Clever unit design strikes again !

Ey up my faithful blogworms, this weeks tale is another one of those, like last weeks, where our ability to change any cabinet size to whatever we need makes everything fit perfectly. 

A lot of time was spent on this project as well, to design unit sizes carefully so that no-one would think twice when looking at it. Stealth units ....... make the job so much better.

An Eco kitchen in every respect apart from the granite !!

Our Eco2 cabinets forming the basis as usual ( now with added recycled content, 75% in fact and we can prove it !! ) Sustainable Tulipwood doors painted with low VOC content paint in Farrow and Ball Green Blue No. 84, if you want to know the colour. Sustainable Character Oak worktops. Bon Accord granite, the only Eco negative, around the main run. Granite still being the ideal choice for heat resistance with the ability to put hot pans etc straight onto it. Some Gorenje appliances, still the most Eco conscious appliance manufacturer of choice !!

Carefully sized cabinet structure to fit exactly. How many companies do you know who can make an 1100mm x 850mm L shape corner base ?? Best possible use of corner space.

Peninsular unit to add worktop, storage volume and somewhere to work off the main run. A place to serve from over into the dining room space.

The custom sized L shape corner base using our unique split shelf arrangement for more versatile use of the storage

Strangely, the first time I've used timber worktop to go over two levels with the connecting upstand providing a home for a useful couple of double sockets,

As usual, I'm tidy plumbing obsessed ! Also how many companies do you know the even supply a shelf to go in a Butler sink unit, let alone cut it round the pipework so it's still meaningful ??

You want a Butler sink, Boy have we got a Butler sink ! This one is a beauty, 900mm wide x 630mm deep, it's a superb piece of ceramic engineering from Villeroy & Boch. Of course, those of you who were paying attention will now know the difference between a Butler sink and a Belfast, won't you ?

The sink sits beautifully within the granite tops, even fitting a granite upstand across the back to provide upstand continuity. 900mm high walls units giving just that extra storage when needed.

Oven and microwave fitted at a sensible working height carefully calculated to give best access for reach to both. The hood, we think, is the perfect answer to the problem of repeatedly banging your head on a more conventional hood. We don't understand why these back sloping hoods aren't more popular, even we get sick of banging our heads on "normal" hoods when we fit them !

This layout really does represent the optimum positioning of units for good ergonomics while working in the space. PS: The higher units at the back of the peninsular section are the perfect height for folk to lean on while chatting to you while you're cooking and it keeps folk out from under your feet while you're prepping a meal,  Bonus !

Nice tidy positioning of cooking kit makes everything easier.

Fridge to the left of the drawer pack, bottles in the pull out to the left of the fridge, all it needs now is a kettle on top and it's the ideal spot to make a cuppa.

So, your kitchen doesn't need to be massive to be well thought out and space efficient.

For those of you who know, we are collating records using our own unique chart to calculate optimum storage volumes in given home sizes. Our records show that the ideal requirement for a 3 bedroom Semi is around 3.5 cu.m. of storage.
This one came in at 3.49 cu.m. so pretty much spot on, job well done. When looking at any new kitchen project we measure storage volume achieved in order to make the best recommendation for any house. We feel this is a requirement everyone should look at to get the best out of your kitchen space. Normally we would record what was there before to give us a comparison and let you know a percentage increase in volume achieved but not many of the original units were left in this case..

It also proves that you don't have to just randomly stuff your kitchen full of units to make the best of it. Our findings are showing that too many units can be as big a mistake as too few !! To find out more, contact us for one of our unique volume calculator sheets. 
Thinking that little bit more than most companies do is what we do best. ! 
Jules.

And Firstly !

Ey up my faithful blogworms, well ..... today's the day, here's the long awaited latest Eco kitchen project involving loads of Firsts

First: this is the first project nationally built using the new improved 75% recycled content board in the Grey linen colour and texture which forms part of our Eco2 range.

First: this is the first time we've used our own "new creation" "Handleless Shaker" door in two tone Farrow and Ball colours, built from sustainable Tulipwood

First: this is the very first time we've attempted my earlier creation of an angled slash cut door built in the "Handleless Shaker" format.

First: this is the first time we've used two 'Domino' hobs placed end to end in a narrowed down worktop fitted to a reduced depth complete run of kitchen units. In fact, the depth of the whole run was based on the calculations that started with making the hobs fit into as narrow a space as possible !

First:  this is, in fact, the first time we've attempted to make a complete unit run in reduced depth. The advantages being that no cupboard is too deep to reach the stuff at the back and there's now reaching over the hob to get at the burners at the back, increasing your risk of spilling or burning your arm.

First: the stoarage unit to the left of the big fridge is the first time we've used the new Blum concept of a "Tower unit" where the storage is so much easier to use instead of the floppy, unreliable pull out wire basket units. A concept which is already catching on !

So without further ado, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves .......

We are so proud of the technical design elements, the ergonomics of the kitchen, the carefully planned walkways around the room itself, the colour co-ordination, the special way in which the island worktops were cut, in fact ...... every single aspect of putting this together was an absolute joy.

I feel it's the pinnacle of our kitchen design in 30 years of doing this and with lashings of unique features never seen before, it's our no.1 

Do you want one like it ?

Give us a bell, send us an email, whatever, just let us know if we can do one for you. 

Feeling on a high and buzzing with job satisfaction. Jules 

Blowing away conventional thinking !

Ey up my faithful blog worms ...... Probably the most creative and technically demanding kitchen we've ever designed, started this week !!

It has a whole list of unique and original features within it's design, a lot of them led by our customers themselves in direct response to what they do and don't like about normal kitchens. 

This shows the hob and storage side to the kitchen. All the units are reduced depth to make reaching stuff in the cupboards very easy without having to delve right into the back to find what you want. Huge amount of storage with easy access

This shows the central island structure going in with all the walkways around the units carefully planned to maxmimise movement around the room and create sensible routes to each area

The hobs, yes two ! , go in the central section, a basically 4 ring set up but created using two "Domino hobs" placed end to end. No reaching over to the back rings, mimimising the risk of burning your arm. 

Avery sleek look, sophisticated appearance when the doors go on. We've used our own creation Handleless Shaker door to give character but clean appearance without handles sticking out.



Everything in this kitchen has been very carefully designed to change conventional thinking about how kitchen units are used. Often the planning dimensions have been worked out to the millimetre to ensure everything works as it should.


More pictures to follow as the job progresses, everybody involved in this is now getting a real buzz seeing all that hard work start to pay off.
This is just an ' appetite wetter' to show what can be achieved when you throw conventional thinking out of the window and start to focus on what really matters to make a kitchen work well !! 


I, for one, am now getting so excited about seeing it finished !!
More next week, stay tooned !
Jules