James Latham supports Prestige Interior Projects specify premium Cleaf surfaces for a unique renovation challenge
When Prestige Interior Projects took on the renovation of a private residence incorporating a historic toll house, the brief faced an unusual design challenge. Working closely with James Latham, Director Bradley Jeffries specified two complementary Cleafmelamine finishes, Azimut (S022 Portland) for the tall units and Cheope (FB49 Glauco), for the base units.
The materials needed to balance contrasting client preferences while delivering a contemporary kitchen that respected the character of the original octagonal building. The result is a carefully considered design that seamlessly bridges heritage and modern living.
Taking a closer look at the project…
Where heritage meets contemporary design
The clients wanted a kitchen that would feel at home within their modern extension, while remaining sensitive to the character of the original toll house. Adding to the complexity, the two clients had opposing aesthetic preferences: one favoured darker tones, the other lighter finishes.
The kitchen forms part of a bright, open-plan living space with plentiful natural light, yet the kitchen area itself has no direct window. Compounding this, the design needed to complement a premium stone surface the clients had purchased several years earlier, a material that had already become central to the overall design of the home.
Bradley Jeffries knew that selecting the right materials would be critical to the success of the project.
From design challenge to technical excellence
Bradley specified Cleaf Azimut (S022 Portland) for the tall units, a lighter panel with natural timber grain, and Cleaf Cheope (FB49 Glauco) for the base units, a darker panel featuring a subtle diamond pattern.
This pattern subtly echoes the octagonal geometry of the original toll house, creating a visual link between the old and new.
“The diamonds in the FB49 complement that odd octagonal shape of the old toll house,” explains Bradley. “It’s a subtle little detail that pulls the toll house into the new extension.”
The dual-colour approach achieved multiple objectives. Using the lighter Portland on the larger tall units helped maintain a sense of openness, while the darker Glauco grounded the base units, creating balance and satisfying both clients’ colour preferences. Importantly, both finishes harmonised perfectly with the pre-selected stone.
Technical excellence in fabrication
Beyond aesthetics, Cleaf delivered unexpected technical advantages during fabrication. Bradley found the boards significantly outperformed the standard materials he typically uses for internal components.
“It’s a very strong, solid material,” he says. “It’s heavier than some of the more recognised melamine brands, and crucially, it stays straight when cut.”
Unlike lower-cost boards that can bow or distort once machined, Cleaf maintained its integrity, resulting in cleaner lines and a superior overall finish. The deep textured surfaces also add depth, with subtle undulations that catch and reflect light across the grain.
The art of grain matching
One of the most impressive technical achievements of the project was the precision grain matching across multiple boards. Several kitchen runs exceeded the length of a single sheet, requiring meticulous alignment.
Bradley successfully grain-matched both the Portland’s timber grain and the Glauco’s diamond pattern, vertically and horizontally, across doors formed from multiple sheets, a detail that elevates the finished kitchen and reinforces its bespoke quality.
A 12-month journey
From initial discussions to final installation, the project took approximately 12 months. This allowed Bradley, Leonie Jeffries and the wider Prestige Interior Projects team to fully develop the design, source premium Cleaf materials through James Latham, and deliver the installation with exceptional attention to detail.
The result is a kitchen that successfully bridges two architectural worlds, balancing light and dark, heritage and contemporary design, while delivering the lasting quality Prestige Interior Projects is known for.
Looking ahead
Based on the performance of Cleaf in this project, Bradley now recommends it for all display applications where quality and longevity matter.
“I’d always offer Cleaf for anything that’s on show,” he confirms. “It’s a premium brand product, slightly more expensive than the alternatives, but the quality justifies it. For high-end projects where clients want furniture that lasts, it’s the right choice.”
James Latham is one of the UK’s largest independent distributors of timber, panels and decorative surfaces. It supplies products to a broad range of customers, from contractors and merchants, through to designers and architects.
With a history reaching back nearly 270 years, James Latham has a long-standing reputation for being innovators. The brand consistently pushes the boundaries of materials selection, from its origins in timber products, panels and doors through to the modern day, where it sits as one of the sector’s most recognised suppliers of cutting-edge materials technologies, including decorative laminates, veneers, thermoplastics and acrylics. Its timber products are sourced from the finest sawmills in the world and are fully certified for quality and sustainability.
James Latham’s portfolio features products from some of the world’s most recognised brands, along with exclusive boutique collections. The company is constantly seeking out innovative and high-performance materials to offer its customers greater choice and cutting-edge solutions.
Its people are as important as its product ranges. Experienced industry professionals teamed with specialist product managers mean James Latham can offer solutions and advice in the most challenging of applications.
Operating from twelve trading depots across the UK and Ireland, James Latham works closely with its customers to enable the most demanding designs and construction projects to become a reality.
As well as its distribution depots, the Group includes specialist divisions for technical panels, architectural mouldings, timber cladding, and bulk supply of timber and panels.
Thanks to its deep industry knowledge, comprehensive product range, and customer-focused approach, James Latham is the complete solution for today’s construction and design needs.
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