Cabbonet is a 13th century English word meaning a ‘chest of safe keeping’. It is an apt name for a brand that only launched in 2019 but that values and safeguards traditional craftsmanship while thrusting into the future with its flexible, innovative kitchens, closets and living furniture. Cabbonet’s bespoke product range celebrates the art of tactility, sourcing materials both old and new, and experimenting with traditional finishes in contemporary contexts. Its furniture and kitchens appeal to discerning – if not highly demanding – design-conscious customers worldwide and perfectly capture the eclectic, cosmopolitan soul of London.
Today’s kitchen is way beyond just being somewhere to cook and entertain. As people locked down and reappraised their homes in 2020, the kitchen increasingly became the hub expresses everything about us. Cabbonet has witnessed a real movement away from big brands’ uniform trends towards a far more personalised approach. Clients now want practical, versatile but highly original and beautifully crafted rooms that reflect their personalities and Cabbonet fast became the go-to brand for idiosyncratic, theatrical kitchens.
It’s therefore no coincidence that founder Andrew Hays also designs sets and costumes for some of the world’s greatest opera houses, including London’s Royal Opera House, Venice’s La Fenice and Sydney’s Opera House, through his multidisciplinary studio Arteim, the creative machine behind Cabbonet. ‘The experiential nature of opera has given me a perspective that’s allowed us to create interiors that engender a strong emotional response,’ says Andrew. ‘Different materials conjure up a whole range of memories that add to your emotional connection to a space.’
Andrew’s obsession with kitchen design was ignited in 2014 when he conceived the award-winning Fourth Wall kitchen for Poggenpohl, where he served as the creative director. He has been creating ground-breaking kitchens for delighted customers ever since.
‘In some ways, for all its turmoil, this year has been one of opportunity,’ says Andrew. ‘Our primary vision was to make Cabbonet more accessible to more clients and we’ve done this both physically and virtually.’ Knowing how important its materials are to its customers, Cabbonet expanded physical locations where clients could touch and feel, while creating virtual brand experiences enabled customers to connect with products from home. ‘Materials are tactile, expressive, and stimulating – they engage the senses beyond the visual,’ Andrew explains. ‘Skilfully combined materials bring out the best in each other so it’s so important for customers to get a real feel for them.’
By remaining agile, communicative and inventive in 2020, Cabbonet witnessed enormous growth and is optimistic this will continue this year. Indeed, Andrew fully expects to be in ‘over-drive’. ‘We will go on collaborating and forging partnerships with like-minded creatives across the world who manifest the same passion and energy as us. Our pledge is to deliver total functionality without ever compromising on superb aesthetics and design. So long as we do this and surge ahead with new concepts, materials and products, the allure of buying British is eternal and will remain unchanged.’
