walnut kitchen

vacant

Have decided on a walnut kitchen and the three I have came across are Kitchen Stori Tara Walnut,(PWS) Second Nature Estro walnut and Burbidge Lansdowne Black walnut.

These all have a solid frame with veneered centre is that ok or should I be looking for solid throughout?

Are they all of similar quality,which is the best door?

My local kitchen supplier does all three but no Burbidge on display as they say Second nature is the better quality but yet it seems to be the dearest when I priced them all online on various websites.

I also asked them about their carcass and they make their own (rigid) is their anything I should be asking about them re quality etc.

Thanks

CKdesigner

Hi Vacant

That's a lot of questions!

The Kitchen Stori and PWS doors are both fully veneered doors, the frames are a timber but not Walnut then the Walnut is veneered on the frames and the ply centre panel. Not sure about the Burbidge but it probably has the same construction. In terms of quality, you couldn't really choose one from another, I think it purely comes down to which you prefer the look of with colour and grain pattern. Personally I think the Burbidge looks the nicest.

Proper solid Walnut doors you would only get from real top end kitchen manufacturers like Mark Wilkinson or Edwin Loxley, so don't worry about a veneered centre panel, this is fine.

With regard to the carcasses - this rings alarm bells a bit. Do they truly make their own or do they just buy in flat packs and assemble them out the back? Ask to have a look round their factory and see what answer you get. If they do make their own then you would see lots of investment in machinery, large table saws, drilling machines, big presses and the like.

Also ask what make of drawer boxes and hinges they use, if the answer is anything other than Blum or Grass for the drawer boxes and Blum or Salice for the hinges then walk away!

Good luck.

CK

vacant

CK,Thank you so much for all the info,gosh yes it was a lot of questions.Im so afraid of making bad choices I will regret.This is the kitchen I have only ever dreamed of so has got to be right!

I was not aware that the pws doors was a walnut veneer on timber im really glad you brougt that to my attention and must find out if the Burbidge door is the same.

They use blum for hinges will ask about drawer boxes.

I will ask the hubby to inspect factory re the carcasses I dont think I could :embarasse really need to grow an extra layer of skin!!

Thanks

leveller2911

You could try getting some quotes from local Joineries as many small workshops will make you a bespoke kitchen for a fraction of the price of the top end Companies.I have a small Joinery workshop and make kitchens with solid timber doors,face frames and timber vaneered carcases and although they tend to be more expensive than the sheds you get what you pay for.

If its to be a painted kitchen we use either Melamine faced MDF or Birch-faced ply for the carcases and Tulipwood for the doors and faceframes. So pop into your local workshops and ask to see some of their previous work... Good luck

teamjones5

Hi CK

You seem to be an authority on all things kitchen. I am looking to get a new kitchen and have had quotes from intoto and from a local mereway supplier both at approx £25000 no VAT (approx 11,000 for units alone). I have the design i want but need to find a cheaper way to achieve the kitchen i want. We are building a new build and have a builder to install a kitchen in the build price.

I have been looking at the walnut units from PWS second nature and am now looking at other supply only providers. I have not contacted any of them for a quote yet.

In your experience should i be seeing a big difference in cost and what are your opinions on the below companies:

PWS
DIY Kitchens
National Kitchens
Supply Only Kitchens

I am not sure if we have the confidence to buy direct on-line?

ANy help you can offer would be very gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Teamjones

CKdesigner

Hi Teamjones

I think the first question is what style of kitchen do you want, as although yes I would expect a Wellmann (Intoto) kitchen to be around the same price as a Mereway kitchen, I think they are fairly different styles of kitchen.

As far as I am concerned its very different purchasing a new kitchen from an on line or supply only type retailer to a proper independent kitchen specialist. There is another thread on here from someone that purchased the units from one company, got independent fitters in then granite from another company, its well worth a read. Often people think that the kitchen specialist will be more expensive, no doubt in some cases they will be but certainly not in my experience.

You have asked about 4 different alternative companies. Firstly PWS is a door only manufacturer, they don't make kitchens and their brand name is Second Nature, I would say their is nothing wrong with the quality of their doors but this is not important, its the quality of the carcase, hinges and drawers that counts.

National Kitchens purchase their products from Mereway so you may get a little saving buying from them over your local Mereway dealer but I doubt this would be a significant enough amount to make it worth while.

DIY kitchens and Supply only kitchens I have no experience of but looking at their websites I can see they mainly use PWS doors.

Its up to you but without question purchasing a new kitchen is a far more important purchase than buying a new car because ultimately if you don't like your new car you can always get rid of it in a couple of years but a new kitchen - no way, its there for a long time. On average you will spend 10 hours in your kitchen compared to just 1 in your new car. So the question is would you buy a new car on-line without ever seeing an example of that car in a showroom or on the road? So if the answer is no, then why would you even consider it with a new kitchen?

Good luck

CK

leveller2911

Ultra High Quality "Chipboard" carcases then..........Is there such a thing?


Spam reported........:spam:

phill99

There is spamming and then there is taking the p1ss

ryder72

CKDesigner - Can I add Hettich to the list of quality drawerboxes and hinges. Perhaps even suggest that their drawerboxes are slightly better than Blum?

CKdesigner

Dear kmdesign - Of course you can put Hettich on your list but I'm afraid I will keep it off mine!

The problem I have with Hettich is that Nobilia use them and after looking round a Kuchenhaus store I thought the quality was quite poor but that might have been more a Kuchenhaus fitting issue than the Hettich drawer boxes themselves.

Anyway - Grass are the best!

CK

kmdesign wrote: »

CKDesigner - Can I add Hettich to the list of quality drawerboxes and hinges. Perhaps even suggest that their drawerboxes are slightly better than Blum?

ormus

theres more spam in here than in the co-op.