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Original poster

So how do you go about buying a kitchen then?

30 replies

Dottydot · 08/02/2008 21:27

I know, sounds daft, but I've looked on a few websites and I can't work it out

The house we're buying hasn't got a kitchen in it at the moment. It's very small - enough room for a cooker, fridge, washing machine and about 6 cupboards I reckon.

We've got the fridge and the washing machine and need everything else - cupboards, worktops and cooker.

Do I just go into Ikea and get someone to help me (or B&Q or wherever)?

Budget is about 50p or thereabouts.

OP posts:
bodiddly · 08/02/2008 21:35

Take some measurements of the walls and floor to ceiling height and take them with you to ikea and have a look to see what you can fit in. Someone should be able to give you some help if you go at a quiet time.

twotimestrouble · 09/02/2008 09:30

Also, places like Homebase will come out and measure up for you properly for no extra charge.

Original poster
Dottydot · 09/02/2008 11:31

Thanks - we're planning an Ikea trip and will see if B&Q do a measuring up service. V. excited - took a builder round to see the house today and there's tons that needs doing but we should be in by June with it all looking beautiful!

OP posts:
Shitemum · 09/02/2008 11:40

You need to decide exactly where you want to put your sink and dishwasher and plumb accordingly. You need to work out what needs to be plugged in and wire accordingly, don't forget concealed lighting under units, smoke extractor plug and oven plug. Put at least 2 double plugs over your worksurface for using blenders etc.
Try to have some work surface between the sink and cooker, at least 60cm - the width of the dishwasher/pan drawer unit for example. 120 cm would be better.

Get some graph paper and draw out your kitchen using one square to equal 20cm for example. Also measure door, window and ceiling heights.

The IKEA kitchen catalogue has graph paper and pages with all the cupboards and appliances in their standard sizes (i.e. will be the same for most brands not just IKEA) that you can push out and play around with.

2sugars · 09/02/2008 11:44

Have you tried John Lewis of Hungerford? As distinct from the John Lewis we all know and love . Depends how much you can affort, I suppose. I drooled at their kitchens, but there was no way we could afford one.

Make a mental list of what you need, see a planner, and see what they come up with. We don't own a cutlery drawer, thanks to some nincompoop of a planner, and 10 years on it still chafes!

fiona76 · 09/02/2008 11:48

We just did our kitchen in the summer. Any company will do you a quote and measure for free. Get someone in to give you ideas. We did it ourselves using B&Q it was cheap and looks good. Takes about 6 weeks to order.

lucykate · 09/02/2008 11:51

dottydot, do you have a pc or a mac?, the reason i ask is because, if you go on the ikea web site, you can download their kitchen design software and work it all out at home. you just put in the room dimensions etc, windows, doors, and it will either give you suggestions or you can place units where you'd like them to go. it software is only compatible with a pc though, not a mac.

even if you don't actually buy an ikea kitchen, it will still help you visualise what you want as it will make it look 3d for you too, hth

fiona76 · 09/02/2008 12:01

B&Q also does that virtual kitchen planner thing.

Original poster
Dottydot · 09/02/2008 13:39

Yes - I've got a PC. Will give it a go! It's a teeny tiny kitchen at the moment but we're hoping to be able to knock through into the back room and have a big family room across the back of the house. Waiting for the builder's quote...

OP posts:
Maidamess · 09/02/2008 13:41

John Lewis of Hungerford have got 20% off at the moment, and if its not a massive kitchen that shouldn't be tooooo expensive.

Good thread, I'm off to Ikea later to suss out units. Too many decisions!

discoverlife · 09/02/2008 13:44

Ikea kitchen planning tool

littlerach · 09/02/2008 13:51

John Lewis stuff is beautiful.

We use dthat iKea planner and it took about 100 years. And DH is supposed to be an IT bod.
B&Q do an online one too.

Original poster
Dottydot · 09/02/2008 14:12

ooh - I've just been playing with the B&Q planner!!!! Only I couldn't get the walls and door in the right place and haven't got any measurements so it was a bit tricky.

Am horribly excited by all this... boring old git

OP posts:
Shitemum · 09/02/2008 20:49

You MUST measure up first or there's no point at all. You will just think you can fit in more than you can.
The on-line planners are a pita to use imo.
Try and do a 3d drawing instead, i mean a simple perspective of the units and appliances you want.
Would you be able to take the kitchen out into the proposed family room and use existing kitchen as a walk-in larder instead?

twotimestrouble · 10/02/2008 09:01

Also, be warned that IKEA units are not standards sizes. Most UK units are 60cm wide, not so all IKEA.

Re John Lewis of Hungerford...the Wooden Kitchen Company also do great kitchens - same as JL but slightly cheaper (they're cover the outh East). If you're anywhere near Herefordshire a guy called Steve Ensor (The Pine Company) will make a kitchen to any design you want. I know because we were quoted £42k for our new one (yes you are reading that right!) and he is going to copy style and make it for £10k!!!

Shitemum · 10/02/2008 18:25

Two times - I think IKEA have 40 cm, 60 cm, and 80cm wide units but the 60cm is standard, isn't it?

twotimestrouble · 10/02/2008 19:10

60cm is standard. When we recently went to IKEA to buy some replacement doors for a flat we rent out, the IKEA guy told me they didn't do 60cm. He may of been wrong but I couldn't see any on the shelves. So just worth checking when doing a kitchen design. Maybe others know?

igglepiggles · 10/02/2008 19:43

IKEA!!! [definatly}

Shitemum · 10/02/2008 21:27

twotimes - that's very odd, I've just checked the website and they definately do several widths of cabinet including 60cm. I think you may have got a dud assistant there Maybe he just didn't have the colour you wanted in 60cm? Or thought you meant 60cm high?

lucykate · 11/02/2008 11:23

i'm pretty sure ikea do 60cm wide cabinets and doors, we have them in our kitchen! the bit about ikea units which is not standard, is the depth, they are slightly deeper than uk ones, so the thing to watch out for is if you mixed and matched and got worktop from somewhere else, it was deep enough.

also ikea base units, as they are so deep, there's no give behind for pipes, so any pipes need to be at skirting level, although, the pipes we couldn't move, we just cut the backboard inside the unit around the pipe.

twotimestrouble · 11/02/2008 12:08

I ust admit, I thought they did 60cm but the guy was so adamant so I took his word for it!

twotimestrouble · 11/02/2008 12:08

MUST

Shitemum · 12/02/2008 21:10

IKEA have one model of units which is deeper than the others, can't remember what it's called {unhelpful}. Glad we've got all our plumbing in the walls after reading lucykate's comment tho!

donbean · 12/02/2008 21:13

we went to mFI with our aprox measurements and they put lots of different ways we could lay out the kitchen AND then they printed it out...for free.
we had our kitchen in computer graffix, twas lurvley

donbean · 12/02/2008 21:15

btw we didnt buy our kitchen from MFI.