New Kitchen

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Go ask the fitters if you meet them how many they find do not actually fit in the spaces provided etc.

Fitted bedroom and kitchens and I concur.
had a great couple of surveyors at Hammonds ex fitters and always cock on with there designs. The people with no experience were usually useless.

 

[Kent]

difference between a quick sketch / layout and a full on design. I agree, for most small jobs, fag packets and a scrap of paper is fine.. can't remember the last time I saw someone with a proper board and rotring pens...

most of the time I make it up as I go along too, glad I'm not paying for it...

No 1-20 scale at least

 

[Kent]

Fitted bedroom and kitchens and I concur.
had a great couple of surveyors at Hammonds ex fitters and always cock on with there designs. The people with no experience were usually useless.

Good firm Hammonds. Don't listen too much to fitters they all think they are design experts and do make major gaffs when they "think" it can be done better. Often leads to another skip on site and a customer waiting for new goods. The times a fitter has had a good idea and gone and done it in connection with just talking to the client that has lead to disaster I couldn't count.

 

[angellonewolf]

dont knock b&q to much i got one of there cheapo white slab kitchens total cost was aprox £1800

14 units and anda larder unit with side panels and kick boards worktops no whitegoods

looks good for the money (only one that could have got slightly cheaper was homebase) its not top quality but its very good but in 6-10 years i can replace it if needed

we only moved in 3 and then some years ago so money was a bit tight and i had a trade card that helped with a bit off

 

[addjunkie]

I'm dinosaur, when I went to buy our kitchen, I rocked up with a view of each wall and a plan all on A3 graph paper............it fitted. Though I did need to chop in to the boards in a couple of places to allow for curves in the old walls.

I seem to remember ikea kitchens are made in the same factory as magnet in Darlington

 

[Kent]

dont knock b&q to much i got one of there cheapo white slab kitchens total cost was aprox £1800

14 units and anda larder unit with side panels and kick boards worktops no whitegoods

looks good for the money (only one that could have got slightly cheaper was homebase) its not top quality but its very good but in 6-10 years i can replace it if needed

we only moved in 3 and then some years ago so money was a bit tight and i had a trade card that helped with a bit off

Most actual units are very much similar as regards the board type. Door finishes, hardware etc. Make up some of the differences doors like scope that are used on contract kitchens will blow if you sneeze on them and you certainly don't want kids putting stickers on them.

 

[brewdexta]

If you look at high end kitchens costing shed loads, its still MDF or medium density MFC, it might have a brand name to it like Egger or Medite and be good quality but it is still MDF/MFC.

So I like to buck the trend and use birch ply

 

[angellonewolf]

if you want to take the head ache out if the design get a piece of paper with exect measurements on to b & Q speek nice to one of the kitchen people there normaly they want to book appointment but when i went in he said come in with your measurements i pulled out my paper and he done it there and then

and ask at the end can i have a print out of the photo bit please just to show wifey yea was the responce

you know now what size units you need and where they will fit and if you change you mind you can go back as they keep it on file and they will change it round in 10 mins

 

[Wightsparks]

I did our kitchen a few years back, I went to an independent online designer, described what we wanted and she did the layout and units list, cost about £150 but as a specialist it was far better than anything else I had seen.
The wife decided what units she liked (Crown-Imperial it's UK made, medium-high expensive but high gloss) and I asked a few of their limited number of local suppliers for a supply only deal and did the install myself, buying the integrated whitegoods (drawer fridge, fancy sinks etc) separately.
8 years later it all still works and the design flow works very well too.

 

[angellonewolf]

design flow works very well too.

so would mine if my other half did not have a clear out every so often or put back the potato pealer in the same drawer twice

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I did our kitchen a few years back, I went to an independent online designer, described what we wanted and she did the layout and units list, cost about £150 but as a specialist it was far better than anything else I had seen.
The wife decided what units she liked (Crown-Imperial it's UK made, medium-high expensive but high gloss) and I asked a few of their limited number of local suppliers for a supply only deal and did the install myself, buying the integrated whitegoods (drawer fridge, fancy sinks etc) separately.
8 years later it all still works and the design flow works very well too.

I like the crown gear. Once you've sussed out how they pack individual panels etc there a doddle to build.

 

[Wightsparks]

Yep it was superb quality - still finding the odd bit of peel off protection though!

Just dug up a pic as I had almost finished (this is about 1/4 of it) - takes me back!

 

[Kent]

I'm dinosaur, when I went to buy our kitchen, I rocked up with a view of each wall and a plan all on A3 graph paper............it fitted. Though I did need to chop in to the boards in a couple of places to allow for curves in the old walls.

I seem to remember ikea kitchens are made in the same factory as magnet in Darlington

If you look at high end kitchens costing shed loads, its still MDF or medium density MFC, it might have a brand name to it like Egger or Medite and be good quality but it is still MDF/MFC.

So I like to buck the trend and use birch ply

Only suitable for certain top finishes.

 

[Phil_D]

To be fair the second place i went to, the guy drew it all out on paper for me and he's now handed it over to his son to digitise so they can email me a few pictures. Was impressed with the service to be fair, the owner must have spent an hour and a half with me

 

[keithski122]

I redid our kitchen last year.This is where I bought the units from :- http://www.diy-kitchens.com/
The units come all built up so just need to bang on the legs,join them together and level up.Really pleased with what we had.Just went for a basic gloss cream set up.The doors are italian and the units made in the uk.Paid about £3400 for ours,but that included four curved units which are expensive.
The worktop I had made to my measurements by worktopdesign.co.uk
Part way through the build.