Our kitchens are inevitably the heart of our homes, we loved working on this traditional cabinetry in the depths of Sussex. Our client didn't want to detract from the character of the house, one of the oldest in the village, held together with warm timber beams.  

We decided on classic Poplar Shaker doors with Lambs Tongue moulding in Cromarty No.285, a light grey, green that retains an atmospheric warmth yet provides a neutral base to showcase the clients vibrant art work. The doors where skilfully sprayed with a slight sheen, just enough to reflect the light across the oak island. 

Every aspect of this kitchen was designed to draw in natural light from the bay window, the Silestone Quartz work top bounces sunbeams around the room on a bright day.

A Jack Morris kitchen wouldn't be complete without a pantry cupboard, fitted with spice racks and solid oak drawers, beautifully dove tailed. Cabinet interiors are often neglected, which is why we take extra care to discuss what the space will be used for in order to plan the most efficient storage design. 

A selection of decor items, similar to those chosen by our client to compliment her Jack Morris kitchen. We think she has the perfect mix of timeless style and rustic charm covered.

We've been hard at work the last few weeks, after a restful Christmas break. Organising our 2021 calendars to make room for lots of new projects has been top priority. We know how important it is to have a good working relationship with the craftsmen you choose to create your dream home, restaurant or retail project, so we thought we'd give you a new year, behind the scenes introduction to Jack and Freddy, the masterminds behind Jack Morris Bespoke. 

Meet Jack, the founder and designer. Jack's passion for woodwork and design started at an early age, having spent many hours in the his prep school woodwork studio and thousands of hours building lego structures (which continues to this day). After relocating to Australia for six months during his gap year, to build timber framed houses, he returned to Oxford to study historic building conservation and restoration. Back in London, Jack spent 3 years working full-time at a high end refurbishment company, deciding to focus his skills and passion for design on joinery. In his mid-twenties he took the plunge by moving to the Kent coast to start his own business and workshop focusing on bespoke cabinetry. Jack's passion for joinery, exacting standards, and an eye for design and detail, coupled with 15-years' experience, drove the creation of Jack Morris Bespoke. 

Jack's love affair with wood is felt strongly in the workshop, he's a passionate craftsman in his element. He dedicates his time to getting the perfect straight lines and smoothest grains. This often leaves everyone wondering how many different tools it takes to reach perfection? the answer, never enough. The team are still wondering when the 12 artisan chisels will make their way back into the drawer...

We wouldn't know where to start without our head cabinet maker Freddy. A second generation cabinetmaker, Freddy grew up in the workshop alongside his father, starting on the bandsaw at 6 and working together on projects from a young age. After schooling, to see what the wider world offered he trained as a chef and worked abroad, then obtained his bachelors degree in Neuroscience from Edinburgh university and spent some years in the City of London, but soon missed working with his hands and realised that his first choice had been the best. He returned to the workshop and hasn’t looked back.

Freddy is known around the workshop for his ingenuity, you'll find him making protective sheaths for chisels and blades, as well as his own tools. Absolutely nothing ends up in the bin without the Freddy once over. Although his quick thinking and resourcefulness has not yet helped him beat Jack* on Mario Cart during their lunch breaks! 

*This week.

We could wax lyrical about these guys but we don't need to. We're confident that they're the guys for the job, no matter how big or small (and we need to save some space to introduce the rest of the team soon, including our favourite 'dogsbody' Wilson). 

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The dawn of 2021 has not been as kind as we might have imagined, it seems that for the foreseeable future, working from home has become the new normal. Abandoning the office comes with its own set of new challenges, whilst it frees up commuting time to spend with our families, it does pose the question- Where do you work?

Finding the space at home to work can be a struggle, we've found ourselves distracted by the kitchen cupboards all too often when sitting at the dinner table! Then there's the subtle moan of back ache when lounging on the sofa with your laptop. A dedicated work environment within your home helps you to concentrate, improves productivity and a well built office can even make you more efficient.

The simplest way to integrate a small home office into your home is to utilise unused alcoves, under the stairs and awkward spaces with built in shelves, storage and desks. We recently crafted a pair of sleek, floating alcove desks in a London home. This solution is ideal for homes short on space as there is minimal interference with the rest of the room.  

If you're lucky enough to own a summer house or garden room, these make perfect working spaces. Hidden away from the lockdown chaos of your house, they provide some much needed peace and quiet, there's even a nostalgic walk to work across the garden lawn. We worked on this multifunctional home office at the beginning of 2020 for a jeweller just outside of central London. It needed to serve as a workshop complete with jewellers bench and tools, office space with file storage, spare room for guests and a place for the kids to play xbox after working hours (so you can stroll back across the patio to enjoy the tranquility of your home too). It's a perfect example of just how much you can fit into a small space with clever design. 

Your new workspace wouldn't be complete without functional and stylish accessories. To spread some new year cheer, we've rounded up a few of our favourite complimentary office decor items from small local businesses and classic designers. It's never been more important to support local craftsmanship and businesses, do check out their online stores.

We'd love to hear all your home office dreams, perhaps you just need a place to store your files? We've built everything from filing cabinets to peg board storage, so if you've thought of it, we can make it happen. Our 2021 diaries are open for bespoke bookings, email [email protected] to get in touch.