Help with kitchen cabinets. Looking to immitate deVOL.

[HomeExtender]

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!

[4yearsnosleep]

PS Magnet do a beautiful inframe slab. I emailed the guy our plans from him to design a kitchen from scratch, no response. Then I emailed him my kitchen plan to price up and again no response, so I gave up. They're really pretty kitchens though!

[Crumbelina]

Ooh, just Googled Basalt, Barbie and I love it! Looks like it's a very close match to Railings. I found this kitchen (whilst Googling Basalt) which looks very similar to mine in terms of unit/hardware colour. It's very likely they've used the antique copper finish for the hardware.

[Humptynumpty02]

Sorry for the ignorance, can someone explain what an inframe slab is?

[4yearsnosleep]

It's like the other inframe kitchens but instead of a shaker door, it's a flat door if that makes sense

[Humptynumpty02]

Makes total sense, now I want! Lovely!

[4yearsnosleep]

Humpty I had an interesting answer this morning (you will need some imagination!) they have a range that they will be releasing as an inframe slab, but it doesn't have the butt hinges. It's essentially the attached kitchen but single colour and obviously not styled like a 50s diner!

[Goingslowlymad123]

Crumb that sounds tough. I've got it all to come, but it seems unaffordable any other way.

I'm dreading being stuck with a crap trade. I've had my fair share of them and know it won't be the end of it. Thanks so much for the detailed post, much appreciated. x

[Crumbelina]

Oh God, yes! If we'd have gone the normal route with a builder/project manager then I've no doubt the cost would have soared well above £200k. As it is, I think we'll get a pretty high spec extension for around £110k (ish).

Speaking of which, we went to IKEA Wembley today and bought all the units - hurrah! So that's £2.7k which includes their most expensive dishwasher at £650. I really like it as it has a pull out cutlery shelf instead of a basket.

The process (so far!) has been pretty smooth. Obvs the planner is clunky and you have to wade through many different unit configurations but both people we had appointments with in-store were very knowledgeable and helpful. Appointments really are key though - it would be a real pain to turn up without one.

What was a real eye opener though was how damn busy it was! On a Monday! It took a while to find a parking space and the cafe was packed (although we found a table ok). Is it half term or are all IKEAs always jam packed?

Next in line is to commission Shaker Doors (8 week lead time) and Armac Martin (6 weeks). Lots of pressure on DH now to do all the electrics and plumbing and get our friendly trade contacts to check and sign them off.

What are people's thoughts on dining tables? We've bought one from Design Shack (an extendable 2-3 metre one). It's a bit rustic but the quality looks fabulous and they get great reviews. Also I don't think we can have a pristine one as the children are probably going to bang their knives and forks into it for the next ten years ...

[Crumbelina]

Oh, and what are people's thoughts on pendants? We're not having any over the island but we'll have five over the dining table (one large Tom Dixon copper pendant in the middle and four bare filament bulbs in industrial style copper fittings (so less prominent than the main pendant). DH would happily have industrial everything but I've only agreed to a few touches as it's very now and therefore very likely to date quickly.

[BarbieV7]

Oh link the tablet please! The pendants sound lovely!

[Goingslowlymad123]

Is it sad to be happy when this thread is updated?!

Brave girl attempting Ikea in half term! That's a hell of a spend for units, how many out of interest? I'm guessing you had to buy the dishwasher from Ikea as it will be integrated?

We'll all be living our 'ideal, planned' kitchens through you Crumb as you're first to do it.

I think 5 pendants sounds a little too much, but that is the beauty of MN as you can hide behind a keyboard and say it! Is it a huge space/table? It's difficult with pendants as they are done to death, but a chandelier would look slightly ostentatious and there's not too much in between. I had these in our old place and think they won't ever date. They look gorgeous up, expensive and have a vintage/bistro look, but really do go with any decor: www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-tristan-ceiling-light/p150479

I have a Comptoir De Famille table that I charged to DH's credit card after the birth of our first child as my 'push' present, despite me having a C section.....

Anyway, it's mango wood and bloody stunning, my prized possession, I, not my kids, ruined it with water and I still have never managed to have it fixed. Part of me feels like letting it become fully vintage and not keeping it perfect as it currently is with a watermark one end. Anyway, my point is have stuff that you can enjoy and not stress about. I don't let my kids do crafts anywhere near that table as I'm so highly strung about it - pathetic I know

I have almost a mat over it, it's from John Lewis and it's like a piece of carpet but you can put hot pans on it and I have a cloth tablecloth from our local market over that. Here's Argos's version, can't find it on JL at the moment, but I remember going into get it and being over the moon at such a basic bit of kit: www.argos.co.uk/product/1220250?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|cid:199888953|agid:17471341593|tid:aud-144400486596:pla-92282101833|crid:74692320993|nw:g|rnd:4320909735104361236|dvc:c|adp:1o5|mt:|loc:1007177&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItMjS57eh2QIVHUkZCh3tZAEsEAQYBSABEgL1rPD_BwE


So, what's the plan for the rest of the kitchen? Appliances, splashback? I know you're having the concrete floor and white quartz.

[Goingslowlymad123]

Here it is, I have the chairs too. The picture doesn't do it justice.

[Crumbelina]

Here's the table www.designshackbespoke.co.uk/portfolio-item/mantlet-table/. We're opting for the driftwood finish, it's a standard 2 metres but will have bespoke extension ends to make it 3 metres when needed. The total including a protective coat of oil and delivery is only £630, which seems like a bargain when you compare it to the tables I was looking at in Heals (which would get ruined!). They also sell via Etsy and I've been really encouraged by their glowing reviews: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DesignShack1980.

I'll probably get some oil cloth from John Lewis to cover it for arts and crafts. It's nice and rustic but I don't want any paint staining it! Like you say Goingslowly, we can't be too precious. A friend of mine is trying for children and has just bought a £40k flawless Siematic kitchen. . Your table is beautiful by the way!

I think five pendants will be fine for us as it's a big table and a big room (around 8.5 metres in length and 5 metres in width) and the eaves are quite high. I probably typed a bit too hastily as it's only really one pendant shade with four hanging lights fittings (a bit like the picture, but in an antique copper finish). Definitely agree those pendants won't date Goingslowly. I think my light fittings will but we've had the Tom Dixon light since 2009 and I still love it (it's been in a box for the last three years!).

We do have quite a lot of units. We've ordered six tall units (including one Integrated fridge unit and two integrated oven units), eight base units and seven wall units. We've also got a lot of drawers and 800mm units above and below. You can have a non-IKEA dishwasher but it's the one non-IKEA appliance that is a real problem because any door doesn't quite work for other dishwashers and the hinge IKEA provide isn't a great solution. I've been told that by two members of IKEA staff (who definitely weren't doing the hard sell on IKEA appliances) and a few Mumsnet threads on here confirm this.

Splashback will be marble tiles from Mandarin Stone (something like this but they have a huge selection: www.mandarinstone.com/product/calacatta-honed-marble/. We might need to make another trip down to their Weybridge showroom to stare at them all again. Re appliances, we're spending just over £6k. Siemens single oven, combi microwave/oven and warming drawer (can't afford the Miele ones I wanted which were around £5k alone and the Neff combi oven/microwave gets patchy reviews). Fridge freezer will be Samsung, undercounter freezer will be AEG (both integrated so I only really care about the interior/frost free function), 800mm induction hob will be Neff, integrated extractor fan will be a white glass Elica model and I have a two temperature zone Haier wine fridge which I love! The running theme is as integrated as possible - I'm not really a fan of range cookers and the big American fridge freezers but each to their own. Sink will be the Shaw's Shaker that I mentioned and taps will come from Crosswater which I've used many times and all their products are fabulous quality.

What a huge post - sorry!

[Crumbelina]

And DH is now talking about Buster and Punch light switches ...

[Crumbelina]

Oops, and I didn't attach the pic!

[BarbieV7]

Goingslowly that table looks beautiful and I like the pendants though I probably wouldn’t have noticed them I did a double take and could very well see how they could look lovely in a kitchen! As for protecting the table I say enjoy it and let it stain and knock away, like polished marble I think with Tim it can look even more beautiful!

I also get excited when someone has commented on the thread 😆 I think we clearly all have kitchenitis. Have you seen the thread on here about things you will you would have added to your kitchen/things you’d recommend? I’ve loved reading through it!

I like the table as a push present, never heard of that one before!

[BarbieV7]

Crumbelina that link made me smile because I too have saved one of their tables on my Etsy/Pinterest board and am pretty sure that is what we will go for! I like the rugged colour a bit more but it Alf spends on what floors we go for! Also I wouldn’t worry too much about banging it up because I think it suits the style perfectly.

I feel like we need to exchange Pinterest boards, I bet we have a lot of overlap!

I got some marble tile samples from fired earth - east Hampton and they are really so beautiful. I have one just down the road in Chiswick as well as a beautiful wood flooring shop and have already been in to both half a dozen times. I can’t wait to get the green light and keep convincing myself I am not wasting my life away dreaming as this is all good and useful preparation 🌚 as is I am probably still 12 months away from buying!

[BarbieV7]

This is another one I really liked but more £££

[BarbieV7]

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/266506417/farmhouse-dining-table-reclaimed-wood

[FiloPasty]

How are you getting on Crumbelina?

[Crumbelina]

All good here apart from DD's sleep regression - she's waking every 2 hours in the night. DH and I have been deciding where to put the spotlights today and I can't concentrate on what he's saying for more than about two seconds. Times like this I wish I had a builder/project manager to do it all for us. We're hoping to get the plasterers in soon (a few weeks) which will be epic!

I've also commissioned Shaker Doors and been looking at buying the kitchen appliances. I was hoping I could go to one place and they'd give me a great deal for seven appliances but Appliance World didn't reply to my request and Appliance City didn't seem to give any discount. It seems that I really need to shop around on all the online only retailer websites, Ebay shops, use voucher codes and Quidco etc. I wish we could afford to just buy everything from John Lewis (although to be fair I do that with everything else ).

I definitely have Kitchenitis and I wouldn't worry about getting ahead of yourself Barbie. I've been planning this kitchen for three LONG years and it's really helped me to decide what I want and not regret any hasty decisions (especially when everything is so expensive!). Barbie, is the thread you mention something like "Kitchen Lessons Learned"? It's excellent and really helped me!

Love the fact that you've also saved Design Shack - great minds and we must have similar taste! Love the look of the other table you linked to as well.

I've banned myself from looking at Fired Earth and it's just so £££! Their products are so beautiful though.

How's everyone else getting on??

[FrogFairy]

Crumbelina have you looked at Marks Electrical? They currently have 10% discount on the website so might negotiate more for a large purchase. Worth asking.

[Crumbelina]

Oh yes, thanks FrogFairy! I've been looking at them for my Siemens combi oven/microwave. DH is because I have a bad habit of ordering things months before we actually need them (and then they get in the way). I bought the kitchen light fittings in Heals in January 2015!

[mum2015]

Crumbelina,
Would you share Ikea kitchen plan of your kitchen. I have a similar space as you, but I can't seem to fit more than 2 tall units.

[Crumbelina]

Hey Mum2015. I think I've already posted it. Have a look on page 3 of this thread (4 February around 8am). Hope it helps!