Going the Extra Mile

Ey up my faithful blogworms, for those of you that follow us on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/MilestoneEcoKitchens, first of all ....Thank you ! and for all of you that don't follow us yet, use the link and go have a look.

I posted a picture just a couple of days ago shown below, saying that we go the extra mile for all our customers and here's how !

All our products are of a quality that we, ourselves, would be happy to have in our own kitchen and, in fact, we all do !! So to start with, we're putting our money where our mouth is !

IF YOUR ORDER IS 'SUPPLY ONLY', and very unusual in our industry, we guarantee that all the items needed to complete your kitchen that are on the parts list, will be delivered first time, in 1 drop, with nothing missing, everything the right colour and specification. Not many companies actually guarantee that ! Our guarantee is your peace of mind.

You can send us plans and quotes provided by other companies and we will do our very best to either match the price or improve your design or both ! If you've followed my earlier blogs, you will already know about our flexible and versatile approach to designing your kitchen.

For DIY or 'installed by others' not familiar with our recycled materials, we provide FREE OF CHARGE full instruction sheets for all the necessary areas. These are written in plain English based on our own experience of mastering these materials. We also give you our contact number and are always on hand to give you advice if you get stuck. Over the years many people have benefitted from our committment to not seeing you stuck for help.

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IF YOUR ORDER IS INSTALLED BY US you don't pay any delivery charges as we are bringing your kitchen with us anyway !

We are happy to advise on other areas of the project while we're with you as we take a good 'Holistic' approach to all the projects we install. We have also been known to do other odd jobs around the place, FREE OF CHARGE, because we're there and because we can !! We also understand how difficult it can be to get someone to turn up for the little jobs that need doing. If our wide skills base covers what you need, we'll happily take of whatever it is you need.

Often a kitchen project can 'evolve' while we're working on it. If we see an even better way to make your kitchen more successful, we'll ask you what you think and if you like it, we'll do it. No fuss, no bother. 

If some aspect of the preparation work was missed before we get there, don't worry, we'll simply get stuck and sort it. We hate the scenario where some work is brought to a halt over some minor problem where other people would say, "Sorry, can't do that cos it not my job !" 

No, wrong answer !... we'll just do it if we can without a second thought so we keep the work moving forwards. You want your kitchen finished and working, not a load of excuses  as to why it can't be.

The more we can think about and take care of means less stress and bother for you, making the whole experience calmer, easier and generally a much nicer experience.

Holistically yours, Jules

Eco Elite Lite !

REALLY IMPORTANT NEWS  !!!

Ey up my faithful blogworms, this week there have been major changes here at Milestone HQ. In response to questions and enquiries we have taken the massive decision .. to us anyway .. to make our Premium product - 'Eco Elite' - more affordable to more people !!

What ? --- How? I hear you ask.

The whole ethos behind Elite was to be sympathetic to the tree, how it grew, where it grew and how to get the best sustainable use from it.

Well ... basically that hasn't changed, phew ! ... I hear the gasp. 



The element of Elite that took it into the premium brand sector was the sheer work, time and skill that went into grain running and matching across, not just one or two doors, but the whole kitchen. 


However, we had an enquiry for Elite, from someone who loved the overall concept but couldn't afford the level we normally take it to. A suggestion we offered was to make a kitchen for them with all the other bits that make it special, kept in place, but not go with the grain running idea.

This, of course, makes Elite far, far less costly to produce but maintains every other aspect.

It does mean that each door is still hand made but an item in it's own right, not having to match up to it's neighbour.

This enormously cuts down the time involved in manufacture and as time is money, it costs less to produce.



We reckon it takes off around 40 to 50% of the cost depending on the size of the kitchen layout.

That's how we make a premium product retain it's integrity but lower it's cost. And as it's our own product we can adapt it to suit anyones requirements if we feel the end justifies the means.
It's that Good Old Milestone versatility cropping up once more.

So if you've spent time drooling over 'Elite' on our website, thinking "There's no way I can afford that even though it is beautiful", well now you can !!

FOOTNOTE: We've even started making the fabulous tree branch handles for you to buy to put on your own kitchen !! How cool is that ??

We're thinking of this new development as a sort "Eco Elite Lite"

Making Eco more affordable all the time. Jules.

To Creative Thinking !

Ey up my faithful blogworms ....

Blogworm: Term of endearment, appreciation of followers, bookworms read many books so by definition blogworms read many blogs, simples !

Time I felt to re-affirm our mission statement to you all, so pictures speaking a thousand words and all that ! I thought I'd post our summary leaflet to explain.

We don't plan, design or all the normal things you'd expect from a kitchen company .... Oh no ! .... nothing so mundane. 

We CREATE KITCHENS in the truest sense because, unusual for this industry, we actually understand the dynamics of a kitchen, how to design individual cabinets to perform their functions better. We start right at the grass roots of considering how an actual cabinet is put together and WHY it is done that way.

This sets us apart from the herd. Simply making a list of catalogue units fit a given space to me is NOT kitchen design. Taking the Holistic view of the room and how you function within it, to us, is far more important. If we need a unit that you feel would really help you work better in your kitchen, we CREATE IT, this takes us back to an earlier blog entitled: Bespoke by definition, our definition ! posted Jan 2014. ( a good read ! )

Now you're thinking " OMG, this is gonna cost a fortune !" but you couldn't be more wrong !
With our Eco Select entry level range kicking off with a 500mm base unit for only £97.00 + vat. 
We're basically talking flat pack prices for a colour matched, 18mm rigid built cabinet with door and as you will see in my earlier blog ( listed above ), to make your units fit spot on, we can tailor sizes for just a tenner !

We are a family based, creative thinking, intelligent kitchen company with a vested interest in making sure your new kitchen fits well and does exactly what you need it to do. We do not just stuff your room full of more units than you need just because they're the only ones in the catalogue that will fit !!

And just as important, we feel, we can 'create and install' or simply 'create and supply' to any part of our glorious nation, wherever you are !

Let's raise a glass to creative thinking, we'll even supply the wine !!

Jules.

T - I - M .... B - E - R !!

OK my faithful blogworms, my topic for this week is .... Hardwood worktops !

Hardwood worktops are wonderful and one of the oldest materials ever used as a kitchen surface, they are naturally anti bacterial, very design friendly, can be cut and machined to almost any shape or size and are eminently practical.

You disagree ! ...... Probably because you've had a bad experience with badly fitted tops and no instructions whatsoever as to how to look after them .... Am I right ??

Here's a couple of pics of some that we are restoring as part of a kitchen refurb at this very moment.

 Yes, I did say RESTORE !. I should have taken some pics before I started really then you could have seen how bad they were but however, we caught them in time to achieve the results you see here.

They have suffered 15 years of lack of knowledge ! That was their only crime !

These tops were not the best quality to begin with but were fitted by someone who didn't really have an understanding of hardwood.
I'm not going to bore you with a list of problems I found but suffice it to say, we took them off, just in the nick of time really, and stripped them back to re-finish.

Starting from scratch with the finishing process, we do all the hard work so you don't have to, in their newly restored state they will now last for a good long time into the future and look fabulous for many years to come. 

The essential difference is that now they are finished properly and a full set of care instructions will be left with the customer, they will be able to understand how to care for them going forward.

We've put together a 2 page A4 leaflet with a set of installation instructions on one side and care instructions on the reverse. 

The installation instructions tell you how and why we do what we do to the timber and the care instructions tell the end user what do and when it needs doing to look after them

It's all very simple, written with 25 years of experience in the field and written in plain simple English so anyone can understand them.

Now the point to this tale of woe with a happy ending is that you too could have a happy ending too if you're in this position. I don't care if someone else supplied and fitted your worktops, if they're struggling and need help just simply email me on : julian@milestone.uk.net or follow us on Facebook: MilestoneEcoKitchens, like our page and leave me a message.

OR use the contact through our website and I'll email you a set of these valuable instructions ...FREE OF CHARGE ... so that together we can start to bring tired timber worktops back to life and looking gorgeous just as they should !

Don't delay and DON'T BE SCEPTICAL, this is a geniune offer with no strings attached

Trying to make the world of timber a better place, Jules.

T - I - M ..... B - E - R ...  the lumberjack calls, don't let the trees he felled die in vain !

Independant thinking

Ey up my faithful blogworms,

This week, I am puzzled and could do with some answers

 I've heard and keep hearing horror stories about normal people making normal decisions about high ticket items such as kitchens and it going abnormally wrong.

It dismays me when I hear this whoever and wherever you are.

Do you know what the linking factor is ?

Go on, guess !!!!

You all bought kitchens from the big sheds !! ie: Magnet, Wickes, Ikea, Howdens and the like. 


 I have know personal axe to grind or any personal experience of this, it's all based on the stories I've heard from others. ALL TOO REGULARLY !

Common complaints are:  Kitchens turning up with bits missing, doors damaged, parts the wrong colour, worktops short / wrong colour / damaged, handles missing, no sink, parts taking upto 6-8 weeks to arrive !! etc. the list goes on & on & on. 

A poor fitter turns up to install your kitchen, he/she has got no bloody chance from minute one ! And who gets the blame ..... the fitter, come on people wise up ! It's often not his fault but he's used as the fall guy.

Some guy in a suit turns up to measure your kitchen in the beginning, he's probably never fitted a damn kitchen in his life ! How can you trust someone like that to consider every aspect of your project, which is vital for it's success, if he hasn't a clue what he's looking for ????

Bits of this tale of woe should by now be ringing bells with some of you, yet you still buy kitchens from these places.



That's my big question and why I'm puzzled. Please tell me why this still happens.

There is a fantastic network of independant kitchen retailers out there who are often: better, cleverer, think more creatively, more versatile, plan more comprehensively, who actually care about making sure you get exactly what you want, not want some pushy salesman wants you to have.

Get real, people, put your project in the capable hands of us, the independants, who have a local reputation to uphold and will do everything possible to make your kitchen go smoothly. And, shock, horror, you will probably find we're the same cost or cheaper. We have to compete to survive !

At Milestone. we pride ourselves on not having had 1 single complaint in the 25 odd years we've been in business, we thrive on recommends from satisfied customers. 

We're not some big faceless company with outlets all over the country who are really not bothered by peoples complaints because we're big enough to stand a few unhappy customers. 

We can compete favourably with the big concerns and 2 things have always stood out in our thinking:

1) If people are interested enough in what we do to walk through our showroom door, then we feel they're important enough to give their request our full attention, no matter how big or small that request. 
We don't say, and I've heard this with my own ears ! , "Unless you've got £30,000 to spend on your new kitchen, we can't help you" We listen even if you've only popped in to ask for a couple of new hinges for a kitchen door.

2) We don't care how unusual, odd or curious your questions or requests may be .... Our answer's Yes, now ask the the question. This, perhaps unsurprisingly, catches most people out, as they've probably been everywhere else first and everyone else had said No !

Serves you right, you muppet, you should have come hear first. Don't be scared of your independant thinkers, try us first, we're really nice people and think of the legwork and heartache you could save.

OK, rant over, remember: things are not always cheaper or better from the "Sheds" or over the internet !!

Your best interests at heart. Jules

Ultimately practical dining tables

Ey up my faithful blogworms, 

We talk lots about kitchens so, I thought this week I'd share with you a brilliant concept for complementary dining tables that I've made to go with them.

 Still, in kitchens, granite is probably the most durable, effective & heatproof of all worktops but why limit it the just the kitchen.

We carry out many projects where we open up dining rooms into kitchens to create a fantastic through space where it becomes the social hub of the home. As a result, you do need to concentrate on making 2 become 1 when considering the decor.

Many people then spend loads of time trying to find a dining table that works with the kitchen furniture. 

My idea was to make a table that has a central granite panel to allow you to put hot pans and dishes straight onto it, serving your family or guests straight from the pan while hot !! Much more sociable in the sharing of food, much more practical in terms of cutting down on washing up etc. of loads of unecessary serving dishes and it protects your table from annoying scratches without covering the table first.

I've never understood the principle of buying a fabulous new dining table only to cover it up with a cloth so you can't see it because you're scared to death of marking it. Totally  pointless !!

The top picture here shows a table that we specifically made from scratch to go with an Oak and Baltic Brown granite kitchen, so we can save you loads of time and stress by actually making your table to match !!


The second picture shows an Oak dining table that had already been bought for a kitchen so we modified it to take the central Bon Accord granite panel to match the kitchen.

Making, in our minds, the ultimate dining table that ticks all the boxes you want to tick. So whether you already have your table or want one making to match, don't leave out your humble dining table out when thinking about your new kitchen project, we have a couple of ways of getting you the table you really want.

We can also take any timber table you may already have a insert a granite panel into it, if you just love the idea and want one creating to go with the kitchen you've already got. 

After all, you wouldn't spend a small fortune on new hair-do and then spend all day wearing a balaclava ........ WOULD YOU ?

A bit more creative thinking ...... Jules.

Pandoras Box

Ey up my faithful blogworms, this week carrying on the theme of recycling timber, I would like to introduce you all to ...... Pandoras Box !

 More specifically ..... 'Pandoras Camp Box and Table'

Designed by me in my shed as a compact multifunction box to take on our camping trips and days out in Pandora, our campervan.
The very first one, I built from recycling pallets, the theme of last weeks blog but to put into production they are now built from new sustainably sourced softwood.


The concept is to save space and perform more than one task. To that end, Pandoras box carries all your provisions neatly in one place and transforms quickly and easily into a table once you arrive at your destination. Strong and sturdy, Pandoras box is capable of carrying all your cups, plates and cutlery, food & drink or even your camping stove all in 1 tidy place.



Load it up, pack some chairs and you're ready to go ! 

It makes picnic baskets obsolete and is way more versatile !

The legs fasten on very easily and due to their design have a degree of movement to allow small adjustments to level the table and take out any rocking movement, even with 4 legs you won't end up packing the legs with bits of wood to make it stable. The table is equally at home on tarmac, grass or sand as long as it's not too soft.



 We're making Pandoras box in two finishes at the moment: natural and antique black waxed

Ours in use one one of our many holidays or trips out, we don't know how on earth we managed without one !!

Pandoras box lives permanently in the back of our bus, we never go anywhere without it but it does also fit well on the back seat of a car.

Come on ... this is so much better than sitting and eating on wet grass with stones sticking into your bum and certainly a lot more stylish. If you're sitting on a beach on rugs, you don't even need to fit the legs and it's still at a comfy height to eat at.

A perfect addition to your life, turning camping into glamping at a stroke.

For more details and prices, change your life and contact me on : julian@milestone.uk.net or through my facebook page. 

Jules.

Beauty or Beast ?

Ey up my faithful blogworms: Question ?

What's this :

You're wrong ! ... It's fuel for your log burners, kindling to light them, materials for box building, a dining table top, bathroom storage, outdoor furniture, kitchen unit materials, etc. etc. etc.

Where do you buy this fantastic resource: You don't !

Where do you get them then: Pretty much anywhere you drive to or walk to, you'll see these little beauties lying everywhere ! Some say they're a blot on the landscape. Some say they're ugly, unsightly rubbish laying by roadsides and in skips !

You couldn't be more wrong !

This isn't a pallet .... oh no ! ... it's a valuable, recycled timber resource for making many many things. AND IT'S FREE !!

 I particularly like the creative thinker who made the recycling bin, by recycling a pallet to put their recycling in ! That appeals to my sense of humour and performs a useful function.

All you need in many instances are, a saw, a hammer and some nails to turn this roadside wastrel into a thing of beauty, purpose and function !


I know there are many websites and books on the subject available but here in the UK this a still a largely ignored, free resource. Thousands of trees have died to make pallets, let's not allow them to die in vain.

Many books you see advertised and woodworking projects you see on the internet are based in the US, these guys are way ahead of us Brits in a lot of ways related to making stuff from wood. Let's follow their lead and get cracking with a bit more recycled woodwork. 

Who knows, shown the way and taking them on at their own game, if we could create enough wonderful things from pallets, inspired by the Americans, we could ..... maybe..... I only said, maybe, we could eventually forgive them for inflicting McDonalds & KFC on us ???

Pallet: Beauty or Beast ? You decide ?

You could even build your shed to work on your pallets in from ....... Yep ! , ... PALLETS

So, all you sheddists out there ... let's get recycling !!

Jules.

Is it worth it ?

Ey up my faithful blogworms, ....

Refurbishment of existing kitchens !

The word "refurbishment" to some people means taking the whole thing out and starting again !!

Wrong ! .... It means working with what you have and bringing existing furniture up to date, rather than chucking away a basically sound kitchen.

This week I'm focusing on what to look for to see if what you have can be brought back to life with a mix of new components.

Here's a list of Top Tips as to what to look for:

1) Am I happy with the existing layout ? If you are then that's good ! If you're not ... what would you change round ? Bear in mind, at this point, that the more units you want to change round or replace, it starts to maybe make it more viable to change the whole kitchen. There is quite definitely a cost tipping point point where it refurbing becomes uneconomical.

2) Look at the condition of your cabinets. Generally the sink base is the one that suffers but if that's the only one, then replacing a single cabinet is ok. More than that, refer to point 1) above

3) Take a careful look at your worktops. If the front edge has blown and the joints don't look good, this would be the time to change them.

4) Does your sink look tatty or drive you mad ? If changing the worktops then this is the best time to change the sink. Changing your sink when you're keeping the worktops means finding one as near as dammit the same size which really cuts down your choices. Apply the same thinking to your hob !

5) Saggy hinges, knackered drawer boxes, old handles that look dated. If any of these apply then now is the time to do something about those as well. These are all easy to re-new.

6) Old appliances: not working right, rusting, broken knobs, leaking, again consider these when looking to refurb, this is a good time to do it.

A typical viable refurb usually takes the form of a new set of doors, new top, new sink and the odd new appliance. This is very cost effective against the price of a new kitchen and can make a massive difference to an old tired kitchen.

The massive advantage of 'refurbing' your existing kitchen lies in: 

re-using most, if not all, of your existing cabinets

not having the change your tiling (unless you want to),

 leaving the electrics alone (which can be expensive to bring up to date),

 not having to buy new flooring when the footprint of your kitchen changes,

 not having to redecorate (unless you want to), 

much less disruption to your life while the work is being carried out, 

costs significantly less than a whole new kitchen (depending on your product choices)  

it takes less time, so less cost !

IS IT WORTH IT ?, using my top tips, you decide. If you want a second opinion, we'll happily come out and take a look. The lists above are exactly the same as how I would look at it when deciding if a lower cost refurb is the answer to a new kitchen.

Don't automatically think that you are going to have bin your old kitchen ! You'd be amazed at what can often be achieved.

Your kitchen at heart ..... Jules.

Perfectly fitted kitchens for £70

Ey up my faithful blogworms, Just recently completed a tricky little install in a weird shaped kitchen...... The advantages of custom sized units is clear for projects like this.

Our customers choice was a kitchen from our Eco2 range, giving us soft close everything and the ability to make units any size we like.

Remember my earlier blog "Small but perfectly formed for a tenner"..... 1 dimension change costs a tenner !

On this kitchen we're fighting round a pillar and under the staircase to upstairs, big beam in the way and the back door opens very close to the end of the run.

The wall unit under the beam is an odd size to ensure a perfect fit, filling the space and giving continuity to the run.

The last base unit on the left is 660mm long, 320mm deep and 720mm high. 2 dimension changes make the unit tuck in nicely, clear the back door ( to the left ) and maximise the use of that space.

The diagonal corner base going under the stairs is squeezed down to 850mm x 850mm to make sure it goes in and a short false wall panel behind it, blocks the slope off nice and square to give a useable section of worktop and a huge storage cupboard in, what would have been, dead space.

As you can see sneaking in at the top right of the picture, the wall unit to the right of the hood ( visible in the picture above ) has been made shorter in height and wider to provide better storage and brought down to level across the bottom so everything still lines through. There is a useable space above it for jars, pots etc.

All the other units used are pretty much standard sizes, so by just bespoke building certain units the rest fall into place and it only costs the tenner for each dimension change on the ones that need it. 

With the few units we made bespoke only costing £70 in total for modifications, you get a kitchen that is perfectly fitted, no space wasted, storage volume maximised and importantly, it looks right when finished and no stupid, unnecessary filler panels panels banged in everywhere because nothing fits properly !!! You can't tell me that's not worth £70 !!

Bespoke done properly is not expensive, very effective and well worth doing. If only all kitchens were done this way .... the Milestone way ... the world would be full of better fitting kitchens but until then, if you want it doing right, we need to talk !!