What to expect at our expanded Winchester showroom from nine stunning room sets
During May, our Searle & Taylor Winchester showroom will be expanding and will be situated over two floors showcasing the very best in traditional and contemporary kitchen design. All the kitchens on display are based on my personal values of the very best quality and value for money. It is located within a beautiful Georgian building directly opposite the famous Hotel Du Vin on Southgate Street in Winchester City centre.
You enter our showroom through the main glass-fronted entrance at street level. Here you are greeted with an imposing Signature Bespoke display with a centrepiece circular island that features a semi-precious granite top from Madagascar. Its stunning blue, white and gold-flecked stones capture the light and reflect with a pearlized iridescence. This centrepiece also includes a pop-up spice rack concealed within the worktop that rises at the touch of the remote control. On the other side of the pop-up is a flat screen TV and both disappear from view when not in use. On each side of the circular island are tall cabinets, one with a wall of floor to ceiling pocket doors that open out and into recesses to reveal an entire workspace within.
On this level we also have a stunning Intuo kitchen sourced from Austria with glass fronts. The island is finished in glossy glass Fango coloured fronts with a substantial 8cm thick indestructible Dekton worktop called Trillium; a unique industrial finish. Tall units housing the very best on-trend cooling appliances by Gaggenau features a 76cm wide larder fridge, 45cm freezer and wine cabinet, all of which are finished using matt glass fronts in anthracite. A worktop area for sink and tap includes a contrasting but much thinner Dekton top and a bronze mirrored glass splashback. Opposite is solid oak wall panelling with different height metal counter levered shelving together with an on-trend black glass decorative display unit which is adjacent to a bank of two 60cm ovens, a combination steam oven and plumbed-in coffee machine by Gaggenau that are recessed into the wall. The coffee machine is always at the ready to serve the perfect flat white - my favourite.
On the ground floor mezzanine level is another grand-scale Signature Bespoke kitchen which is designed for more traditional homes. It combines handmade and handpainted furniture with walnut interiors and unique handles by artisan blacksmith, Ged Kennett. A large double farmhouse ceramic sink is installed within beautiful 30mm thick Blanco Eclipcia granite worktops. A total control Aga finished in pewter takes centre stage beneath an Adam-style curved front canopy that bridges the cooker with tall wall units to make use of the very high ceilings we have. To accommodate the extra height, we have designed special pull-down shelving for overhead cupboards and there is even a special fold-down stool that sits beneath the plinth. Here you will also find a uniquely designed 360° revolving wine rack that alternates between bottles and glasses.
Staying on the mezzanine level, there is a room dedicated to contemporary EWE 50th Anniversary matt lacquered kitchen, which is available in various finishes. The display includes a striking quartz worktop by Cambria, together with cooking and extraction appliances by Siemens and Novy. This kitchen also includes a small dining and seating space, which is where we serve a good selection of teas. This is also where we can demonstrate the Quooker Flex 3-in-1 Boiling Water Taps to you, which is our current complimentary gift with every complete kitchen order over £25,000.
A set of stairs leads down to the lower ground floor where we have three further displays in two separate rooms.
The room facing the stairs is dedicated to a complete room set where we feature another classic Handmade Bespoke hand painted Shaker kitchen called the Stockbridge range which is one of our bestselling styles. With a central island and a stunning granite worksurface called Lennon. A full complement of Neff appliances includes a fully operational downdraft induction hob that we can demonstrate to you. Also featured is a bespoke-designed freestanding dresser with copper handles. Whilst exuding quality both in the design and cabinetry, this kitchen is priced to suit most budgets.
The fully working EWE handless display features a neutral two-tone colour aesthetic mixed with Concreto-fronted lift up wall units with integrated LED lighting. We have matched this with sparkling Quartz worktops that have a shark’s nose edge detail. This allows generous access when opening the cupboard and drawer fronts via the recessed stainless steel handle rail. The quartz tops blend seamlessly into the matching sink with a modern recessed drainer. Contemporary display by EWE.
We have made use of a further small space for a lovely Dalesmade in-frame kitchen display with unique handles, which is handpainted in Fallen Dove by Finnish paint brand, Valtti. We have combined this with a modern patterned splashback and a leathered granite worktop in Indian Grey, and this is complemented by an undermount ceramic white sink. This head-turning yet understated kitchen also features veneered oak carcasses and solid oak dovetailed drawers and is built to last a lifetime.
Searle & Taylor recently obtained the lease for the first floor of the building, which will be our main office and a large new showroom space incorporating a presentation area with a pop-up screen to show off our design proposals. Accessed by an imposing staircase, the door opens to two huge displays by a new British kitchen brand called ELK for which we are the exclusive appointed retailer for Hampshire. Designed and created by architects, ELK stands for Extreme Logic Kitchens. The logic is immediately plain to see as the use of geometry has been applied to create visually stunning kitchens that make use of available internal space in new and unique ways; so much so, that the designs have already been patented.
This ethical brand has developed an intelligent way to use 60% fewer materials than a standard conventional kitchen yet providing 60% more storage capacity than an average carcase design. Everything is made from solid wood - no chipboard and no MDF is ever used in these kitchens. All the timbers used are from sustainable sources and most are from the English Woodlands Trust, which utilises an abundance of stock timbers, some of which were left from the big storm of 1987. Every kitchen is made to order locally in a workshop near Fareham, and you are even invited to visit during the manufacturing process to see your kitchen being finished. Every unique kitchen is built and thoroughly checked on-site before leaving the workshop thus ensuring a very slick installation.
We have two ELK displays: the highly original O’45 and the stunning GRID. As you would expect, the appliances and worktops that we have chosen to complement these works of art are the very best you can get: Ovens are by Gaggenau, cooling is by Liebherr, surface cooking and extraction by Novy. We have also included worksurfaces by Corian and Silestone. I can honestly say that having worked in the kitchen industry and run my business for the past 28 years, I have never come across such a well thought-out British-designed product range quite like ELK.
The first floor will also be our presentation area, so you will be surrounded by innovation whilst enjoying an always energetic and passionate presentation, should you ask us to design and quote for your new kitchen.
That brings me back to Searle & Taylor and our own unique offer. We have been successfully established for 28 years and I believe we have the best showroom in Hampshire, with a wealth of different designs for you to choose from. I also have a highly-trained team that will listen to you to understand your brief. We also understand how to relate your kitchen to the surrounding architecture and will create a suitable design aesthetic that complements your home. We will also listen to you to understand your lifestyle and how you live and cook. We will help you choose the latest sophisticated appliances and worktops and we only partner with premium brands.
We design and create beautiful custom-designed or bespoke kitchens, and we therefore do not compete on price with high street brands. However, we will work to realistic budgets and provide fully itemised quotations under no obligation. Everything we do is transparent. We are not salespeople; we are designers and we allow our products and service to do the selling – it’s as easy as 1,2,3...
We look forward to welcoming you to our showroom and helping you with your proposed project.
Darren Taylor
MD and founder of Searle and Taylor Kitchens.
Searle & Taylor has been designing and creating beautiful traditional bespoke and contemporary kitchens for clients.
