Solid wooden Kitchens

[Rich-Ando]

suggestions if possible please.

i am looking for real wooden kitchen units not the laminated stuff.

obviously i know it will cost a bit more but there is still the point of "value for money" to be considered.

I've looked at a lot of places online and also my local stores.
unfortunately for me the one i preferred the most we by a company that would not supply only. they insisted they fitted it so i told them when to shove their units.

if any of the professional fitters here can recommend where to look for a good quality solid wood supplier i would appreciate it.

thanks

[dewaltdisney]

Are you just talking about the doors or the cabinets as well?

In my opinion there is little point in having cabinets made of solid wood as melamine coated chipboard is much more suited to the job. Solid wood framed doors are readily available although in the common shaker style it is more likely to have the panel made of a veneered ply or MDF.

All the cabinets are much the same quality from the usual suppliers apart from Ikea which do not have a service duct at the back and this can be a right nuisance. Kitchens are steadily going back to the Formica style finish of the 70's so if you do not want to have a dated look fairly quickly keep to a simple design that looks quality without being fussy.

It has to be said that it is the floor and wall tiling, worktops and lighting that makes a kitchen stand out.

DWD

[leebwk]

Hi Rich Ando,

Have you looked at WWW.Pineland.co.uk they build solid timber kitchens and also other household furniture there prices are very good aswell.
They are based in northwich cheshire and can be located on the web, there brochure and pricelist is very informative and i have heard only good reviews about them.

[Rich-Ando]

thanks for both reply's

i realise that about the actual cabinets and i was mainly looking for the doors & draws to be wooden. i hate the plastic draws that fall apart. the only additional thing i was going to ask for was a wooden side panel for two ends that will be on show.

thanks for the link i'll take a look.

[dewaltdisney]

Most the drawers now are the metal style with soft close. These are far more substantial than the old plastic and coated chipboard flat pack style of drawer.

End panels are usually a rip off from kitchen suppliers and you would do better buying an 8 by 4 sheet of wood veneered Ply or MDF from Silvermans.

BnQ are worth a look as the drawers are metal sided and they do solid framed shaker doors in their range. There is a lot of snobbishness about these kitchen but put in nicely they do the job at a good price.

DWD

[tim'll fix it]

i fitted a "solid oak style" kitchen from B&Q recently, the doors and drawer front were as decribed solid oak, it was top notch.



The end panels and other bits were MFC but this is why you pay £2200 for this kitchen and not double that[/img]

[tim'll fix it]

plus I think B&Q kitchens are fine, especially for the money

[ultimatehandyman]

I have always bought my kitchens from B&Q, apart from one that I got from MFI. B&Q are very good for the money and are decent enough quality for most houses.

The kitchen looks good Tim, another one to add to your portfolio

I know that it's not your descision as you only fir the kitchen, but I would of chosen different sockets and switches lol

[tim'll fix it]

i would have had brushed sockets, but the customer said they didnt want them they wanted the marbo ones to match the rest of the house

[Jaeger_S2k]

Nice work Tim (for a whipper snapper)

But the sockets suck, people?

Why would you match sockets in the lounge with sockets in the kitchen, they're 2 separate units.

Do the tiles in there bathroom match the kitchen?

[Rich-Ando]

thanks for all the replies everybody, much appreciated.

nice work there Tim and 100% honest, i never even considered B & Q even though i can walk to them in 15 seconds because i am used ot the rest of the crap they sell. DIY substandard poo usually

regarding your pic Tim, it would appear they all do the same nowadays then? i don't know weather it's just my preference or what but it seems all those that supply side panels don't make them wide enough to match the front surface of the doors.
i just don't like the way they are designed now i spose.
as a sparks, i gotta say, your customer made a massive mistake not letting you put the brushed sockets in. it would have made their kitchen look a lot more expensive and it must annoy you when you've done such a nice job of the kitchen & tiling.

[tim'll fix it]

yes most side panels are 570mm which I agree looks gash

I have in the past fitted an MFI kitchen with 590mm end panels and these were veneered in the actuall wood.

At the end of the day you get what you pay for! Those B&Q end panels are only £15 each.

One thing I always try and get the customer to use is custom fit panels (so they can be full 870mm tall) rather than the clad on unit ends and then a horrible return of plinth

The customer was my brother, so I won't call him too much, but yes I would have had brushed sockets for the small extra, but he can always change them at a later date if he wants

[Jaeger_S2k]

One thing I always try and get the customer to use is custom fit panels (so they can be full 870mm tall) rather than the clad on unit ends and then a horrible return of plinth

Tim can you explain further what you mean by 'clad on end units' and 'return of plinth'

[tim'll fix it]

there are two ways of doing the end panels.

You can buy the end panels which replace the end of the carcase in the box so you have a panel 720mm tall by 570mm deep.

This leaves a gap at the bottom of the unit (for your kickboard or plinth)

Now when you put the piece of kick board in back to the wall at the end, the return, it looks gash as always has a join.

So imo the best way is to get some custom fit panels. 870mm x 570mm (or wider if avaliable) then fix these to the end of the unit over the lot and then the front kickboard just butts up and there are no horrid gaps

[Jaeger_S2k]

Understood. Thanks