That Kevin McLoud thing needs a bit more input.
5K or 50k that is the question. Is there a significant difference between the material make up of the 5k kitchen and the 50k kitchen.
At this particular time I am in the right place to in part answer this as I am having a new kitchen fitted on Friday (28/11/10).
My Kitchen is a Chippendale Hilton Ivory over painted solid ash door, veneered painted cornice & pelmet rail. I will be having solid 30mm Medura Gold granite work surfaces with upstands, behind hob granite splashback and window cill, two Neff single ovens, Neff five burner gas hob, Neff semi integrated dishwasher, Neff built in large fridge, Baumatic curved stainless steel extractor. (All available to view at the end of next week on Twitter #kitchenproject).
Now this kitchen would retail at approx £13,000 excluding installation, decorating, flooring, stainless steel sockets, this would add approx £3k.
I could have gone to a DIY outlet to purchase my cabinets, but would not have got a solid wood painted door, cornice & pelmet rail, 18mm colour co-ordinated PVC face edged cabintes, with 15mm solid backs, anti tip shelves, blum clip on/off Soft Close hinges, none collapsable Grass drawer boxes.
I would have got 15mm white melamine edged cabinets, 3mm hardboard backs, plastic or metal shelf studs, normal screw on hinges and a cheap Metabox look-a-like drawer box for half the price of the Chippendale cabinets. The benefit of my purchase is the USP's and quality of the materials Chippendale use to construct their cabinets. If I was trading up on the cabinetry I could have gone to one of the higher end companies like Intoto and probably got 19mm HDF cabinets with fittings that will have other USP's, maybe this would have added 4 0r 5k to cabinetry. An even greater leap I could have gone to a bespoke manufacturer I.E Todd Hunter Davies, and had solid wood cabinets as well as doors, true the fittings would not have been that much different although again there would be different USP's probably adding 25 to 35K to the cabinetry.
If I chose one of the the latter two I would have still chosen the same appliances, worktops, sink taps etc... so the kitchen cabinetry would differ from say 5k for the Chippendale to 10k for Intoto or 30 to 40k for the bespoke. The construction process between each company would be similar but the overall differences would be noticed not only by a trained eye but any person who is looking for a kitchen, a persons perception of what a kitchen costs is not made by looking through a shop window but by opening, touching and feeling the product you know as the advert says "sounds like a golf but isn't".
When Kevin made this statement he should have made himself clear as to what he was refering to in the differences between the 5 and 50k kitchens. On the appliances I definately would not want an old oven from the skip becasue it does not do what the Neff ovens I have bought do.
I am very happy with the purchase of my kitchen and would not want to spend any more to get a different specification of cabinet unless money was no object. I purchased my kitchen based on the door style and quality, if I had another 30k spare I would still have chosen the door but maybe got the solid wood cabs,
"A lifetimes purchase" either way. So in my opinion there is a difference between the two price ranges and it is not just a status symbol. Is there a difference between a £129 Technica LCD TV and a Panasonic Viera LCD were I can look at the screen from any angle and still see a perfect picture?
The debate will roll on I am sure and maybe Kevin will have some answeres for his views on the 5th May.
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Kitchen Designers & Architects
Being a Kitchen designer and an architect isn't like riding a bike (or buying a dress)
If you were once a Kitchen Designer and then re-trained to be an Architect & you then do not design a kitchen for several years you can not then get back on once you have fallen off because things change and move on, you might forget some law or worse still not know a new one.
The same can be said for any industry in any profession. Communication is the key to success in everything.
We should all work together for the good of our industry.
Russell
If you were once a Kitchen Designer and then re-trained to be an Architect & you then do not design a kitchen for several years you can not then get back on once you have fallen off because things change and move on, you might forget some law or worse still not know a new one.
The same can be said for any industry in any profession. Communication is the key to success in everything.
We should all work together for the good of our industry.
Russell
To Design or not to Design
Just to invoke more debate on the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom design industry I thought I would yet again add my two penneth worth.
I think there is probably four levels of kitchen designers three of which could step up down or mix into three of the levels and the fourth can only be loosely termed as a designer.
Level one, the very bespoke end of the market the £70k to £200k plus, these designers are creative in what is manufactured by the craftsman / woman, the Artisan of designers, were not only do they have a big input in where the products are sourced and what they are made of but also ergononics of the design, the decorative finishes and the on hand project managemnet catering for the every whim of their client, they will have complete autonomy and the overall visual and practical creativity to truly design a room or rooms.
Level two, the mid to high end of the market from £30k up to and occasionally over the £70k areas. These designers are slightly more restricted in the "what can be created" in the design by the use of what their manufacturer constructs albeit they will have a masssive array of sized cabinets, panels and other materials to choose from. They would typically design kitchens for professional people.
You could say this designer could be a better designer than level one because he / she has to create something from what he/ she has got in their portfolio of products. These designers although can design traditional and or classic kitchens they tend to design the modern and sleek look with quirky boxed finishes and step ups, ins, outs and long islands.
Level three, is the independent company designer usually designing £15k to £30k projects sometimes slightly over and sometimes slightly under. This designer will have less sizes of cabinets to play with, again needs to be ultra creative in their approach to the finished look, but tends to concentrate more on just the kitchen aspect of the design with some flooring, lighting and colour tones experience. They will be designing kitchens for people with generally hard earned money to spend and have had an major building project so that they can create the kitchen of their dreams but will want practicality, flair added to their design, which this designer is very capable of but they will have in mind that this client will have done their homework and they will be dealing with people who have had quotes and designs from other local companies so they will have to combine their design skills with honed sales skills so they can convince their client that they should buy from them.
Level four, is the shed and multiple designer (loosely) although there are some very good people working for these companies but have not made the step up for one reason or other possibly they are in a comfort zone and are happy earning what they earn and like the environment they are in, some of these people are only really planners with no real kitchen experience and have been recruited from the double glazing company down the road. They will tend to deal with the up to £10k and sometimes slightly over this figure end of the market. They usually would have been sent on the obligitory sales design course offered by their company.
They will be focussed on getting the sale and once bagged don't give an after thought to their last customer, they will only have to deal with the planning and selling process and then pass off any customer concerns to their floor manager.
The last level four sounds like me being a snob, I am not because this is where I learnt my trade and will not forget my roots, some of the people I have worked with do really care about their clients, it is the companies that they are working for that don't care. They sometimes probably wish they can move on and up but are trepadacious in moving to the unknown.
The architect debate is a different one all together, it depends on the level of architect and the level of project
being created. Maybe architects should commission kitchen designers to assist in the design of the rooms for their clients before plans are okayed and submitted, this would be a fantastic selling tool for the architect to have on hand a designer to liaiase with between them and their clients, this of course works not only for kitchens but bathrooms and bedroom too.
Russell.
I think there is probably four levels of kitchen designers three of which could step up down or mix into three of the levels and the fourth can only be loosely termed as a designer.
Level one, the very bespoke end of the market the £70k to £200k plus, these designers are creative in what is manufactured by the craftsman / woman, the Artisan of designers, were not only do they have a big input in where the products are sourced and what they are made of but also ergononics of the design, the decorative finishes and the on hand project managemnet catering for the every whim of their client, they will have complete autonomy and the overall visual and practical creativity to truly design a room or rooms.
Level two, the mid to high end of the market from £30k up to and occasionally over the £70k areas. These designers are slightly more restricted in the "what can be created" in the design by the use of what their manufacturer constructs albeit they will have a masssive array of sized cabinets, panels and other materials to choose from. They would typically design kitchens for professional people.
You could say this designer could be a better designer than level one because he / she has to create something from what he/ she has got in their portfolio of products. These designers although can design traditional and or classic kitchens they tend to design the modern and sleek look with quirky boxed finishes and step ups, ins, outs and long islands.
Level three, is the independent company designer usually designing £15k to £30k projects sometimes slightly over and sometimes slightly under. This designer will have less sizes of cabinets to play with, again needs to be ultra creative in their approach to the finished look, but tends to concentrate more on just the kitchen aspect of the design with some flooring, lighting and colour tones experience. They will be designing kitchens for people with generally hard earned money to spend and have had an major building project so that they can create the kitchen of their dreams but will want practicality, flair added to their design, which this designer is very capable of but they will have in mind that this client will have done their homework and they will be dealing with people who have had quotes and designs from other local companies so they will have to combine their design skills with honed sales skills so they can convince their client that they should buy from them.
Level four, is the shed and multiple designer (loosely) although there are some very good people working for these companies but have not made the step up for one reason or other possibly they are in a comfort zone and are happy earning what they earn and like the environment they are in, some of these people are only really planners with no real kitchen experience and have been recruited from the double glazing company down the road. They will tend to deal with the up to £10k and sometimes slightly over this figure end of the market. They usually would have been sent on the obligitory sales design course offered by their company.
They will be focussed on getting the sale and once bagged don't give an after thought to their last customer, they will only have to deal with the planning and selling process and then pass off any customer concerns to their floor manager.
The last level four sounds like me being a snob, I am not because this is where I learnt my trade and will not forget my roots, some of the people I have worked with do really care about their clients, it is the companies that they are working for that don't care. They sometimes probably wish they can move on and up but are trepadacious in moving to the unknown.
The architect debate is a different one all together, it depends on the level of architect and the level of project
being created. Maybe architects should commission kitchen designers to assist in the design of the rooms for their clients before plans are okayed and submitted, this would be a fantastic selling tool for the architect to have on hand a designer to liaiase with between them and their clients, this of course works not only for kitchens but bathrooms and bedroom too.
Russell.
Monday 17 January 2011
Questions you never thought you would be asked
One of the differences between a salesperson and kitchen designer is what you will be asked during your consultation.
Do you have any pets that eat etc.. in the kitchen?
Is there anybody going to use the kitchen that would need wheelchair access or consideration for lower worktops?
Would you like to eat in the kitchen. If so formal or informal and for how many?
Where is your stop tap, gas meter and gas point. Where is your electric meter and fuse board?
Are you Ok for bending down to ovens etc..
How large a bowl would you need for your sink, do you like to wash roasting dished grill pans in the sink, if so you will need a larger bowl.
What type of lighting would you like under the cupboards and in your ceiling.
What type of worksurfaces do you require, a designer will explain the pros and cons of all types and suggest something that suits your lifestyle.
There are many more questions to be asked and answered so please consider your purchase carefully
Do you have any pets that eat etc.. in the kitchen?
Is there anybody going to use the kitchen that would need wheelchair access or consideration for lower worktops?
Would you like to eat in the kitchen. If so formal or informal and for how many?
Where is your stop tap, gas meter and gas point. Where is your electric meter and fuse board?
Are you Ok for bending down to ovens etc..
How large a bowl would you need for your sink, do you like to wash roasting dished grill pans in the sink, if so you will need a larger bowl.
What type of lighting would you like under the cupboards and in your ceiling.
What type of worksurfaces do you require, a designer will explain the pros and cons of all types and suggest something that suits your lifestyle.
There are many more questions to be asked and answered so please consider your purchase carefully
Friday 14 January 2011
The shoe is on the other foot
We are great when it comes to advising our customers on which kitchen to buy, which worktop to choose and which appliances they need to make their kitchen not just beautiful but practical & efficient, "it's not a problem" we tell them well it isn't.
But now the shoe is on the other foot, for those of you who have been following our kitchen extension project on Twitter #kitchenproject you will have seen the photos and comments on how it is has all been going.
We thought we had it all sorted, the door, Chippendale Hilton Ivory with handle suite 83, The worktop Black Radianz quartz, the hob, dishwasher and fridge all Neff the oven Fisher Paykel True double oven and extractor Prima 70cm curved glass and stainless steel.
Then we went and had a look at the granite suppliers, we spent over an hour running backwards and forwards between displays with our sample door and handle, in the end we chose Madura Gold a complete opposite of what we thought we where going to have.
On the way home we called in built in to appliances in Liverpool to look at extractor fans and to see if the Fisher Paykel oven was on display, here lies another couple of changes, the ovens were very small inside and the telescopic shelves did not extend out very far and as for the extractor I would have banged my head on the corner of the glass every time I lent over the hob, so the changes, the extractor is now a Baumatic BTC675 full curve in stainless steel
and the ovens are either going to be Neff B15E54 and B45E54 with extra telescopic flex rails or AEG B5741-5-M with telescopic rail and pyrolux cleaning
So we can truly say to our customers we know what you are going through, it is not a problem if you want to change your mind because we did.
But now the shoe is on the other foot, for those of you who have been following our kitchen extension project on Twitter #kitchenproject you will have seen the photos and comments on how it is has all been going.
We thought we had it all sorted, the door, Chippendale Hilton Ivory with handle suite 83, The worktop Black Radianz quartz, the hob, dishwasher and fridge all Neff the oven Fisher Paykel True double oven and extractor Prima 70cm curved glass and stainless steel.
Then we went and had a look at the granite suppliers, we spent over an hour running backwards and forwards between displays with our sample door and handle, in the end we chose Madura Gold a complete opposite of what we thought we where going to have.
On the way home we called in built in to appliances in Liverpool to look at extractor fans and to see if the Fisher Paykel oven was on display, here lies another couple of changes, the ovens were very small inside and the telescopic shelves did not extend out very far and as for the extractor I would have banged my head on the corner of the glass every time I lent over the hob, so the changes, the extractor is now a Baumatic BTC675 full curve in stainless steel
and the ovens are either going to be Neff B15E54 and B45E54 with extra telescopic flex rails or AEG B5741-5-M with telescopic rail and pyrolux cleaning
So we can truly say to our customers we know what you are going through, it is not a problem if you want to change your mind because we did.
Monday 10 January 2011
10 Reasons to buy a kitchen from Stuart Henry Kitchens
1. All of our kitchens are quality colour co-ordinated cabinets with solid backs
2. 95% of our orders are from recommendations
3. We can deliver supply only kitchens from seven days
4. We have just been awarded Merseyside Trader Of The Year 2010
5. We offer genuine un-biased advice when helping you design your kitchen
6. Our prices are very competitive
7. We are passionate about what we do
8. We are a genuine family run business with over twenty years experience
9. We do not inflate our prices to offer big discounts
visit http://www.stuarthenrykitchens.co.uk/
2. 95% of our orders are from recommendations
3. We can deliver supply only kitchens from seven days
4. We have just been awarded Merseyside Trader Of The Year 2010
5. We offer genuine un-biased advice when helping you design your kitchen
6. Our prices are very competitive
7. We are passionate about what we do
8. We are a genuine family run business with over twenty years experience
9. We do not inflate our prices to offer big discounts
visit http://www.stuarthenrykitchens.co.uk/
Saturday 8 January 2011
Wickes 50% off Winter kitchen sale is not so cheap
We can beat Wickes 50% kitchen sale prices on most of our full price kitchens and others we are cheaper with our sale prices, some of our prices are truly unbelievably cheaper and our spec is much much higher, details further down.
So Wickes have a 50% off sale on every kitchen. I can say with absolute no doubt that the previous price for each Wickes kitchen unit is extortionate for it's spec & quality. This begs the question are the multiple kitchen retailers taking the British public for mugs. I have not been able to get price lists for the following companies (Moben, Magnet, Betta Living, Kutchen Hause) so you can read into that what you like, although some of them say it is because they are made to measure units, what was it Jim Royle said "My a**e".
Below is a list of some of the kitchens from Wickes and our equivalents, we can say that our price is cheaper, plus our spec is colour co-ordinated cabinets with concealed wall hanging brackets, PVC face edged cabinets and most kitchens come with anti tilt shelves.
Wickes Caledonia Handle free white gloss.
Our Lakes Sculptured White Gloss is not on sale and is cheaper than Wickes at their 50% off
Wickes New Jersey cream slab gloss
Our Technica Gloss Stone and Krystal kitchens are cheaper at full price than Wickes 50% off and we also have these on sale which makes them even cheaper
Wickes Casablanca gloss black slab & Glencoe gloss white slab
Our lakes Glacier Black / White and Technica Black / White Gloss are cheaper and the Glacier range is massively cheaper than Wickes 50% off prices.
Wickes Manhattan gloss cream slab
Technica Gloss Stone & Krystal is cheaper with our 15% discount than Wickes with their 50% discount
Wickes Atlanta gloss white shaker
Our lakes Gloss White Shaker is cheaper without any discount than Wickes 50% off and we also have 20% off which makes it cheaper again.
We have lots more kitchens that are less expensive than Wickes and many other kitchen companies but there are too many to list, If you would like to find out more please contact us www.stuarthenrykitchens.co.uk
The point I am trying to make is shop around and use independents because you will get a better service, design, higher specification than the multiple retailers.
So Wickes have a 50% off sale on every kitchen. I can say with absolute no doubt that the previous price for each Wickes kitchen unit is extortionate for it's spec & quality. This begs the question are the multiple kitchen retailers taking the British public for mugs. I have not been able to get price lists for the following companies (Moben, Magnet, Betta Living, Kutchen Hause) so you can read into that what you like, although some of them say it is because they are made to measure units, what was it Jim Royle said "My a**e".
Below is a list of some of the kitchens from Wickes and our equivalents, we can say that our price is cheaper, plus our spec is colour co-ordinated cabinets with concealed wall hanging brackets, PVC face edged cabinets and most kitchens come with anti tilt shelves.
Wickes Caledonia Handle free white gloss.
Our Lakes Sculptured White Gloss is not on sale and is cheaper than Wickes at their 50% off
Wickes New Jersey cream slab gloss
Our Technica Gloss Stone and Krystal kitchens are cheaper at full price than Wickes 50% off and we also have these on sale which makes them even cheaper
Wickes Casablanca gloss black slab & Glencoe gloss white slab
Our lakes Glacier Black / White and Technica Black / White Gloss are cheaper and the Glacier range is massively cheaper than Wickes 50% off prices.
Wickes Manhattan gloss cream slab
Technica Gloss Stone & Krystal is cheaper with our 15% discount than Wickes with their 50% discount
Wickes Atlanta gloss white shaker
Our lakes Gloss White Shaker is cheaper without any discount than Wickes 50% off and we also have 20% off which makes it cheaper again.
We have lots more kitchens that are less expensive than Wickes and many other kitchen companies but there are too many to list, If you would like to find out more please contact us www.stuarthenrykitchens.co.uk
The point I am trying to make is shop around and use independents because you will get a better service, design, higher specification than the multiple retailers.
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