Help with kitchen cabinets. Looking to immitate deVOL.

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I'm looking to imitate a deVOL kitchen but can't afford one
I've looked at DIY kitchens Norton range but the lay-on frame is 10cm, a lot chunkier than deVOL. Has anyone seen any kitchens with a slimmer onlay frame above no V groove (so the frame is flush with no gaps)? I dint want in-frame. Thanks so much!

Sounds amazing Crumbelina. I will be copying you I think! Did you find any polished nickel catches on your travels that aren't 90 per one! Wow.

Have you had a full renovation?

Oh no how annoying about the leaks, do you think you will still finish on schedule?

We have a tiny freezer too, I can just about fit 5 Tupperware’s in each of the three drawers, useless and it means I have to cook much more often than I’d like.

Two ovens would be great but you probably wouldn’t use them so often anyway, not the worst thing to compromise.

I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished! We got the tap and sink a a factory second so quite a bit cheaper and it’s the tiniest mark.

I really like putty, lead and pantry blue from DeVOL. I found a blog post about which farrow and ball colours they use even though DeVOL said they mix the f&b colours, I can link it if you’d like! If I went for a creamy beige then I probably wouldn’t use metallic hardware. I think I’d go for railings but I also think this colour looks beautiful

Crumbelina, I can’t wait to see photos of your finished kitchen!
I’ve been getting quotes, devil, herringbone, naked kitchens etc and it’s just so expensive, we aren’t in what I consider to be our forever home so I need to be sensible and not follow my heart too much.
So is a IKEA a good bet then followed by shaker doors, from your descriptions we have exactly the same plan/thoughts.
I really want the big pantry cupboards where I can hide the toaster etc and have lots of storage, did you find an equivalent.
Do I need to get myself down to ikea?

Sorry I posted too soon... I have been finding out quotes from people who have done similar things but without any plans builders can’t really give me much a quote, fair enough. I saw a house this week I really like and it’s a bit under budget so we could buy now and we could definitely move in as it is. Also it’s right next to the state school we want but it doesn’t have the same potential as some of the slightly more expensive ones that we would have to wait a bit longer for so I’m not sure what to do :/

My husband must be fed up with me, so much of my spare time is spent lurking and looking and preparing for a house we don’t even have yet haha. I am just so excited and anxious to get all the interior together 😆

GoingSlowly, it looks like More Handles sell the polished nickel version for around £64, but they might be cheaper if you go direct to Armac Martin and get a quote. www.morehandles.co.uk/armac-martin-cupboard-catch-0899-a.html

We bought this house three years ago and it was a complete wreck - not decorated since the 1950s and quite possibly not cleaned since the 1980s! We did the first couple of years of renovation work ourselves but paid trades to do the extension (whilst we act as the builder and project manager to save money - definitely not to be recommended when you have kids!). We've stayed living it in as well to save money and it's been awful! That said, when the kitchen is complete in May it'll transform everything. Then we'll run out of money so it'll be back to doing the work ourselves -which will probably take another couple of years. It's definitely the forever house though and there's no way we could have afforded a detatched house in our part of London otherwise.

Barbie, our original deadline for the kitchen was the birth of our first daughter over two years ago. 😊 The roof shouldn't delay things by too much thankfully so we're still on track for May. I agree about the ovens as well and you can always plan a menu around it.

Oh yes, I love those colours too and would love to see that link, please! The picture you attached is really beautiful too and I'd definitely consider but DH isn't too keen on a light shade (and I'm happy to agree as I get my way with 99% of the design decisions!). I've just been to Farrow and Ball and picked up a sample of Railings. I didn't bother with Black Blue in the end as the person I spoke to said that it can show up quite green. I'm also asking Shaker Doors if they can send me a sample.

Filo, you might want to have a go with the planner and then make an appointment to go to IKEA to work through and refine it. That said, it can be fiddly. We drafted a design on the planner, visited IKEA to go through it with someone, went away and did a few more tweaks and are then visiting next Monday to do the final tweaks, sign off and buy the units. Bit of a pain but I keep thinking of all the money we'll save! We have one pantry style tall unit which has three large drawers at the bottom and shelves from about halfway up. Maybe have a look on the planner or an IKEA person can help as there are so many configurations!

Urg, Barbie, house buying is so stressful and interiors planning can take over your life! Good luck with the search! I've been thinking about and researching the kitchen for about 3 years now.

Hi Crumb,

Have you seen this from one of the threads about Ikea units: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3160285-DIY-Kitchens

"Got ikea units for utility as hadn't decided layout before needed do do kitchen order and they are very poor quality in comparison."

Ah, that's a shame but I've been to IKEA and the units seem ok to me. If anything, it's the doors that can be a bit flimsy and I won't be buying theirs. That said, I've been to the DIY Kitchens showroom and their quality is fantastic. Much better than many other high street suppliers (they have others on show as a comparison). Sadly the Norton style didn't quite do it for me although I'd love to have the units arrive fully constructed!

You could get a DIY carcass? Would Shaker make a door to fit? They are fully constructed aren't they?

My husband said those Armac Martin catches are too pricey. Obviously I'll buy them if I want, but take his point our kids may destroy them. Would want around 8-10, it does seem a lot to pay.

Here is the link and she confirmed what you said about black blue coming up green, she seems to know a lot about paint colours. Looking at the kitchens, I love the one in “Pigeon” from F&B and I think she also bought Ikea carcasses and had fronts made separately. I am sure you have already mentioned this in one of the 1000 breads I’ve read but do you know how much you will save by going down the Ikea carcass/bespoke combo route as opposed to going with higham for everything? It may not have been you who mentioned higham so forgive me, my head is already muddled without the three years of planning you’ve had. Does everyone else get as obsessed as I do?

Did you look into larders with shaker doors? I wonder if I could get one made with an Ikea carcass. I have heard and read very good things about the Ikea carcasses and if we do decide to splurge on an extension I would probably go down the same route. If we move somewhere with minimal work needed and can live happily without an extension for at least a few years of saving then maybe I would consider higham!

Forgot to link!

laurelberninteriors.com/2017/01/29/farrow-and-ball-kitchen-cabinet-colors/

Thanks for that link Barbie. Think we're all going down the same route here! Cromarty for me as I have a dark north facing room.

I too would be interested in knowing an approx cost for Ikea carcasses Crumb. If there's not much in it for DIY carcasses, I would go for these for superior quality and to save the faff in having to build the Ikea carcass.

Thank you.

Goingslowly, Cromarty looks lovely! When are you planning the new kitchen for? Do you think diy carcasses would be better than Ikea? Did you see the kitchen in the link I posted that was made with ikea carcasses and bespoke doors? I’ve never had an Ikea kitchen so don’t have much to compare it to. I do love the wooden interior of higham but... £££!

Hopefully summer so we can bbq/picnic outside and the whole thing will be more bearable!

Need to check Cromarty in light as really don't want any blue tinges.

Marble top, island (nothing on it), shaker doors painted in F&B, fluted double Belfast sink, Miele appliances, free standing larder and those polished nickel Armac Martin catches and pulls for all doors, plus a limestone floor - I can't wait!

Send the Ikea dimensions to DIY. If there's not much in it cost wise, they come fully assembled and the quality is superior (which it will be), I would go for DIY.

I've had a look at Foxstows. They say they can do doors for any carcass, so that will be possible.

I think we're going to stick with IKEA, Goingslowly as we've devoted a fair bit of time to it all and the renovation throws up constant issues so my to-do list is epic! I know quite a few people who have Ikea kitchens and they get good reviews on other Mumsnet threads - although if I was starting from scratch I'd definitely look into DIY. The unit cost was around £2.3k for all of the IKEA units/drawers that are on the planner so very reasonable! We'll also be buying all the bits that go inside (cutlery inserts, plate holders, cleaning interiors etc.) which won't cost much more.

Thanks for the link, Barbie! Shaker Doors are sending me a Railing sample in the next day or so.

My original choice was DeVOL and I can only guess that I'm saving somewhere between £20-£30k as my units and hardware will cost around £10k. Haven't looked into Higham - don't tempt me!

Goingslowly, all those elements are going to add up to a seriously amazing kitchen!

That’s a super good idea which I hadn’t even considered! Summer sounds like an ideal time. Love the marble top, that’s what I’ll go for as well! Will it be honed Carrara or something else? Can I ask which sink it is and which larder you will go for? I’m bekng nosy but also recognise how valuable all the effort that people and fellow mumsneters put into choosing the right product and may have to copy you!

Do tu think you will go for diy carcass and bespoke doors then?

Oh please send a photo of the sample! I received some DeVOL catalogues today and my heart slipped a beat. They are SO beautiful. So crumbelina, would you say you are saving 3-4 times what you would have paid for DeVOL by doing the ikea/foxstow combo? I am a big ikea fan and their organisation components are amazing not just for kitchens.

Higham is similar to DeVOL but I believe they are fully bespoke and I think similar price range. Also beautiful and seem to get even better feedback than DeVOL, or so it seems going off mumsnet! I am going to their showroom in Fulham tomorrow 😍

I think the sample will only be an MDF offcut, Barbie but it would be good to get an idea of the colour match and how grey/blue it will be in our kitchen. They did email me a picture of one of their doors in F and B Stiffkey Blue.

I can only guess but I'm sure it's 3-4 times. A standard DeVOL 60cm base unit is £600 and my IKEA/Shaker hybrid is about £150. I've been to the DeVOL showroom though and my God their units are gorgeous!

Forgot to ask, are you ok with the marble care needed? I think they can be a bit susceptible to stains and you need to avoid acid and products like Viakal. My compromise is that I'll have a quartz worktop but a marble splashback as I don't trust myself or my family!

I think higham is £510 so they seem pretty much the same plus they charge £85 to install it so really I would say they are the same. 3-4 times cheaper makes a very compelling case!

I like the stiffkey blue! I think I am still swayed a bit more by railings though it would be interesting to see the two side by side, what do you think?

I almost installed marble in our current flat and did hours of research 😆 I know it will get etched and I think you can seal it to protect against a certain degree of stains but I believe over a long period it all sort of evens out and develops a nice patina and look. I grew up in Spain so I think marble is much more common there (floors, kitchens, even bathrooms!) and I sort of like the lived in look. Ask me how I feel the first time I slice a tomato and find an etch though!

It’s all very exciting but I think I’m am sort of burying my head in the sand about how many unexpected problems will pop up if we do plan to buy a place which needs a full reno! I bet you can’t wait to be done with it all... it’s going to look amazing I am sure!

There's just something about Ikea that stresses me out - the warehouse, the chaos, the meatballs......

Seriously though, I will need to go to DIY and Ikea and I'll know straight away which is the better option and then cost up accordingly. Their service is not meant to be the best whereas DIY seem to bend over backwards and ship it all out quicker if probs whereas Ikea don't.

Sorry Crumb, prove me wrong on this, please do!

It does sound amazing, but yes, I will have to look into marble or 'marble effect' very carefully. DH says why bother to go all out as we will sell on but normally I am good at getting beautiful bargains that look more expensive than they are. I also love the whole putting everything together.

Our current, inherited kitchen has avocado tiles (yes, really) and the cupboards have a sort 'woven' effect coating on the fronts. My stainless steel sink is bowed and so stained and scratched it doesn't matter who or what cleans it, it still is utterly grim.

The larder, well Foxstows could make that - depending on how ornate and fancy you want it to be internally or you can get them on Ebay/Estsy or ask a local cabinet maker/carpenter to make one. There's loads of them around - google 'Free standing larder for kitchen'. You could have it built in, they look good too.

I always want a couple of 'wow' features in my kitchens, it really does make a difference, the worktops, taps, the larder is special, I like a wine rack built in somewhere too, cookery shelf - all little things that don't cost too much, but illustrate a thought process has gone into the design.

I saw a little cutout the other day in the side of the tiles, which were on the side of the splashback, only a little nook, but a useful and sweet place to tuck away your olive oil etc.

I've attached a pic of my soon to be sink and example of the larder. SInk is Shaws Ribchester, Double Butler Sink.

This will be my utility sink, which I equally love: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Belfast-Butler-Ceramic-White-Cleaners-Sink-includes-waste/261781531710?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

I know what you mean about the stress of IKEA but we've found it ok so far. The planner is a pain but we've always booked in-store appointments (next one is this coming Monday to sign off and order) so it's not too much of a headache. I'm sure that DIY Kitchens are better but I think IKEA units will still last. Our kitchen from the previous owners was probably installed in the 1970s (very cheaply I'm sure!) and all the units were functioning well until we got rid of them. One thing you might want to consider is whether you have the units built 'in-frame'. They'll look more like DeVOL but I think you get a bit less space to pull things out of the units and you'd have to find nice hinges as they'll be on show. It's taken me forever to find the right handles so I can't be bothered with the hinge challenge in antique copper. Will dig out a photo of what I mean.

Nice sinks, GoingSlowly! We're going to have a Shaw's Shaker sink 800mm (pic attached). We were going to opt for a double but I like the idea having more space to wash up things that won't fit in the dishwasher (big pans, highchair trays etc.).

I definitely agree with the idea of going cheaper on the units and splashing on worktop, handles appliances etc. I've also splashed out on a two temperature zone wine fridge as well so my friends can say "Oooh, a wine fridge". This is definitely the forever house but we still have to compromise a bit as we'll completely run out of money to finish the house otherwise. After this comes the back garden, ground floor bathroom, third B, hallway and front garden. And then a loft conversion when we've saved up again.

Oh, and I'm a bit clueless about pantry units - sorry! We've gone for a run of four freestanding units like the picture attached to maximise space.

Here's what I managed by in-frame (this is by Shaker Doors from their Instagram page). As well as the colour match on the hinge I have a feeling that everything would add up and be even more costly as we've got so many door units! It's definitely our for us sadly.

I've just done a count of the door hardware and we need 15 knobs, 19 cup handles and 4 cupboard catches. Expensive!

I've found cheap but pretty handles as I need 51 🙈 The DeVol kitchens are beautiful but crazy expensive. We were looking at the inframe from DIY Kitchens, but have gone for the Norton as I love that they are solid wood & quite a modern shaker style. I think £90 for a latch is simply bonkers. I'm sure you can find similar for much, much less!