Kitchens
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33058
Printed Date: 26 April 2024 at 2:42pm
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Topic: Kitchens
Posted By: Genie
Subject: Kitchens
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 10:23am
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We are currently planning our new kitchen, which we hope to put in later in the year. Our budget is small which means a lot of really careful planning to get it right. So I was wondering..what things do you love or hate about your kitchen? ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: Jaxnz1
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 10:42am
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We did ours up about a year ago. I LOVE the dishwasher, love the water filter, love the fact that our pantry is so big.
The only thing I hate about it is the sink has that lip going over the bench, so all the yucky stuff gets stuck under it. I asked if we could get a sink that was flush with the benchtop, but he reckoned they don't make them, which isn't true because I've seen them. 
We paid around $5000 and got new cupboard doors, dishwasher installed, new benchtop, new sink, new tap and rearranged the joinery above the dishwasher to get it all in. It looks like a completely different kitchen and well worth the $$$. Our old kitchen was pink  ------------- 
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Posted By: Kalimirella
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 10:52am
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I 2nd getting the sink with a flush or slightly recessed edge, so much easier and neater for cleaning. Me and DP live with his parents and they recently had a new kitchen installed and the sink is really easy maintenance. Also look out for specials for the oven/hob, etc (depending on what you need/want in your kitchen). ------------- Kiara is 3 and Teagan is 2, now we're expecting our long awaited 3rd! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: MissAngel
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 11:36am
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Hmm things I love? My chef's oven and massive gas cooktop :P I have granite benches too which I LOVE. I hate the cupboards however, the hinges are spring loaded pieces of crap that always come off and the pantry is arse. Whoever did the floor needs a kick in the head as well, its lifting :/ Oh and lighting is important - I need to get on to putting more lights in - i'm always working in my shadow argh! ------------- Alex, Thomas and Lily http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Genie
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 1:31pm
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Oh yeah good point about the sink lip - making a note of that! Those are exactly the sorts of things I was hoping to hear about ;)
I should have pointed out that we are making do with our old appliances for now, just doing all new everything else. Will update the appliances sometime down the track. Would love to do it all but budget just won't stretch that far. I hadn't really even thought too much about lighting yet - what sort of lights are good? -------------
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Posted By: Richie
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 2:07pm
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I have a crappy kitchen as we are only renting at the moment but I work in a plumbing showroom so see plans etc for kitchens and things all the time. I agree with geting a flusmount or undermount sink, but this depends on what benchtop you get.
Another thing I see a lot of is drawers! So much more practical than cupboards. My parents did up their kitchen about 2yrs ago and just got lots of drawers put in. Only cupboard really is the one under the sink. Even the pots etc are in drawers. It saves you from having to bend over and rummage around trying to get things from the back of the cupboard. A feature I love is soft close hinges. No more cupboards/drawers being slammed! -------------  
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Posted By: ?Lolly?
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 2:44pm
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You CAN get your sink undermounted. I use to work for M10 as a kitchen designer so I know it can be done.
I love pot draws but since you are on a tight budget I would stay away from them as they cost way more. Big pantry is a must, dishwasher is essential for me :) ------------- Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!) 
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Posted By: Febgirl
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 3:51pm
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Is the layout of your existing kitchen ok? If so could you make do with your existing cabinetry (replace cupboard doors if you really have to), repaint and add modern handles? That's what we did, we had nasty 80s wooden veneer cupboards and we painted them gloss white and put on new stainless handles. Looks fantastic, although it took ages to get the paint finish perfect! ------------- Two little girls under 2! 
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Posted By: Hunnybunny
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 6:17pm
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Downlights are really good in a kitchen, you can have centralised light over the kitchen bench and they can be put inside your pantry for really good lighting.
I think its better to get downlights as then in front of you is lit up, better than one light in the middle of the room as you'll have your shadow in front of you. I used to work at a electrical wholesales, and DH is a electrician and thats what we both recommend aswell. We have a insinkerator!! I think its brilliant. So we have 2 sinks, the left one is like a half sized sink (maybe a bit smaller) and it gobbles up food... We don't have anywhere for composting down here so its awesome. Saves putting things like leftovers, potato peelings in the bin... Only thing is they DON'T like sausages.. My bad 
Definately agree with the sink that sits down, ours has a wee lip and it drives me crazy! Oooh MIL has a M10 kitchen, and in her corner cupboards she has a wee stand thing with a few heights on it (so like 3 shelves) and it turns around, so you don't waste any space in the corner cupboard.. Really handy!!! |
Posted By: HuntersMama
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 6:27pm
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I love those cupboards, that have drawers in them IYKWIM - you can get to everything instead of having stuff shoved at the back of drawers.
Our kitchen really SUX, I cant wait till we can afford to redo it. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: LouD
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 6:31pm
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havent read the other posts but i just wanted to say that I only rent but when we build again i am definetly gonna have DRAWERS drawers and more drawers. I have a plastics drawer a pots drawer and pans drawer and a bowl drawer.........sooo much easier having a plastics drawer to find things and just chuck things in there instead of tring to find one thing and the whole cupboard falling out at you.....the only thing wrong with my kitchen is the tiny pantry......its a huge kitchen with a one door pantry that goes all the way back so i cant reach or even see things so often buy things we already have etc........go a corner walk in pantry they are the best
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Posted By: kakapo
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 8:14pm
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Have you considered buying a complete kitchen off TradeMe? Like http://www.trademe.co.nz/Building-renovation/Kitchen/Complete-kitchens/auction-284827478.htm - this one , for example. We did this when building our house and it worked out well - we got a much bigger, flasher kitchen for the $ than we would have if we'd purchased a new one. It was only 4 yrs old anyway (can't believe the people selling it weren't happy with it lol!). |
Posted By: rachndean
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 8:38pm
Definitely agree with the drawers thing, drawers are awesome!!! Make sure you put in a decent sized sink, the standard ones are too small. Take a chopping board to a kitchen showroom and see which sinks it fits best in 
Watch with having your sink mounted flush with your benchtop if you get a laminate one, aparantly the laminate peels away from the sinktop really easily, and it is quite a bit more to have it done i think? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
DD Savannah 18.01.04 DS Austin 04.09.08 |
Posted By: Genie
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 8:41pm
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I knew I was asking in the right place for the best advice :)
I do like the idea of the drawers but yeah they are a lot dearer so I need to limit them a bit. My existing kitchen is..well..remember that diy rescue programme on tv? I think mine is worse lol. Seriously I've been putting up with less than half a kitchen for several years now and this is the year it all ends! The layout couldn't really be called a layout, and the so-called cabinets were probably beyond saving about 50 years ago. So its all coming out and starting from scratch, we're looking at the flat pack kitchens, Bunnings seem to be the cheapest. With the downlights, are they suitable when you have high ceilings? Our house is really old.. DH said he wants an insinkerator, something about drains blocking up from someone forcing crap down them..guess he meant me! Good tip about the sausages! I hadn't thought of looking at TM for complete kitchens, was amazed at the price on that one, just not sure how it would work out with the space we are dealing with, also we need to be able to install it ourselves and the flat pack kitchens seem at least semi-dummy-proof! Thanks for all the suggestions, like I said I knew this was the place to ask! -------------
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 9:48pm
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I will go against the grain re sinks - if you are going for the lower end of the market, I would recommend a overmount sink, as you generally have a laminate (not marble) bench in cheaper kitchens and over time it will bubble and peal away. Just m2c anyway (it is also cheaper).
Def get a pot drawer! They are awesome and much more of a space saver for smaller kitchens. A decent sized pantry and space for your rubbish bin inside your undersink cupboard. Space for a dishwasher even if you don't have one because it'll be a better selling feature. Also points, points, points! You can never have too many powerpoints in a kitchen! |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 9:55pm
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They won't put a recessed, or flush, sink in the usual benchtops that you get in a flatpack kitchen - they aren't deep enough to be able to recess them. The standard flatpack benchtops are 28mm from memory, so quite thin. We are in the process of doing our kitchen at the moment (have been for almost a year so far...), and ours were made specially and are 38mm from memory - makes a huge difference. I also love having the 2 sinks - one half size and one normal. We put all of the bottles etc in the small one, and any dishes in the big one. Means that the bottles are out of the way if you need to use the big sink too. Oh, and I am going with dishwasher as well!!! MIL has a granite benchtop and it's quite cool, but not kind to anything you might drop by accident....
We are having lots of drawers too...but have a 900mmx900mm corner pantry. I  it!!! I can reach all the corners (well, except the top shelf but hey!!) and it's fantastic.
With design....remember the triangle!! You should be able to make a triangle out of your oven, fridge and sink placements. Oh, and we are going to have downlights....we have a 9 foot (2.7m) stud which is quite high. It may pay to look at what options are available too...Bunnings may be the cheapest, but may not have the options and range available at Mitre 10 or Placemakers. Mitre 10 was cheaper for my parents, but they got a greater selection of benchtops and had one custom made at Placemakers instead. |