Kitchens - don't want gloss or painted so I want...what?! Help please

[JustCallMeDory]

We've been saving hard, and next year is - finally - the Year Of The Kitchen.

We're going to have an extension, and move the kitchen to the back of the house (we think...). I want to start getting a bit excited about the actual kitchen bit, but the problem is, I can't see any style of kitchen I like.

I don't want anything very 'urban' - no gloss. I don't think I want painted doors (or do I?).

If I don't want loft/urban/London-ish, and I don't want aga-country kitchen-ish, what do I want?

Any ideas for me? photos always good.

Ooooh @dynevoran I'm in lust with your kitchen. Did your carpenter arrange for the Formica to be laminated to the birch - and do you mind telling us which colour you used for the Formica? Your handles are genius and the granite on the island is truly beautiful. I feel like that Little Britain sketch 'Want that one.'

And as for your parquet floor

Did you have one run of units and the island? What's on the other long wall (assuming you have one)?

@wowfudge it's a herringbone oak parquet. I got from a local store but if you google herringbone oak lacquered 80mm 350mm 18mm it's the one that comes up in quite a few stores in pack sizes of 1.68m2. we ran out and the local place was out of stock so I had to hunt for some. Out of stock lots of places but most said back in mid Feb.

I knew it was real and expensive! You must be really pleased.

@friskybivalves. The laminated stuff is a Formica alternative called altofina. It's their colour green 007. It's cheaper than Formica and basically the same. I'm not sure in what order he did things in terms of ordering. I think he ordered laminated sheets from somewhere that produces them to order using altofina.

If you don't have a carpenter. Look up Zac from Lycan design. He has a website mainly with his furniture on, and he has an Instagram page lycan_design. He really is amazing!

On the other wall it's shorter (2.2m instead of 3.5m) as the hallway eats into the room so we have a sliding door and the fridge and some plain white tall cabinets full of drawers where I store all the food. So all food is on that side. Then all wet stuff in middle island. I.e. sink dishwasher and washing machine, then the run with the hob has all crockery and cookware. I have a rubbish picture of that bit before the door was painted and floor covered.

@wowfudge I think it was about £35 per sq m that I paid initially as we did over 59sqm. But when I had to get one extra solo box it was def more. It's come out so nicely. We did the raised dining area and stairs treads down to the garden room in it too. (Dusty pics attached!).

Thank you so much. Your house looks aMAZing.

So the altofina has a matt finish? I love it. Please will you post a picture of your tall cupboards with the doors open so I can see the drawers?

I have never before fallen in love at first sight; now I have. Will certainly look up your carpenter on Instagram!

We have over 40m2 to cover so it's out of our budget as we'll need to pay for fitting too.

Yes it's a Matt finish. Well same as Formica so def not glossy. All carcasses from Ikea. Again a rubbish mid progress shot as I'm staying with my mum this weekend so not at home. The right hand side has a plug socket so we can put a microwave in the shelf.

Gah! Pic attached.

@wowfudge I've seen some great laminate versions on Instagram look at doer.upper who has a laminate one from b&q in Chevron pattern whish she is really pleased with.

Loving those drawers. I know I sound like a sad stalker but are those from IKEA too?

That laminate parquet is v impressive too...we used to live in Paris and my favourite room was the salon. Huge with v high 15ft ceiling and all original parquet. Heaven.

Yeah frames and drawers all from Ikea. I practically got my children from Ikea I love the place so much.

Paris apartment sounds amazing!

Also. All the main kitchen is ikea drawers with no cupboards. The main ones you can see and then lots of hidden ones inside. So slim ones set back inside for chopping boards and foil etc then deep ones for pans and medium for cutlery and plates.

@dyne

I'm conscious that I have hijacked a thread. However - last q (for the moment, ahem) can you remember the name of the tall IKEA cupboard with the drawers inside and are those IKEA doors on it...?!

Haha no worries. I understand the pain of trying to figure it all out! And have it's become my specialist subject so happy to share knowledge.

At Ikea you can buy everything separately. So if you go to this page www.ikea.com/gb/en/customer-service/buying-guides/

Then scroll down to kitchens and download the PDF called METOD. From page 76 onwards are the frames of all different sizes and then all the doors and internals available.

The tall white frames I have are on pages 76 and 77 :
high cabinet frame w60 x d60 x h200
high cabinet frame w40 x d60 x h200
Fridge/freezer top cabinet frame w60 x d60 x h40
top cabinet frame w40 x d60 x h40

Then there is a duplicate of each of the top cabinets over the fridge. I wanted two 60 wide cupboards instead but didn't quite have space due to the sliding door into the room. But you can basically make up whatever space you have with frames 60wide and 40 wide.

The drawers inside are all on page 80 and are the maximera drawers (soft close) all medium height. Four 60 x 60 ones for the 60 wide cupboard and four 40 x 60 ones for the 40 wide cupboard. They have a selection of deep and shallow shelves to use above eye height. Each drawer needs a white utrusta front at the appropriate size.

The doors are on page 78 and 79. Mine are veddinge white:
200 x 60
200 x 40
40 x 60
40 x 40
Plus the two additional ones for over the fridge.

Then there are some of the white forbattra cover panels. One at the left side and one that has been cut to cover the other side and possibly another they cut for under the cabinets over the fridge. And then hinges and dampeners for the white doors and handles. And hinges and push openers for the small doors. It's a bit of a faff with ikea to plan it all out but you get exactly what you want and it's cheap and nice and the pricing is so transparent. I couldn't deal with howdens that the builder wanted as they Have very little info about what is available and weren't so flexible with sizes and dimensions and internals and have a very cloudy price structure.

That was an essay. PM if you want my email address or WhatsApp and am happy to chat planning and help if you like!

Yikes wrong thread dammit! Have reported this post and asked for it to be deleted!

Dyne, thank you so much. I feel a bit of a fraud as I am nowhere near having the funds for my new kitchen but on the other hand having seen yours I know my quest for inspiration is at an end and I have found my Holy Grail. So I will PM you in a bit if that is Ok!

When we did our kitchen I started a file of kitchens I liked from interiors magazines and a style gradually emerged. You need those "real homes" ones that are not too upmarket.

I remember seeing a lovely one with cherry wood units and some turquoise on the walls/tiles - it looked so refreshing and colourful and contemporary without being too sleek-glossy. Can't find the cutting but you could have put it in any house.

Pm me anytime frisky!

How do I DM from the mobile app ...? Any ideas?!

I'll message you. I use mobile site so no idea of the app.

pigletjohn is laminate the same as Formica? Or have I got in a muddle?

Oh wow @dynevoran - your kitchen is lovely! I know this is a zombie thread.

Formica is a brand name. Laminate is the product. I've been using it from Egger but there are several makers.

Really the laminate is the hard plastic sheet that is applied to chipboard or other materials to make a board, but it is used to describe worktops, kitchen unit carcases, washroom cubicle walls etc and people know by the context what you mean.

It's very hard to cut to a clean line with DIY tools, but the furniture factories and others can supply it cut and edged with the same material. When it's used to line bathrooms, the panels have a protective strip, maybe metal or plastic, and sealant to prevent water getting to the non-durable core. It's a very hard material that blunts tools, and is inclined to chip along the cut edge.

If you get the maker or supplier to send you samples, they will sometimes be the laminate applied to thin chipboard, and sometimes the actual laminate itself, which is not much thicker than a postcard. Shopfitters and others buy the laminate and glue it to carcases they've made to fit the shop. I've done that, but not recently.