We've just had our lounge revamped - false chimney breast built, new limestone fireplace with slate hearth & wood burner, deep coving, all painted & built-in cupboards with shelves above to one side of the fireplace. The builder who did the work was recommended by a friend who said he was great with wood & would be able to make the cupboards/shelves too to save us sourcing a carpenter/cabinet maker.
The room looks great apart from the built-in. I am really really disappointed with them. I'd shown him pictures on Pinterest of the sorts thing I wanted and he sent me an outline of the design which I thought looked fine. The finished result is awful - really amateur/DIY looking. He used MDF, which I thought would be ok as the were going to be painted in white gloss. But the finish on all edges and surfaces, even after painting is really rough and bumpy (if I were to dust it, it would snag the duster). The cupboard doors are big flat doors, which he put a grove around to try to add detail, but which look crap. The paint job is poor too - loads of drips and runs. And the who,e doesn't actually fit in the space - there's a gap of an cm or two at one end, so it not actually "built-in".
Just don't know what to do with it. I've let him know that I'm disappointed with it and he's coming out next week to take a look, but I don't know what he can do to improve it now it's done. Not sure if my expectations were too high and I hadn't communicated effectively what I wanted, or if he's just incompetent, as he is a builder not a carpenter. I thought about getting a proper joiner in to look at it, but DH doesn't want us to spend any more money on it!
Any advice?
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Home decoration
Disappointing built-in shelves/cupboards - how can I make them better?
26 replies
Zeeky · 14/02/2014 14:26
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