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Olive and Barr Kitchens - review?

28 replies

Ummaumma · 21/02/2020 12:34

Hello, we are planning a kitchen renovation this summer and love the Shaker style. Just had a quote from Olive and Barr that is notably cheaper than similar style kitchen providers (De Vol, Higham, Naked etc). But, I cannot find any reviews for Olive and Barr though - has anyone used them or got any feedback about them? TIA!

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wehaveafloater · 23/02/2020 10:12

That doesn't bode well then. Keep shopping around.

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MarianGW · 05/03/2020 00:16

We are just about to have our O&B kitchen installed (w/c 16th March). They have only been going for about 18 months or so which may explain the lack of reviews although I found some - they were for the Cirencester base (they have now moved to Malvern) and I can't find them now.

Whilst we haven't seen the kitchen in situ yet, we were impressed by the displays in the showroom (the quality was better than some of the well known high end kitchen people). They keep prices down by sticking to one design (shaker, although they also now do a painted slab door). Since that was the style we wanted that suited us just fine. We also like that they do the final paint coat on site - you'd be surprised how many of the high end kitchen people just touch up any dings that happen during installation.

We found our designer, James, very easy to work with. He was very good at making practical suggestions and diverting us away from expensive design choices when the same end could be achieved other ways but without compromising practicality or the look. We also wanted to slightly adapt one of their larder cabinets which they did.

The company owner does the final visit to ensure everything is ready for fitting - plumbing & electricals in the right places, checking wonky walls and floors - he came last week to check everything over. He dealt with all our questions and left our builder and plumber happy.

Our experience has been good so far - hopefully the installation goes as smoothly. I'll know in a couple of weeks time.

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Ummaumma · 07/03/2020 20:20

Thank you! Really appreciate your reply and extra information. Hope your new kitchen is beautiful and all goes well for you. If you felt able to share any feedback once it is in and done, would also value that as we are getting close to a decision. Thx!

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littlefatgirl · 23/04/2020 20:10

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applecrumbler · 27/04/2020 08:59

We used Olive and Barr last year for a new kitchen - I've just seen this post as I did a search out of curiosity to see if others have had the same awful experience we did (!) Incidentally when we went for it, they did have reviews online, all 5 star but not very many. They have since disabled their reviews on Google - I imagine after the totally shambolic summer they had last year. It might be too late for the original poster, but wanted to add my two cents.

In short, the kitchen is actually good quality in terms of the build (interiors, drawer movement etc), although this is only the case after quite a few complaints on my part about cupboards that didn't close, trim that wasn't attached, edges that weren't sanded etc etc. They have also made some pretty fundamental errors such as installing the cupboards so close to the range oven that the doors of the range can't fully open.

Where it really started to go wrong for us with them was with the painting. At the outset I asked them about spray painting because I really wanted a perfect finish. Their response was that it was better not to so that you could change the colour down the line, and they assured me that the finish that would be achieved by their painters was so good that I would never know the difference. Sadly that turned out to be wrong - it took about 4 or more months and several visits of 2 days each and it still looks crap to be honest. Having originally had the kitchen installed last June/July, by November we still weren't happy so let them have access for an entire 4 day period while we went away for a wedding and our anniversary - we got back, hoping to find everything now finished perfectly, to find that they had done less than half the remediation, left a broken glass and spill all over the worksurface, and our brand new Dyson hoover had gone missing (though they weren't the only people on site so who knows about that).

Eventually and after my husband really lost his shit they sent someone else back, however even now because they had to come and rectify mistakes after the worktop had been installed, there are marks on the worktops, and paint marks on the underside of cupboards where it should be wood coloured. We also had to pay our builders (and buy more paint) to touch up the wall paint around where they had made a mess of it by using tape that peeled the paint off. These things are pretty frustrating and annoy me every day during the day, but when the lights are dim and we are eating with friends in there it looks good overall.

I am still awaiting a final piece of the kitchen that was supposed to be included in the price, and they've just stopped replying to my emails now :-/

In summary, honestly I would look elsewhere! They were cheaper than the competition but they honestly were the worst company in terms of customer service that I've ever dealt with, maybe it was due to teething problems in their first year...

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Ummaumma · 27/04/2020 10:25

Yikes - OK thank you so much for the helpful information. I hope that everything eventually gets resolved for you, as that does sound very irritating

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Smallgoon · 28/04/2020 00:15

@applecrumbler the worst part of your post for me was that they stole your Dyson (if indeed it was them). That alone would deter me from ever using them!

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applecrumbler · 28/04/2020 15:28

@smallgoon - I can't prove if it was them or not, I probably shouldn't have put it in but I'm still so annoyed about it!!! The other builders that were on site that day didn't take anything else during the year plus that they were working for us though....

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applecrumbler · 28/04/2020 15:33

@ummaumma who are you going to go for?

We went to see The White Kitchen Company in Northhampton which did a similar product for not much more. I think they also paint on site though.

The one that i'm drooling over, if you're London based, is an independent joiner called Mcclark Bespoke. His stuff looks incredible, no idea about the price though!

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Ummaumma · 28/04/2020 15:51

Still a bit up in the air as we were due to start our project mid-March but Covid-19 has completely changed our timeline and if, for lack of time, we have to go with a smaller, quicker project then I really need someone reliable. I have had a recommendation from a friend of a carpenter her mother used and will look at McClark too (if budget allows) but I keep on hearing good things from people who used carpenters so that sounds increasingly persuasive!

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applecrumbler · 28/04/2020 16:22

@ummaumma - our experience taught me that spray painting off site would be hugely preferable (not that I've tried doing that, but painting on site was awful and we really haven't got a good finish as a result). So that would be my one tip to you.

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alhskltd · 30/04/2020 11:23

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Bkop · 30/04/2020 17:02

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boredboredboredboredbored · 01/05/2020 07:47

Crikey sounds like a nightmare company to deal with under which ever name they trade.....I'll cross them right off my list!

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boredboredboredboredbored · 01/05/2020 07:48

Bkop are you the director by any chance Hmm

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Bkop · 01/05/2020 09:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Smallgoon · 01/05/2020 09:43

funny how @Bkop 's post appeared immediately after the director came on to cover his arse. Not suspicious at all

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Sourdoughstarter · 16/05/2020 16:37

Does anyone know if they have their own workshop or buy in from a third party? If the cabinets are of a good quality it would be interesting to go direct to the joiners. Cut out the O&B installation team and dodgy painters. Might even be able to get a spray finish. We're in the market for an in frame kitchen post lock down, we have researched a few companies in the Bristol area. May have posted this twice, sorry

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Mitzimccormack · 11/06/2020 16:40

I would recommend DIY kitchens. I have used them 3 times and am about to go again later this month. If you know what you want and are confident in your measuring they are amazing. Our builders reckoned they were the best cabinets he had come across. My last kitchen was a wood shaker door with a bespoke F&B paint job -Hague Blue. I bought extra pelmet and kick boards, and a couple of side panels so that my joiner could make the fridge/cooker/larder area look bespoke. They send extra paint for touch ups. I usually source my own worktops, but when I did buy their oak ones they came will the stuff to treat them. Within reason they will also adjust stuff to suit, and they will send stuff unglued if you might want to do a bit of customising. Have a look at their website. I download the graph paper planning sheets then spend happy hours moving stuff around till I am happy.

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MarianGW · 03/07/2020 01:54

Sorry it has been so long until this response. Our kitchen installation started and then got stopped owing to the lockdown! The bulk of the cabinetry was supposed to arrive the morning after Boris announced lockdown. The kitchen has now been installed and we are really pleased with it - it has definitely been worth the wait.

Everyone we have dealt with from our designer, James, to the guys who fitted the cabinets, to the couple who did the final painting in situ has been great & easy to deal with. There have been the odd snags as you would expect but fair play O&B have dealt with these very well. Follow up by the production manager has also been good too and very responsive. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. I know someone upthread had a bad experience with the final painting but we keep marvelling at how good it looks - we have a really dark blue (F&B Hague Blue) on the base cabinets and creamy white (F&B Wimbourne White) on the wall and tall cabinets. The blue in particular has a really nice sheen to it and not a brushstroke to be seen. Maybe the painters have changed.

The cabinets are well-made, drawers run well. I was a bit worried about us having several 1200mm drawer base units but they are rock solid. We had to have a couple of doors re-made - they had been stuck in a van for weeks as the weather varied between cold & hot so unsurprisingly had warped slightly. Replacements were ordered by the fitters before we even knew there was a problem - can't complain about that.

If you have any questions or would like some photos just let me know.

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Jackandamy1 · 22/07/2020 21:34

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Smallgoon · 23/07/2020 13:23

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PROBJAMS · 03/09/2020 20:46

Hi - we are looking at O&B kitchen and whilst still a lot of money, its not as much as some of the other painted kitchen companies by a long way. Would love to see some photos of your kitchen in situ. Did you get quotes from anywhere else?

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uplne · 15/10/2020 07:47

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Smallgoon · 15/10/2020 16:05

Curious to know why my post was 'withdrawn at poster's request'... I certainly didn't request this. Not that I can remember what I posted in the first place, but I've never asked for a post to be removed

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