Solid Kitchens?

Manuel

Sorry if this has been covered before ....

Can anyone clarify the following for me, our kitchen designer said in passing that there was no such thing as a full solid wood kitchen, that it would warp over time in the steamy kitchen environment, she reckons most 'solid wood' kitchens have a strip of solid wood on the outside as opposed to being made from solid wood. Opinions welcome!

Thanks.

davidoco

My parents in law live in a house with a kitchen that was installed in 1975. The doors are solid hardwood varnished. The carcasses are made from solid wood of the same material (hardwood) but the floors, shelves and rear of the bases and presses would be made from some sort of composite material. It is a beautiful job that has stood the test of time.

It seems to be perfectly acceptable nowadays to buy basic (made from composite materials and flat packed) carcases and just attach solid doors and decorate the bits showing with cosmetic strips of either solid wood or veneer. People now seem to change their kitchens after 10 years or so.

Have a look in Habitat and you will see fairly reasonably priced solid free standing kitchen furniture.

To have a bespoke kitchen made from solid wood these days your talking tens of thousands compared to up to 5,000 for the flat pack cabinets with solid or veneered doors.

kadman

Manuel wrote:

Sorry if this has been covered before ....

Can anyone clarify the following for me, our kitchen designer said in passing that there was no such thing as a full solid wood kitchen, that it would warp over time in the steamy kitchen environment, she reckons most 'solid wood' kitchens have a strip of solid wood on the outside as opposed to being made from solid wood. Opinions welcome!

Thanks.

Hopefully your designer knows more about design , than she does about solid wood construction.

If you want to pay for a solid wood constructed kitchen, including doors , and carcases in all solid wood, you can get them. It would be expensive, but made properly there is no environment that you cannot place properly constructed solid wood carcases into.

If the construction methods properly allow for contraction and expansion of the wood , then there will be no reason for problems of warping or cupping of panels, or carcase ends. The reason sheet material is used, is from a cost point of view, and ease of material use. Sheet material in a carcase is a cheaper alternative to using solid timber.

Given that a sheet of mdf for carcase, is probably about 1 euro a square foot. Where as the same amount of solid mahogany is nearer to 4 euros a square foot, in its raw state.

Solid is more expensive to construct as well, but a good cabinetmaker should be well able to deliver on any arrangement.

kadman:)

rooferPete

Hi Kadman,

I think I can understand where the kitchen designer is coming from, maybe whoever taught her has seen solid timber units fail due to incompetance on the part of the cabinet maker / joiner ?

Or my first thoughts were the company she normally uses only works with standard kitchens that are expected to go out of fashion so why bother spending on a good carcass when laminated chipboard will do for the majority of today's clients ?

.

JohnBoy

the parents have a 80% plus solid kitchen, the worktops and shelves a composite, but the whole structure and all doors are natural, I'm not mad on the composite worktop (really cheapens what is an otherwise beautiful kitchen) but the folks wouldn't have a natural wood worktop, and wouldn't spend for stone.

but it can defo be done

dras

davidoco wrote:

Have a look in Habitat and you will see fairly reasonably priced solid free standing kitchen furniture.

QUOTE]

We got our kitchen in habitat. Saved a good bit by waiting for their sale - the staff will usually tell when it is. Unfortunately their were a few bashes as the boxes are really heavy and not packed very well. You have to check everything as soon as it arrives just in case. In storage waiting for the new house but seem well made.

fatboypee

My solid wood kitchen gets installed tomorrow

Built from pine with beech tops and a granite topped island unit.

The designer/maker guarantees the kitchen for five years and this includes the worktops. he claims the tops will not stain or mark at all.

I suppose it is expensive I have a large kitchen but few units and its coming in at a shade under ten grand.....

The same money would buy a few more chipboard units but the choice depends on the house its being fitted into I suppose...

FBP.

kadman

Santa came early then.:D

Enjoy

kadman:)

dogg_r_69

fatboypee wrote:

he claims the tops will not stain or mark at all.

I won't be completely sure of it Timber worktop will mark The staining will depend on what they've the beech sealed with

fatboypee wrote:

I suppose it is expensive I have a large kitchen but few units and its coming in at a shade under ten grand.....

€10k isn't bad at all for a solid kithen Other companies are charging a good bit more

fatboypee

dogg_r_69 wrote:

I won't be completely sure of it Timber worktop will mark The staining will depend on what they've the beech sealed with


€10k isn't bad at all for a solid kithen Other companies are charging a good bit more

Santa came early (via the fkin bank manager ! )

No suppose its not that dear but in honesty there really isn't a lot in it !

...

FBP.

Builderwoman!

Fbp, do you mind me asking who is doing your kitchen. Looking for quotes at the mo and yours seems good value. And we all know good value is hard to find! Also be sure to tell us what kind of a job it turned out to be. Great to get a recommendation. Cheers.

karltimber

would also be intertested FBP

thx

fatboypee

Hey Chaps,

Depends what you're after on solid wood. The guys who did mine specialise in solid pine kitchens, nothing else.

I have to say, I'm brimming with pleased-ness over the way ours has turned out! Its not quite finished, the bulk of it was fitted yesterday, MAAAAN the quality compared to chipboard units ! Really, Really chuffed with it (you may be able to tell...)....

The company:

Called Pine & Design Ltd (don't be put off by the tacky website they really are good!) http://www.pineanddesign.ie/, its run by a husband and wife team, the husband is from the UK, wife from Kilkee (where the factory is).

Leroy (main man) is rather 'artisan' when it comes to kitchen design and designed a kitchen for us with lots of v.neat ideas (Butchers block on wheels with concealed waste bin that looks at first glance like kitchen unit for example), they're V busy but very professional and I'm mighty impressed anyhow.

As for quality, EVERYTHING is solid, no hardboard, chipboard, MDF or anything, serious kitchen.....

I'd love to know if you get a quote (ya hafta go see them before they take you seriously I think) and wot you make of them.

FBP.

karltimber

any chance of a pic of your kitchen ?? :rolleyes:

fatboypee

I'm on a half day today but will pic-it and post it next week when its all finished

FBP.

karltimber

what type of countertop did you use

beech and granite --did the kitchen company supply both and include in your sub 10K

thx

fatboypee

karltimber wrote:

what type of countertop did you use

beech and granite --did the kitchen company supply both and include in your sub 10K

thx

Yep,

supplied both and the 10k included installation.

I got:

3 x Base Units and Beech Counter
1 x Sink Unit with beech counter

1 x Corner Base Unit
1 x Large free-hanging wall unit with under-shelves.

1 x 2m x 1m island unit with large granite lip-top (this includes 2 big pot drawers and 2 cutlery drawers

1 x built-in dresser style cabinet that houses built in fridge freezer and separate undercounter freezer plus large larder with storage doors.

1 x Butchers block unit (beech) on wheels with integrated bin.

1 x double front utility cupboard and half and half tall utility cupboard (same material as kitchen) with integrated beech top.

1 x beech counter top to go above the washer & Dryer

1 x free-hanging utility cupboard with under shelves.

1 x wall mounted olde-worlde style plate rack.


Not bad for ten k...A word of note tho, my kitchen really is not as big as it sounds and is quite individual in design. The company do anything you want (in pine) and also tell you what you want (but they're usually right!, we wanted all granite but were convinced it would look naff and they were right, cheaper with beech too...:D )... installation is prompt and top class..

FBP.

Alun

I'm intrigued to see the pictures too ... pine, beech and granite together isn't a combination that immediately springs to mind as an ideal marriage. Pine tends to change colour (darken) quite a lot with age, beech less so. Still, the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

tred

fatboypee wrote:

Hey Chaps,

Depends what you're after on solid wood. The guys who did mine specialise in solid pine kitchens, nothing else.

I have to say, I'm brimming with pleased-ness over the way ours has turned out! Its not quite finished, the bulk of it was fitted yesterday, MAAAAN the quality compared to chipboard units ! Really, Really chuffed with it (you may be able to tell...)....

The company:

Called Pine & Design Ltd (don't be put off by the tacky website they really are good!) http://www.pineanddesign.ie/, its run by a husband and wife team, the husband is from the UK, wife from Kilkee (where the factory is).

Leroy (main man) is rather 'artisan' when it comes to kitchen design and designed a kitchen for us with lots of v.neat ideas (Butchers block on wheels with concealed waste bin that looks at first glance like kitchen unit for example), they're V busy but very professional and I'm mighty impressed anyhow.

As for quality, EVERYTHING is solid, no hardboard, chipboard, MDF or anything, serious kitchen.....

I'd love to know if you get a quote (ya hafta go see them before they take you seriously I think) and wot you make of them.

FBP.[/QUOTE
a friend of mine bought of them as well. kitchen came out wonderfull. there a top notch place i believe with a great rep in the west.

fatboypee

Alun wrote:

I'm intrigued to see the pictures too ... pine, beech and granite together isn't a combination that immediately springs to mind as an ideal marriage. Pine tends to change colour (darken) quite a lot with age, beech less so. Still, the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

True enough Not sure myself how it will age, the pine is dressed very dark now though so its hard to see how that will change too heavilly. We were concerened about it being too 'woody' with the beech tops but it looks very nice...

leroy1

Hi There
Leroy here.
Glad to see you were happy with your kitchen back then ,Just wondering if you are still happy as I sold Pine&Desighn about 18 months ago and unfortuanatly I have heard things have not been to good there which is a shame as we worked so hard to get it there. From you post I cant see who you are but I am guessing you live up a big hill, am I right?
Regards
Leroy

fatboypee wrote: »

My solid wood kitchen gets installed tomorrow

Built from pine with beech tops and a granite topped island unit.

The designer/maker guarantees the kitchen for five years and this includes the worktops. he claims the tops will not stain or mark at all.

I suppose it is expensive I have a large kitchen but few units and its coming in at a shade under ten grand.....

The same money would buy a few more chipboard units but the choice depends on the house its being fitted into I suppose...

FBP.