Ledbury Studio opened the doors of its bespoke kitchen furniture showroom in April 2019. Founder Charlie Smallbone is no newcomer to the industry, though; the legendary designer has been pushing the boundaries of kitchen design for over 40 years.

Ledbury Studio was born of Charlie’s desire to harness the beauty of original materials while creating practical kitchens that also exude style and elegance. The first kitchen he created is the Metallics Collection, a design that uses metal to stunning and unusual effect.

Metal is more often a practical element in the kitchen for appliances and handles rather than a decorative choice. Never one to follow the crowd, Charlie has spent the last few years experimenting with metals and incorporating them into his furniture designs.

“Then two years ago, I started working with distressed sheet metals – copper, bronze, pewter and zinc,” explains Charlie. “These different metals can bring a unique quality to a kitchen and are infinitely more sophisticated than simple stainless steel, for instance.”

Ledbury Studio’s Metallics Collection is the result. A kitchen that marries traditional design details like Georgian-style cockbeading with contemporary elements. These include slender brass doorframes and fascia panels in dramatic pewter and copper with a beautiful natural Verdigris patterning.

The Metallics Collection features both sealed and ‘living’ sheet metals. The hard-working areas of the kitchen need metals that have been properly sealed. As such, Charlie and the team at Ledbury Studio have spent time developing lacquers to achieve this. They will ensure that the finish stays as it is when first developed and installed. Therefore, the patina created in the workshops is the patina that you will live with for many years.

At the same time, Ledbury Studio kitchens feature ‘living’ metallic finishes on surfaces not close to cooking or washing up areas. These living finishes gradually change with time, ageing in a natural and attractive way.

As a complement to the Metallics Collection, Charlie has also developed Ledbury Shaker. Fashioned from timber, pieces in the Ledbury Shaker collection take their cue from traditional Shaker furniture. But the Ledbury Studio twist is an elegant Deco-style cornice, drop-down worktops and handmade concave brass handles.

The key piece in the Ledbury Shaker range is the traditional Housekeeper’s Cupboard. It is a breakfast cupboard with stacks of storage – shelves, door racks and drawers. It can be painted on-site in colours developed especially for Ledbury Studio.

“At Ledbury Studio we’re looking to the future, but I created the Ledbury Shaker collection as a nod to the very first kitchens I designed,” says Charlie. “It’s a modern take on Shaker design that would find a place in any stylish home.”

“During my career, kitchens have evolved exponentially but we still strive for the same qualities of function and for the best quality of life,” Charlie explains. “My designs for Ledbury Studio are all about smooth functionality with an emphasis on space to cook, live and entertain.”

The Ledbury Studio showroom is located in charming Ledbury Mews in Notting Hill, fittingly just a stone’s throw from where Charlie launched the first Smallbone showroom in 1981.

Ledbury Studio kitchens start from £50,000.

T: 020 7566 6794
A: Ledbury Studio, 4b Ledbury Mews North, London W11 2AF
W: Ledbury Studio

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