For a bespoke kitchen in Bedford, Tamaru is a strong first visit: its Hockliffe studio designs both German-made Häcker kitchens and handmade English cabinetry, publishes a broad price guide from around £15,000, and can manage building work through DreamBuild. Magnet in Bedford suits a quicker high-street route, while Harvey Jones and Tom Howley in Cambridge suit buyers set on a painted, handmade look.
Bedford has a real mix of homes, from older and historic properties to newer estates, and each comes with its own quirks: a chimney breast in the wrong place, a narrow galley, a kitchen that would work far better knocked through to the dining room.
That is where a bespoke kitchen earns its price. Tamaru, a kitchen and interiors studio on Watling Street in Hockliffe, designs bespoke kitchens in Bedford and the surrounding villages, and it is our first stop in this guide. We then compare three other showrooms within reach of the town, so you can see how the options differ before you book any design appointments.
Four showrooms at a glance
| Showroom | Where | What it offers | First design step | Published price guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tamaru | Watling Street, Hockliffe, Leighton Buzzard | Häcker German kitchens and handmade English LayOn and InFrame cabinetry | Phone call or studio visit, with an early budget talk | From around £15,000; £20,000 to £25,000+ for medium kitchens and islands |
| 2. Magnet | 16 Kingsway, Bedford MK42 9BA | Kitchen ranges in handleless, shaker and modern styles | Free design appointment in store, virtually or by callback | Not given as a range; finance offers listed |
| 3. Harvey Jones | 44 Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1DP | Handmade, in-frame cabinetry from its own workshop | Free design appointment, usually one to two hours | Not published |
| 4. Tom Howley | 75 Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1AW | Six bespoke kitchen collections | Showroom appointment or home design visit | Not published |
Details come from each company's own website in October 2026. Opening hours and offers change, so check before you travel.
How we compared
We read each showroom's own page and noted what a Bedford homeowner would want to know before a first appointment: what kind of kitchen it makes, how the design process starts, whether it publishes any price guide, and its opening hours. Prices for bespoke kitchens vary hugely with size, layout and appliances, so we only quote figures the companies publish themselves. We did not visit the showrooms or use review scores.
1. Tamaru, Hockliffe: German and English kitchens under one roof
Most kitchen studios specialise in one style. Tamaru offers two quite different routes, which is useful if you have not yet decided which way to go.
The first is Häcker, a German manufacturer. Tamaru designs Häcker kitchens from the Concept130 and Systemat collections, made in Germany, in handled and handleless styles. These suit clean, contemporary rooms and open-plan layouts. The second is handmade English cabinetry in LayOn and InFrame styles, made to measure, which suits shaker and painted designs and the character homes found across Bedford's older streets and villages.
Tamaru's Bedford page is honest about older houses. It notes that existing openings, chimney breasts and past alterations can shape the layout, and it points out that Bedford has a designated conservation area. If your plans include structural or external changes, it suggests checking Bedford Borough Council's conservation guidance early.
The process starts with a phone call or a visit to the studio, with budget discussed early on. Layout, storage, appliances and how people move around the room are worked out first, then cabinetry and finishes. Plans and visuals are reviewed at the studio before a detailed quote. Manufacturing usually takes four to eight weeks, and installation around two to three weeks for a typical kitchen.
On cost, Tamaru gives a broad guide: fully fitted kitchens from around £15,000 for a smaller scheme, and often £20,000 to £25,000 or more for medium kitchens and island layouts. Interest-free finance or Buy Now, Pay Later may be available, depending on the project and products. If the kitchen is part of a bigger change, such as an extension, Tamaru works with DreamBuild on the structural and building work, so you are not coordinating two firms. It can also design utility rooms, bedrooms, home offices and bathrooms, and supply Amtico flooring.
You can reach the studio on 01525 210 795.
Suits: Bedford homeowners who want to compare German and handmade English kitchens in one place, or who are combining a kitchen with an extension.
2. Magnet, Bedford: the most convenient in town
Magnet's Bedford showroom on Kingsway is the only one in this list inside the town itself. It offers free design appointments in three ways: in the showroom with a designer, virtually from home, or as a callback. In store you get a tailored quote and 3D designs, and there is a working kitchen display.
The showroom lists free parking and disabled access. Its published hours for late October were Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm, which makes it the easiest of the four to fit around work. Finance offers are shown on the page, with conditions attached.
Suits: buyers who want a local showroom, weekend opening and a quick first design.
3. Harvey Jones, Cambridge: handmade in-frame cabinetry
Harvey Jones has no Bedford showroom. Of the showrooms it lists, Cambridge, on Regent Street, is the closest to Bedford. It says its cabinets are handmade in its own workshop using traditional cabinet-making and in-frame construction.
The first design appointment is free and usually takes one to two hours, covering layout, cabinetry and finishes. After that the team prepares layouts and a quotation, and it says payment is only taken once you decide to go ahead. It also designs utility rooms, pantries, boot rooms and home offices.
Suits: buyers set on a classic painted, in-frame kitchen who are happy to travel to Cambridge.
4. Tom Howley, Cambridge: collections and home visits
Tom Howley's Cambridge showroom is also on Regent Street. It shows six collections, Hartford, Devine, Kavanagh, Butler, Harrington and Summerville, and it opens on Sundays as well as Monday to Saturday. If you cannot get to Cambridge, it offers home design visits, and it says each customer has a personal account manager from order to installation.
Suits: buyers who like a defined collection to start from and would value a design visit at home.
Bespoke, made to measure or modular: what are you paying for?
The word "bespoke" is used loosely. It helps to ask three plain questions in every showroom.
- Are the cabinets made to my measurements, or chosen from standard sizes? Standard sizes with filler panels can look good, but made-to-measure cabinetry uses awkward spaces better.
- Who makes them, and where? A German factory, a UK workshop and a flat-pack supplier are all valid choices, but they are not the same product.
- Who fits them? Ask whether the installers are employed by the company or subcontracted, and who you call if something needs adjusting.
Do you need permission for a new kitchen in Bedford?
Usually not. The Planning Portal says planning permission is not normally needed to install a kitchen, unless the work is part of an extension. If your home is a listed building, you should talk to the local planning authority first. Moving walls, adding windows or changing the outside of a house in a conservation area can need consent, so check Bedford Borough Council's conservation pages before you finalise a layout that changes the structure.
Building regulations can still apply to parts of the work, such as new electrics, drainage or ventilation, so ask each designer how they handle sign-off.
Before your first appointment
- Measure the room, including window and door positions and the height of the ceiling.
- Take photos of the room and any awkward corners.
- Write down how you use the kitchen now and what frustrates you.
- Decide a realistic budget range, including appliances and worktops.
- List the appliances you want to keep or buy, with model numbers if you have them.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bespoke kitchen cost in Bedford?
It depends on size, cabinetry and appliances. Tamaru publishes a guide of around £15,000 for a smaller fitted kitchen and £20,000 to £25,000 or more for medium kitchens and islands. Ask every showroom for an itemised quote.
How long does a bespoke kitchen take from order?
Tamaru gives four to eight weeks for manufacturing and around two to three weeks for a typical installation. Building work adds time.
Is there a bespoke kitchen showroom in Bedford itself?
Magnet has a showroom on Kingsway. Tamaru's studio is in Hockliffe near Leighton Buzzard, and Harvey Jones and Tom Howley are in Cambridge.
Sources
- Planning Portal: Kitchens and bathrooms
- Bedford Borough Council: Conservation and heritage
- Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association
General information only. Showroom details, prices and opening hours were taken from each company's website in October 2026 and can change. Check planning and building regulations with Bedford Borough Council before structural work.