Another kitchen question - which budget option?

[Mandy21]

So, newly created kitchen diner. Kitchen will be along 2 walls (L shaped) 3m by about 3.5m.

BUT, although kitchen diner is new (wall knocked down between dining room & kitchen) you plan to do a large extension in say 2 years so this is really not intended to be the dream kitchen. You hadn't intended to replace kitchen at all, thought you'd just replace the doors but now it seems that cabinets aren't in great condition and not a standard size anyway.

So you're hoping to do this as cheaply as possibly, but at the same time, you've gone to quite a bit of expense with the structural work / newly plastered room / will spend most of your family time in there / entertain etc for the next couple of years and want it to be "nice".

What would you have?

Have looked at gloss (do like IKEA's cream version, easy to clean, bounces light around etc, not too many cupboards and probably not wanting wall cupboards so not too overwhelming) but conscious that lots of people don't like it. I know shaker is classic etc but having seen a gorgeous Tom Howley kitchen in a relatives house, the budget versions (just my opinion) all seem to look a bit cheap.

If you were looking to do this for less than 2k for instance, which budget range / style would you go for?? Any words of wisdom? Thank you!

I take it £2k is your budget for kitchen units only (no fitting/appliances/etc)?
At that sort of level you're not going to have an awful lot of choice. I would get the cream gloss base units from Ikea. Sod what other people like - it's practical and it's your kitchen, and it's only short term anyway. It will look like a 'proper' kitchen and not a temporary solution. Sounds like you're not having wall units, so just use some shelves that you can reuse later on. At the end of 2 years you might actually love it enough to keep it, or some of it, and you will almost certainly be able to get the same units again to add to what you've got - or to get new fronts from Ikea if you want a change but are happy with the cabinets. Also to keep fitting work down to a minimum consider free-standing appliances and extra furniture like kitchen trolleys which can be re-used or sold afterwards.

Thank you Mabel - H will be fitting (very proficient!) and yes, appliances will be on top.

We dont have a fitted kitchen at all. If this is temporary, could you think laterally? We have MDF fitted shelves up the wall of an alcove with MDF doors hung on the front, painted white, which have all the crap in them and a sideboard from an auction house. Plus a freestanding Ikea unit with all the saucepans etc.

I'm not sure I can cope with being that radical beast, but take your point that we need to perhaps think of other options not just the budget fitted kitchen.

If its only for 2 years I would live with the one you've already got, yes you might need new worktops to make it fit in your new space but that could be done for 3 hundred quid.

We've been in the house 4 years, the kitchen was already there (generally good quality oak kitchen) which we painted and replaced worktop. So its probably a 10/15 year old kitchen maybe, possibly longer, old fashioned design and whilst I know I could and probably should live with it, it seems such a waste to have a lovely new open plan space and a grotty kitchen.

Off to consider options - thank you everyone

Buy Ikea. You can make it look lovely. I particularly like te new Metod white gloss with some textured panels and lots of lovely mid century wood. We're doing something similar with Faktum units at the minute and it kind of is our good for ten years kitchen - kitchen units cost well under £2k.

Thank you Mummy

leave it. we have probably got 2 years of saving up for a kitchen and this one is 30 years old with plywood now behind the cabinets where the wall came down when we made a kitchen diner. it will do and be fab once redone...