Thursday, December 09, 2010

Answering your kitchen questions

I have never quite worked out the ettiquette for answering people's questions posed in a blog comment. I mean, I always email the person direct with the answer - that much is obvious. But, on the assumption anyone reading the comment might want know the answer do you answer with a comment - which people probably won't go back to read, or with a new post? I am playing safe and going for all three!

So, thank you all for your kitchen compliments.
The cabinets are Burford Cream Gloss from Howdens which is a trade only place. Do not believe the catalogue price. Thye routinely give about 70% off to your tradesman. Which aas well as noone would pay the catalogue prices which is clearly inflated so your tradesman can say he got you a big discount. And they don't sell direct anyway so who are those prices for? We then accidentally decided on a new kitchen when the sale was on too and didn't even know until the builder suggested we complete the order before  the end of the month and store it in the garage to save money.

For the ignorant yank ( self titled but surely not!) who asked about the round thing embedded in the island:
A pop up socket so I can plug in hand mixers, blenders etc at my baking island. It actually has three sockets if you pull it up enough.

And Terry, the black sink is 'composite'. Whatever that is.

 And Kristin, I am delighted you like the 'wood' countertops. because they are not wood. I wanted granite becuase it is shiny ( and beautiful and cool). But noone would sell it to me. Seriously. all the many kitchen shops went to told me it was overpriced, showed me how its scratches like mad and warned me off it in no uncertain terms. So then I decided on wood block. They would sell me that but warned that you need to care for it and oil it like a cricket bat. Dennis knows excactly how low my tendency is for oilng wooden thngs and banned it. So we got laminate because everyone said it looked fine, was easy care and was priced so you can change it every couple of years without blinking if you want to change the look of the kitchen. I balked because I remembered my mother's 1970's laminate but it has changed a lot since then.

6 comments:

Sandra Wyman said...

Must admit I got laminate for much the same reason and it really does survive neglect beautifully!

Karen said...

Isn't it great to have a nice new kitchen, of your own design, where you can put things just as you want them. Congratulations to both of you.

Kristin L said...

That IS fine looking laminate. Our floors are a type of laminate (Pergo) and I am absolutely in love with them. If we ever buy our own house I will spring for these same floors. Now I'll have to consider laminate for countertops too -- though I like teh recycled glass ones too.... And now I'll have to add teh pop up socket as well! How practical and handy! (And German style windows and an apple tree in the yard per my kids -- the wish list goes on.)

Nancy Anne said...

The ignorant Yank appreciates the explanation :0)

Christine said...

Thanks for kitchen info Helen - love your pop-up socket tower. Sympathise with packing dilemmas, my suitcase is usually crammed with "just-in-cases" too - nice to know it's not just me.

Carol said...

The wood counter top looks wonderful! And that pop-up socket is just brilliant. I would've used the idea if I had known it 6 months earlier.