strong team of builders and trades to deliver the full build, before turning our focus to what we do best: the interior fit-out.

The kitchen combines pre-built off-the-shelf carcasses used where standard sizes worked perfectly, keeping costs down without sacrificing quality with bespoke Nested Living units designed to do what standard cabinets simply can’t. A bespoke larder unit with slide-and-hide retractable doors makes full use of an awkward space. A handcrafted island with integrated bar area, combination of drawers and cupboard sits at the heart of the kitchen, the piece that makes the whole room.

Every material was chosen with longevity and low impact in mind. The worktop is recycled glass, beautiful, durable and made from waste material. Door fronts are low-VOC MDF finished in Graphenstone carbon-fixing paint, making them repaintable and repairable for the future. Carcasses were oiled with no pesticides, herbicides or toxins, and built using glueless construction throughout, designed to be disassembled and repurposed rather than sent to landfill. All ironmongery and fixings are fully recyclable. Appliances were selected for build quality, durability and low energy consumption.

This is what a sustainable kitchen looks like on a real budget, not a compromise, but a different set of priorities.

We had taken our thoughts to an architect, and, using their drawings, Bruce was able to pull the details of the design together in order to build. He brought in a strong team of builders, and trades that meant our project was finished to an excellent standard.

Where Nested Living really came to the fore was the internal fit out of our new kitchen. We knew we wanted to focus on sustainability, but had no clue as to which would be the best option, and still within our budget. They were able to introduce us to new sustainable products such as eco plaster, carbon fixing paint, and a recycled glass worktop. For budget reasons we used mass-produced carcasses where the sizes worked, but Nested Living created a bespoke island and beautiful larder unit with slide and hide retractable doors to perfectly fit the space, and our needs. The kitchen was finished off with doors made from low VOC mdf, painted with Graphenstone paint. This makes them repaint-able and repairable for the future, and will therefore last us longer.

Throughout, both Bruce and Helen were able to advise us on design, product choice and aesthetics, and we felt safe in their hands.

Alison Quantrell

Garden Designer