A timeless and long-lasting choice, black steel-frames are growing in popularity and becoming an inspiration for kitchens.

So what is black, timeless, super-chic and shows no sign of waning in popularity? Steel-framed windows – or to give them their proper name – Crittall windows. However, now we see an increase in Crittall-inspired kitchens too!

A little bit of history…

Crittall Windows Ltd is a notable English manufacturer of steel-framed windows, today based in Witham, Essex, close to its historic roots in the county. Crittall Windows started life in 1849, when Francis Berrington Crittall bought an ironmongery in Braintree, Essex. After that, his son, Francis Henry Crittall, developed and began manufacturing steel windows there in 1884. The firm was incorporated five years later when the windows were first manufactured in the UK. The company stayed in the Crittall family until 1974. Since then, its products have been used in thousands of buildings across the United Kingdom, including the Houses of Parliament and Tower of London. Furthermore, they are features particularly associated with the Art Deco and Modernist movements in early 20th-century architecture. Similarly, the company’s windows are used in numerous buildings in North America and other parts of Europe. They were also a feature of the RMS Titanic.

Crittall windows have seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Their steel frames and lightweight feel make them the perfect window choice for creating the contemporary or industrial look desired by so many. Their history, however, as shown above, stretches back much further. Therefore, only windows made by Crittall Windows Ltd can legally be called Crittall. However, rightly or wrongly, the term is often used in a general way to refer to black steel-framed windows. Now it is going even further and is being used as the inspiration for much more than just windows.

Crittall-inspired kitchens.

All Crittall converts will love this dynamic approach to fine framework, as it moves from architecture to kitchen fittings. For instance, we’re seeing it used for grid-like shelving, often suspended from the ceiling for maximum impact. Or cuboid cubby-style storage in lieu of wall units. Additionally, we see it within vertical surfaces, such as doors and splashbacks, with contrasting materials recessed in geometric patterns with striking effect. It is also been widely used for indoor partitions and walls, incorporating complementary elements in the kitchen designs.

The Crittall style is perfect here. Whilst people are using these steel-framed partitions to create floor plans that feel both light and inclusive, they also retain an element of separation. Whichever way you use it, from shelving to design elements in cabinets to partitions, walls or backframes, the Crittall design seems to becoming more popular and is being widely incorporated into different formats. Some designs have a discreet, barely noticeable accent. On the other hand, in the other extreme, some designs have a very obvious and broad involvement of the Crittall style.

In conclusion, see if you can spot how this style has been used as inspiration for kitchens in the following Crittall-inspired kitchens. Most are kitchens but we have also included a few bathrooms too. Of course, Crittall-inspired kitchens may not to be to everybody’s liking, so if this is the case, please visit our Kitchen Be Inspired page for more ideas for your kitchen.