2015, a recycled year ?

Ey up my faithful blogworms, it seems a long time since before Xmas, Happy New Year to you all and I look forward to maybe meeting some of you this year ?

The new year has taken a definite recycled turn so far. I have built up a stock of our fabulous recycled coffee cup and yoghurt pot boards in the period upto Xmas and have been making chopping boards, amongst other things, seen below.

We have 30 odd sheets of material in stock and we are clearing this stock and HALF it's normal price, a massive 50% saving is a significant discount.

Most of the boards are either 12mm or 20mm thick and thinking about it, these two sizes are ideal for worktops in two completely different applications

The 20mm for worktops in your home and the 12mm is perfect for campervans, mobile homes, boats and caravans etc.


We've opened the material into the campervan etc. market and the response has blown us away. Not a market we've dabbled in much upto now but clearly a new material never tried in this area before has captured folks imagination.

Any new product in any market always seems welcome as it seems we are always hungry for something different.

I think it just goes to show that sometimes it's not about brand new products but using existing stuff in a new and interesting way.  

This probably really sums up a lot of the philosophy behind recycling, re-using and re-inventing products which has very much taken hold in these last 2 or 3 years or so.

I think that the best example of recycling and re-inventing in the car world, is the campervan itself. Seeing some of them dug out of hillsides and dragged from the bottom of a lake and brought back to life is recycling at it's very best. What better interiors to put inside them than another recycled material.

Do you know .... Recycling is a wonderful world to work in. The big question is: Why aren't more people doing it ????

Lets make 2015, the year of recycling ! 

Recycled Xmas Trees ?

Ey up my faithful blogworms, more new things are happening at Milestone Towers this week.

Taking a sideways look at the kitchen market has always been our thing, so the germ of a new idea for a kitchen door was born.

How many times have you made your decision on your door style when looking at your new kitchen project and then taking absolutely ages to choose a handle that, even then, you're maybe not totally happy with ?

How many time have you looked at 'handleless' doors but didn't really want the flat slab appearance they usually have ?

That's where a bit of sideways thinking comes in !!

We've taken the most popular door style ie: a shaker door and combined it with the integrated handle idea and created ......

A Handleless Shaker Door ! ...simples !

 As far as we're aware it's never been done before so that's exactly the reason to have a go and make one.

From the idea to the creation, we all thought " It might look weird but let's have a go"

And, do you know, we think it looks brilliant and from folk we've shown it too so far, they think it looks brilliant too !

What do you think ?

It will fit perfectly into our Eco stable with several options for it's manufacture:

1) Made from Medite Ecologique, finished with Organic paints in any colour from the range.

2) Made from Sustainable Tulipwood and either finished with Organic paints or clear lacquered to keep the timber appearance.

3) We could also make it from our Eco Elite timber selections, natural finished in Oak, Walnut and Ash.

Not forgetting our ability to make any door, any size, there isn't a kitchen on the planet that couldn't benefit from such a revolutionary approach to door manufacture.

Another milestone from Milestone !!

Following the theme for this month and fast approaching the festive season, I bet we could even make it from recycled Christmas trees !! 

But what the hell would we do with several tons of pines needles afterwards ??

You heard it here first. Jules.

Just had to go for a PEA !

Ey up my faithful blogworms, This week it's something really, really special. Milestone, after slogging away for 8 years now on our environmental path ... have finally been recognised by winning a prestigious green award. 

The 2014 PEA Awards ( People Environment & Achievement ) have honoured us with a win in the Retail Category for our comprehensive stable of eco & sustainable kitchens, worktops & tiles making up our Milestone Eco Range of kitchens


We are so thrilled to have even been nominated, let alone win, in a Retail category who last years winner was the Co-op Organisation.

This is massive boost to our confidence and driving forward what we do within our industry.

The green market is a very difficult market to work in where we still feel that nowhere near enough people pay enough attention to environmental issues. We firmly believe in what we do as being the way forward for industry, nations and the planet as a whole. 



To receive awards for our work and the work of all the other winners, really makes us feel as if we are doing the right thing and we're not alone in that way of thinking. We just need to keep driving the message forward by doing what we do and keep developing new green ideas.

It's also, I feel, thanks in part to you, my faithful blogworms, reading the blogs that I post and taking an interest in the work we do that spurs us on to keep moving forwards knowing people do really care about green issues.

So, A BIG THANK YOU, to you all this week, keep reading and we'll keep doing, although I would appreciate all you lot out there sending me messages and voicing your opinions from time to time, to let me know where you would like to see us going next !!

A rather smug, Jules

The carnival is over !

Ey up my faithful blogworms, this week is an appeal for your help. 

We created the only kitchen in Yorkshire in the appropriate colours to celebrate 'Le Tour Yorkshire' when the carnival that is the Tour de France came through our beautiful county.

This unique piece of kit, unfortunately, now has to be cleared for a new display coming in for 2015. Therefore it has to go !!

If you know someone who would like to own this unique set of kitchen units, say: a cycling club, a bike shop, someone who is a cycling enthusiast or even someone who could use it in their home or even garage / shed for some extra storage, we need to clear the space for a new display by Monday 1st December.

So it only has a few days left in our showroom, we need offers for it to go to a good home or, I'm afraid, it's going to end up in a skip which would be a hell of a shame.

Please have a look at this yourself and tell any of your friends who you think might be interested and let's see if we can give this kitchen a new lease of life.

I'm counting on ya ! Jules

Refurbing 84 year old kitchens ..Eh ?

Ey up my faithful blogworms, this week is all about bespoke stuff and kitchen refurbishment.

Choose well, ask more questions and reap the benefits in the future.

I've said for many years now that when choosing new kitchens ask more about the cabinets than anything else as these are the hardest working part of the kitchen, next to the worktops.

If you buy well based on a good structure, ie: good well made cabinets, and get your layout spot-on then you will get much more life out of the kitchen you choose.


The kitchen shown here is one we originally supplied and fitted 12 years ago ( that's 84 in dog years ! ) in a totally different colour scheme ... Yes, I know, I should have taken before and after pictures rather than just showing 'after' pictures, I forgot .. OK ?

There are elements of it that were bespoke sizes to make it fit perfectly but after 12 years the style was looking a bit dated.

A refurb becomes the perfect answer because all the structure is still good and will last probably another 12 years .... and this is a rented apartment !! that usually takes more stick than a kitchen in a private house.

During this refurb we replaced: the worktops, the tiles, the doors, the handles and upgraded the lighting to the new COBB low energy lights I've mentioned before.


The doors are from a new range we've taken in that, in line with our policy on choices, allows us to spec bespoke sizes without paying silly premiums for the privilege and gives us a range of doors that even using bespoke sizes start from around £20 a door ... Yep, a miserly £20 ! 

Who says bespoke has to be expensive ?, we certainly don't ! as our regular followers will already know.

A good well chosen layout and structure is essential not only for your own benefit while owning the house but makes a positive selling point when selling your house and moving on.

This refurb was carried out at a fraction of the cost of the original kitchen, even based on prices from 12 years ago. 

Now I hope you can see the advantage in everything I've said and that it makes economic sense as also you don't have to spend on the usual stuff associated with a new kitchen like: wiring, flooring, decorating and plastering which alone saves you a significant amount on the cost.


Become a believer, make more informed choices, buy cleverer and cut down on waste by recycling the structure of your existing kitchen to ultimately save you a boatload of money. 

It's not rocket science, or is it ?

Jules.

Coffee Cup Campers

Ey up my faithful blogworms .... this week it's all unashamedly about campervans !  ... could be any campervans but specifically we're talking about the only true ones .. VW Type 2's.

The winter season is all about getting your bus ready for the coming year, essential repairs, style changes, finishing off restos', new interiors etc. etc.  It's the interiors I want to look at this week.

Would your ideal material for your surfaces be: 
a)  totally waterproof, 
b)  bacteria free, 
c)  easy to wipe, 
d)  easy to cut, 
e)  lighter in weight, 
f)  able to be polished to look like granite
g) 100% recycled & eco-friendly
h)  AND look drop dead gorgeous !

If the answer is YES  to all of the above, then Recycled Coffee Cup material is just what you're looking for !! and don't forget, all you guys out there with catering buses, it's perfect for Hygeine Regulations for food use as it was used for 'food' to start with.



As you will have noticed from an earlier blog, I have a stock of these very boards which I can afford generous discounts on at the moment. 

The board size is 2.1m x 1.1m x 12mm thick, which is exactly what the surfaces in the photo's are made from.

With this marvellous material, you'll never need to buy worktops, table tops or shelves for your bus ever again (unless you want to) as the material is endlessly re-polishable, never affected by damp and will last, probably as long as your bus will .. if looked after !

With every purchase of Coffee Cup, you will receive a full set of cutting & polishing instructions but I know some talented guys out there in the Dub world who have already achieved some fabulous results with the polishing of the material where you really can't tell it from granite ( and let's face it, you wouldn't use real granite in your bus, think of the suspension ! )



I can send out free samples 100mm square for you to check out the material and 'paid for' samples at 200mm square at £5 or 300mm square at £10 if you want to have a go at cutting & polishing it before you decide to buy ... and once you've seen the results .. trust me you will !

Just contact me through email: julian@milestone.uk.net using the reference: Coffee Cup Campers or use any of the contact details on our website.


100% Recycled Coffee Cup .... What EVERY well dressed V-Dub bus is going to be wearing this coming season, so don't be left out ... contact me as soon as possible as I only have a finite amount of stock at these prices.

Once you've sorted your project, come over and let me know at shows this coming year. Look out for our bus Pandora, it's her interior I featured !! .... all the best, as always, Jules

And the winner is .... Tarmac

Ey up my faithful blogworms, Recycled Roadstone plaques this week.

We know from previous blogs that these have captured your imagination with our classic vehicle plaques and wedding picture plaques alongside their original purpose of splashbacks for your kitchen and bathroom.

BUT ... We're looking to move in new directions with them !!

There are many award ceremonies out there and focussing on the ones that cover Eco products and businesses, we are now in a position to design award winners plaques / trophies, however you want to describe them. 

We can use your logos, emblems etc providing they can be supplied electronically in a hi- resolution to make an extremely unique, totally recycled product award.

I'm absolutely certain this would give your awards the edge by the winners receiving the very first prize made from Tarmac .. a material we all take for granted and drive on every day of our lives !!

We would be happy to look at any design whether totally made from recycled roadstone or  incorporating other recycled materials within the design, such as recycled coffee cup or yoghurt pot material.

Not just restricted to the UK market, there is no reason whatsoever that we can't cover pretty much any country worldwide! 

So, if this idea sets your creative juices flowing, contact us by email, phone, fax, snail mail, carrier pigeon or whatever method you like .. most of the previous list of contact details are on our website: www.milestone.uk.net ( except carrier pigeon, you'll have to use your own but don't worry we'll look after it. )

And the winner is ?

Jules

The Best green deal just got greener !

Ey up my faithful blogworms, even better news following my OMG, BRG titled blog, we've looked at the recycled boards that we have in stock now and come up with a fantastically competitive price list for both the Coffee cup and Yoghurt pot boards.



Below is a copy of our price list for the stock with a massive 50% discount in some cases. These are quite definitely "never to be repeated" prices and I imagine they won't hang around long. If you are looking to use a recycled material for part of your project then have a serious think about these little beauties, totally waterproof, easy to clean and re-finish, easy to cut to shapes difficult with other materials, the material is totally recycled, 100% solid all the way through not some thin veneer or cladding that will split or crack.

There's never been a better time to think green as part of your next home project, Contact me for individual board quantities and don't forget ..... If you aren't confident you can work the material .... we can cut & polish for you. Delivery to anywhere mainland UK can easily be arranged.

Give us a call. Jules

Small but perfectly formed for a tenner !

 Ey up my faithful blogworms, Sorry my blogs are a bit sporadic at the moment. As we're working away a lot installing our fabulous Eco kitchens all over the place, I'm not at Milestone H.Q. much. 
However, things calming down a bit on the nationwide front with more local work happening now so I should be with you more regularly.

This week, coming from our ability to create custom sized units at will, I thought I would focus on Small Space Kitchens.

Two examples of which are shown in the pics this week.

Working in a small space provides challenges every bit as much as planning large kitchens but everything needs to be thought about in much more detail. The two kitchens shown hardly have a standard sized unit in either but you wouldn't automatically notice as the size changes are subtle and just enough to make everything fit really well.

The top kitchen is only a little over 5ft deep (1500mm) x 6ft 6" wide (1950mm), a miniscule 32.5 sq.ft of space with only 1 door into it and surprisingly has: oven, hob, extractor, 2 cutlery drawers, dishwasher, fridge, sink and microwave, loads of shelving and some wall units. 


It's location is in a small seaside cottage, really quaint & cosy and just big enough for a couple to live in comfortably. You sort of look into it and think tiny kitchen, not great, but actually when you study it everything is there that you could possibly want to function in such a small space.


The second kitchen is in a space a touch under 8ft ( 2360mm) x 4ft (1220mm) a similar space of just under 32 sq.ft but it has 3 doorways, 1 into it, 1 to outside and 1 into the cellar. 

In here we've managed to get an oven, hob, fridge, sink with drainer and a worktop dresser unit to provide drawers for cutlery. Using reduced depth and resized units we've managed to provide more dry goods storage on the opposite wall next to the radiator. 

This kitchen's in a tidy little two up, two down terrace house where we were able to locate a washing machine in the cellar using a Sanivite unit to pump the waste water back upstairs and outside into the drains, keeping the noisy machine out of the kitchen and putting in the stuff you need to function.

Again, hardly a standard unit in the room but the size changes are so subtle it you don't immediately notice them. The corner sink base unit was a particular challenge with a new an inventive way of joining the worktops together without compromising the joint.

Both are great examples of how, with a bit more thought and clever design can make a good workable kitchen in a space where you took one look at it and thought  ..... "You want what ?" " in there ?" "You must be joking !"

Milestone at our best .. thinking more and creating wisely the optimum units for the optimum space and use. Bespoke done the way it should be !

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, a dimension change only costs a measly tenner,  £10 !! and makes hundreds of pounds worth of difference to the design, fit and workability of your finished kitchen, created by those wonderfully inventive people at Milestone.

George Clark .... We can make spaces amazing aswell !!

See you next time. Jules

OMG ! BRG ! ....Brilliant Recycled Bargains

Ey up my faithful blogworms. Exciting news this week for all you eco warriors out there !

 Do you all remember our K.O.R.C Kitchen, which was the first one ever created entirely from recycled materials ? 

The doors are made from recycled Yoghurt pot and the worktops from recycled vending machine coffee cups.

Well ..... Great news, these products have been in short supply recently as our supplier has gone bust .................................. 

AND we've bought up all the remaining stock ...... 33 boards in all, some yoghurt pot, some coffee cup, in various thicknesses and are offering these at a substantial discount to clear.


 Priced at around 35% off, we don't think they'll hang around for long, we can supply boards uncut, 'off the shelf' or we offer a cut and polish service if you prefer.

 One of the thicknessess we have in stock is 12mm which is absolutely ideal for campervan surfaces and table tops, saving weight, totally waterproof, not affected therefore by damp conditions and can be re-polished as often as you like. The perfect material for "all weather" camping conditions.


More mainstream, these products are absolutely fantastic for kitchen worktops, desk tops, table tops, shelving and splashbacks ( although not behind hobs ) offering an infinitely re-polishable surface that will last for years and be able to be recycled again after use.

Even though our supplier has gone bust, the actual manufacturer is still very much in business and we are entering into discussions to buy direct and save you money long term over the prices we were able to offer previously.

So great news short term at our "never to be repeated discounts" to clear stock but lower prices long term mean good news all round !!

Do contact as soon as possible for details of particular boards as, once again, there's a limited stock at these prices and when they're gone, they're gone.

Either message us through the blog, 

email: julian@milestone.uk.net 

or contact us through twitter: @ecokitchens

I just love being able to offer a genuine bargain. Jules