Neptune By Richard F Mackay

Handmade Kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, upholstery, garden furniture and accesorries

The Design

We feel very lucky to have such a talented group of designers, carpenters, hand painters and finishers who are willing to take on every bold new design, and ensure every detail, material and finish is perfect.

And, because we have such confidence in them, we are able to dream up some fabulous details that make Neptune furniture a real delight to use. For us, the design process revolves around function and form in equal measure. For example, our traditional zig zag shelving system is the most complicated to build, yet gives our cabinets the most flexible adjustments and the most beautiful look.

Not only do our designs require exceptional joinery, but our high standards demand exhaustive researching, adjusting, sampling and testing. The result is curved pieces, invisible pull out parts, adjustable skirtings and false facades that make our furniture a real pleasure to use. It is this attention to detail that we feel makes each piece of Neptune furniture so special.

Motivated by the beauty of classical English architecture and influences such as the Arts and Crafts movement, we have created three elegant ranges that celebrate our English heritage. The Henley, Suffolk and Chichester ranges use traditional materials, expert joinery and authentic colours to enhance the glorious oak, pared back simplicity and classical English elegance of each style.

The Concept

After we lost count of the number of customers who wanted to buy a free standing kitchen sink to accompany our Chichester Dresser, Island and Chopping Block we decided the time had come to develop our own range of kitchen furniture. You wanted free standing pieces for that bespoke look, so it really got us thinking. . .

If we designed beautifully made freestanding furniture for the kitchen that you could either push together as a run or use on its own, we could create kitchens with an individual and distinctive feel. By adopting the principle that bespoke furniture is an unusual size we could make a huge variety of different sizes, resulting in a huge variety of different kitchens.

And because we go direct to source for our quality raw materials and apply efficient production techniques, we could make them very affordable. And the rest as you say is history! We now offer three different ranges, 28 original paint colours, an array of different hinges and handles and a myriad choice of sizes, styles and accessories. We use the best quality materials, the best craftsmanship and all for the best price. We really hope you will enjoy designing and using your bespoke kitchen. It is built to last a lifetime!

The Build

Thankfully our production team like a challenge. In fact, they derive real pleasure from taking raw timber and turning it into a complex, intricate and beautiful piece of furniture. With more than a hundred of us including skilled carpenters, hand painters, finishers, timber selection and quality control, we are able to do as much as we can ourselves; ensuring we choose the best materials, keep a close eye on quality throughout and make sure each piece arrives with you with as much care as possible.

the timber We start by sourcing and selecting the finest timber. Birch or oak for the door frames and drawer boxes, and poplar and birch for the cabinet panels. These timbers are wonderfully stable, beautiful to work with and are sourced from an entirely sustainable forest. We do NOT use MDF or chipboard. These materials have no inherent strength as they simply rely on noxious chemicals to hold their form.

crafted by hands Each cabinet is crafted carefully by hand. Unlike many kitchens, our cabinets are fully framed for greater strength and beauty and we only use traditional mortise and tenon joints epoxy glued together and physically locked with a dowel. Similarly our drawers are not butt jointed with a dowel but a dovetail joint, and can carry a massive 30kgs.

the finish Each piece goes through a four stage finishing program. Initially cabinets are hand sprayed, this is followed by a further mid coat, further sanding, two top coats and a final hand finish. Now we are ready for assembly and after an extensive quality control inspection to check that the function and finish satisfy in every way, we hand pack each piece of furniture ready for hand delivery to your door.

Value for Money

The heart of the Neptune concept has always been to offer you the very best in form, function and design at prices that are affordable.

To do this we couple technology with traditional craftsmanship to ensure good organisation, consistent design and efficient production. We keep costs low by going direct to source for all our materials and by doing as much as we can ourselves. We use better grade materials that don’t fail in production and in turn make the work of the carpenters and finishers easier. High quality timber also produces less waste, making us more efficient and most importantly making the product stronger, more beautiful and more durable.

Finally, Neptune furniture is built to last a lifetime. We do not compromise on the product in any way: every visible or invisible design feature is something we are proud of. We hope you feel it is worth the investment!