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!

Oh thank you so much for your comments!

I'm soooo glad you like the colour - I was worried that a darker kitchen might be too much, especially if we want to sell in the future! We shall just have to be brave and take a little bit of a leap. I suppose you can always repaint!

Re. the plan, the base unit at the end of the tall run does will house 2 x single ovens (we're putting a freestanding microwave in the larder). I would LOVE to ask OnePlan, but unfortunately we're on a bit of a tight budget. I have mocked up the design myself in Sketchup though (that's what those screenshots are of), so I can move around the units a lot and see what's up.

I have decided to definitely go for the Norton over the Helmsley after your advice, and I also saw somewhere else that in-frame can be a bit annoying if you have clumsy people about who knock the frame getting pans in and out - the knocks are then always on show! My DH is not exactly an elegant swan . . .

Yes, I think I will go for grey tiles. I had been thinking that. I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing a photo of your bathroom? I'd love to see it!

The thing is, if this is your forever home and you'll need a concrete screed anyway, then a polished concrete floor is ideal. I would love to have one myself! Do concrete floors need sealing? Are they quite stain resistant?

And I think I'm going to leave the pull-out bin - my mother has a nightmare with hers, and I think it can be a little difficult to clean properly if you have (lazy) people who can't be bothered to aim properly in your family like I do! I think I'll just hide the big bin in our utility cupboard as you say!

Plastering is definitely progress. I think it's when you can finally start to see a room coming together and imagine it will look when it's all done and dusted.

You should create some kind of IKEA-constructing playlist to get you through it all. How very exciting!!

Thank you again for your thoughts

OsidianKitchen I love my pull out bins!

We have these ones next to the sink www.diy-kitchens.com/kitchen-units/base/pull-out-waste-units/600mm-highline-pull-out-bin-uint,-2-x-32ltr-&-2-x-8ltr-bins,-front-hung/wp2035867/#.Wr-b8qbTWhA

& these in the island for recycling www.diy-kitchens.com/kitchen-units/base/pull-out-waste-units/500mm-highline-pull-out-bin-unit,-2-x-32ltr-bins,-front-hung/wp2035866/#.Wr-cpqbTWhA

I have the same bin as Home Extender (the first link) and it's brilliant. No problems with it at all. It's made recycling so much easier now we've got a proper system.

I'm going for dark units too, ObsidianKitchen! Railings is a dark grey but everything else will be white (worktop, walls etc.) so I'm hoping it'll balance things out.

I've attached a couple of pics of the Helmsley close up if it helps your decision either way. Can't remember if I've posted them before.

Yep, the company are coming to seal the floor in a week and it should be pretty stain resistant if you mop things like red wine up pretty sharpish. It tends to be quite a mix of grey shades with imperfections so I'm not too fussed if we have a few stains. I can't be too precious with two kids!

Oh, and HomeExtender, sorry for highjacking your thread! Hope you're all done and happy with your kitchen now.

Oh, and I'll snap some photos of my bathroom when I have a mo'.

I'm following this post too! Crumbelina, does the shaker door company do the doors with the hinges exposed? Is that a 'proper' in frame kitchen with hinges on show? I think I prefer those to ones where you don't see any hinges. What about you?

Yes, they definitely do. In theory I prefer the in frame look with the hinges exposed to be closer to DeVOL but I think they're a bit less practical as Obsidian mentioned upthread. Also, I've spent soooo much money on handles, knobs etc. I think that adding hinges (antique copper finish) would push the budget over the edge!

Oh, and I was on your other thread User - how's the extension planning going? I was so tempted to go for the DeVOL bum stools you recommended and then we assessed finances and were and have decided to not have an overhang or any stools at all!

Wow. Showers kitchen is beautiful.

No probs at all Crumbelina, it’s very exciting planning your kitchen & seeing it come to life. Jus5 about finished thanks & very happy indeed :)

Hello! We're just going through planning now and then I have to figure out how to finance it! I've had a bit of a shock at some of the costs for every stage. I'm determined to do it though. I love those stools, definitely want them! I really want a marble top too, but not real marble obviously. I'm super excited to do it all. We will all be following your thread to see how this turns out and then there's going to be a hell of lot of Ikea carcasses with shaker doors all over the UK as a result of your kitchen!

Oh and does the Shaker Doors company spray the doors or paint them by hand? All these questions...so sorry.....

Good luck! Finances have been an absolute shocker for us. Mainly the London trade prices and their lick a finger, stick it in the air and double it approach to quoting. . Also, we've waited so long for the kitchen it's hard to compromise on the fixtures and fittings.

I really hope that after a gazillion posts from me the doors arrive and I like them! Will be a bit embarrassing if not.

Yep, Shaker Doors use a company called Morrells to spray paint the doors so I'm guessing the finish will look very professional.

Crumbelina,
Interesting to hear about kingston prices on slide. I was all set for extension, but we submitted new pp application and while waiting for its approval/drawings updates and new quote, i have been looking at houses for sale and option of moving instead of extending. Everything in kingston seems to be listed atleast 10% higher than what it would have been in 2015. May be they arent actually selling for those prices. So hard to decide whether to extend or move.

Following to see updates/photos. We are about a year behind you, but already planning every detail!

That's a tricky dilemma, Mum2015. I think you're right and that houses are being reduced and going for much less than their asking price. The last few that have sold on my road have been reduced by £50-100k! All were definitely overpriced though. This article mentions Kingston as well: www.theguardian.com/money/2018/mar/27/london-property-slump-most-widespread-since-financial-crisis

Angry, it's good to have time to plan so you can really get what you want. When I started planning (3+ years ago!) I wanted a matt handleless white kitchen. Slight change of plan since then.

Good morning ladies! Crumbelina I think you are right about house prices. I saw one a couple weeks ago listed for way way more than my budget, about £300 more and the estate agent was pretty confident incould get it within our budget. I didn’t really believe it though as it would be £50,000 less than they had paid for it 7 years ago but it has been on for a couple months and no offers. This was right by the green. I am seeing 5 today. One I was in love with a few months ago ended up going for £215,000 less than listing price and I am kicking myself that we didn’t have our finances in order then. Very interesting about the building work. This will be our at least ten year home so you would hope things would pick up by the time we are ready to sell but who knows

I really can’t wait to get to the kitchen stage! All these photos you ladies are posting have me very excited for the day to come :)

Hi Crumbelina,
I'm loving this thread! I too am looking at a DeVOL inspired kitchen for our new extension project we are starting in September for our new property in Wimbledon Centre whilst balancing a 9 month old and heading back to work after maternity leave! All fun & games.

We have a limited budget too and looking at how much it all adds up I am likely to go down the same route as you.
IKEA units, New doors and side panels etc. As this thread is so long is there any way you could briefly summarise what you finally chose in the end and approx. costs (sorry if this has been reposted anywhere). e.g. units, doors, handles etc (any other things I may likely have forgotten!)

Also - on the first page of this thread you mentioned in-frame and no in-frame. Do you have any pics of what one with and without would look like - just a bit confused! Thanks in advance!!!

Yes it is so hard to decide crumbelina. I like my house and location. Just wish garden was bigger. Though with a baby I don't really get much time for it. Good to know reality of Kingston house prices. I will now book viewings for the ones which are slightly over our budget. Venders might accept our offer.

Hi Mum2015 - I bought last year in SW19 and definitely the market has slowed down. We found that houses stayed on for a long time as sellers weren't willing to accept the reality of lower prices and those that did sell probably were for circa 10-15% below asking. Definitely look in the next bracket up and don't be scared to offer only what you can afford. You may have to play the waiting game for the sellers to realise the market position if they haven't been on for long but it may work to your advantage!

I have to agree Georgia! One of the estate agents we met with over the weekend said that last year sellers were really hoping things will pick up but this year they’ve become a bit more patient and more realistic as to what they can get so a lot more sales are starting to go through this month and last!

*impatient, not patient!

Thanks Georgia and Barbie. That is reassuring.

Hello!

Georgia, I think an in-frame kitchen has a frame on the front so there's a slightly smaller opening for the doors/drawers, but they do look great. This explains it better than I can: advice.diy-kitchens.com/customer-questions/what-is-an-in-frame-kitchen/

All DeVOL shaker units come inframe, and the company I'm using (Foxtow Shaker Doors) will do this too, but I'm opting for normal doors in the shaker style.

Re suppliers/budget, the carcasses are Ikea (£2.7k), Foxtow Shaker Doors (£6.7k) for all the doors, drawer fronts, panels etc. That's oak, colour matched in Farrow and Ball (the most expensive option they do but still very reasonable!). The hardware is from Armac Martin (£1.3k)! An absolute fortune but that's for around 40 knobs/catches/latches and in an antique copper finish which is much more expensive than chrome, burnished brass etc. Appliances are just under £6k for a single oven, combi microwave, warming drawer, induction hob, wine fridge, dishwasher, integrated fridge freezer and undercounter integrated freezer. Mostly Siemens and Neff (with a lo-hot of shopping around/research/haggling). Then £500 for a marble tiled splashback, white quartz worktops should be £2-3k. So all in that's around £20k, not going super high end but definitely not scrimping. Have a look on page 3 of this thread for a pic I posted of what that should get. Overall I think the handles, splashback and worktop will make it look much more expensive.

Good luck with your extension project! We started our extension last June and it's still going. The timber frame went up a week after DD2 was born (although that was the easy part!).

Barbie, how did the viewings go? I love a nosey on Rightmove (usually very expensive London properties that are waaay out of my budget). This one is so expensive: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/71347145. I know the location really well and it's super high spec but I can't get over the price! And it's effectively a terrace. I'd much rather a nice detached Georgian house in Petersham. Because I can obvs afford something like that. I guess it's pretty typical of house prices now though and I think 2 bed apartments in the Star and Garter development were going for around £2m. Also, is anyone else like me and not a fan of the decor in prime London properties (like the house I linked to and other places in Belgravia, Mayfair etc.)? I can't put my finger on it but it's all a bit too polished.

Oh, and good luck with your viewings Mum2015! Let us know how they go.

Lastly, all going well here. The concrete floor has just been polished. We can't walk on it for 48 hours and I'm dying to get in there! Oh, and the doors arrive very soon. We haven't even started the unit construction, but I can update and let you know what I think of the finish/quality etc.

Thanks all!

Crumbelina - Thankyou so much for summarising and so glad your floor is going well! It sounds like we have very similar taste.

The link to in-frame was very useful and I get it now! I have a few questions if you don't mind?

1: I assume if you get IKEA units with drawers you couldn't get an in-fame as otherwise how would the ikea drawers open with in-frame fronts from the shaker company?

2: Can the company you got the frames from make any bespoke units in addition if needed? I want to put a unit for storing wine bottles above the new fridge (open slots) but Ikea units don't make the right size. Also I have a filler piece next to my belfast sink that would be great to have a bespoke tray fit in it (otherwise wasted space)

3: I was researching white quartz worktops last night for properties. Who have you gone with in the end and do you know yet if they are any good? Do you have a link to the product.

4: I suddenly thought about hinges etc and parts to fit the bespoke fronts to the IKea units. Are these provided?

5: Lastly you mention the Farrow & Ball colour match. Do they spray these before they arrive? I have seen some recommendations to do paint the kitchen after install but I assume this is less relevant with Ikea units and then fitting other parts?

6: Are your builders for your extension fitting your kitchen? Or have you had to get fitters. I would have to spend c.£20k and then mess it up at the end!

Sorry for long post!!! I'll keep shorter from now on!