Kitchen unit colour match

wheeze22

Basically we've had some renovation works and a new kitchen fitted taking 9 weeks+.
Problem A) is the fitter was poor and appears to have done a runner :mad:with finishing to complete, luckily we have cash held back to pay to recify. Left us with no hob wired in...
the reason for the post is the kitchen unit colours don't match :huh:. Its from Wickes (Marlow range) and although I didn't expect an A+ product I expected at least for it to match. All doors, drawer fronts, cornice and pelmet thingy match fine, but the end panels (extra for decor and those which come with decorative units such as glass or oven housing), plinth and decorative shelves in glass cabinets are a different shade. The doors etc are a lemony cream, the panels etc are an orangey shade and its VERY noticable.

Is this acceptable cause in my book its not as it looks rubbish....I intend complaining (I have a list of other issues - yawn) but wonder if I will actually get anywhere. The only option might be to get a new kitchen in white so we can just change facias and not all the units but then that needs refitting. Who pays for all that????

Would be glad to hear if anyone else had similar experiences. Thanks,
Wheeze

cattie

Posting in blue & the small font you use makes you post very difficult to read.

The problem with a lot of end panels with fitted kitchens is that the end panels will be standard for a range of kitchens that they sell.

That said, the colour, while may not be a perfect match on some kitchens, shouldn't be a glaringly obvious difference.

Who ordered & paid for the kitchen? If it was you then complain & the result hopefully might be that the decor panels etc are replaced. If the installer ordered & paid for the kitchen then Wickes may not want to entertain you as you won't be the customer in their eyes.

I shouldn't think for a moment you have a chance of having the whole kitchen replaced & as for the fitting, that will be down to you I'm afraid. Any defects should have been noticed & returned to Wickes before being intstalled/fitted will be their opinion.

CKdesigner

Hi, Did you see the kitchen on display in the store? I think you might find colour differences on many of the ranges from Wickes, I know I have noticed this sort of thing on the display kitchens in their Stevenage branch.

If their display kitchen has these colour match issues then you will have a struggle to resolve it to your satisfaction.

Anyway good luck.

Meepster

Hmm any chance you could upload some photos of this? I'm an ex-wickes manager (and design consultant) so I'll be able to let you know what the problem is and the best way to resolve it.

Out of interest, the sides of the units aren't the same colour as the insides of the units are they?

wheeze22

Thanks for the replies, font duly changed....

Cattie - we paid for kitchen, so we're the customer. Last thing I want is said kitchen replaced having lived the nightmare (9 weeks living through renovations, 2 young kids at home 3rd due in 8 weeks:eek:) of getting it all replaced in the first place. Defects (such as damages) were noted when unpacked and sorted but its not possible to notice defects in colour until the units are fitted. Carcuses were installed earlier than door fronts and decorative pelmets etc and therefore the colour difference was only noted when doors etc were put on at the end.

CK - the kitchen we chose was not on display. They only had the white version, and that was not a full fitted display just simple run of 3 units + surface.

mwilletts - will see if photo's will capture the change, not sure they will; they are noticeable, but its not like its black and white! The colour change is with the ordered in extra end panel for standard high and base units, plinth and also those that come as part of a unit pack i.e. the oven housing and glass cabinets come with coloured ends as standard. The interior of the glass cabinet is coloured; all others are white. It's only noticeable on the exterior and mainly in areas of light rather than shade.

It might be something we have to live with but I don't feel we should have to, unless of course it was pointed out at the time of sale and we therefore accepted the potential for a colour change. It just boggles me that the manurfactured finish would not be the exact same for each kitchen. When they apply the laquer (or whatever the finish is) why don't they include end panels in the application rather than picking them from the standard 'cream end panel shelf' and popping them in the flat pack?? Its rediculous.

Wheeze

Meepster

You will always get a slight colour variation between surfaces applied onto MDF and those onto MFC, due to the nature of the materials used.

The reason they don't include colour matches with the carcases, is that the same carcase is used for every kitchen range. There are two reasons for this: 1) Cost - having a standardised carcase for every range means that they can buy more in bulk and therefore keep the prices down and 2) Space - the Home Distribution Centre down in Northampton just isn't big enough to hold multiple carcases of different colours and sizes...