Yet another thread about mid-range kitchen manufacturers (sorry, I did use the search function, promise)

[shovetheholly]

OK, DH and I have made a calculated decision that our very bog standard semi needs a very bog standard new kitchen. Nothing expensive that looks like something out of Country Life - though I would love one of these, it just wouldn't be worth doing in the house. Basically, this refurb needs to be really affordable.

So we are looking for recommendations from low-to-medium end retailers in a clean German style. The space is very small and we need every inch of space.

I have looked at B&Q, Wickes, Howden and I don't really like the quality for the price.

I am beginning to look at: Mereway/JL own brand (I gather they are the same but that if you buy Mereway they are cheaper?), Schuller, possibly the lower end Alno. Also Ikea, because their units seem better than those of B&Q etc. (though this may be my untutored eye).

Any others I should consider?

We are looking ATM. Howdens b&q didn't impress me either. We have an independent showroom near us that sell Crown kitchens. They seem really nice. That said our last two kitchens were Wickes and we were really happy with the quality.
It's very confusing tho isn't it as people say all of the "DIY sheds" are all pretty much the same

Tonnes of poster rave about DIY kitchens but its miles from where we live so not an option to look at us

I think IKEA cabinets (someone posted the other day about getting high end doors on IKEA cabinets but I found it difficult when I tried this several months ago) are hard to beat for the value for money and there are various blogs / online ideas for how you can "pimp up" an IKEA kitchen with additional carpentry / worktops etc to make it look more expensive than it is. I don't think any of the likes of B&Q / Howdens etc can compete with the price.

I've installed a DIY Kitchen and very pleased with it. Fitters (who usually install Keller kitchens) were very impressed with the quality.

I just got one from Wickes, Tiverton which is their second most expensive. I chose the Bone (as do most people I think...) with a dark solid wood worktop and it's lovely. The darker wood especially looks fab. I do think, however, that the fitter makes all the difference. It cost around ?11K including fitting. I looked at Mereway but they were out of my price range.

we are going with schuller but not getting it from a showroom, just a designer so 30% cheaper. we have also seen Keller which are cheaper than schuller and look pretty good.

I like the unfitted ones Ikea do and also M & S do something but don't know how the prices compare?

We've got a Crown kitchen and it's gorgeous. We've got quite a big kitchen, with almost 40 cupboards/drawers, and it cost about 9.5k for them, including extras like pan drawers, pull out larder and bifold doors. It was one of their mid-price ranges I think, and they have a cheaper one that is very similar but with different edges (handleless doors).

mandy can you say more about finding it difficult to get quality doors of your choice to fit IKEA cabinets? What happened? Would like to know, if you around to share.

We have Schuller kitchen and are really pleased with the quality. Price wise it was really cost effective with comparable designs in the market. My fitter commended how good and easy they are to fit, and the Germans left nothing to chance, everything was spot on

Don't discount howdens until you've got a quote via the builder as it will be much cheaper than the list price. They often do a special offer eg ?500 for set bundle of units.

my kitchen is ikea (pic on profile)
but the appliances, worktops and tiles are not ....

walnut I can't remember the details now but I found an American blog where they had a very similar design to what I wanted (matt handleless) and they'd used IKEA cupboards and then high quality doors. After all the good reviews for IKEA (and had an IKEA kitchen in my last house), thought this was ideal. I tracked down the American company but they didn't supply to the UK. I tried to find a UK equivalent but other than using a carpenter I couldn't find anything suitable.

I posted something similar a couple of months ago when someone mentioned IKEA but there were a couple of posts after mine where posters had found something.

Hope that helps. Will try to find the American blog.

Three sounds...do you mind me asking where you got the crown kitchen from? Was it a national chain? That sounds like a lot if kitchen off the money.

walnut the American company is called semihandmadedoors.com and if you Google that with IKEA you'll see quite a few blogs about having done what I describe above. I think there may be companies (in the uk) that can make the shaker style doors but not the more contemporary doors that the American company can.

I've just bought a matt handleless Schuller kitchen from an independent dealer and it has ended up not much more expensive than Houdens. The colour range and options were so much greater and the quality seems great. The kitchen shop matched internet prices for Siemens appliances (DH did loads of research) and so it has been pretty hassle free and I don't feel I paid too much.

My brother used to fit kitchens and said Crown were way out in front. We've just gone for a crown kitchen and it's better quality but cost less than most of the others eg wicked Howden and magnet. They have a huge showroom in Daventry

mandy Thankyou, yes I see what you mean. There's shaker doors in Oxford and Superfront in Oslo I think it is, but otherwise it seems to be a case of actually finding somebody to make them for you.

I will check out Crown and DIY kitchens, thank you!

I went to the John Lewis store yesterday, and was a bit at how little difference I could detect between their kitchens and Ikea's in terms of units. Yes, there were lovely, lovely glass and quartz worktops that cost ££££, but the actual carcasses and doors didn't look or feel much different, and they were considerably more expensive. (The Alno range, however, did feel a bit nicer).

Am currently swinging back to Ikea. Part of the reason is that I know I am going to need a LOT of fixtures and fittings inside cupboards. I have really big space problems in my tiny kitchen, including a lot of corners, and I need every single storage solution I can get lay my hands on to ensure that everything is organised and accessible. The cost of these seems so much lower in Ikea than elsewhere??

*Bridgeandbow
What colour did you put in? We are going with indigo blue but not sure whether to add crystal grey or not.

Sorry for changing subject.

123rd Sorry, just noticed your question. It was called I think Hither Green Kitchens, in SE London. Very good service. That didn't include appliances of course.

We have just had a crown kitchen fitted and are very pleased with it. We had in frame units that were much cheaper than Harvey Jones in frame kitchens for example but good quality solid wood.

DIY Kitchens. Their carcasses are very good, and they use PWC doors just like second nature kitchens do. We bought our cabinets from them on trust over 8 years ago and it's holding up very well.

sorry, PWS doors, not PWC!

No worries three. We just had a chap round who is going to get some designs to us. I saw some lovely Matt finished doors. ( crown kitchens) Love the grey doors. Depends on £££ though.

This is ours. Sorry, sideways photo!