Kitchens...

[Davi]

we've got to make a decision on a kitchen this weekend, sort of a one-day only event which by the end of I need firm plans in my mits.

Other than Wickes / B&Q / Magnet / Moben where can we go that do reasonable price stuff? I'm still leaning toward high gloss cream / beige with feature area in high gloss wood pattern, but really want curved door pieces and a designer that doesn't sit nudging me to tell him where to put things but actually has some idea's of their own!

[Simpo Two]

Your ideas sound very much like mine (white gloss doors and solid cherry worktops). Can e-mail pix if interested.

The curved units used to be prohibitively expensive but Wickes and B&Q do them now. I got a B&Q curved wall unit to add to my other (MFI) units and it looks fine, but the cabinet wasn't as accurately made and you don't get little white jobbies to fill in the spare holes.

Once you move away from the DIY sheds and into bespoke kitchen designers, prices will double.

Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 11th May 21:41

[Davi]

yeah that's the problem - I need the design inspiration of a bespoke place (I'm getting nowhere, it's a bloody awkward but quite big space) but it irks me paying masses extra for what is basically little extra quality in the actual cabinets...

Pics would be appreciated

[V12Les]

Look up your local joiners, give them a brief and your budget and you should be pleasently supprised.
They vary hugely in price but you should find one, especially nowadays.

[Muppet32]

Davi,

I design, supply and fit kitchens. I am based in the Midlands though, so somewhat out of your area.

However, if you email me a plan of your kitchen and some ideas, I can come up with a design and a quote and I could supply and deliver the kitchen to you for a local fitter to fit?

I can supply any kitchen (or very similar) that you can find in your local showrooms.

Check out this range for a good quality, reasonable price option: www.sncollection.co.uk


Regards

[Davi]

Muppet, cheers, I'll drop you an email in the next couple of days!

[V8A*ndy]

Davi said:

we've got to make a decision on a kitchen this weekend, sort of a one-day only event which by the end of I need firm plans in my mits.

Other than Wickes / B&Q / Magnet / Moben where can we go that do reasonable price stuff? I'm still leaning toward high gloss cream / beige with feature area in high gloss wood pattern, but really want curved door pieces and a designer that doesn't sit nudging me to tell him where to put things but actually has some idea's of their own!

Snap! I'm going for the accent doors to but with a similar looking grain worktop. Been to 5 places already with prices from £7k to £12k for the same kitchen.

The place we decided to go with went bust after hounding us for a deposit which they didn't get (Phew!!!!). Try a few kitchen shops in your local you might be surprised at the price and you can haggle. kitchen places are going out of business daily so beware "The Deposit".

[mechsympathy]

Get a local indy firm round for a quote. Most of them use standard carcasses that they buy in so they're not necessarily vastly more expensive and you'll get a different perspective.

You could always post pics and a plan here for some other ideas.

[thehos]

any luck?, i too am a kitchen fitter and mostly use howdens or magnet, if you want a quote or more info feel free to contact me.

I would be quite happy to fit it for you.

I'm based in the s/w so about an hour from you,

Allen.

[Davi]

Sorry something I forgot to mention which I probably should have... I want supply only, I'll be doing all the fitting myself.

I've tried a few local firms but when they find it's supply only they seem to melt away so I presume they are making most of their mark up on that? I'll be redrawing the plans this evening as I've moved a couple of walls since I started and get some pics up

[satans worm]

We bought a crown kitchen from Jewsons with good discount, supply only and good quality kitchen (as far as I can tell anyway!)
worth a thought

[WWESTY]

We are in the middle of having ours fitted and I think its along the lines of what you are thinking - we started with the design from the aforementioned snccollection and then got someone to handmake and paint....it actually worked out about the same cost as buying off the shelf and we ended up with the colour we wanted...





You can buy the snc stuff here: http://www.diy-kitchens.com/

hth

[Deva Link]

V8A*ndy said:

Davi said:

we've got to make a decision on a kitchen this weekend, sort of a one-day only event which by the end of I need firm plans in my mits.

Other than Wickes / B&Q / Magnet / Moben where can we go that do reasonable price stuff? I'm still leaning toward high gloss cream / beige with feature area in high gloss wood pattern, but really want curved door pieces and a designer that doesn't sit nudging me to tell him where to put things but actually has some idea's of their own!

Snap! I'm going for the accent doors to but with a similar looking grain worktop. Been to 5 places already with prices from £7k to £12k for the same kitchen.

We used a local smallish kitchen factory and the units/worktops/sink/lights/fitting (including fitting all the built-in appliances which we sourced) was £5,500. In reality the units are just the same sort of quality as decent B&Q stuff, but they come ready built from the factory and the big advantage is they could do custom sizes which we needed in several places. It's easy to alter cabinet sizes but custom doors are a different matter.

Edited by Deva Link on Tuesday 12th May 11:35

[-C-]

We went through a few of the usual places, laughed at lot at the prices and for comparisons sake, got a completely bespoke option which didn't work out to be 'much' more all things considered. Our kitchen is a rediculous shape, and there really is only one layout we can have, to it was more a case of finding something suitable for our needs.

In the end, we went with a Second Nature kitchen too! There was a local place who supply them, wanted £5k for the supply only though!! Stupidly he gave us a plan, and a detailed list of requirements. I gave it to an online box shifter who supplied, and delivered for less than £2k. If the local lot hadn't taken the p*ss on the price and it was close, I would have happily given them the business, as it would have been far easier dealing with them if there were any problems.

There must be some massive margins in kitchens.

[Davi]

Here's a plan of the kitchen. It's accurate if st as I'm not on the right PC

As you can see, it's a bit of an awkward one due to the amount of doorways in and out! I'd like to have blocked some in and re-arranged but first SWMBO and then cash sort of dictated otherwise...

Only requirements are that the sink stay where it is, dishwasher be to the right of it, and the hob unit (or range, looking for idea's all round!) be where the gas riser is. Washing machine and tumbledryer are in the utility so no need for consideration of those.

Edited by Davi on Tuesday 12th May 12:07

[WWESTY]

Personally I'd definitely lose that door to the room on the right - surely not essential???

[Davi]

that one is definitely the easiest to lose, but it's also the most pointless in losing as there is a vertical radiator on that short bit of wall anyway that I'd prefer not to go (there are only 2 walls rads can fit on in the kitchen, that's one).

[Deva Link]

Are they just cupboards either side of the front door? The door to the one of the kitchen really messes things up.

[Davi]

the one in to the kitchen is the boiler room. It's a right arse having that door there, I've been trying to work out a way of blocking it up as you are right it really fecks things up. Unfortunately not quite enough room between the front door and the return wall to fit a door there and it will render the boiler cupboard useless, but I'm thinking it'd be better to do that than leave it... hmmm maybe a REALLY narrow door

[mechsympathy]

How wide is the gap where it's labelled "KITCHEN"?