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Notes from the workshop.

Guides, case studies and plain-English answers to the questions our Southport, Formby, Crosby and Liverpool clients ask us most.

Bespoke kitchen in a Victorian terrace in Birkdale
Case study9 April 2025 · 1 min read

Case study: a Victorian terrace kitchen in Birkdale

A 3m-wide galley kitchen with a chimney breast, a disused coal chute and the original quarry-tile floor. Here is how we drew around all three.

Painted kitchen with marbled quartz worktop and splashback
Materials26 March 2025 · 1 min read

Quartz, granite, laminate or timber: a worktop buyer's guide

The right worktop is the single biggest difference between a kitchen that looks £15k and one that looks £45k. A direct guide to the four we fit most often.

Thomas Howie workshop handle and hardware collection
Workshop12 March 2025 · 1 min read

Why we don't subcontract fitters (and what that means for your home)

Most national kitchen companies subcontract the fit. We don't. Here is what that changes in the way your kitchen or bedroom comes together.

Large kitchen island with seating and quartz worktop
Design26 February 2025 · 1 min read

Islands with seating: how to size a kitchen island for a family of four

The island is the hardest-working piece of furniture in a modern kitchen. Here is how we size it so four people can prep, eat and homework at the same time.

Fitted wardrobes shaped around a sloped loft ceiling
Bedrooms12 February 2025 · 1 min read

Fitted wardrobes for awkward loft bedrooms — a 10-step design brief

Loft slopes, dormers and chimney breasts turn a flat-pack wardrobe into firewood. Here is the brief we use to design around them properly.

Deep green shaker kitchen in the Thomas Howie Southport showroom
Design29 January 2025 · 1 min read

Shaker vs handleless: which kitchen suits a Formby home?

The classic shaker and the modern handleless are the two kitchens we fit most often in Formby. Here is how we help clients choose between them.

Painted shaker kitchen with quartz worktop built in Southport by Thomas Howie
Pricing15 January 2025 · 1 min read

How much does a bespoke kitchen cost in Southport?

A plain-English guide to what moves the price of a hand-built kitchen in Southport — size, materials, worktops and appliances — with real-world ranges.

Bespoke painted shaker kitchen with large island and quartz worktop, built by Thomas Howie

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