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Allowing Kitchen installation to run smoothly

Keith Fennelly — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:12:09 +0000

One of the biggest problems a kitchen company runs into is the location of sockets and water supplies. If you are building a new home it is vital that your kitchen designer give you the location of power points so that on the day of fitting you don’t find one of your power points is in the way of a unit. If you are having a kitchen fitted in your existing home then you may need an electrician to move your sockets in order for your sockets and light switches to be in the correct position. There is no point in trying to design your new dream kitchen around them, this doesn’t work and defeats the purpose of have a new kitchen designed.

The above images show you how to layout all the necessary pointed allowing the installation of your new kitchen to run smoothly.

How to measure your kitchen

Keith Fennelly — Sun, 09 May 2010 19:17:57 +0000

So you’ve decided you want a new kitchen and want to get some quotations from kitchen suppliers in your area. Well a pretty common problem for most people is measuring the room. I have added a plans below which will give you an idea of how to measure up for your new kitchen. The majority of people calling to our showroom bring either plans or a rough sketch of what they want. While we can call to your home to measure up and give you some ideas and advice having measurements is ideal for getting that initial price.

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You should also keep in mind the following:

Appliances -

Do you plan on buying a range style cooker of slot in,

What colour kitchen, wood and style you are looking to achieve.

Counter tops, do you want laminate, granite or wood.

Storage – do you need to utilise ever bit of space you have. This applies mostly to a small kitchen.

These are just a few of the questions you need to keep in mind. A good designer will advise you on the the above and much more. While we supply kitchens throughout Ireland the above tips allow us to give you advice on your layouts.

An Interior Designers role

Keith Fennelly — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:06:44 +0000

I’ve never been a fan of interior designers if I’m honest. I always saw them as a luxury when it comes to their services – a service that people want to tell their friends about when having work done in their homes.

Well I was wrong…. I am currently working with one on a house refurbishment and it has really opened my eyes to their expertise in getting a project finished on time, on budget and most importantly giving the client exactly what they want without having to go out of their way searching for it.

An Interior designer charges a fee, something that I would never have considered paying until recently. They are not just there to help you choose a colour, an item of furniture, curtains or wallpaper. They shop around for the best value and quality for your money, something that the majority of us haven’t time to do. How many times have you painted a room in your house only to decide half way across a wall that you don’t like the colour or that it doesn’t match something in that room? I bet it has happened quiet a few times in the past. Have you ever bought the wrong size curtains for a window? Are you happy with the tiles in your bathroom, timber floors in your sitting room? We all have things we would change and regret doing in our home. Well an interior designer works with this day in day out. He or she has seen previous mistakes and made them. Have you ever bought something for your house only to see it cheaper in another store after you buy it? I know I have and a good designer will have sourced the cheapest price for you.

So here are a few points as to why you should use a good interior designer.

Individual design for your home

All products sourced for you

The keenest quotes sought on your behalf

The most important thing to most clients is price and between the time saved and the fact that your designer will get the keenest prices on your behalf they basically pay their own fees.

Designing your own Kitchen

Keith Fennelly — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:41:19 +0000

I was reading an American kitchen designer’s blog recent and came upon a new FREE kitchen design software package. AutoDesk allows you design your own kitchen without the initial need for a designer. The CAD allows you to drag the units into the room settings whereby you choose the unit you need and drag it to the room plan. This is a great tool for those of you looking to get quotes from kitchen suppliers without paying for a design. While you won’t get the design of a professional designer it will give you a good idea and allow you to get quotes from the various suppliers.

Here are a few projects we have designed recently with our own CAD. While you won’t get the features we have in these plans it will give you the basic jist.

I think it’s an excellent idea and something that I have tried adding to our Website in the past.

A Kitchen Designers Role

Keith Fennelly — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:31:04 +0000

I‘ve been browsing through magazines and online sites looking at design features and ideas that other companies are using. The thing that strikes me the most is how much credit designers are given for what they create. A kitchen designer is only as good as his or her client. What I mean by this is without the budget and open mindedness of a client the designer is limited to what they can create. The majority of our designs are that of our customers. We are given the ideas one has and elaborate from there. When designing a kitchen of substance it usually takes a few attempts to get the look a person wants. Its not a case of putting a design together printing it off and then manufacturing it. It takes time effort and tweaking to create a kitchen design that works for the customer and stands out from the rest. In my opinion this is mostly down to the person paying, we as designers can only offer ideas and suggestions bringing the clients ideas or aspirations to life.

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Differences between custom and flatpack kitchen design

Keith Fennelly — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:58:43 +0000

I pay close attention to plans/designs from other kitchen companies when they are brought into the showroom for pricing. One thing that has struck me recently is the layouts that other kitchen companies are designing for prospective clients. No effort what so ever is being put into the plans, just get as many large units onto the wall as possible. It means cheaper prices and your average customer not paying much attention to the overall layout of their new kitchen. I have two simple examples below.

If you take a look at both designs closely you will see the differences. The flat pack design option has basically all doors of the largest size possible to fill the wall length.

Modern extractors for the Kitchen.

Keith Fennelly — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Just a short post for those of you who are tired of the boring chrome extractor fan. Elica have some really nice extractors if your willing to pay the price!! An extensive range can be viewed here on the KAL site. Falmec have also launched a beautiful range of extractor fans with images of major city skylines embedded into the glass features of their hoods. Further images of these can be found here at the Drumm site.

Changing times in the Kitchen industry.

Keith Fennelly — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:22:36 +0000

Our global recession has really changed the kitchen industry here in Ireland. The larger kitchen chains are really starting to feel the pinch while companies such as ourselves are still as busy as ever. People are no longer throwing money away when it comes to their new kitchen. They really are doing their homework and shopping around to get value for money while not necessarily choosing the cheapest price or style. A new kitchen should last a minimum of 10-12 years. People now realise that money is tight and their kitchen needs to stand the test of time both design and quality wise. A big question asked of us is whether our not we use our own fitters or freelance our fitting to a different company. The fact that the people who manufacture the kitchen ad then fit it seems to be a big plus in our favour. Another common question now asked is how long we have been in business. Again with 25 years behind us we are not going anywhere regardless of a recession. Times may have changed but they seem to be in our favour.

Our kitchens are fitted throughout Ireland.

Whats new in kitchen design

Keith Fennelly — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:06:07 +0000

Its difficult to say, every company has its own style when it comes to creating that dream kitchen.Painted kitchens are by far our biggest seller at the moment. In saying this, clients are looking for unique design features such as different colour islands, high rise chimney breast features and curved corners on end units rather than the conventional straight gable finish. Kitchen islands play an important part in creating the perfect design. There is nothing worse than a well designed kitchen with a boring rectangular or square island sitting on the middle of a kitchen floor. Why not build the island at split level. Maybe curved ends on either the work surface or unit ends. Solid granite worktops with a solid wood feature attached. You could also include lighting into the design, just give it a different look to the traditional island. Solid wood worktops are a really nice touch, they can really create the look you want when added to kitchen dressers or islands. Kitchen appliances also play an important part of your new kitchen. Gorenje have some very nice affordable appliances at the moment with some really nice chimney hoods to compliment any design. Elica have some amazing chandelier extraction hoods, they may not be the most practical but look great and add a touch of class. Larder presses can be one of the most useful storage solutions for any kitchen design – All the storage you need and a nice feature.

Kitchen Design

Keith Fennelly — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:01:12 +0000

Kitchen design and layout is just as important as your choice of kitchen. While the kitchen triangle plays an important part of your design layout, you also need to feel comfortable with the location of your cooking and preparation areas, appliances and storage solutions.

The Kitchen Triangle: The three points of which you work most with in your kitchen, ie. the sink area, cooking area and fridge area. These three points make up the kitchen triangle. This area realistically needs a clear passage but with island designs being incorporated into almost every kitchen design this can sometimes be an impossibility.

The Kitchen Layout: There are four main kitchen layouts which will be generally used depending on the size and location of doors, windows, etc. These are:

Galley Style Kitchen.
U Shape Kitchen.
L Shape Kitchen.
Open Plan Kitchen.

So whats next in Kitchen Design??

High Gloss kitchens are extremely popular at the moment but in my opinion will soon date and phase out over time. Painted kitchens to me are the one kitchen that will stand the test of time and continue to create the wow factor in your new home. They can be designed in traditional or modern styles with a choice of many neutral colours ensuring the kitchen will fit with any personal interior design scheme. Our solid oak kitchens still seem to be a firm favourite amongst many clients and again can be another timeless classic when designed properly. Character oak has been introduced in recent years which offers a more stressed look with a warmer grain. Walnut kitchens will always be a favourite amongst clients. We have been mixing walnut and painted kitchens for years and if done correctly can be a uniquely beautiful kitchen that can become timeless.