Mum’s term, my list
The Good Room.
“The good room” was what my mum called the formal sitting room, kept tidy for guests. This is mine: the suppliers, makers and brands I keep coming back to. Specified on real projects, costed against real budgets, and recommended without a kickback.
Surfaces I trust.
Hardware I keep returning to.
Studio rules of thumb.
One hero, one helper
Each room gets one statement material and one supporting one. Add a third and the kitchen starts shouting.
Specify the closer
The drawer runner you can’t see, the hinge that doesn’t slam — that’s where the budget should go before the splashback.
Sample at scale
A 50×50mm chip lies. View samples at A2 minimum, in the actual light, before you sign.
Plan for patina
Brass dulls. Timber softens. Stone collects history. Choose materials that get better, not worse.
Rules I break about once a year. Regret about twice.
Good rooms aren’t decorated, they’re considered. The drawer that closes well, the bench that’s the right height, the light at five in the afternoon — those are the bits you feel before you see.
— Jennifer Moy
A project, in mind?
Want this list applied to your kitchen?
The trade list is the easy bit. The hard bit is the brief, the budget, the schedule. That’s where I come in.
