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Original poster

Can I live without one?

59 replies

Minimalme · 09/04/2023 07:34

We 'made' a kitchen out of freestanding furniture - it looks lovely and is very functional. It cost £2k and will last years because it is solid wood.

The refurb money is now spent with nothing left over. I think I can live without a cooker hood but FiL and dh think we need one.

In previous houses we've had Cooker hoods which I didn't use because I don't like the noise of thee fan.

Putting this to MN for opinions!

OP posts:
Neverknowinglysensible · 09/04/2023 17:29

Wow, I love it! Especially the unit by the fridge, it looks amazing. You must be very proud!

TattiePants · 09/04/2023 17:30

That looks fabulous, you’ve done an amazing job. I’ve had the same extractor for nearly 15 years and I hardly ever turn it on. It was stupidly expensive and a complete waste of money. Just open the window when you need to.

Thekormachameleon · 09/04/2023 17:32

I love it. I need a new kitchen but hate all these new glossy, shiny plain cupboards and really want something like this - you've inspired me op

Toooldtoworry · 09/04/2023 17:33

That is a beautiful kitchen. Not envious at all!

Seaitoverthere · 09/04/2023 17:53

Love it ! I have the same cooker and a Belfast sink in the garden waiting to be used.

User639762456 · 09/04/2023 18:22

We have that cooker, OP, your kitchen looks lovely I like the blue cupboard. We have just got an expelair extractor in our kitchen as one was already there when we moved in so we just replaced it with a new similar one as the hole was already there

User639762456 · 09/04/2023 18:23

It's nice to see a picture of a kitchen on MN that doesn't look like an operating theatre

Username84 · 09/04/2023 18:28

Looks gorgeous! Freestanding kitchens are a thing in Germany, maybe see if you can find any info on the practicalities from there?

lljkk · 09/04/2023 18:34

Put Lids on pots with boiling/simmering fluid in them.

Wallywobbles · 09/04/2023 18:57

Don't like them so we don't have one.

NotMeNoNo · 09/04/2023 19:07

You can put in a wall extractor on an external wall, like a bathroom fan. Loads to choose from, cheap and quiet, meets building regs.

JeepersCreeperrs · 09/04/2023 19:14

Never use mine.

StatisticallyChallenged · 09/04/2023 19:17

We're having a ceiling extractor (actually, it's already there) in our new kitchen which is sufficient. We're not replacing the hood as I hate it

LibertyLily · 09/04/2023 19:19

We don't have an extractor as I hate them (we last had one fitted in a previous house in 2008 but rarely used it), although we did get a big faux hood for our current kitchen which we both love!

Your kitchen is lovely and reminds me of the unfitted one we chose for a kitchen (in another previous house) that was an odd shape/small size with three doors. We had a custom built belfast sink unit very similar to yours, as well as a Victorian dresser and washstand which we used as an island. Back then (mid 1990s) we didn't think to paint them - the dresser was pine whilst the washstand and sink unit were oak - but I think they'd have looked even better if we had.

I love the colour you've chosen too....although I might be biased as our kitchen is blue (F&B Oval Room Blue).

I'm sure you'll enjoy using your kitchen far more than if you'd opted for something less unique!

AddictedToPaintTesters · 09/04/2023 19:24

Unfitted kitchen here too with no extractor. I just open the window.

stormelf · 09/04/2023 19:34

Our cooker hood broke about three years ago and not got round to fixing it. We just open windows.

Love your kitchen btw. A free standing kitchen made of reclaimed furniture would be my dream. We were planning on similar but compromised with a kitchen made of scaffold boards and old pallets

Original poster
Minimalme · 09/04/2023 19:35

Thank you for all the amazing comments. DH and I have had some stupendous diy disasters over our 20 and six homes together.

Probably no one remembers but I used to be @mrsvobdylan and one weekend we thought we'd spray our bathroom tiles green as we had a can spare.

My eldest son was 10 and came home from cub camp and said "I wish you'd asked me first-it looks like the Hulk threw up in here." The tiles had to be chipped out and replaced and dh was coughing up green for weeks because he didn't wear a mask.

There was also a dreadful attempt at an auricular theatre after watching gardeners world. We painted wood pallets and hung them on the garden wall. Which fell down.

Dark days.

OP posts:
Original poster
Minimalme · 09/04/2023 19:37

20 years (we have moved a lot but not that much thank Christ).

@mrsbobdylan

OP posts:
Nosejobent · 09/04/2023 19:45

Placemarking, very interesting thread!

SwedishEdith · 09/04/2023 19:52

Love your kitchen - having serious kitchen envy now.

JulieHoney · 09/04/2023 20:01

It's lovely!

It depends on what you cook. I cook an awful lot of fish and curries on the hob so appreciate the extractor to remove the smells. I also use the gas ring to char things like pepper and aubergines, which gets a bit smelly, and the extractor helps with that.

If that's not your style of cooking and you keep a lid on your pots, you'll probably be fine.

feeona123 · 09/04/2023 20:14

Ours stopped working years ago…I just open the window now x

FluffyBundle · 09/04/2023 20:16

Oh Op, your sideboard is identical to my parents' old sideboard though theirs is dark french polished. It's lovely to see how old stuff can be upcycled and given a new lease of life.

mamnotmum · 09/04/2023 20:23

We have one. I like how it looks. But we never use it. It just doesn't seem to do anything at all and the noise is horrible

So I think you can live without or just put something in 'for show'

twolilacs · 09/04/2023 20:32

Windows were made before extractor fans - and they don't use electricity either Grin

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