Place Design Kitchens & Interiors

I found Place Design on Instagram and I wasn't sure if it was 'too' high brow for me but I was frustrated with my designer at the time and thought I would speak with Place to see how they compared. By the time I found Place I had tried many kitchen routes from Ikea and Magnet through to local bespoke stores but each had fallen short. I didn't think I was being very demanding - I knew what I wanted but needed an expert to match my vision and see if it was applicable and practical. Plus I have a nagging self doubt about my choices - I am devoid of design skill! John Place was immediately warm and reassuring. I told him my situation and he was immediately able to see what I wanted. Our first consultation with him was remarkable. He came to the house, saw the space and listened to our needs. He then mapped it out on a 3D CAD program so that we could see our ideas come to life. I am always a bit sceptical that these program make things look better than they are in real life but honestly they are really realistic. I hope John shows pictures of the design and then the real thing so you can see how close it was. The main thing for me was that John really cared about what he produced. He helped us think of every detail and went above and beyond helping us specify a pantry area for our builder to make. The other thing I liked about John was that he made me a bit bolder and braver with colours and also he was willing to go on a learning journey with us - for example we found a brilliant stone supplier in Ongar and John helped liase wiith them to specify the work surfaces. John was a constant through thewhole process. He worked well with our builder (and had his own contacts as well) and was continuously checking in. The units he specified seemed costly at first but when you see tyhe quality and how they come ready and bespoke assembled it all makes perfect sense that they are a bit more expensive than the 'one size fits all' solutions you get from cheaper manufacturers. All in all John is not only a brilliant and experienced designer but a genuinely nice man who really is passionate about what he does. We were so blessed to find him after a long search! Now we have the kitchen of our dreams which is a pity because I enjoyed the process so much I'd love to do it all over again!

We began our kitchen refurbishment feeling quite unsure about where to start, and John was recommended to us by a friend. From the outset, John was a pleasure to work with. He was patient as we explored several iterations of both design and cost, and he provided clear guidance throughout the process. Importantly, John managed the entire project end‑to‑end, coordinating all elements and obtaining quotes from builders, which made the process significantly smoother for us. He was also flexible in his approach; for example, we were not tied to any of his suppliers for appliances. We are thrilled with our new kitchen. It is both stylish and highly functional, and we are extremely pleased with the final result.

We had a wonderful experience working with John at Place Design to redesign our downstairs living, working, and dining areas. John was exceptional throughout the entire process. What stood out most was his ability to strike the perfect balance between listening to our initial vision and using his expertise to guide us toward even better choices. He didn’t just say "yes" to everything; he thoughtfully steered us in directions that improved the final outcome significantly. The result is a space that flows beautifully and functions exactly how we need it to. Both the design phase and the actual execution were handled with professionalism and care. We are thrilled with our new home and highly recommend John to anyone looking for high-quality design and a seamless process.

I would highly recommend John at Place Design. When you are spending a lot of money on a kitchen, you want to get it right and we are really happy with the end result. John helped us through the whole process and his software was also really helpful to be able to visualise what it was all going to look like and try out different colours to see what would work best.

John really has made our dream kitchen. The whole process was exciting. It’s bold, it’s bright and unique. We couldn’t be happier. Thanks John

We loved working with John. He listened to our ideas, reviewed our inspiration and then delivered some great designs. He was patient when we changed our mind on details or made last minute tweaks. We're so happy with the result

It was fantastic working with John on this project. Because he was involved from the very start, he was able to observe what I liked and hated about my old kitchen. He came up with ideas that showed he completely understood what my needs were. Being involved throughout the building process meant he worked with the building team to ensure everything came together and they worked through a few inevitable hurdles together. The finished result is amazing - I love the onyx black balanced with beautiful stone. In a light airy room it works really well and doesn't feel too dark at all. I'm still delighted to find everything exactly where I like it which makes prepping, dining and cleaning a breeze. Very happy and busy bragging to my friends!

A new kitchen in a 300 year old higgledy-piggledy Georgian cottage is not a very straight forward project. I was looking for a good listener with a gift for problem solving and keen eye for design - thankfully John can do all three! We had decided to remove a small section of wall and doorway into a cramped utility space in order to create a larger more user-friendly kitchen space where we can cook and socialise with family and friends. John spent a lot of time listening to our issues with the old kitchen set up and, having visited, came up with various design ideas that might work better going forward. John worked closely with the kitchen makers and installers which took a lot of the stress out of the job. The installers also ended up doing quite a bit of extra work (like restoring our old flagstone floors) and they were a pleasure to deal with. In the end I think what we have created not only looks great in the space but is also practical, and with all the benefits of modern technology. The charging drawer is a game changer! We really are so pleased with the results. Given the age and complexity of our house what could have been quite a difficult experience was actually very quite stress-free. Would highly recommend John and the rest of the team.

John was great during the whole process, helping with both design and project management. He listened to our needs and not only created a great design for our kitchen extension but recommended builders and suppliers, and worked with us and the tradesmen to make sure all the details were right. Would definitely recommend!

We had a great experience working with John on our dream kitchen! John visited us at home to look at the space we had and listened very carefully to what we were after, what we did and didn’t like, and how we wanted to use the room. He pointed out to us the strengths of the room (in our case ceiling height and lots of light) and his designs were very thoughtful about how we could maximise those aspects. We had a lot of back and forth through the design process and John was very patient and easygoing to work with. He advised and project managed every aspect of our kitchen - cupboards, worktops, flooring, paint colour, wood choices for shelving… we’re genuinely delighted with our kitchen. It’s both practical and a beautiful space to be in. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend John, we had a great experience!

We set John a brief to design a kitchen that would work for our growing family. My wife was 4months pregnant at the time and we wanted everything to be finished long before the baby arrived so John advised on the best options to optimise leadtimes and introduced us to his preferred builder. The end product is absolutey superb, and includes lots of bespoke elements, my favourite being the 65mm thick solid oak breakfast bar reclaimed from a timber yard, it brings a lot of character and is a focal point of the kitchen. It was also completed exactly to the timing plan and several weeks before the baby arrived. John was always on hand to answer questions and made multiple visits to check on progress. Highly recommend!

John was very helpful throughout the project, with really great ideas from the outset, and then following through right to the end to check everything was done as we wanted it. He was always willing to change the design following discussions with us (so was very collaborative) but gave us plenty of guidance along the way to bring our vision to life. Nothing was too much trouble, and we are delighted with how it looks. Would definitely recommend his services to anyone.

From our first meeting with John, we felt confident that he understood what we hoped to achieve with replacing our kitchen in an awkward shaped room. He produced two schemes for us to consider and with just a couple of minor tweaks we chose one of them. John recommended Matt and Kris from KK Maintenance and Refurbishment, who carried out not only the fitting of the kitchen but other work for us to a very high standard. John continued to liaise with them throughout the work and made numerous site visits to check on progress. The completed project is superb and we are delighted with it. We have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending John to you for your project.

John was incredible in helping us design and project manage our kitchen build. We were initially unclear on the layout and he showed us a clear vision and way forward that made sense, looked good and was practical. I would strongly recommend John for his design skills, patience and flexibility. He gave us the time we needed to make choices and his recommendations were always well received and made sense. We also used his preferred building team who were hard working, collaborative and clearly very skilled and knowledgeable. John has a great relationship with them and was with us until the end to help finalise those all important finishing touches. Overall great experience and highly recommended.

We worked with John on our kitchen project and the results have totally transformed the way we use our house. John was great at helping us to visualise the design and understand what was possible with the space. He is really dedicated to what he does and it shows! He is focussed on the big picture as well as the finer details and he was there to help us navigate any issues that came up during the project. Highly recommend!

Working with john was great - he gave exceptional guidance all the way through out the process and we really got the sense the project was important to him. John gave helpful advice in areas we didn't know much about and took on board what we wanted to achieve. He recommended excellent people to fit the kitchen and provide underfloor heating and helped picked the right appliances for our budget and needs. Overall - Joh. was excellent to work with and we would not hesitate to recommend him.

We had an excellent experience with John. He had a strong grasp of the practical considerations we needed to account for with our kitchen, and it was easy to move through the design and delivery stages as a result. More importantly, he was able to provide creative but specific input on our general ideas, turning them into the aesthetic we wanted. He was readily available and easy to deal with, even though delays and changes to our building work created challenges. We found him invaluable as a guide to realising our dream kitchen, and warmly recommend him and his team.

John was brilliant at understanding our needs, our taste and our personalities. He created a design which is streamlined, welcoming, restful and so lovely to be in. We particularly appreciated the care he took with us, since this was our first major home improvement project. The builders that he recommended were excellent, and John project-managed the work from start to finish, always going the extra mile to make sure we got things just right. He gave excellent advice and guidance, while giving us space to make our own decisions. We would not hesitate to recommend PlaceDesign.

John was first class. He provide us the confidence and support for us to deliver our kitchen project. He listened, took on board our ideas, helped plug the gaps and gently redirected when we were going too far off piste. His build team, led by Matt, were easy to work with, generally pretty clean and tidy, and when they uncovered some nasty surprises during the work they didn’t come back and look to reopen negotiations. The only additional items in the final bill were extra things I requested along the way, which they were happy to accommodate. They snagged their own work, the few additional things I spotted were quickly dealt with and they immediately came back at their costs to deal with the one item that cropped up after completion. I couldn’t fault the experience, particularly during the challenges of Covid. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend John and his team, and I fully expect to use them again myself for future projects.

It was a pleasure working with John on the design of our new kitchen! We knew we wanted an open plan space and a kitchen island/ bar, but could not come up with a solution for all the tricky aspects such as windows in the 'wrong' place etc. Everything became clear though once John got involved. During our first meeting he mainly listened to our ideas and asked the right questions about what sort of kitchen users we are and what our wishes and needs are, and which parts are non-negotiable. A few days later John showed us a first design which really wowed us as he challenged assumptions about how to use the space we had available. This first design was pretty much spot on, and we spent another couple of meeting together tweaking details and deciding on products, colours etc. Looking at samples was incredibly helpful and John had all the right contacts to enable us to do so. John was never far from the phone or email and continued to listen, give practical advice and share his honest opinion which we really appreciated. The results are a beautiful kitchen, sleek countertop with materials that are robust, beautiful to look at and touch, and from sustainability certified suppliers - and all of this on budget! Giant thanks to John who helped us creating a space we love and cherish every day!

We couldn't be happier with our new kitchen. John and team were excellent through. They use good quality suppliers, deliver fats and to a very high standard of workmanship and were patient and flexible to our evolving requirements. I would highly recommend John and team to others.

Finally making my dream kitchen a reality was pretty daunting. John listened to my (long!) list of requirements and incorporated them into the final design. He also made some excellent suggestions which l hadn’t even considered. Repositioning the oven and replacing with pan drawers has really improved the overall look of the kitchen, and framing the fridge with cupboards transformed our original plans. His experience really shone through, especially with his advice and guidance on worktop materials. It really helped us think about using the kitchen over the longer term and we couldn’t be happier with the results. John’s trades people are of a very high standard and are very tidy and polite. John was also always available to discuss any thoughts and concerns I had, which were many! His calmness and experience helped take the stress out of making decisions. Although I was dreading the work physically starting, he made the whole project fun. I really felt like I was in safe hands and did not have to worry. I can’t recommend him highly enough.

John designed and executed brilliantly on our new kitchen. He project managed his building team (Kris and Matt etc) fantastically and made it a pain free process for us. The pictures speak for themselves. Thanks John !

I wanted to take the time to recommend John at Place Design. The work he did for us was exceptional. He is completely professional but also friendly and understanding. I had very strong ideas about what I wanted the kitchen to achieve. John took the time to understand how our family lives before designing the kitchen. I wanted it all, a kitchen that was beautiful but also practical for my family. John delivered on so many levels. He came to visit several times, also came to look at the space as it was being built and gave feedback on various different aspects of the space as it was being created. I wanted to wait a few months and live in the house before I wrote a review. After all the proof of the pudding and all that! It is frankly just even better than we had hoped for. I am currently sat working from home at my lovely breakfast bar looking through my lovely french windows over the garden. What I have is a wonderful, calming space that can cope with the madness of two teenagers at mealtimes, art projects, homework. Also it works well when we have 3 million kids round (well it feels like it!) If you are planning a project I cannot recommend John enough. His honesty and commitment to excellence, along with his friendly and flexible approach are second to none.

Outstanding! A very elegant kitchen done within the budget that was established.The project extend to a downstairs toilet,dining room floor and hall.The kitchen is the heart of most houses and indeed is having a warm effect in all the family gathering.All materials and appliances used of high standard , and all the drawers and cupboards work smoothly and very practical.Finally i am having a very organized kitchen !! John Place is an excellent designer, listen to your needs,very polite and understanding with immense attention to details.He is very knowledgeable in all the areas design to construction. He is the Best.

Beautiful classic shaker kitchen from Place Design. After looking at many different companies, we asked John from Place Design to design and supply a shaker style kitchen as part of our recent home extension. John gave nothing but perfect service. His design credentials really shone as he came up with imaginative and creative ideas which resulted in our stunning new kitchen. The quality of the cabinets & finish is superb and the project hasn't broken the bank. I cannot recommend Place Design enough

John helped us from the outset in terms of designing and planning our dream kitchen and 2 new bathrooms. His suggestions during all phases of the project were indicative of his vast experience in designing and installing beautiful functional spaces. He brought with him a team of incredible fitters and builders who were able to complete other aspects of our project including installation of a new kitchen roof and roof lantern, new central heating, full decoration, restoration of hardwood flooring etc. The project was substantial and John played a pivotal role through the renovation. He was able and happy to work within our budget and added huge value in helping us decide which elements could be compromised on and which couldn’t thus maintaining the high end finish we wanted. We are absolutely delighted with the kitchen, bathrooms and what was a significant transformation. Our project was completed in agreed timelines and to our specified budget. I have absolutely no reservations in highly recommending John.

We've been enjoying using our new family kitchen for the last month. I found John Place (by chance) on the Houzz website, I'm so glad I did. I was I initially nervous about using a kitchen designer based soley on website reviews. I'm a bit of a traditionalist and my initial plan was to use a designer based in a showroom. Any concerns I had were forgotten after initial consultations with John and conversations with his former customers. After our initial meetings he came up with different plan options for our kitchen. The plan we liked best included a beautiful bespoke island and a utility room which conceals our washing machine, dryer and microwave behind bi-fold doors. There's so much we like about our new kitchen. Our favourite bit is the bespoke island. It's great to look at and perfectly suited to enjoying a drink and a chat with family and friends. I'd definitely recommend using John, particularly as he gave design ideas for the whole build not just the kitchen.

I am delighted with our new kitchen and would have no hesitation in recommending John, who I found through Houzz. He was easy going, but organised and did not give up easily. I liked the fact that he didn’t push his ideas, but when I wanted and asked for his opinion – he’s the designer after all! - he didn’t sit on the fence he gave it, which was useful. After his initial visit, he returned with several layouts, one was particularly inspired and we opted for it straight away and for his suggestion of an elliptical island, which is just interesting and different! He was accommodating about costs, researching alternative look alike worktops when the original choice proved too expensive.

We have hired PlaceDesign Kitchens and Interiors to help with our kitchen and bathroom. John guided us through the refurbishment with clearly laid out options and detailed designs. We felt supported from the beginning to the end. Our final vision was completed to a very high standard and within the budget. We absolutely love our kitchen and bathroom, thank you for the hard work.

John professionally designed my kitchen also with our ideas. Attained deadlne with budget in mind. Quality and perfection is visibly projected. Will gladly recommend him any day. John is a listener with brilliant ideas & suggestions that works and does all his projects with such zeal and passion. He first did a £38K project in London for us in 2011, which was so fabulous and complimented by all who came to the house. Will use him any day and hence coming back. He is a pro.

John was fantastic to work with, we have spent 12 months remodelling our house and Kitchen which John managed for us. We also built a new bar area and locker room (boot room) with John leading the design again, we could not be happier with the results. My wife and I would highly recommend PlaceDesign and would certainly use them again.

I’d unreservedly recommend John. He is great to work with - From the outset he carefully listened to our ideas and turned them into clearly visualised and well thought out design. He was able to offer multiple options on finishes and equipment as well as keeping a close eye on costs. John also worked really well with our architect and builders to make sure everything was laid out just right and was able to quickly redesign elements as the build demanded. We’re delighted with the results.

From the first meeting to discuss ideas, to the conclusion of the work, John inspired confidence. We felt that he was on our wavelength, engaged imaginatively with the project and able to balance aesthetics with practicality. John was willing to spend sufficient time to talk through initial ideas, the pros and cons of this or that layout and material and the relative costs of each, thus helping us to make confident choices, especially as he has real breadth of empirical knowledge to draw on. We did go over budget, but that was due to the choices we made. John would have advised us how to stay within budget had that been crucial. Our breakfast bar is a thing of beauty, which looks integral thanks to John's tenacity in finding a craftsman who could interpret my sketch, and the perfect piece of oak; thanks also to the builders' skill in working sensitively with the unique nature of the wood. The builders, Kris and Matt were professional throughout, considerate and careful to cause minimum disruption. Their work is of a high standard. The cabinetry by a firm of John's recommendation is very fine and a joy to use. I particularly like the capacious drawers which can handle pans as heavy as Le Creuset. John managed our project so well that it was a smooth operation from start to finish, each stage seeming to flow seamlessly into the next. When there were queries he dealt swiftly with them and addressed any concerns that arose. We now have a kitchen that, thanks to John's design, seems miraculously to be more spacious, lighter and altogether, life enhancing! We would not hesitate in recommending John to design and manage your project.

John's work and attention to detail is of the highest quality. I had an idea of what I wanted, John saw my idea clearly and then created it. I ran into some planning obstacles and it changed the concept of my kitchen, John could not have been more helpful and versatile with the restructuring of the project. He has worked on many projects big and small over the years, and his experience really shows through in the quality of design and products he uses. Highly recommended!!

We were completely intimidated by the process of planning and choosing a kitchen, but John did a fantastic job of guiding us smoothly through the whole thing. He had some great ideas, but was also very collaborative and let us have our own creative input, only intervening when we were in danger of making a mistake. His suppliers and fitters were all reliable and he has been extremely responsive throughout, keeping us informed and following up on any problems. His easy, relaxed style made what could have been a very stressful process, a pleasure (almost)!

We are absolutely delighted with our beautiful kitchen. John provided an amazing design, great advice on everything including materials and equipment and worked closely with the builders, installers and painter. John has that wonderful mix of experience, design creativity, and lots of patience! We wholeheartedly recommend John if you are looking for someone to help guide you through the whole experience. You can get our tel number from John in the event that you would like to speak to us. Paul and Natalie, Chislehurst,Kent.

Working with John on our side return and kitchen refurbishment was great. He made the process from start to finish easy, working to our restrictive timescales and creating a final design that now complete is perfect for our home and family. Highly recommended!

I found John through Houzz after reading reviews on the app. I would now on completion of the project completely agree with the reviews I read. John helped us to get our project on track and from start to end was very supportive. He guided us through the design process and put us in touch with a good builder. John was great at providing ideas and helping us to see what the end product would look like. He gave invaluable advice and never pushed us into anything we weren't happy with. His patience and support helped us to work through the whole process more efficiently than we would have with more confidence. He sourced materials and suggested alternatives. We are and were very happy and grateful for his support throughout the whole project! Thank you John.

John is everything you could wish for in a designer: he listened to us, came up with innovative ideas, patiently stayed with us as our thoughts evolved and changed, and gave us balanced feedback at every stage that allowed us to assess the implications of our ideas. He also introduced great partners to realise our project, who delivered on time and to budget. It was a great partnership in every sense. The result is a kitchen that is everything we hoped for but didn't quite know how to get. It has transformed our space, and not only does it look great, but it also works. We would not have been able to achieve this without John.

It was a pleasure working with John to create our new kitchen and living space and we are thrilled with the end result. John gave us great support and advice, not only at the design stage (as well as being very patient with us as plans changed several times) but also with fittings, appliances and paint colours. He made the decision making process very easy and we never felt overwhelmed or rushed. He was very easy going and happy to work with us and our builder to manage the project. As complete novices in terms of building renovation work, we really benefitted from John’s skills and experience and felt we were in a safe pair of hands. We would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone considering a new kitchen.

John Place is a genuine pleasure to work with from the initial discussion on site down to the nitty-gritty of handles and under cabinet lighting. His long background with highly reputable companies like Humphersons at Heals is a big advantage, but his down-to-earth and practical knowledge of every aspect of kitchen design is what makes him a top designer and coordinator of kitchen furniture. Our clients have been somewhat budget-conscious and John knows how to deliver value for money. In the intimidating world of extremely expensive kitchen showrooms, he has been a great guide to finding the best quality available in the UK within a realistic budget.

It was a pleasure to work with John from start to finish. I found him through his website so was wary at first having no other personal reference, but he was professional, patient, and knowledgeable at every turn. He offered advice and guided us through endless variations until we had thought through what we really needed, wanted and could afford. We've ended up with a wonderful space that suits us perfectly. I can recommend unreservedly working with him.

I am really delighted with my new kitchen, in large part thanks to John. When he started on the project there were a large number of variables including what size of extension and therefore kitchen we should go for. John was extremely helpful in modelling the various options for us and helping us understand the implications of each choice. In the event his input allowed us to be confident in choosing the smaller scheme, and saving £15-20,000 in build and fit out costs. He was very good at helping me realise my vision for the kitchen design. I already had some fairly firm ideas on a colour scheme and he was fantastic at finding the right product range to achieve it at a sensible cost. He was also very patient at tweaking layouts to make sure all the appliances and cupboards were in the right place for maximum functionality. It looks and works exactly as I'd hoped and I'm looking forward to using the new room for many years to come.

John designed and managed the installation of our new kitchen and we can't recommend the quality of his work highly enough, he has delivered the kitchen of our dreams! Throughout the design process John was always prepared to listen and take on our ideas whilst his experience was invaluable in ensuring that the kitchen was everything we had hoped for and more. He provided the design and supply of the kitchen and ensured that all the different suppliers were on time with delivery and everything was fitted on schedule. Throughout the whole process he was always available to discuss any questions that we had and his professionalism was always a reassuring presence. We would recommend John at Place Design to anyone considering a new kitchen.

We used John Place for our kitchen design and supplier. He provided excellent advice and professionalism with his design. We felt that he wanted to provide us with the best quality for our budget, rather than trying to 'up-sell' products and items which enabled us to stick to our initial budget. He was always contactable and involved with the build. I can not recommend the guy enough.

John at Place Designs designed and sourced the new kitchen I had fitted into a redesign I did of a flat. His expertise and attention to detail was second to none the whole way through the project. All parts came on time and he was always on the end of the phone to deal with the few minor issues that occurred. His fitter did a brilliant job too and we were left with a kitchen that was the envy of my block (we were in a flat). I can't recommend him highly enough. He's been in the game long enough to negotiate the minefield of potential pitfalls that come with installing a new kitchen. First for service, value and design ideas that brought the whole concept together. 10/10 definitely use him again and have recommended him to many friends.

John Place not only designed a perfect kitchen for my family he went out of his way to make sure every aspect of the detail was addressed. this was not an easy project for John as the kitchen was made up of three different manufacturers. John not only made sure the project was delivered on time but only that he gave us exactly what we wanted, from the wine cooler for me to the pewter aga for my wife. He took the old of the aga and the new of the sub-zero and the contemporary of the kitchen units and pulled it all together to deliver the perfect kitchen. We cannot praise John enough a would recommend him to all of our friends.

I would not hesitate to recommend John as a kitchen designer. His advice and vision was invaluable on what was a large kitchen/living area project. He managed the kitchen company, fitters, painters and invoicing seamlessly and was always available to talk through any questions and changes big or small. Sinead Glanville