Have any mums got awesome kitchens?

[edanna]

It's worth considering a small company because they can build a bespoke kitchen for a lot less than Plain English etc. conflict of interest alert - my other half has such a company. I'm not going to post the name here because this is supposed to be a plea to support all small businesses!

[oimissus]

we have rubber flooring and you can drop pretty much anything on it and it doesn't break. It's called SaarFloor Noppe tiles and it's the kind of thing you get around swimming pools.

http://www.polyflor.com/jh/products.nsf/products!open&family=elem&prodcode=fmist58

we have it in red. It's fantastic. Every admires it (except our ex-neighbour, who after feeding our cats one holiday said 'I have to tell you, I really don't like your new floor.' No, you ^didn't^ have to tell me that, actually!).

[Undiscovered]

Reviving this thread as ours is about to begin - going between excitement and pure fear! Having a painted wooden kitchen but big thing I don't have a view on yet is The worktop. Any tips?

[Mustard]

oimissus Wrote:

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> we have rubber flooring and you can drop pretty

> much anything on it and it doesn't break. It's

> called SaarFloor Noppe tiles and it's the kind of

> thing you get around swimming pools.

>

> http://www.polyflor.com/jh/products.nsf/products!o

> pen&family=elem&prodcode=fmist58

>

> we have it in red. It's fantastic. Every admires

> it (except our ex-neighbour, who after feeding our

> cats one holiday said 'I have to tell you, I

> really don't like your new floor.' No, you

> ^didn't^ have to tell me that, actually!).

Always wanted rubber flooring. How warm is it? Does it take underfloor heating? And, does it show marks and how easy is it to clean?

[bee74]

Does anyone have a fav in terms of worktop beyond quartz? Thanks

[bodsier]

.

[ClareC]

Resurrecting this thread Sarahew to find out what you went with in the end? I'm going through the same now and having to work out what I want before the kitchen is even built!

Had a kitchen man round yesterday, he recommended quartz over granite as it's tougher. Builder doesn't recommend granite as children can damage with their heavy handed putting cups down etc. Anyone have quartz? Thoughts?

What gadgets are good? I fancy a boiling hot tap and water softener but can't think of anything else..... Wine fridge nice but probably not really necessary as when would you drink that much in one go other than a party?

I'm erring towards an island which you can sit at rather than a table (no stuff dumped on it and no need to clean under the table)

Also considering an induction hob - thread on here seems to recommend

[Pickle]

We have a quartz work top, it's brilliant and very hard wearing. My Insinkerator is still my number one gadget, very handy.

[snowboarder]

We have quartz too - I love it - it's an off white with just a tiny hint of a sparkle, and really lightens up the room. We have a big u-shaped kitchen and part of it looks into the family living space - we have a seating area there which works great for kids tea time etc. And we have a wine fridge and hot water tap - essentials!!

[Pickle]

Ours sounds very similar to yours snowboarder :)

[ClareC]

Ooh will look into the insinkerator :)

What is the benefit of the wine fridge? Believe me I like wine (a lot) but I would struggle to get through enough to warrant a dedicated fridge on your acreage night :)

We will have a day room off the kitchen (almost same room as large gap between the two which could be closed if required) which will have sofa's / TV etc. My plan is for the island or be large and seat 6 comfortably so we eat in the kitchen easily but then are more inclined to eat in the dining room for meals we all sit together / when friends are round etc.

It's exciting all this planning but deciding on where to put doorways when you haven't even planned your kitchen is hard!

[MrsMcC]

We went for matt chrome handles and find they finger mark so have to buff them up with a damp cloth/tea towel more than I would like to have to! Also try not to buy without having seen the handles as the ones we got have sharp corners, it's not too bad for us as we don't have young children running around all the time but could be a worry if you do.

[Sue]

I cannot believe this thread is hidden away in the family section - where I have never previously visited as my daughter is grown up!!

I am on the verge of getting a new kitchen and this is very helpful. At least I didn't find it AFTER I'd finished the kitchen!

[Sayroo]

Given we're about to start a similar project this is so helpful. A quick one on Hobs though, my very wise (& safety conscious) sister in law found a gas hob which had dials / knobs that ran from the front to the back of her countertop (rather than along the front edge) and chose this to avoid little hands reaching up and turning them on!

However, I must admit - having fitted an induction hob in my last kitchen about 4 years ago, I was thrilled to move here and back to cooking with gas! I found the beeping of the induction hob (when the smallest splash of water hit it or even at a spray of kitchen anti-bac spray) completely insufferable and at times (as another uncontrollable 'safety feature') if a pan even slightly boiled over (think pasta!) it would turn itself off!

I'm not a sloppy cook who is out of control in the kitchen, but when multitasking at meal times you don't need appliances conspiring against you. Ha - I'm getting tense just typing this again.

Also, once a little water got under the seal on one ring, that was that one knackered!! So proceed with caution. Do ask around if you're considering one. My aunt and my mother also have a slight regret with their induction hobs too despite them looking swish.

[Polmoche]

Hi Pickle--I am very intrigued by your Insinkerator! Was it hard to fit? I assume your plumber fit it? and I think you need it hooked up to electricity? I had one when I lived in the US years and years ago, but have never seen one here. Is there some sort of safety switch for kids?

[ClareC]

I second the more info on the insinkerator......

Where does it all go? Why is it better than the food scraps box?

[Pickle]

I grew up with insinkerators, they were very common in New Zealand.

Ours is fitted in a double sink, so the small part has the Insinkerator. Very easy to fit, was done as part of the kitchen refit, and yes, it needs power. We have an air switch fitted on the counter top, a silver button that you press to operate it, which sits flush in the quartz. Would be difficult for the kids to reach, and by the time they can they are old enough to reach it they know not to touch.

The food scraps get chopped up tiny by the unit and flushed down with the usual waste water. Saves faffing about with food recycling bags, eliminates potential smells, just so so much easier.

[Polmoche]

thanks Pickle--another thing on my kitchen wish list! We tried food scrapping but because it is a faff so much doesn't make it-so this sounds ideal. I also just read they have a model now where you have to physically put the cover and twist it on to operate it - making it impossible for you (adult or child) to get their hand caught. Much better than the model I remember using -- where it just whizzed away like a giant set of jaws in the sink...(the flappy things covering it having worn away).

[Pickle]

(It works well as a naughty behaviour deterrent too...)

[ClareC]

Pickle Wrote:

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> (It works well as a naughty behaviour deterrent

> too...)

Like :)

[Sue]

Pickle Wrote:

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> (It works well as a naughty behaviour deterrent

> too...)

xxxxxxx

OOOERR maybe I'll keep out of this part of the forum in future, kitchen discussions or not, I'm having nightmares now :)

[Pickle]

Sue, it even has a name in our house... the "Garby Gobbler" :)

(No children were harmed through use of kitchen appliance threats)

[Sue]

Pickle Wrote:

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> Sue, it even has a name in our house... the "Garby

> Gobbler" :)

>

> (No children were harmed through use of kitchen

> appliance threats)

xxxxxx

:))

They are probably (mentally) scarred for life though :))

[yeknomyeknom]

There is an insinkerator in the window of bells plumbing shop on lordship. We were going to get one but it took too much of our cupboard space.

[R11]

Just reviving this thread yet again as we too are about to redo our kitchen and am wondering if any wise forumites can offer more advice. We are about to have a small extension done and will need a kitchen refit to work in the new space. I have plenty of random ideas but have been very uninspired by the high street kitchen options such as Ikea and Wickes, which is all we have a budget for, (and to be honest even the more expensive options we couldn't afford) so are looking at the options of reworking and reusing some of the existing kitchen we inherited, which we really like parts of and just adding some new appliances and fixtures, shelving and individual units to work around our new space and requirements. Has anyone done anything like this and strayed away from the idea of a complete fitted kitchen? If so, how did you go about it? I'm feeling a little stuck! And can anyone recommend a local carpenter who might be able to do something like this for us - ideally someone creative and not just a standard fitted kitchen fitter but not too pricy either - if that's not asking the impossible!

Also, has anybody gone for bamboo flooring and can recommend which type and good suppliers?

Any information or advice gratefully received. Thanks.