DIY kitchens - Helmsley anyone?

[Lambrilittlelegs]

Hello
We think we have decided on a Helmsley kitchen from DIY kitchens. Has anyone else got this one and if so would you mind posting some pictures? It’s not available to view in the showroom so we are buying offline without seeing it (although I will order a sample door).

Going for a F&B painted finish.
Any advice/tips/pics most welcome! Thanks

@Rosita do not let him overcharge you. We just said to our fitter that fitting our kitchen will involve some custom solutions so there will be no charge on top. We also have a coal cupboard and he is going to block off the access to it from the outside, make access on the inside and make it into a shaker style cupboard, it is all part of a major renovation but that bit was quoted at £550, so building a cupboard should not be more than a couple of hundred when part of a bigger job. Most large doors at DIY or UO retail at between £150 and £200.

@FrogFairy you can get those spice racks and any sort of inserts online, try searching for pantry storage rack or spice rack on Amazon.

@Mum2015 Croydon ikea had a marble look and a concrete look laminate, both I liked the look of. The concrete look one especially, looked kind of modern industrial rustic.
You can haggle with most online quartz retailers like Diapol, Topsco, Myfair Granite. And actually the price for a larger worktop does not increase that much as it is mainly the installation (the cut and measure) that costs a lot. We have now decided to have both worktops in quartz and the price went from £1800 to £2300 incl VAT, and the second worktop is actually larger. They don't charge extra for installation of more worktops. The price for one was initially £2400 plus VAT and I haggled it down to £1800 including VAT.

Wow! You are totally right @aisteb! I've just found some of those spice racks on amazon for £35 as opposed to the £150 DIY have just quoted for one.
For those who are interested in the DIY option, it's the butler's pantry or double dresser special order item (about £799) plus the spice racks at £150 each (they are solid oak) and it's 1000mm wide and 560mm deep.
I think I will definitely investigate getting one made instead and see what will work best for me and the space.
I also think you can get a similar look by having those spice racks on a unit with shelves which might be an easy / cheap option.

Etsy is a good place to look for things too, you can get decent bits like spice racks, cutlery trays or other hand made solid wood inserts that will often cost a fraction of big retailers.

@rosita you could see if someone will make you a matching pantry at 95cm wide to go there instead of a fridge, something like this www.etsy.com/uk/listing/624674882/kitchen-larderpantry?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pantry%20spice%20rack&ref=sr_gallery-1-6&organic_search_click=1

You can buy matching paint from DIY and UO, I have inquired as I plan to paint something to match the kitchen.

And look at this beauty in hague blue! I am in love :) www.etsy.com/uk/listing/538220529/kitchen-rustic-industrial-crate-larder?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=kitchen%20pantry&ref=sr_gallery-1-12&organic_search_click=1

Got carried away looking at pantries now, wish I had space for a freestanding one.

So, what really is the difference between a pantry and a larder anyway? I’ve been looking at the DIY tall larder units and I reckon with some spice racks inside, it will look pretty much the same. I’m not sure I want the worktop between anyway so that seems like a possibility...and WAY cheaper.

Those pantries are all beautiful @aisteb! I want all of it!

Aisteb,

It is good to know that longer quartz won't cost that much extra than shorter one and there is scope for haggling. Thank you.

@Rosita presumably you would need to cut the depth of the shelves inside the larder to fit the spice racks in? Still easily done. Or just get one of the tandem units.

@mum2015 The more you show your doubt, say you just want a quote, not sure you can afford it, seen cheaper elsewhere, going to check elsewhere and come back, ask if that's the best price they can do etc and the price seems to just keep on going down Topsco asked me what was the best price we have had and then they beat it. The best price was £2,100 plus VAT but i said the best quote we've had was £1,800 plus VAT so in the end they have offered £1,800 VAT inclusive. Possibly would have gone down further, I think they mark it up just to be able to lure you in by saying they have found an offcut just for you, you can have it for just £xxx if you just pay the deposit etc.

Thank you. I am not good at haggling price, but now I have got some key phrases to make it work.

Just a heads up for those who are thinking of still ordering from DIY, that if you are wanting a bespoke painted as we are in Hague Blue, then last order date for delivery before Christmas is Wednesday 10th October!

I’ve just called them in a panic! The person I spoke to said mid November is the cut off, not mid October for Christmas. It’s still only a 4 week lead time for bespoke and 3 for standard.
Where did you hear that @Janet25?

The information is from their website! I've been in discussion with them today also as they have been helping me with my basket due to the deadline of ordering now as we want Hague Blue.

One of the reasons for choosing UO was that DIY gave me much longer lead times, they said up to 7 weeks for bespoke painted. So maybe the lead times change depending how busy they are each week?

We got sent a colour match sample by Burbridge and unfortunately it is quite a poor match, a lot bluer than the black blue colour we have chosen. But we will still go ahead with it as it is a much better colour than the stock ones and if we chose to match another colour there's no guarantee it would be any better. I guess some colours are easier to match than others..

@Janet25 - this is so bizarre! I’m going to call them again tomorrow.

Frustrating for you regarding the colour @aisteb! I’m sure it will look lovely anyway though even if not your original plan.

Let me know how you get on, I’ve been dealing with Laura, it’s quite frustrating they have that message on their website and some staff or saying that, yet it seems others are saying not!

I've ordered! I can hardly believe I've finally done it but it's a huge relief.
We finally completed and got the keys to the house on Friday so spent the weekend camping in there with no furniture. Slightly sleep deprived now but had two very productive meetings with my builders who helped me do the order and it's all very exciting. In the end, I ordered Helmsley Light Grey 18 units (5 for my utility) and it came to £6,700 including all the end panels and other bits which is pretty good really. I had sent the plan in before to DIY and they had prepared a basket for me. I did have to check it over pretty carefully and we had to tweak it a bit but am now confident that it's right. Also, I have gone for a tandem larder and about 5 other pull out things so not the cheapest units but all told, should give me lots of storage. I didn't manage to make the pantry work in the end.....it probably could have but I have complete renovation fatigue and just couldn't think any more! It's being delivered week commencing 12th November.
I've also now seen my sink in the flesh which I totally love and was an absolute bargain on sale.....a Villeroy & Boch single Butler for £200. It's gorgeous!
Builders start work on Monday - eeeeek!

Sounds like a very good price @Rosita. And you will have it so soon! Can't wait to see some pics when it all arrives.

Exciting Rosita...I keep thinking I have done quite good bargain hunting and bartering but then everyone else seems to have got much better prices on things than me!!! Ah well.
That's very exciting though that you've got the keys. When is your kitchen due to arrive?

I haven’t read the whole thread but I have just had DIY Harewood installed and I’m very pleased although there were several things missing or wrong with the order and it took a while to sort out, they have sorted it all and sent the right bits. We got our quartz from Luna stone. Worth a look if your budget doesn’t stretch to silestone etc. Not such a big range of colours etc but it seems good so far. It was about £1.5K cheaper than silestone

Is Luna stone a supplier or type of quartz. Where did you get it from and how much did it cost for what size. Sorry for so many questions but I am looking for something that would fit in my budget.

@aisteb and @bobkate - thank you!
The kitchen should arrive around 12th November and we are moving in 5th December so quite tight to get it done but it’s the last thing going on. I think it’s pure luck my units turned out to be reasonable in the end. Unfortunately, my flooring and everything else hasn’t as I love all the expensive stuff though I have suddenly become quite good at haggling!
@FourontheHill - can you share pics please? Would love to see it. Frustrating you had some issues. My builders actually put the order in so they will be dealing with any issues directly at least.
@mum2015 - I think Luna is a brand. I found that my builders have a quartz supplier they work with regularly who were prepared to undercut everyone else by £300. I don’t know what brand they work with but I’m personally going by the look of it more. I’ve discovered I’m very fussy about the ratio of flecks to background!

This was our Luna stone quote:

You require 4.23sqm of Artico (20mm) £1,163.25 + VAT

1 X Unpolished cut out (£50 + VAT)
1 X Polished sink cut out (£100 + VAT)
1 X Set of drainer grooves (£100 + VAT)
1 X Tap hole cut out (£15 + VAT)
6.5 X Meters of up to 100mm high upstands (£97.50 + VAT)

Template and fit costs £650

Total price including template, fit and VAT £2,341.31

We went to see the samples somewhere near Welwyn Garden City but they were in the process of moving (to somewhere just N if London I forget where). We went for Artico because I thought the Bianco Carrara wasn’t as good as the equivalent in other brands. The repeat was too uniform and not subtle enough. The Artico sample was less white than what we got, I’d have preferred the slightly sandy white of the sample but the overall effect is good and we could afford quartz from anywhere else. The fitters were lovely and did a good job.

The supplier is Quartz Worktops Direct.

That should have said couldn’t have afforded quartz from anywhere else! I’d post a photo but I’m not at home and also it’s a mess already! Still moving in to the new kitchen

Thank you Rosita and fouronthehill.