more kitchen help needed !!

Sentinal73

Hi all,

currently going through the process of getting quotes from a builder to remove a supporting wall to create a kitchen/diner, so am currently trying to plan my kitchen, units, color schemes etc etc

Have had 2 designs done so far, wickes and B&Q, but dint intend to buy the kitchen from those yet, trying to source all the bits myself and install it myself, with the help of the appropriate trades

I have seen the Avant gloss white kitchens, which i like, but cant decide on the worktop/floor combination. I know its up to everyones own personal taste but seeking other peoples views

I cant decide on either a wooden floor and a black worktop, or a wooden worktop and a dark floor ....arrgghhh lol

As its a small room, 3.5m 4.5m approx, am intending on keeping the whole look fairly bright / light

It is a kitchen/dining room, so has to blend into a new kitchen table, do have a preference for a modern table, with high back chairs etc


Can anyone help with their ideas / preferences?

Also, can you recommend appliance manufacturers and sink / tap combinations, mid range at least.

Thanks

jennifernil

personally I would prefer light wood worktops and a light floor to keep it bright. table to match the tops, or a glass table.

Bosch for reasonably priced and reasonable quality appliances, sink Franke, taps Franke or similar quality.

CKdesigner

Hi, Are you thinking of real wood worktops or laminate worktops in a wood effect? Real wood will need a lot more maintenance and care especially if not pre-treated in the factory (most arn't). You can get some very nice shiny black granite effect laminate worktops now if you don't want to go to the expense of real granite.

Please try a local independent kitchen specialist, they will generally know a lot more and have a far better selection of products than any of the DIY stores and normally if you are up front with a budget they will do their best to achieve that with a much better quality kitchen.

Appliances: Miele are the best, on the whole for any appliance you care to mention. If not Miele then Neff, Bosch and Siemens are all practically the same company. Other people might suggested other brands of products but frankley anything else is pretty hit and miss. Also if something should go wrong with your Miele, Neff, Bosch or Siemens product, you will recieve fairly good service wherever you are in the country as these are the only manufactures that cover the whole country with their own properly trained service men rather than relying on just any local repair company they can find.

Have a look at Blanco sinks and taps, I generally find they are better quality than Franke.

Hope this helps.

Sentinal73

Thanks, will definatly try a local kitchen specialist, rather than a DIY store.

Think that is my sticking point, cant decide on the worktop or flooring.

Do like both the wooden worktops and the granite worktops, just cant decide which i prefer.

Was trying to work out the pros and cons of both, and likewise with the flooring to match.

Thanks for the advice on the other bits too, very helpful

jennifernil

what you go for will probably depend on the value of the house and how long you plan to live in it.

no point installing an expensive kitchen in a wee terraced house, or one you only plan to stay in for 2 years.

there are so many kitchens to choose between these days, it is very difficult to know what to do.

we have a reasonable quality kitchen with solid oak doors, it has lasted 21 years. if I was choosing today, having used their units extensively elsewhere, I would go for Ikea units.

our worktops are beech block, for us they have worn well and been easy to maintain. very easy to cut to size and join.

our Franke sink and tap still look good after 21 years, and our Miele oven is still good. any appliances we have had to replace we have replaced with Bosch.

a_star_3

Real wood worktops require a lot of maintenance and care. They need to be sanded, oiled and sealed very often and do mark much quicker than granite would.

CKdesigner

a_star wrote: »

Real wood worktops require a lot of maintenance and care. They need to be sanded, oiled and sealed very often and do mark much quicker than granite would.

Exactly, wooden worktops do need a lot of maintenance especially when you think most other worktops need relatively little.

We will only use Spekva worktops if a customer specifies wood, they are pretty much the only manufacturer that effectivley 'cooks' the finished worktops in a special oil before they leave the factory but even these still need regular maintenance.

Ikea kitchens are just another DIY store kitchen the carcases are not designed well as they do not have a service void at the back, they also have a very limited range of cabinet sizes.

There really is a world of difference between a DIY store and an independent kitchen specialist. One very important difference is that you need to measure your own kitchen space with a DIY store where as a kitchen specialist will always want to arrange a site visit to measure up and will know what to look out for, soil pipes, supplies etc. Ultimately, if the kitchen specialist designer makes a mistake it is their responsibility to sort it out. If you make a mistake with a DIY store it is your fault and it will probably result in more costs for you.

Today Franke have a lot of their products made for them by different compainies, where as Blanco make virtually all of their sinks and many of their taps so I feel have more control over the quality.

Good luck with sorting out your new kitchen.

MX5huggy

Ikea kitchens are just another DIY store kitchen the carcases are not designed well as they do not have a service void at the back, they also have a very limited range of cabinet sizes.

Or IKEA kitchens are well designed as they don't have that stupid space behind every carcas that is only any good for storing spiders!!! Just depends on if you need a service void.

CKdesigner

MX5huggy wrote: »

Or IKEA kitchens are well designed as they don't have that stupid space behind every carcas that is only any good for storing spiders!!! Just depends on if you need a service void.

Every other kitchen manufacturer must have it wrong then! If you don't have a service void where do you think the services will go?

MX5huggy

I just wanted to point out that there is 2 sides to every coin, as I said "just depends on if you need a service void" if you don't and are considering kitchens from the like of B&Q then IKEA should be up there. On the other hand is some nutter has run the gas, hot and cold water and waste pipes 2 foot off the floor for full 4 meter run of cupboards then, as you say IKEA kitchens are a bad idea.

CKdesigner

I understand your point but the only reasons Ikea don't put a service viod into their units is because it is easier for them to manufacture and cheaper! The general dimensions for a kitchen made in this country is 600 mm worktop depth which alows for a standard 560 mm carcase depth with the most popular drawer boxes made by Blum which are either 460 mm or 500 mm deep so the whole thing is set up for a 40 mm service void to hide the services.