Modern white Shaker kitchen design.

Modern white Shaker kitchen design. (Image credit: Harvey Jones)

Harvey Jones kitchens have been in the British fitted kitchens market for over 40 years. The company has crafted more than 15,000 handmade kitchens in that time, focussing on building “understated, premium-quality cabinetry, combined with the best in thoughtful design and service”.

All Harvey Jones kitchens are handmade to order in the UK using the best manufacturing processes. Designers will work with you to select the best design, colour and accessories for your space.

The company offers four designs: Shaker, Linear, Original and Arbor. There is also a handleless version of the Linear design – the Linear Edge.

The iconic Harvey Jones Shaker kitchen was designed 30 years ago and has classic, balanced proportions that suit virtually all homes, whether traditional or contemporary. It’s the brand’s most popular kitchen.

The award-winning Linear kitchen is more contemporary and minimalist, with sleek flat doors and concealed hinges. Don’t forget you can also choose the Linear Edge kitchen style if you want a handleless aesthetic and functionality.

Popular with customers seeking a new kitchen for their period home, the Original kitchen range is a traditional design with ornate beading and decorative cornices.

Arbor is the latest design from Harvey Jones, combining stylish detailing and a classic silhouette.

Each kitchen cabinet is handcrafted in Harvey Jones’ Cambridgeshire workshops and built to last using tried-and-tested construction techniques like dovetailing and in-frame cabinet construction.

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Designers are available (either in person or virtually) to guide buyers through the choices available and provide advice. Once you have made a decision, your designer will submit plans to the workshop for construction, where more than twenty different craftspeople will complete the work.

Harvey Jones offers installation and painting services to all customers, so you don’t need to lift a finger. Your kitchen will arrive fully primed with hard-wearing undercoats ready to be painted by skilled artisans in a colour (or colours) of your choosing. You can decide to incorporate unique patterns or special finishes in order to personalise your space even further.

The company will also source and supply work surfaces to complement your kitchen made from granites, Corian, composites and more.

Contemporary blue Shaker kitchen.

Contemporary blue Shaker kitchen. (Image credit: Harvey Jones)

Technical information

Harvey Jones kitchen cabinets are made by hand, using traditional in-frame construction. Doors are made from timber, set onto hardwood frames and secured with butt hinges. This creates a wood-to-wood bond that ensures they will not drop, even with frequent use. Each handmade kitchen cupboard is a fully rigid six-sided cube, tongued, grooved, screwed and pressure-glued for maximum rigidity and durability.

Drawer boxes are made from solid oak with traditional dovetail jointing. Soft-close runners are standard and ensure smooth, silent closing.

All kitchens are professionally painted after installation. They are delivered fully primed with two coats of undercoat.

  • Kitchen ranges: 5
  • Number of styles: 5
  • Finance available: Yes
  • Installation service: Yes

Key features

Highlights: Premium materials, traditional manufacturing and joinery, bespoke designs and painted finishes.

Warranty: Your Harvey Jones cabinetry is guaranteed; the company will repair or replace damaged cabinets for 10 years from the date of purchase. This guarantee covers doors, cupboards, shelves, drawers, hinging and runners.

Cost: From £18,000. Expect to pay up to £50,000 for a large kitchen with appliances and fitting.

Payment options: Pay for your new Harvey Jones kitchen on finance or by using a bank transfer or credit card.

Key benefit: Harvey Jones kitchens are handmade to order. Each range is a blank canvas that can be personalised according to your tastes and preferences.

Pros and cons

The company’s approach to creating bespoke, high-end kitchens means no two Harvey Jones kitchens will look the same. You can take full creative control. There is a lot to like about the company’s offering, but we recommend considering the pros and cons before deciding if Harvey Jones is a good fit for your budget and home.

Buying your new kitchen from Harvey Jones has the following advantages:

  • Painting by hand: Harvey Jones cabinetry is painted by hand after installation, ensuring a high-quality finish. This also means you can easily sand and repaint your kitchen whenever you fancy a new look.
  • Made to order: Harvey Jones has workshops in Cambridgeshire and Worcestershire, and your new kitchen will be built to order. This enables the company to alter the sizing or internal configuration to perfectly suit your requirements.
  • Multiple showrooms: There are around 30 showrooms across the UK where you can view Harvey Jones kitchens or chat to consultants about your options.
  • Endless colour options: Harvey Jones cupboards can be painted in any colour (or colours) you want.

Consider these potential disadvantages of buying your new kitchen from Harvey Jones:

  • Cost: Harvey Jones cabinets are handmade to order, using quality timber. You pay for what you get, as this brand is quite expensive.

Guarantee: Harvey Jones kitchen cabinets come with a standard 10-year guarantee. Other brands, including Neptune, come with lifetime guarantees.

Open-plan Arbor kitchen with wine-rack and kitchen island

Open-plan Arbor kitchen with wine-rack and kitchen island. (Image credit: Harvey Jones)

How Harvey Jones kitchens work

You can book a complimentary 90-minute kitchen design and planning appointment with a Harvey Jones designer to discuss ideas and plan your dream kitchen. Simply request an appointment either virtually or in person using the online form.

During this appointment, the designer will explain the process of selecting, ordering, manufacturing and installing your new Harvey Jones kitchen and guide you through the various ranges, colour options and storage solutions on offer. The company has developed an immersive virtual showroom experience, so you can get inspiration from the comfort of your own home.

Your designer will plan the internal specification of the cabinets and drawers and discuss any other functional requirements you may have. Once you are satisfied, the designer will measure the kitchen on site and submit the project to the workshop for production. You will receive a delivery date for the furniture and the team will schedule a date for installation and painting. 

During the final stage, the kitchen is installed and carefully painted by hand. Installation teams are overseen by experienced specialist installation supervisors who will visit your home to ensure everything is proceeding exactly as it should.

Modern, white Arbor kitchen with bespoke bench seating.

Modern, white Arbor kitchen with bespoke bench seating. (Image credit: Harvey Jones)

How Harvey Jones kitchens compare to others

Harvey Jones produces beautiful bespoke kitchens, but you might find you prefer another brand’s offering.

John Lewis of Hungerford also produces high-end bespoke kitchens using fine heritage timber and traditional handcrafting techniques. The brand produces five kitchen ranges, including a shaker-style design that’s similar to Harvey Jones’ own offering. John Lewis’ contemporary handleless kitchen, Pure, can be compared to Harvey Jones’ Linear Edge style. Alternatively, you might be tempted by John Lewis’ unique 1950s-style retro range, Crème de la Crème.

Like Harvey Jones, John Lewis is an expensive kitchen supplier. You could expect to pay £28,000 for a bespoke kitchen with appliances and installation.

British Standard is another option if you would like to purchase handmade wooden kitchen cabinets and create a traditional, high-end aesthetic. This brand provides a blank canvas for you to personalise. As such, you only have one range of Georgian-inspired cabinets to choose from.

Unlike Harvey Jones, British Standard does not paint its cupboards or offer a painting service, which means you will either need to paint them yourself or hire someone to do it for you. The average cost of an off-the-shelf British Standard kitchen is £8,000 (without appliances or installation), a much cheaper alternative to its parent company, Plain English.

Neptune is another premium British kitchen brand we can recommend. Choose from four different kitchen styles that can be painted according to your preference. An in-house design consultation service and a remarkable lifetime guarantee on cabinets installed by a recommended installer are other advantages to consider.

How much do Harvey Jones kitchens cost?

Harvey Jones kitchens are made to order, so costs can vary dramatically based on your design, materials, worktops and accessories. To get a precise quote, speak to a Harvey Jones designer.

As a rough estimate, online sources suggest you can expect to pay at least £18,000 for a kitchen. If your kitchen is on the large side, expect to pay up to £50,000 for the products (including high-end appliances) and installation.

Kitchen supplierCost (excluding installation)
NeptuneFrom £8,000
MagnetFrom £1,879 to £6,918
British StandardFrom £8,000
Harvey JonesFrom £18,000

How to maintain your Harvey Jones kitchen

Harvey Jones supplies each client with a booklet that explains how to care for your bespoke kitchen after installation. According to the company’s website, you can easily maintain your cabinetry using a damp cloth and non-abrasive detergents. Some work surfaces may need additional care, but this will be explained in detail by the designer before you make a purchase decision.

What the professionals say

“The Arbor kitchen, a classic-inspired inframe shaker-style kitchen from Harvey Jones, has a luxurious sense of detailing that’s a perfect match for this space. Polished brass handles, knobs and hinges tie in with the finishes of the boiling water tap and range cooker for a cohesive look.”

The Linear Edge kitchen with oak finishes.

The Linear Edge kitchen with oak finishes. (Image credit: Harvey Jones)

What customers say

“This month marks almost a year since our kitchen was completed and over three years since the first time we stepped into a Harvey Jones showroom. I can’t deny that we spent more money on this room than any other part of the house, but the kitchen is the heart of every home and for us, it’s physically a large space in the house, so it made sense to reach for the dream. My boyfriend and I pay half for everything and even though it was more than I ever expected to pay for a kitchen, it’s 100 times more beautiful than I imagined as well. Like with most things in life, hard work pays off and in a funny sort of way, having a dreadful non-kitchen with no fridge, washing machine or even an oven for two years, made the end result feel even sweeter. It’s been a year since we installed our kitchen and it still makes me feel happy every day!”

“I wanted to thank Bethan, from the Nottingham showroom for all her ideas and help whilst designing and planning our kitchen. Bethan has extensive knowledge of kitchen design together with a practical attitude and lots of patience which helps to make the overall new kitchen experience so much more enjoyable and less stressful! Many thanks, Bethan.”

“I wanted to thank Graham and Laura in the Winchester showroom for their fantastic help and support whilst designing, planning and finally installing our new kitchen. We were working on a tight schedule to get the kitchen completed after finishing the building work, but Graham worked with us on every detail patiently answering our numerous questions and carefully explaining all the decisions. Once we had the design and dates fixed everything ran perfectly to plan. The fitters and painters were all fantastic. Graham visited us numerous times to check everything before, during and after the fit. The end result is a fantastic kitchen with an amazing design. Thank you to everyone at Harvey Jones.”

Final recommendation

Harvey Jones’ made-to-order, handcrafted kitchen range combines traditional manufacturing methods with contemporary design aesthetics.

This brand is ideal if you’d rather the professionals handle most of the process for you. Harvey Jones staff will guide you through every stage, including choosing your kitchen, installation and post-installation maintenance.

Given the considerable price tag, you might be surprised that Harvey Jones only offers a 10-year warranty period for its cabinets. Other comparable brands offer a lifetime guarantee. However, if you have a generous budget and you want the freedom to personalise your kitchen, this could be the right supplier for you.

Our methodology

To compile this Harvey Jones kitchens review objectively, we read hundreds of online customer opinions (Trustpilot, Google and Houzz), technical documentation and media articles about the brand.

We then compiled a 100-point scoring system to rate the company, which looked at:

  • The quality of the units (loading shelves, drawers, runners, hinges and worktops for three points each), for a total of 15 points;
  • The availability of an in-house designer, for a total of five points;
  • The availability of an in-house installer, for a total of five points;
  • The number of ranges, colours and designs, for a maximum of five points each and a total of 15 points;
  • The availability and length of warranty, for a total of 15 points;
  • The cost, for a total of 10 points;
  • Customer reviews and star ratings (Trustpilot, Google and Reviews.io), for a total of 15 points;
  • Payment options, for a total of 10 points; and
  • The number of local showrooms, shops and installers, for a total of 10 points.