5 Small Design Choices That Make Joinery Look Premium

Joinery is an investment — but not every luxe detail comes with a luxury price tag.
The premium feel usually comes down to restraint, proportion, and considered details.

These small design choices are what quietly change the outcome.

 

—Keep the Palette Tight

Less really is more.

Busy joinery reads chaotic — and chaos reads budget. Limiting the palette creates a calmer, more intentional result. For our Pico House project we Stuck to one or two main finishes per room, allowing soft tones or colour to repeat across multiple pieces, and avoid mixing too many door styles within the same space.

 

— Let there be light

Thoughtful lighting can instantly make joinery feel more luxe. A soft LED strip tucked into a cabinet reveal or a subtle spotlight turns the joint into a feature, not just a function. Light adds depth, pulls out shadows in the geometry, and gives the work that quiet, gallery-like glow, which you can see in our In our One Tower Bridge Project.  

It’s not about being flashy—it’s about letting good joinery be seen on purpose.

 

— Upgrade the Details You Touch

This is where quality shows. Hidden hardware and refined edges let the design do the talking. 

Choose solid-feel handles or well-designed integrated pulls, keep edge profiles thin rather than bulky and rounded, and specify soft-close drawers and doors as a baseline detail. In our Riverlight project we use a no-handle push and pull door system to allow for a clean, slick design for the media unit. 

 

— Add a Lining Detail (Wallpaper Inside Joinery)

A subtle lining adds depth without visual noise. It’s a small move that makes joinery feel considered rather than standard. 

In our Marylebone Penthouse project we Lined the back of  the open shelving, by keeping the wallpaper tonal and textured instead of loud, allowing the joinery to remain the hero while the lining supports it.

 

— Let Joinery Breathe

More cabinetry doesn’t mean better design. Allowing space is what keeps joinery feeling intentional rather than heavy. 

Balance closed storage with open voids, introduce moments for styling through shelves or niches, and leave negative space so the joinery can visually settle within the room.

 

For more information on any of our Bespoke/Non – Bespoke design services – get in touch today!