Why should I choose Davonport for my handmade kitchen?

If you’ve come to the decision that you want to invest in a handmade kitchen, you’ve probably started to think about the key elements. The style – a look that you love now, and won’t tire of. The layout – do you want an island, a seating area, somewhere to work from home? The appliances – is a coffee machine an essential? Do you need two dishwashers?

But when it comes to choosing a kitchen company, where do you start? On paper, many may look fairly similar. But scratch the surface and you’ll probably find significant differences. At Davonport, we want to help you make your decision by telling you a bit about our background, our craft, the service we offer and our difference.

Our heritage

Davonport has been crafting bespoke kitchens for over three decades for some of the most discerning clientele. The story began with Richard Davonport — a luxury cabinetmaker and designer — whose vision and skill laid the foundations of the brand.

Richard’s passion for beautifully made furniture was shaped early on by his father, Aubrey Davonport, an honorary member of the British Woodcarvers Association. Aubrey taught him to carve using off-cuts of ‘green’ timber Richard had gathered from an after-school job felling trees in woodland near home. That upbringing crafted a deep respect for detail, honest materials and traditional joinery — principles that remain central to Davonport today.

After qualifying with a Distinction in Furniture Design and Cabinet Making, Richard’s knowledge continued to grow and he soon set up his own workshops. It was at this point Davonport was born. In 1996 he moved his workshop to larger premises and began designing and building bespoke kitchens. By 2005, Richard had created a working relationship with over 20 different design studios across the UK. Today, nestled in the heart of East Anglia, Davonport’s thriving workshop is home to a team of highly-skilled craftsmen and expert designers.

British handmade craftsmanship

It’s here in our Essex based workshops that every Davonport kitchen is made by hand, by our own team. Keeping everything in-house allows us to maintain the highest standards of craftsmanship and quality — a direct reflection of our obsession with detail. It also means we can support local artisans and work closely with local colleges, helping to preserve British manufacturing techniques and pass hard-won skills on to the next generation.

Tried and tested methods, such as mortise and tenon joinery, are standard across our cabinetry, with dovetail joints used on the corners of our drawer boxes. But we don’t stand still: we blend these time-honoured details with cutting-edge technology to deliver the premium results we’re known for. Rigorous quality checks ensure that every piece that earns the Davonport seal of approval truly is exceptional. Each approval is marked by embedding a metallic coin bearing our logo into the furniture — our seal of approval made permanent. It’s a mark of authenticity and a promise of uncompromising quality, designed to give you complete peace of mind.

A full end-to-end service for your handmade kitchen

Our service is attentive and detailed from the very start. Your journey with Davonport begins with an initial design consultation, where we take the time to understand exactly what you’re looking for — whether you’re drawn to classic or modern furniture, how you want to live in the space, the appliances you prefer, and the finer details that matter.

Next comes a design presentation, including plans, 3D visuals and preliminary costings. Once any adjustments have been made and you’re ready to proceed, paying the commitment fee unlocks our full design service. This includes your complete drawing pack — plans, elevations and visuals — along with all design amendments up to final approval and sign-off to production. It also secures a dated production slot and allows us to liaise directly with your builder and trades, providing clear plumbing and electrical plans to support a smooth installation. You can also benefit from our Finishing Touches service, helping you select lighting, tiles, flooring, seating and more to complete the scheme with confidence.

And our service doesn’t end when your kitchen is installed. We stand firmly behind the quality of our furniture: all cabinetry fitted by Davonport comes with a Lifetime Guarantee. We also offer an annual kitchen service, carried out by our own in-house decorators, who can return after your first year to address any knocks or wear and leave the cabinetry looking as though it has just been installed.

Commitment to sustainability

Alongside our focus on craftsmanship and service, we take a practical approach to sustainability. Davonport furniture is designed and made here in the UK, and we work with suppliers who share our standards for quality and responsible sourcing.

Our timber comes from responsibly managed forests, and we do not use timber from endangered species. Wherever possible, we source through suppliers certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

In the finishing shop, our painted kitchens are prepared and coated using water-based acrylic primers and top coats that are low in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). It’s a cleaner, more considered way of working, with less reliance on harsh solvents.

We also make sensible use of what the workshop produces. For over 15 years, wood shavings and offcuts have been recycled to heat our workshop and paint shop through our biomass heating system. We recycle wastewater to reduce our impact on local waterways, and we continue to reduce energy use through measures such as solar panels on our newly insulated roof, LED lighting throughout the business, and an all-electric vehicle in our fleet.

If you’re choosing a kitchen company, it’s worth looking at how it’s made — and how the business is run behind the scenes. These are just a few of the ways we do things properly. If you’d like to discuss a Davonport kitchen, we’d be pleased to answer any questions, or you can book your design consultation here. Or you  can book your design consultation meeting here.