Kitchens

got ours through ikea, relatively easy to design and buy with 0% finance.

more than happy with the result and many options to choose from.

used their recommended installers who were fine, no major issues.
 
The thing I've spotted about kitchens (I've been looking at a lot recently for custom fitting and design) is that the stuff you want, i.e. handle less, corner access, larder cabinets, quartz worktops all seem hugely expensive at the moment. 12-15k for a full kitchen remodel doesn't seem to be far from the norm with prices heading 20k+ when you add new appliances and kit (lighting, quooker taps, waste disposals and then cookers and oven and so on ...).

Certainly to me it's clear I under budgeted for the kitchen in my plans.

We're looking at Benchmarx, Howdens, and a handful of custom independents.
 
Strangely enough, I've just placed an order for our new kitchen this evening (just cabinets, no worktops/appliances/sinks/taps etc), which is a part of an extension project.

Looked at DIY Kitchens, but they didn't do the true handless style we liked.

Went to Wren - They quoted approx 13.5K
Went to Howdens - They quoted approx 11.5K (also using some cheaper cabinets in the utility)
Placed order with Better Kitchens - Just under 9K (same thickness doors throughout - 18mm)

I'll let you know how I get on when it's hopefully delivered in a few weeks time!
 
Freefaller said:
The thing I've spotted about kitchens (I've been looking at a lot recently for custom fitting and design) is that the stuff you want, i.e. handle less, corner access, larder cabinets, quartz worktops all seem hugely expensive at the moment. 12-15k for a full kitchen remodel doesn't seem to be far from the norm with prices heading 20k+ when you add new appliances and kit (lighting, quooker taps, waste disposals and then cookers and oven and so on ...).

Certainly to me it's clear I under budgeted for the kitchen in my plans.

We're looking at Benchmarx, Howdens, and a handful of custom independents.
Click to expand...

I would definitely look to shop around for some of the accessories as I found these all considerably cheaper elsewhere - taps, sinks, worktops etc. Wren were doing price matching +5% more on the main appliances when we brought our kitchen so we ended up getting them from there which was handy for the 0% but ended up taking a big list of online shops with me to beat them up with or again would have probably added on another £1K to the price. The price of their taps was excruciating though compared to some of the big brands like Bristan, Franke, Grohe and theirs were unbranded OEM from wherever they could buy them (although sure they'd be perfectly fine). I really fancied a boiling water tap but with having kids and hearing all the horror stories of people burning themselves, we were a bit put off.

Have to agree though - we only have a small kitchen and even that came in close to £5.7K with all the appliances etc, then probably another £1K of bits we brought elsewhere plus the fitting and other contractors needed like plasterer, electrician yada yada. It soon adds up very quickly :(
 
Slackworth said:
I would definitely look to shop around for some of the accessories as I found these all considerably cheaper elsewhere - taps, sinks, worktops etc. Wren were doing price matching +5% more on the main appliances when we brought our kitchen so we ended up getting them from there which was handy for the 0% but ended up taking a big list of online shops with me to beat them up with or again would have probably added on another £1K to the price. The price of their taps was excruciating though compared to some of the big brands like Bristan, Franke, Grohe and theirs were unbranded OEM from wherever they could buy them (although sure they'd be perfectly fine). I really fancied a boiling water tap but with having kids and hearing all the horror stories of people burning themselves, we were a bit put off.

Have to agree though - we only have a small kitchen and even that came in close to £5.7K with all the appliances etc, then probably another £1K of bits we brought elsewhere plus the fitting and other contractors needed like plasterer, electrician yada yada. It soon adds up very quickly :(
Click to expand...

We're looking at getting appliances separately. But it's just the things like handleless seems to add a lot of price and the sheer number of units.



This is a rough sketch up of some ideas. Won't do the mirror splashback or the spot lights on the skirting board (led strips on the overhang).

The material choices and the worksurfaces (quartz) seem to really add to the price.
 
I mean you can drop £15k on a Lacanche range cooker if you want, just to get started. I guess other premiums appliances can get you to £25-30k without too much difficulty and that's without the kitchen itself. It's definitely one of the areas in a home where you can spend as much as you humanly want to.
 
mrgubby said:
Our last kitchen was from B & Q and I fitted it myself (15 years ago)

Couple of years back my wife fancied a change so I just replaced the doors :)
Click to expand...

Same here, we went B+Q with the upgraded Carcasses and the high gloss white doors.
Me n her dad fitted the kitchen, had granite worktops fitted with the savings we made over the likes of wren and I'm sure it was still cheaper overall.

DIY Kitchens and Howdens names do pop up regular in these threads tho, just need a half decent fitter that gets a canny discount for howdens afaik

As others have said tho the actual carcasses and doors are very much of a muchness
 
I wouldn't go too crazy on units, the worst up to the best are all generally just MDF with a foiled laminate coating. Our LEICHT kitchen was stunning, but even that had a problem witha few units peeling after a few years (swiftly replaced).

Howdens do some nice cheaper units, although recently saw their true handless units and they were noitcably worse than "Ze Germans" and the colours just looked a bit offish.

DIY kitchens are supposed to be good, so might take a look at them at some point.

Stainless steel worktops are TEH ****, won't ever go back to look at all this stone and quartz rubbish. It looks great, gets a great patina over time, is fantastic to keep clean (copper even better for anti-bacterial properties), then did I say, it looks epic!

Here's a low res grab of ours:
xaOkUND.jpg

Freefaller said:
We're looking at getting appliances separately. But it's just the things like handleless seems to add a lot of price and the sheer number of units.


This is a rough sketch up of some ideas. Won't do the mirror splashback or the spot lights on the skirting board (led strips on the overhang).

The material choices and the worksurfaces (quartz) seem to really add to the price.
Click to expand...
Looking nice.

A few pointers:
- Please don't use a horrible sticky outy American fridge freezer in a brand new kitchen, they look like a cheap tacky after thought. Grab full height 178cm tall, 60cm wide, integrated fridge and freezer units. They then hide seemlessly into the bank of units and you can have the doors mounted both left and right hung, so both can be opened together. If you can budget for it, then just get Liebherr units as they are the best quality out there at an ok price(plus Liebherr manufactur all refrigeration for Miele!).
- Good choice on the LED strips instead of those vile spots in the plinth.
- Also consider a proper lighting plan and different types of lights, not just a grid of spotlights like 99% of builders/sparkies want to put in. Light needs to be where you need it, not in neat symmetrical rows on the ceiling :)
- To save on a worktop, get that quoted separately. When we had a kitchen quote, the Dekton worktop quote via the Kitchen shop was almost twice what it was from the supplier direct. Kitchen places love things like appliances and worktops to throw a margin onto.
- Don't go for a separate microwave unit, they again look crap and you're adding another rarely (?) used appliances for the sake of it. Look to purchase one of your oven units that has a microwave function. In our last kitchen (the one posted in another thread recently) we had a full size Siemens oven (with pyro cleaning & microwave function), then a compact Siemens oven (with steam and microwave function), then a warming drawer below that. Worked well for parties and most combinations of cooks.
- Get a quooker tap that has the pully outy centre part. It's a godsend for quick washing of parts and means you don't need to use a wavey hand to angle water streams. Can also get the boiling version with a filtered/sparkly water block.
 
Freefaller said:
We're looking at getting appliances separately. But it's just the things like handleless seems to add a lot of price and the sheer number of units.



This is a rough sketch up of some ideas. Won't do the mirror splashback or the spot lights on the skirting board (led strips on the overhang).

The material choices and the worksurfaces (quartz) seem to really add to the price.
Click to expand...
FWIW you cant have pelmet with that design unless your having a push to open hybrid!
Get rid of the plinth lights and tell the consultant to re design that island.
 
-Ad- said:
Looking nice.

A few pointers:
- Please don't use a horrible sticky outy American fridge freezer in a brand new kitchen, they look like a cheap tacky after thought. Grab full height 178cm tall, 60cm wide, integrated fridge and freezer units. They then hide seemlessly into the bank of units and you can have the doors mounted both left and right hung, so both can be opened together. If you can budget for it, then just get Liebherr units as they are the best quality out there at an ok price(plus Liebherr manufactur all refrigeration for Miele!).
- Good choice on the LED strips instead of those vile spots in the plinth.
- Also consider a proper lighting plan and different types of lights, not just a grid of spotlights like 99% of builders/sparkies want to put in. Light needs to be where you need it, not in neat symmetrical rows on the ceiling :)
- To save on a worktop, get that quoted separately. When we had a kitchen quote, the Dekton worktop quote via the Kitchen shop was almost twice what it was from the supplier direct. Kitchen places love things like appliances and worktops to throw a margin onto.
- Don't go for a separate microwave unit, they again look crap and you're adding another rarely (?) used appliances for the sake of it. Look to purchase one of your oven units that has a microwave function. In our last kitchen (the one posted in another thread recently) we had a full size Siemens oven (with pyro cleaning & microwave function), then a compact Siemens oven (with steam and microwave function), then a warming drawer below that. Worked well for parties and most combinations of cooks.
- Get a quooker tap that has the pully outy centre part. It's a godsend for quick washing of parts and means you don't need to use a wavey hand to angle water streams. Can also get the boiling version with a filtered/sparkly water block.
Click to expand...

It's very much work in progress.

The fridge is just there for "placement" - the fridge (regardless of what we get) will be flush with the rest of the kitchen. An integrated fridge is not something had considered, can you get really large ones? We have a chest freezer in the utility room so freezer space is less important.
Yeah the spots were just a place holder, not keen on them.
Any tips on lighting plans? We will have lighting over the work tops, but also 2 large pendant lights over the central island.
The quartz worktop we're getting is being procured independently, as I've discovered it's easier to do that it seems!
The mircowave will probably be behind a cupboard door if we do go for it - again this was just thrown together for an idea.
The Quooker tap is the one which has the pull outy part! (that's the technical term for it! :D). Not going for the filtered/sparkling option, it's not something we're particularly interested in, and just another consumable that is more novelty than anything else IMO.


Coolasmoo said:
FWIW you cant have pelmet with that design unless your having a push to open hybrid!
Get rid of the plinth lights and tell the consultant to re design that island
Click to expand...

Still toying up the idea of push to open, but you're right. However this is just a quick mock up we did. We've actually tweaked it - but don't have it to hand (I'm on my phone).
The plinth lights are gone as I mentioned we're having LED strips along the overhang.
The island is just a placeholder again. The island is mainly for extra prep area, but we will have a little overhang for it for the kids to perch or when we have friends round whilst we're preparing food etc...
 
DIY kitchens has a good quick visualiser and more comprehensive planner. Spec'ed up a modern glossy white handless kitchen with solid wood work tops at 3500 Inc vat.

Had a fitter round who said Howdens are running a 50% off sale in September so looking at under 2k.

Kitchens are one of those things people naturally think cost more than they do and people like to spend more than they should. Unless you're after granite tops everywhere laugh in the face of the companies that quote you 5 figures.
 
arknor said:
island? looks more like a life raft or a rock

I wouldn't wanna sit an island where there's no room for your legs either.
Click to expand...
It's not supposed to be a dining area the dining room is further along. It's just a place to perch. Besides this is just a quick mock up the overhang will allow for plenty of space.
 
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