alternatives to fitted kitchens?

[MitchyInge]

am not keen on the all matching units with unifying work surface sort of look - tho have the remnants of one at present (shaker style doors and solid beech top) but is quite badly decomposed now

low ceilings and dodgy walls mean can't have cupboards attached higher up (cannot think of word for them, you know the ones that go on the wall instead of standing on the floor) but how £££ is it to get freestanding things custom made (bespoke?) and where can I find inspiring pics of kitchens like this?

Very £££. But you don't have to have things custom made. Our first house was an old cottage with no fitted kitchen, which is part of the reason I loved it so much. We had a pine Welsh dresser (a nice one which had been handmade but doesn't obviously have to be), a large butcher's block thing from Habitat and a smaller butchers block on wheels. Plus a big kitchen table, an electric range (no gas out there and couldn't afford to go own the Aga route) and an old Belfast sink with drainer in the corner. All the furniture in there we bought from the previous owner for £500 so it was a real bargain and it was my favourite kitchen ever.

that sounds like the perfect kitchen! it was just because of the odd dimensions that I was thinking custom made - got some v narrow doors and low ceilings and tight corners to get furniture through to kitchen, it would be a crime to dismantle to a proper dresser and attempt to reassemble

but is there an alternative to dressers?

have found a lovely carpenter and I suppose I could just ask and rule out the whole idea get some indication of how £££y it would be

pah, just dismantle, not dismantle to

I love nonfitted kitchens. I spend far too long looking at kitchen furniture on ebay and have fallen in love with some 1920s stuff. An eclectic feel

I have no kitechen to put it in but house is on the market so kind of hoping I have to start froms cratch when we move

nb many dressers are designed to dismantle into a base and a shelving unit

they weren't all built in cottage kitchens

try salvo for reclaimed bits eg sink unit

sideboards are useful
dressers without the top bit. Often dressers waste the top space as you can only put plates on there with a sideboard you get worktop too

Ooooh I liek that Mrs B

I've been eying up odd bits one ebay

this is the one I'm drooling over

and this would go very nicely with Mrs Bs bit

My favourite ever kitchen was dhs bf dm (follow that?) It was all bits collected over the years and felt so homely. Plus she could move bits around to suit her purpose

I have a large cupboard in my kitchen that was made by a local cabinetmaker. It was cheaper than getting something similar from a kitchen shop but still not cheap. I use it as a larder and broom cupboard but could have many uses depending on how you fitted it out inside.

A friend has a large wooden cupboard which she seem to fit most of her dried & tinned food in and crockery also. I think it may have originally been a large wardrobe which she had adapted.

Ikea do a lot of free-standing kitchen units at very reasonable prices but they may be a bit modern in style for you?

Mitchy I have No wall units either, didn;t want any. So I have a zinc topped wooden unit that I bought fromm a local shop, I love it, it doesn;t match the rest . Look on ebay and in junk shops

Definitely keep an eye on Ebay - I just bought a huge whole kitchen for £225, I know you don't want modern but there are all sorts of things on there and maybe someone will be ripping out there country style kitchen for a shiny new one!

thanks for all that

the 50s and 60s things are nice aren't they, would they look stupid in an older house?

oh I want this chicken kitchen

Bloody hell!! Thought Ebay was for bargains?? lol