Kitchen Dilemma

Now that we had agreed on the layout of the extension, a number of questions arose that we needed to consider:

  • what will be the kitchen layout, how many base and wall cabinets? range cooker or not?
  • where to position the windows and how much space to leave between them?
  • bifolding doors or sliding doors?
  • how much is this all going to cost?
We've started visiting showrooms and looking at kitchens. We've been to wren, wickes, howdens, benchmarx and a number of local independent kitchen suppliers. We even viewed kitchens at Tom Howleys and Neptune, where it became apparent that we could spend the majority of our budget for the house on the kitchen itself!

Suffolk - Neptune Kitchens

The choices available when selecting a kitchen are overwhelming and many independent retailers source the various components (doors, carcasses, drawer-boxes, worktops) from the same suppliers/manufacturers, assemble them and give them a different name. You are most probably paying for the quality of their after-sales service. The following are some of the brands we've come across:
  • Neptune (high-end, bepoke)
  • Tom Howley (high-end, bespoke)
  • Masterclass (mid-range)
  • Second Nature (door manufacturer)
  • Kitchen Stori (door manufacturer)
  • Burbridge (door manufacturer)
  • Crown Imperial (flat-packed, mid-range)
  • LochAnna (flat-packed, mid-range)
  • Mereway
  • Wickes
  • Benchmarx (identical kitchens to Wickes - owned by same parent company)
  • Wren


Looking at cabinet doors, there isn't much to distinguish between the different retailers, they all seem to offer doors made with real wood or MDF/MFC vinyl wrapped with numerous colour and texture options. The quality of the carcasses can be where retailers can offer a competitive edge. Many of the retailers use carcasses manufactured by Egger UK.

Reading online discussion forums, blogs and websites diy-kitchens seems to be growing in reputation for offering the same kitchens as many independent retailers but at a better price, although you have to be confident in knowing what you want when placing your order.  

Our last kitchen purchased in 2007 was the Tiverton range from Wickes and it still looks new. We can't fault the quality of the cabinets or the drawer boxes (manufactured by Blum).



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