Papilio

We moved into our house about 3 years ago. It is a wonderful Victorian townhouse in Plymouth, with lots of period features on a tree-lined street. The first thing that struck us when we moved in was that the hallway and kitchen were very dark. We wanted to achieve an open, light kitchen, using natural materials that complimented the period features in the rest of the house. Whilst functionally, there was nothing wrong with the existing kitchen, there were aspects to it that served to diminish the beauty of house rather than enhance it. The way the old kitchen was structed reduced the amount of natural light coming into the room. There was a large imposing cabinet enclosing the boiler and fridge, which blocked the light from the corner windows, and the worktops were a black granite, matching a black tiled floor. It didn’t feel like a happy space! We absolutely love design, particularly Scandinavian and Japanese design. We had done a lot of research and identified a few companies that we approached for our kitchen. Having spoken to a few people, we decided that Papilio were totally on our wavelength! From the initial meeting with Matt and Stephen, it was clear that they knew how to achieve our aims, and because they offer an entirely bespoke service, the kitchen that they designed for us ticked all the boxes. We had a very clear brief on what we wanted to achieve: a light, open and understated kitchen using natural materials. Originally, I was dead against any wall cabinets, trying to keep the kitchen as minimal as possible, however, Stephen and Matt at Papilio had the brainwave of a small, shallow cabinet with sliding brass lined reeded glass enclosures. What originally felt like a compromise of my minimalist tendencies, ended up being the star of the show in the kitchen. The cabinet is lit perfectly to show off our collection of ceramics (we love collecting teapots!) with a downlight underneath making the most of the marble worktop and upstands. We could not have asked for a better kitchen. It is a happy family space, that is just a joy to be in.

Papilio was recommended to us by our architect Simon Morray-Jones, and we haven't regretted choosing Papilio to create our kitchen and dressing room. From the start it has been a pleasure to work with Stephen and Matt, and we were impressed by their efficiency, creativity, kindness and correctness. They were able to listen to our wishes and to meet our requirements. The design we had in mind and had proposed to them was respected and elaborated in a perfect way. Their craftmanship is extra ordinary. They also met the deadlines and the budget was very accurate. Papilio delivered our dream kitchen and dressing room, and we would definitely recommend them for any bespoke design.

Working with Papilio, we aimed to create a family-orientated space, free from visual clutter and over design. We were thrilled with the service offered by Papilio, their knowledge of materials and the solutions they offered were outstanding. What we appreciated most about working with Matt and Stephen was their ability to listen and be flexible with the design approach. Plans and inspiration are discussed and worked through so the final result is the actual realisation of your ideas.

We have worked with Matt & Stephen from Papilio on a couple of occasions now and, on top of being a friendly and accessible team we have been impressed with their ability to translate client requirements, their overall attention to detail and the quality of workmanship. We have even been awarded the local Mendip Building Excellence award for one of our collaborative extension and refurbishment projects. I would happily and highly recommend Papilio for anyone looking to invest in a bespoke kitchen.