goodbye yellow kitchen
Tiles versus glass splashbacks?
Granite, marble or laminate bench tops?
Favourite colour combos for the kitchen?
What I want is storage, a dishwasher (at last!), a decent gas stove top and an electric oven.
I have a very limited kitchen that will be a 3 x 1 metre (excluding the intersecting space of the corner (900 x 900mm) “L”. The way it has been configured, thus far involves a pantry (1000mm), dishwasher (600mm), fridge (700mm), drawers (400mm), sink (700mm), space to open corner cupboard (2 x 300mm) and, sadly, only enough room for a 600mm oven. Plus some above bench cupboards. Being vertically challenged, 95% of above bench space is not easily in reach to me.
Unfortunately, budget is more limited than I’d like (I’m changing the space, getting a new bathroom and those kinds of things too) – so that means the glass and the marble/granite are likely to be out unless someone has a compelling reason to keep them. This isn’t going to be a “dream kitchen” but will be a big step up from this:
yes this is the kitchen I moved into 8 years ago!
It is amazing what you can produce with the most basic tools, fresh ingredients will always triumph over limited technology.
It seems almost everyone else has been here before. So why don’t you tell me about it.
Granite, marble or laminate bench tops?
Favourite colour combos for the kitchen?
What I want is storage, a dishwasher (at last!), a decent gas stove top and an electric oven.
I have a very limited kitchen that will be a 3 x 1 metre (excluding the intersecting space of the corner (900 x 900mm) “L”. The way it has been configured, thus far involves a pantry (1000mm), dishwasher (600mm), fridge (700mm), drawers (400mm), sink (700mm), space to open corner cupboard (2 x 300mm) and, sadly, only enough room for a 600mm oven. Plus some above bench cupboards. Being vertically challenged, 95% of above bench space is not easily in reach to me.
Unfortunately, budget is more limited than I’d like (I’m changing the space, getting a new bathroom and those kinds of things too) – so that means the glass and the marble/granite are likely to be out unless someone has a compelling reason to keep them. This isn’t going to be a “dream kitchen” but will be a big step up from this:
yes this is the kitchen I moved into 8 years ago!
It is amazing what you can produce with the most basic tools, fresh ingredients will always triumph over limited technology.
It seems almost everyone else has been here before. So why don’t you tell me about it.
Labels: photos, renovations
posted by GS at 9:05 am
3 Comments:
I have three things to say to you: Ikea, Ikea, Ikea. Thanks to global sourcing the cabinets are the cheapest and for not too much extra you can get those fantastic blum sliding draws so you don't haveto bend down and fumble in cupboard any more. Depending how limited the budget is (Dom Perignon!) the Ikea appliances are pretty good. I bought Miele which ws a mistake as I think Smeg is probably just as good. We got a glass Splashback and it's superb - no more washing tile grout - Elwood Glass did a brilliant job and are much cheaper than the big brands. Search on Tomato and you can find the full story on it and see a pic of what we did. Our concrete tops turned out to me a little high maintenance for slobs like US. And ikea will recommend carpenters to install who are really cheap. After our flood the builder quoted $18,000 for a neww kitche and $5,000 for blum draws. I bought the cabinets with Blum for $2-3,000 and paid I think it was $1,500 for a really complicated installation. Let me know if you want any more info.
Having just started this process myself, I don't have that much advice. Decided to use Freedom Kitchen as they do all the co-ordination of tradies and promise to have it all done in 5 days (we will not be moving out). The complication I've added is wanting wood benchtops - I have to arrange this myself. And I've decided against glass splashbacks (because of cost - I'd rather spend the money on stove and benchtop). Also I've found some beautiful turkish tiles in Sydney Rd and have decided to have a few of these cut into the white tiling. Will post before and after picture on blog (after will be early may). Going against the grain with flooring too, found beautiful 'real' lino (as opposed to the usual vinyl) called Marmoleum.
Was also going to have more done (knock out walls to absorb passage and some of absurdly large bathroom into kitchen, and re-do bathroom), but first quote left us realing so much we realised it wasn't that necessary. New kitchen was less negotiable, though I guess we managed for four years so far with 82cm high benchtop and partially functioning cooktop and oven
Whenever my batterie de cuisine defeats me, I think about the 3rd world women we have all seen in documentaries, who make dinner for five on a hot stone out of something they have found and ground themselves.
Came here to mention a site I just found Brownie Points.
Hope you ARE getting yer ukcent buck.
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