The perfect panel for “wow” handmade kitchens

I think, by now, we all know that those of us who were locked down in our own homes, as opposed to working hard outside of them, spent a modicum of time not really liking what we saw! And maybe, we imagined our perfect lounge, wall, toaster or bed! You know, maybe even Pinterest became a real habit for us when creating our perfect home haven in our minds!

One room we are sure you will have almost lived in is the kitchen – and the colours, accessories, technology, furniture and taps you see now show off just what the imagination can do! White kitchens have not necessarily gone – but a whole lot other stuff has been created.

One person who loves to design a beautiful, handmade kitchen, John Penny of JP Joinery, is really helping homeowners to enjoy the kitchen they have imagined. He takes up a recent story. “When I was asked by a client to design, build and install a “wow” bespoke kitchen, the one product element I knew I would be utilising was West Fraser’s CaberWood MDF! It was my first full, bespoke kitchen project.”

John’s client is based in Kirkliston, a small town to the West of Edinburgh, and Covid lockdown restrictions added challenges to the installation. John sourced West Fraser’s CaberWood MDF Pro MR from MGM Timber branches in Edinburgh and prepared the door and drawer fronts in his workshop. He continues, “I have tried a few brands of MDF but have found CaberWood MDF Pro MR to be the best choice for a perfect finish. I sprayed the MDF with a water-based paint which contains a full chemical hardener. This counters any fibre-raising which happens, to varying degrees with all MDF but, when experimenting with different brands, I have always found the West Fraser board to be the best”.

CaberWood MDF Pro MR is moisture resistant so particularly suitable for kitchens.

“I used a mix of 9, 18 and 22mm thick MDF for the variety of units – almost 40 in total – and, as always, found the boards easy to work with. The quality is always consistent which is important, especially on such a large project. It doesn’t splinter or chip meaning there’s very little waste. Compared with other brands I’ve used, CaberWood MDF is really well priced too!” said John.