At Uncommon Projects, we’ve been designing, manufacturing and installing kitchens and furniture for over a decade.
Architect Alan Drumm and product designer James Hoy set up our studio in London with a wealth of experience in interior architecture, design and manufacture, a mutual affection for the early modernist aesthetic, and a shared appreciation of the material possibilities of plywood.
Our first products were in-frame doors for kitchen cabinets – challenging because dimensions and details have to be perfect every time. That’s how we honed the level of precision that we’ve become renowned for.
Today, we work with clients and homeowners across the UK on freestanding and fitted kitchens and furniture, either solo or in partnership with project architects, but always personal, and always to the highest standards of quality and precision. That’s what our customers love and why we win awards.
We like simple, materially honest spaces and clean, efficient designs. Purpose-driven, maybe, but warm and human, too – like a Charlotte Perriand stool or an Eames chair in moulded ply. Our approach is design-led and focused on functionality — we love the way a space looks, but we love the way it works even more.
Yes, we’re expert designers, joiners and cabinet makers, but above all else, we’re problem solvers. Thanks to Alan and James’ backgrounds in architecture and product design, we’ve enshrined design thinking at the heart of our work.
We understand that the needs of every customer are unique. So whether providing our Bespoke design service, fulfilling an order for our Core modular kitchen system or creating new homewares, we treat every project as exceptional.
We believe that longevity and sustainability go hand in hand, which is why everything we make is built to last. Your Uncommon kitchen and furniture should serve you for a lifetime.
We use the finest quality European birch plywood throughout all our furniture. Our bespoke cabinetry and furniture are meticulously finished with hardwood veneer. Both our engineered plywood and hardwood veneers carry certification from the Forest Stewardship Council, ensuring sustainability and excellence in every piece.
Our manufacturing process combines advanced technology with traditional joinery techniques. Our makers are craftspeople — the pride they take is evident in every item that leaves the workshop.
We design furniture and cabinetry that makes life easier and satisfies our customers’ needs (often ones they didn’t know they had). We value uncommon character but don’t overcomplicate things. Modesty, honesty and efficiency are at the heart of our products, and our relationships with customers.
Not enough people think about drawers, or bins for that matter. We do. We’re obsessed with them — and a hundred other details — because small choices can have big impacts. From sliding doors to ingeniously concealed task lighting, we understand that every touchpoint and every mechanism, however easily overlooked, contributes to your experience. And because all our components are designed and made in-house, we know their details inside out. No surprise then that our customers consider drawer organisation an artform, or report taking more pleasure from a bin than they ever thought possible.
It’s important to clarify something: you will find cheaper kitchens and furniture elsewhere. What you are much less likely to find are things that are better-made, longer-lasting, more thoughtfully designed or built from higher-quality materials.
From bespoke plywood fit-outs to our new modular kitchen system and collection of homewares, we design and make it ourselves.
