FAQs – USA & North America

As bespoke cabinet makers working on all rooms in the home, every project takes us on a different design journey. Our team of experts are here to guide you through how we work to apply our refined sensibility, sense of proportion, and renowned level of craftsmanship in cupboardmaking to your project. Below we have answered some of our most asked questions about our processes and the product ranges available in the USA & North America.

Design and Consultation Process

1. Q: What is included in the Design Consultation and Preliminary Quote?
   1. A: One of our expert Designers will meet with you either in-person at one of our showrooms or over the phone/Zoom. They will begin discussing your desired usage and storage requirements for the space in question; whichever room that may be. After our first meeting, we provide hand sketches for our initial ideas for the spatial layout as well as cost estimates and inspirational images to help visualize the project.Our pricing includes all joinery items to be shipped and delivered to/for the project address, and the corresponding cabinetry finishes (hardware, paint). We function as a full-service design studio, and our design time is included in our pricing.
2. Q: How do you determine a Preliminary Quote?
   1. A: We review your dimensioned floor plans or architectural drawings to prepare a specific estimate range for your project. This range accounts for our bespoke offerings and the variation of pricing that is possible, which ultimately depends on the level of customisation, internal details, and number of cupboards needed. If you have a budget in mind, our design team can adapt the scope of our design to best fit in line with your needs.
3. Q: Can you describe the bespoke design journey at Plain English?
   1. A: Plain English was founded in pursuit of the “below-stairs” or “backroom” look of grand eighteenth-century English houses: spare and purposeful, with stand-alone dressers, tables, cupboards, and spacious pantries. The timeless relationship between form and function continues to inform our designs. Our language speaks to all kinds of architectural settings, embracing all the modern ways we live now. Our Plain English design process is thoughtful and collaborative. Designs evolve as ideas take shape, with all cupboards and plans tailored exclusively for the project from our archive of ranges. Further information about our process can be found on our How We Work page.
4. Q: What types of design support do you offer?
   1. A: Our designers work globally from design studios in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Design consultations, meetings, and site visits can be made in person or virtually, depending on the location and scale of your project. In the US, our teams are on hand to offer guidance and support to your installation teams. We work collaboratively with everyone involved in your project, whether it is directly with clients, or liaising with interior designers, architects, developers, contractors, and installers.
5. Q: Do you have different lines available in the US?
   1. A: In the US, our design process begins with our most classic, basic cabinetry – our Spitalfields Cupboards with Wilkes Doors and Oak interiors. As the design progresses, we can refine, tailor, and add internal details and bespoke elements to best suit your requirements.

1. Q: What is the starting price range for a Plain English project in the US?
   1. A: A Plain English kitchen using our classic, basic cabinetry can start at around $75,000. These numbers can fluctuate up or down depending on the internal details added, the number of cupboards needed, or any layout changes that occur. If you have a budget in mind our designers can adapt the scope of our design to best fit in line with your needs.

Product Information

1. Q: What type of finishes and materials do you use for cabinetry?
   1. A: Our cupboards are made by hand in our workshops before being hand-painted and carefully wrapped, ready for delivery and installation by your contractors. Our cupboards are primarily made from poplar which is a hardwood. The carcasses are made from birch ply, and we use biscuit joints and domino joints to reduce the amount of glue used, but it is still a necessary step in cupboard making. At Plain English, we have tried, tested and precision-engineered many options and now use the best quality materials to give consistency for a kitchen that will truly stand the test of time. In our work to become more sustainable, Plain English now works with two workshops domestically in the US.
2. Q: Do your cabinetry designs include soft-close hinges and drawers?
   1. A: Our dovetailed drawers are mounted on soft-close runners. Our cabinets use simple brass butt hinges with magnetic catches.
3. Q: What options are available for ironmongery?
   1. A: We offer an exclusive, extensive range of ironmongery finishes, most notably our Georgian Brass finish which is hand-cast locally just down the road from our workshop in Suffolk, England.
4. Q: How diverse is the colour selection for cabinetry?
   1. A: You can enjoy exclusive access to our colour collections as part of any Plain English project. Otherwise, we can colour match to another paint of your choosing. Our designers are happy to guide colour choice and paint finish and can best assist in connecting clients with external suppliers and vendors depending on their preferences.
5. Q: What is the durability and longevity of the cabinetry?
   1. A: At Plain English, we use natural materials such as timber to build our product and our philosophy is to use these precious resources with respect, creating joinery that will age well and last indefinitely. All our joinery is hand-painted, and the paint can easily be touched up to make the finish as good as new. We believe that the soundest approach to any project is to buy once and buy well.

Manufacturing and Installation

1. Q: What is the timeline for cabinet production and delivery?
   1. A: The manufacturing lead time in the USA and North America is typically 12-14 weeks from final design sign-off. This can fluctuate depending on design time, appliance lead times, and when your team on-site will be ready to verify site dimensions.
2. Q: Does the quote include installation?
   1. A: No, cabinetry is supplied for installation by your chosen contractor. Our teams will be on hand to offer extensive assistance and guidance to your installation teams to create the desired outcome of the project. As we have now worked on numerous projects across the US, we maintain an extensive trusted list of contacts for installation. Please speak with your designer if you would like assistance with this.
3. Q: Can you supervise the installation and set out?
   1. A: Our craftsmen build the joinery for the contractor to install with our close, expert guidance. Our design team is happy to recommend local fitters from our extensive network that have completed our projects in the past, depending on the area of your project.

Support and Additional Services

1. Q: What additional support and services do you provide during the cabinet installation process?
   1. A: We can offer installation and painting guides as well as virtual support via phone or video call. We also are happy to visit the site, and this will be arranged with your designer.
2. Q: Do we need an architect?
   1. A: It is not a requirement to have an architect or interior designer on your team to work with Plain English. If of interest, our design team can connect you with local architects or interior designers whom we have worked with in the past, depending on the scope and size of your project.
3. Q: Who confirms dimensions?
   1. A: Confirming final site dimensions are best checked and confirmed by your installation team or contractor.
4. Q: Do you carry out site visits?
   1. A: We offer in-person or virtual meetings and site visits to fine-tune the design as needed. We can offer installation and painting guides as well as virtual support via phone or video call.

General

1. Q: How long has Plain English been creating bespoke cabinetry?
   1. A: For more than thirty years, Plain English has set the benchmark for cabinetry inspired by classic British interiors. Plain English founders Katie Fontana and Tony Niblock began by designing the first simple, painted kitchen for a Suffolk Longhouse they were building. The design aesthetic of that original project referenced Katie’s fascination with the harmony and utility of Georgian ‘below stairs’ joinery and this is the place we still begin every project today.
      Today, our distinctive design language and cabinetry speak to all kinds of architectural settings and extend to rooms beyond the kitchen—into pantries, mudrooms, larders, butler’s pantries, bedrooms, dressing rooms, bathrooms, home offices, bars, libraries and pool houses. You can read more about our history via our About Us and Press pages.
2. Q: Where can I visit Plain English showrooms?
   1. A: You do not need to book an appointment to visit us in our design studio and showrooms in New York and Los Angeles. We are open Monday to Friday 10 am – 5 pm and Saturdays 11 am – 4 pm.
      NEW YORK – 51 East Tenth Street, Greenwich Village, NY
      LOS ANGELES – 930 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069

Additional Details

1. Q: What additional items and services are available beyond cabinetry?
   1. A: We do not supply materials beyond our joinery, including but not limited to worktops, appliances, taps, and lighting. If you are working on a project with us or see a display item in one of our showrooms, our designers are happy to recommend and advise on these areas. We are unable to offer our Delft Tiles, ironmongery, colours, and tables & chairs individually from a larger project with us.

If you have drawings or floor plans, you are welcome to bring them in with you to visit us in one of our showrooms, submit them through our Enquiry form, or email them to us at hello@plainenglishdesign.com. We would be delighted to schedule a design meeting with you to begin discussing your project in further detail.