Where to look for interesting kitchens?

[MsSampson]

Have just started looking at kitchens for new house. Have looked at magnet, ikea, howdens, b&q so far. But they all seem to be the same! Endless variations on high gloss slab, or painted shaker.

Given this choice I am leaning towards painted shaker, but am curious if there's a reasonably affordable option to go for something a bit more interesting?

Well, they may not be the cheapest, but could be worth looking at some plywood kitchen designs and getting a local joiner to quote you if you find one you want.

ooh, thanks. There's a fantastic formica covered one with cutout handles on this site that I love - www.mattantrobus.co.uk/commissions.html
I'm guessing formica is quite specialist, but getting a local joiner is a good idea, will look into it. We're not after a huge amount of units as we're planning on having a big walk in pantry for all the food and other large bits so might not be too unaffordable. The formica work surfaces look great though - curious as to how practical they are.

Depends on your style and the style of your house, try Pinterest/Houzz or interiors magazines. Often it's not as much the basic units range as how people have put different things together or used colour makes a kitchen interesting. Kitchen companies just want to sell you masses of the same thing so you will never see anything unusual in showrooms, just wall to wall matching units.

House to Home website always interesting, it's an archive of ones featured in magazines:

this or this or this for instance?

we have a painted shaker style done by 'unfitted kitchens' and they do a lot of free-standing units as well. Some of it needs fitting by a builder when they arrive - we saved money by mixing in some old antique cupboards as well.

Bilbodog may I ask how much your kitchen came to as I love the designs on their website but not sure if in my budget

Thanks RaisingSteam. Will have a proper look at the house to home site later, but I love the first plywood one you've linked to. I just fear timescales and general available head space means commissioning a bespoke kitchen will be too much hassle. I might have to go down the route of styling a more standard kitchen in an interesting way like you suggest. Problem is once you start perving over custom built cabinets, ikea mdf ones just don't do it anymore!

Will also look at the unfitted ones, thanks.

What I really want is a company selling reasonably priced off the shelf beautifully designed quality plywood cabinets Anyone?

Pinterest - my boring Ikea slab kitchen is a lot more interesting thanks to the wrap round counters, varying cupboard heights, judicious interspersing of ercol and asymmetric design.

And I nicked a lot of the design ethos from boards on Pinterest.

I just grabbed a random picture but it's great isn't it? The thing is it's a cheap look - birch faced ply cut to size, normal units, unfitted appliances, scaffold board shelves rather than lots of matchy matchy wall units. You can order units and inner fittings without the standard doors I think from a sympathetic supplier, or an online place like DIY kitchens, or Ikea. Their carcases are very solid.

Having some interesting freestanding furniture helps - say some sort of reclaimed cupboard for a larder or a 1950s unit?

[[http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1960S-TEAK-LAB-SCHOOL-CUPBOARD-WARDROBE-SHABBY-INDUSTRIAL-/331412618728?pt=UK_Antiques_AntiqueFurniture_SM&hash=item4d29bb3de8 this beauty]] (or monstrosity depending on how midcentury industrial you want to go!)

The only thing is you will need to embrace doing your own design so make sure you get the layout and storage right

oh dear bad link fail

here

Ooh, I like those! Not paying that price for them, but will start looking for cheap ones ;)

My passion at the moment is legs on furniture. Everything has to have legs, preferably dansette. I clearly don't have enough to do, but you can scour eBay while breastfeeding and all my baby wants to do is eat at the moment.

Blackeyez09 I also used Unfitted - I think in the end the kitchen was about 12k but that was with a huge island with a granite worktop and a lot of units with drawers which are more expensive. Although no wall units. My kitchen is on their website so I can PM you if you want to actually see it in relation to cost.....Also their site is brilliant in that you can build your kitchen and get a good sense of final cost.
My friend just used them on my recommendation and was delayed by quite a long time so bear that in mind. I think they are very competitive on price though - I've now moved and used a local firm who were a bit more expensive but fitted for free etc.
Sorry for hijack of thread MsSampson

Hijack away! Have just had full survey back and am now busy looking into quotes from roofers and damp reports rather than fancy kitchen cabinets

Has brought me down to earth with a bump.

Oh dear. Still, on the plus side, gives you more time to plan the kitchen?

Is frustrating when you have to go right back to basics and wait for the fun stuff, but will be worth it when you do get there (bought a doer-upper over a year ago and just starting to get to the fun stuff now, so know the "down to earth..." feeling).

I have just bought a kitchen from DIY kitchens. I got matt slab doors, but they do a very reasonably priced oak shaker kitchen which you can have painted in any colour you like. They also do a sanded version which you can paint yourself.

The prices are comparable to Ikea, but come already assembled. I am very pleased with mine.

Thanks cooper44 that was useful
Yes I would love to see your kitchen to get an idea