Behind the WESTLOCK Design with HM DESIGN DIRECTOR Peter Humphrey

When it comes to kitchen design at Humphrey Munson, every project begins with four guiding principles: simplicity, symmetry, proportion and restraint. The Westlock Kitchen embodies these ideals while pushing the boundaries of contemporary design. With its striking horizontal fluting – a detail as complex to achieve as it is effortless to behold – the Westlock is a bold, understated and completely original design.

In this exclusive Q&A, Peter Humphrey, Design Director of Humphrey Munson, discusses the inspiration, the challenges and the uncompromising attention to detail behind the Westlock Kitchen. From the difficulty of achieving perfect horizontal fluting to the question of why investing in bespoke joinery matters, Peter offers an insider’s perspective on what makes the Westlock such a remarkable example of contemporary English design.

Q: The first thing one notices about the Westlock is the fluted detail – horizontally run, meticulously even, subtle yet strong. What was the thinking behind that (and just how much of a nightmare is it to execute)?

Peter Humphrey: Yes absolutely, the fluting is central to the design. Unlike vertical fluting which has classical connotations, going horizontal gives the run a sense of expansion. It visually lengthens walls, draws the eye across, not up. But ‘nice to look at’ is one thing; making the flutes run perfectly level, seamless and consistent across every drawer and door style – that was really challenging. The margin for error is tiny.

Q: Tell us about materials. How does using oak as a material choice support both form and function?

Peter Humphrey: Oak is natural, forgiving and warm and it gives texture, grain and personality to the designs. When combined with a horizontal fluted design, the wood adds tactility that smooth paint can’t really compete with but oak has its temper – it moves, it responds to humidity and heat – so the cabinetry must accommodate that.

It’s a contemporary kitchen design, yes – but done using the best natural materials and made to the very finest standard. That’s always been our hallmark at Humphrey Munson: contemporary or classic, the quality is always uncompromising.

Q: At HM we often talk about “simplicity, symmetry, proportion and restraint”. But isn’t the Westlock pushing complexity – the horizontal flutes, mixing materials, super sophisticated lighting? Where do you draw the line between considered design and over design?

Peter Humphrey: Good question. You always push boundaries in a design you love, but the danger is that a kitchen becomes an exhibition rather than a home’s beating heart. I draw the line at functionality and coherence. For me, everything in a kitchen has to serve a purpose. There has to be a reason why something is there, or why it looks a certain way.

Q: Let’s talk controversy: bespoke kitchens like this carry high cost in time, resources, craftsmanship. In the past we’ve heard the argument you can get something “good enough” much cheaper. What’s your defence for the investment in something like the Westlock?

Peter Humphrey: It comes back to what you value and where you place value in your home. Yes, you can get cheaper. But what you’ll lose is precision, durability and aesthetic lifespan. In a pre-fab or mass-market kitchen, tolerances are looser; finishes are often thinner; material quality is often lower. What looks fine at first may look tired in five years.

With low-end you pay in maintenance, in compromises: crooked doors, panels that warp, handles that tarnish, surfaces that stain. With an investment like an HM kitchen, you get something that feels good under your hand, ages well and becomes part of the architecture of your home, not just the furniture in it.

Q:Final question: If you were to name one lesson you learned during designing and executing the Westlock, what was it?

Peter Humphrey: Never underestimate how small ‘imperfections’ will shout once everything is finished. A tiny misalignment in a fluted groove, a slight mismatch in wood grain, or a door that doesn’t close with the same crispness as its neighbour – once you live with it, it becomes all you see. So I’d say: in bespoke craftsmanship, you must treat every detail – even the hidden hinge, the underside of a countertop overhang – as if everyone will notice. Because they will.

And that’s why the Westlock stands as a perfect example of a contemporary kitchen by Humphrey Munson: yes, it’s modern in language, but it’s made with the best materials, the best finishing and the most rigorous craftsmanship. Exactly what our clients expect – and exactly what we demand of ourselves.

Image Credits – Paul Craig