About Us
My name is Tomas Hinton and I am delighted to welcome you personally to Tomas Kitchen Living.
We are British designers and manufacturers of very wonderful kitchens and freestanding furniture. There are Design Studios in North London, St Albans and Cambridge (where we also have our production centre).
As a brand, we have a strong design identity, superb quality and offer excellent value. The cabinets, the styling, the colours and the quality all combine to make something very special - something I’m sure you’re going to love.
These kitchens not only look great - they actually are great! The quality and beauty of this highly individual product is more than just skin deep. Behind closed doors, you’ll be delighted to discover beautiful solid oak drawers and sturdy plywood cabinets.
As a complete kitchen company, everything is covered under one roof. From initial design conception, through to manufacturing and installation, the service is first class and friendly.
In addition to the kitchens, we have our created our own extensive collection of Tomas freestanding FURNITURE & TABLES and we are also specialist retailers for some of the top DANISH FURNITURE & LIGHTING brands.
Thank you for visiting the website, I hope you enjoy browsing and look forward to personally welcoming you to one of our studios soon.
Tomas Hinton
DESIGNER | FOUNDER | DIRECTOR
Tomas Hinton (Founding Director & Designer)
How it All Works
Before any design work happens, we will provide a rough steer on likely costs, just to make sure we're more or less on the same page in terms of budgets. Assuming we are and that you are completely smitten with our lovely products, we will prepare an 'empty-space
' drawing ahead of the liveDESIGN Session, this is usually achieved in one of two ways:
1. With extensions or new builds a PDF of the architectural drawings are emailed over and converted into our drawing software.
2. With re-fits of an existing space is measured (home survey) or room dimensions/plan is sent in to us.
Once we have the empty space drawing set up we will be ready to proceed with the liveDESIGN session. This can be either at one of our studios, your home or via ZOOM.
All kitchen designs created are by Founder and Director Tomas Hinton. His approach is to work directly with you and create your design 'live' and with your input - hence the term liveDESIGN. This super communicative method, the optimum layout for your particular space and requirements can be found relatively quickly and precisely...without too much guess-work.
Once an initial layout has been agreed, an initial quotation is emailed out. Hopefully this will be more or less in line with expectations and we can move forward with an initial holding deposit (usually £500).
Interim Drawings are then released and more often than not a further design session is required to review the layout and discuss detailed specification.
Once a final price and spec is agreed we will raise a deposit invoice for 5% of the total (less any deposit previously paid). This will secure the price and a date (or provisional date) and full working drawings which show all dimensions, elevations and positions for electrical and plumbing services.
When we are within 6 weeks of the delivery date the next stage payment is due – details of which are on the quotation. With build projects it is not unusual for working drawings to be required 3 or 4 months before installation - so it’s never too early to start thinking about the design.
Tomas Hinton (Founding Director & Designer)
liveDESIGN Session
How it All Works
Before any design work happens, we will provide a rough steer on likely costs, just to make sure we're more or less on the same page in terms of budgets. Assuming we are and that you are completely smitten with our lovely products, we will prepare an 'empty-space ' drawing ahead of the liveDESIGN Session, this is usually achieved in one of two ways:
1. With extensions or new builds a PDF of the architectural drawings are emailed over and converted into our drawing software.
2. With re-fits of an existing space is measured (home survey) or room dimensions/plan is sent in to us.
Once we have the empty space drawing set up we will be ready to proceed with the liveDESIGN session. This can be either at one of our studios, your home or via ZOOM.
All kitchen designs created are by Founder and Director Tomas Hinton. His approach is to work directly with you and create your design 'live' and with your input - hence the term liveDESIGN. This super communicative method, the optimum layout for your particular space and requirements can be found relatively quickly and precisely...without too much guess-work.
Once an initial layout has been agreed, an initial quotation is emailed out. Hopefully this will be more or less in line with expectations and we can move forward with an initial holding deposit (usually £500).
Interim Drawings are then released and more often than not a further design session is required to review the layout and discuss detailed specification.
Once a final price and spec is agreed we will raise a deposit invoice for 5% of the total (less any deposit previously paid). This will secure the price and a date (or provisional date) and full working drawings which show all dimensions, elevations and positions for electrical and plumbing services.
When we are within 6 weeks of the delivery date the next stage payment is due – details of which are on the quotation. With build projects it is not unusual for working drawings to be required 3 or 4 months before installation - so it’s never too early to start thinking about the design.
liveDESIGN Session
Production, Installation & Aftercare
We have our own team of installers who know the Tomas product inside out - and have been instrumental in its development. The quality of work, attention to detail and client care is of paramount importance. Our team are dedicated to delivering an exceptionally high level of service - as our client testimonials will confirm. You will be in very safe hands indeed!
There are usually three levels of installation service:
1 Dry Fit Service
2 Complete Project & Installation
3 Joint Project & Installation
Dry Fit Service
Dry fit is the term used when your own or your main contractor’s qualified electricians and plumbers are used for the project. This is usually the case with a new-build, extension or extensive refurbishment project (when other electrical work in the property is ongoing).
We will fit all the cabinetry and equipment leaving live connections to electrical appliances, sink and taps for others. The countertops are installed after the cabinets and before second fix (electrical and plumbing) by our specialist countertop partners (usually Corian or Quartz). The sink is fitted by our countertop partners and the tap, trap and waste is to be fitted by the plumber. The hob is left in place by our countertop partners, final fitting and sealing of the hob is by electrician (induction) or plumber (gas) following connection. Core Hole cutting for extractor hood ducts can be made by your main contractor at first fix stage following dimensions on your Tomas kitchen elevation. We can also provide this service at installation stage an additional cost, as required. Floors should ideally be laid prior to installation.
After the tops have been installed and second fix has taken place, our installers return to site to add any finishing touches, prior to handing over the finished kitchen. A typical dry-fit takes two to three weeks including templating and installation of work tops.
Damage on site is a problem we encounter from time to time. The best way to avoid problems is to wait until the absolute latest possible time to install the kitchen. Bringing the kitchen on site too early, doesn’t necessarily bring forward the move in date and will only increase the chance of damage. When the first stage of the installation is complete (ie pre countertops/plinths etc) either yourself or someone from you builders firm may be asked to check everything and sign an interim delivery note.
Complete Installation Service
If your kitchen project is a re-model and no building work or builders are required, you may wish to take advantage of our Complete Installation Service.
The usual procedure is as follows:
Day 1 Strip out and clear from site existing kitchen and eqt (except fridges).
Day 2 Our own electricians and plumbers alter and first fix services to suit new layout.
After this the timescale may vary depending on work required. in some cases it is necessary or desirable to bring in a skilled plasterer to make good the walls / ceiling following alterations.
Depending on the floor finish, flooring may go down at this stage.
Also depending on time scales, this is a good time to bring in the decorators.
Depending on the scale of work, the removal and subsequent preparations usually take between a week and two weeks.
Following the preparation work the cabinets and countertops are installed and our electricians and plumbers return to make connections.
As with the dry fit, our installers return to site to finalise and hand over the completed kitchen.
Joint Installation Service
We are flexible on the level of service we provide. For example, In some cases it suits to work in with your preferred decorators or maybe the strip out is carried out by others. We can discuss what is and what isn’t required at the Design Review.
Tomas and Mette Hinton (Business Director)
Heston Howes (Production Manager)
Keith Waller (Installation Manager)
The Ten Year Tomas Guarantee
The Ten Year Tomas Guarantee
A Tomas ringbinder for the safe-keeping of Guarantees, Instruction Manuals etc
We are so proud of the quality and durability of the cabinets built at our Cambridge Production Centre that we back them with a Ten Year Guarantee.
In the unlikely event that the cabinets should in some way fail, we will either replace or repair without quibble, for a period up to 10 years from the date of your final invoice.
On completion of the installation, a smart Tomas ring binder is issued for the safe-keeping of all the guarantees, instruction manuals etc.