Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Help! I want a kitchen like this.....but on a budget and I know you can help me.....

62 replies

Maidamess · 18/02/2008 20:42

dream kitchen

BUT the price tag is tooo much.

I do not really want to get a carpenter to custom build me one. I want simple preferably wooden doors that have only very plain detailing on them. I also want some shiney chrome handles and knobs.

Do any of you lovely ladies have any recommendations of a good kitchen? (I know its been done to death on here but I am desperado)

OP posts:
grannyslippers · 18/02/2008 21:45

My dream kitchen is this (Border County) - any good to you? I priced it up about 4K, I think.

Original poster
Maidamess · 18/02/2008 21:49

Ooh, granny, I like! I will put that in my 'kitchen stuff' folder on the computer.

OP posts:
KristinaM · 18/02/2008 22:00

oh granny, I LURVE that blue/ green/ grey colour

i spent AGES deciding on colours for my kitchen ( my ironing pile is huge)

Pannacotta · 18/02/2008 22:00

Oh nice link granny, mmmm

grannyslippers · 18/02/2008 22:32

It is a very remote dream at the moment sadly. At the moment we have (inherited) the twiddliest, fiddliest, orangest antique pine imaginable. Bleurgh. Maidamess you have very good taste the Plain English is gorgeous.

KristinaM · 18/02/2008 22:40

impossible - our old kitchen was the ugliest imaginable. i have put it on my profile so you can admire it

Original poster
Maidamess · 19/02/2008 07:41

Ladies thankyou so much for your ideas.

I have realised the look I want is an 'inframe' kitchen, ie one where the doors don't just swing off a carcass but you can see the hinges.

I am orf to Fulham (darling) to press my nose aginst the window of Harvey Jones . They may take pity on me and offer me a huge discount

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 19/02/2008 09:09

Maidamess that is apparently the easiest way to tell a designer/bespoke kitchen from a high st one, or so I am told by a bulider/devedoper I know. (Doors in a frame that is not hinged from the carcass side.)

noddyholder · 19/02/2008 09:16

Buy Howdens carcasses as they are great quality and are factory glued not flat pack.Then get a carpenter to make mdf doors and paint in farrow and ball and finish with clear matt wax to stop chips et voila!

Pannacotta · 19/02/2008 09:26

noddy but can you get the framed look that way? as per the Plain English kithen in link?

Original poster
Maidamess · 19/02/2008 11:49

I have just phoned Harvey Jones and the nice lady told me the average kitchen including worktops and appliances and installation is between £20 and £30 k!!!!!!!!GULP. Perhaps I can just get the hinges from there.

Actually, she was very nice and said they would try to help me, if I supply my own worktops, oven etc, and my builder installs, it will come in cheaper...but £18k cheaper? I'll let you know.

I'll get an inframe kitchen if it kills me!!!!!

OP posts:
GrapefruitMoon · 19/02/2008 12:14

if you can find somewhere to do the kitchen in MDF or unpainted wood, F&B Parma Grey is similar to the colour you want. When we moved in here the kitchen units were orangy pine bu7t we didn't want to replace them straightaway . Luckily the doors were solid pine so i sanded them back and painted them in that colour. I was quite sad to see them go when we got our new kitchen - it got lots of compliments!

GooseyLoosey · 19/02/2008 12:21

The ones on the website I linked to are in-frame and KristinaM seems to have had no problems (to be fair, it may have had more to do with my builders).

I would at least try working out how much what you want will be. I promise it will be shedloads less than £20k

nailpolish · 19/02/2008 12:24

b&q do these framed cabinets. they have quite a good selection

Original poster
Maidamess · 19/02/2008 12:58

Ooh thankyou. I'll pop over to B&Q later x

OP posts:
Original poster
Maidamess · 19/02/2008 12:59

Goosey, I was really impressed by that companies site. They do look like what I am after . I'm excited!

OP posts:
nailpolish · 19/02/2008 13:34

i am thinking of an ikea kitchen

b&q quoted me 6.5K which is within budget but the man was a prize tit.

how much are ikea kitchens in comparison to the other main kitchen installers?

Original poster
Maidamess · 19/02/2008 13:38

Ikea kitchens start from the hundreds and go up to about 4k max. I'm off to b&q in a mo, I'll let you know if my man is a tit too!

OP posts:
GooseyLoosey · 19/02/2008 13:39

Nailpolish, our previous kitchen was from Ikea and the one before that from Magnet. I have to say, the Ikea one was a complete ba@%rd (although we were doing it ourselves). It was definately cheaper (hence reason for purchase, but it was the only one where you actually had to assemble carcasses. In addition, we had a wooden one and moved after about 3 years and I am not sure how well it was holding up. That said, have no reason to think that their other ranges would not be better.

nailpolish · 19/02/2008 13:41

wouldnt you recommend one then, goosey?

dh is awful at diy and we have no one to help so we'd probably get the ikea fitters to fit it. i was think ing of a free standing one but prob wont be able to afford it tbh...

Fimbo · 19/02/2008 14:01

My friend has just had a B & Q kitchen installed. The kitchen cost £3k but the fitting was an eye watering £5k.

GooseyLoosey · 19/02/2008 14:05

A free standing one might be much easier (and a bit less flimsy than the one we had) so if it seems nice in the shop, then I think I would go for it.

I have put up 100s of flat-packs in my life, but nothing took as long as that kitchen. It was not that it was difficult, there were just literally 1000s of screws!

nailpolish · 19/02/2008 14:07

ok well possibly dh and i could manage...

how do you co-ordinate all the plumbers/electricians etc?

Fimbo · 19/02/2008 14:07

This (Calgary White) is what I have, except the worktop is solid oak.

peasoup · 19/02/2008 14:28

To CAT you click on Conatct a Mumsnetter at the top of the page. I don't really want to post my email address here as I'm a bit anonomous!! But you can post yours and I'll email you if you want. Also for appliances Buyers and Sellers in Ladbroke Grove are cheapest and they keep coming down in price if you tell them you got a cheaper deal elsewhere (even if you are fibbing!)