Every kitchen across Cairns Homes‘s developments is designed by the same studio, Steven Christopher Design. It’s a partnership that goes beyond simply installing units in a new build. Steven Christopher is brought in to design each kitchen from scratch, and the reasoning becomes clear once you look at who’s behind the name.
A family business, not a factory line
Steven Christopher Design Group was established in 2002 by Steve and Tom, a father and son who built the business on a shared passion for creative design rather than a supply chain built for volume. The company is based in Long Eaton and West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, with a showroom opposite Trent Bridge Cricket Ground set inside a converted period property. Inside, working displays from prestigious brands, complete with Siemens, Gaggenau and Bora appliances, give buyers a kitchen they can stand in and test before they commit to one, rather than a photograph in a brochure.
That family structure matters more than it might sound. A design studio this size lives or dies on reputation and repeat referrals, not on shifting units, which tends to show up in the level of care given to a single project.
Serious brands, seriously specified
Steven Christopher’s portfolio includes SieMatic, Schuller, Rempp, next125 and Nobilia, alongside Fine English painted kitchens for anyone after a more traditional look. It’s a spread that covers sleek German engineering at one end and hand-painted, country-style cabinetry at the other, which means the studio isn’t pushing a single house style onto every project.
For a housebuilder like Cairns Homes, that range solves a real problem. A single in-house kitchen range tends to date within a decade and rarely suits every buyer. Working with an independent specialist keeps the specification current and lets each home reflect the person buying it rather than a standard template repeated down the street.
Two kitchens, two very different briefs
At The Westminster, the flagship five-bedroom home at Marina Quays in Newark-on-Trent, Steven Christopher’s design is built around entertaining on a grand scale. An extremely large island unit anchors the kitchen, with a spacious dining area alongside it, a wine cooler, Siemens appliances, and a Quooker hot tap. Sliding doors pull the marina straight into the room, so the same kitchen that handles a quiet breakfast can just as easily host a houseful of guests looking out over the water.
At Plot 1 at The Beeches in Radcliffe-on-Trent, the brief is different again. Rather than a waterside entertaining space, it’s a family kitchen with a matching dresser built into the dining area, opening through sliding doors onto a garden centred on a mature Copper Beech tree. The integrated Siemens specification and the underlying quality are the same as at The Westminster, but the layout, the scale and the mood are built for a village family home rather than a marina-front showpiece.
That contrast is really the point. Steven Christopher designs each kitchen around the house it belongs to and the life it’s likely to hold, rather than fitting the same layout into two very different shells.
Design built around how people really live
Steven Christopher’s own approach centres on working closely with clients to understand their lifestyle before a single unit is drawn, whether the project is a new build, an extension or a full renovation. For Cairns Homes, that consultation-led process is folded into the build itself. Buyers aren’t handed a fixed layout, they’re taken through a design conversation, the same one Steven Christopher Design would run for a private client spending considerably more on a standalone renovation.
That’s a meaningful difference in new build housing, where kitchens are more often chosen from a short list of pre-set options than designed around anyone in particular.
What it means for a Cairns Homes buyer
In practice, it means the kitchen in a Cairns Homes property is a genuinely bespoke installation from a KBSA approved specialist, built around a real brand rather than a generic one, backed by a design team you can meet and a showroom you can walk into. For anyone buying a new build home, that’s not a small detail. The kitchen is usually the room a buyer spends the most time in and the one most likely to influence a resale further down the line.
Speak to us
For more on the specification in any current Cairns Homes property, or to arrange a private viewing, contact Caroline Taylor at Cairns Homes on 07919 532000 or at info@cairnshomes.co.uk.
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Frequently asked questions
Who designs the kitchens in Cairns Homes properties?
Steven Christopher Design Group, an independent kitchen and interiors specialist based in Nottinghamshire.
Where is Steven Christopher based?
Long Eaton and West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire. The West Bridgford showroom sits opposite Trent Bridge Cricket Ground.
What kitchen brands does Steven Christopher work with?
SieMatic, Schüller, Rempp, next125 and Nobilia, along with Fine English painted kitchens.
Is the kitchen included in the price of a Cairns Homes property?
Yes, a bespoke Steven Christopher kitchen is part of the standard specification across Cairns Homes developments.
Can buyers visit the Steven Christopher showroom?
Yes, viewings can be arranged as part of the design process. Contact Caroline Taylor at Cairns Homes to find out more.
