Bespoke Kitchen and Bathroom Design Company, Bespoke Kitchen Images
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Kitchen Guide
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kitchen surveying guide
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Bathroom Guide
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Design objectives guide
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Guide to Designing and Buying a Bespoke Kitchen

A Professional Designers Guide

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Carcase Options and Accessories

Carcase construction is an area of intense rivalry in the industry and is a lot simpler than it appears. There is an abundance of good manufacturers who use good components and acceptable laminate 18mm boards. they also use edge banding technology to put vinyl 1mm edging to all front edges for durability. I have detailed a good carcase construction in my specification below for what I would expect, and shown the difference for North Europe. I good carcase is not worth compromising on, and this is unnecessary if you are careful where you look.

Kitchen Design and Buyers Guide, Carcase Image

What is a good solid standard carcase ?

If you are checking the quality of the carcase system you are buying then this is a good specification for British buyers or anywhere else for that matter.

18mm melamine faced high density chipboard or mdf (mdf is better if available )

Rigid construction on delivery

18mm melamine chipboard backs

18mm top, not often seen but useful for granite projects

Vinyl 1mm edge-banded front edges in matching finish to carcase and shelves

Adjustable shelves

Adjustable 100mm or 150 mm plastic legs

Blum hinges ( not cheap copies )

Blum soft close drawer boxes in silver metal

Pipe recess to rear of at least 35mm

Available in standard and special sizes

Budget carcases are false economy

Budget carcases are often 16mm and low quality melamine faced chipboard unless from good northern european kitchen companies. Also the hinges and drawers are inferior systems to blum. Other problems include thin iron on edging that chips, and thin 8mm backs. Also they are quite often flat-pack that has been assembled before delivery. It is easy for most retailers to buy good quality carcases cheaply from local manufacturers to my recommended specification , so there is no excuse to compromise, whether supplying flatpack or rigid carcases.

North Europe carcases (Germany mainly)

Germany, the birth place of most of the built in kitchen ideas originally coming to this country, have used a high density 16mm construction with glued sides rather than cams . I have found this to be as good as our 18mm carcasing, and for some ranges much more superior, such as Alno, Pogonpohl etc. German systems quite often use blum hinges and drawers for quality and always use solid interior pullout systems. The main draw back has been the use of white carcases with matching front edging to door colour. This means that undersides of wall units are white if you are sitting down and look up( not a pretty sight with wood kitchens).

Other draw options

There are other drawer options readily available to most suppliers such as : solid beech sided and veneered base drawers, in soft contoured sides and flat sides with soft close. Also some manufacturers do dovetailed solid wood drawers with soft close hidden systems ( blum mechanism ).

Bespoke options

Carcase construction for most companies, behind the frame, is usually 18mm melamine chipboard unless the client asks for an upgrade. I have normally specified melamine on mdf because it is more solid. I have used veneered mdf when using hardwood doors because it looks better, but is not so durable when varnished for heavy use and wet conditions. Drawer construction is quite often dovetailed hardwood with soft close, or metal finish with modern doors. Carcases always have 18mm backs and quite often 18mm tops.

Veneered 18mm mdf

Can be purchased ready varnished as 8' x 4' sheets from some suppliers ,but costs up to 4 times as much as laminate. This is still acceptable if you have say 30 sheets in a kitchen, which will mean an extra £1200. The look of solid oak doors, oak veneered interiors and dovetailed oak drawers is worth the compromise ( I am a designer remember !).

Plywood

I have constructed carcases out of birch ply. This is a very rigid and durable material and acceptable if your clients do not like mdf or chipboard. It will still have to be varnished, is also quite light so is less practical than laminate.

Solid wood

Often asked for in the bespoke market but very rare for practical reasons. The first bespoke kitchen range I sold had a solid pine carcase that was impressive at the time to look at, but in reality moved in the damp conditions of some of the old houses we fitted in . It was seldom a problem unless an outside end, but did make me quickly move to melamine on mdf. Solid hardwood will move more in damp conditions, and even in a framed construction would be impractical and very expensive.

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Conservatory Shop
I have provided a link here to my more comprehensive online retail diy upvc conservatory and steel base website : please click on the photo above if you want more information or a free quote
Conservatory Guide
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Upvc Diy Modular Conservatory Range Special Sale Prices
Edwardian diy upvc modular conservatory prices
Lean - to diy upvc modular conservatory prices

Website Links

 

Links to my other websites
Bathroom Design and Buyers Guide . Kitchen Design and Buyers guide . A Walk in the Woods
Small Bathroom Design and Buyers Guide . Small Kitchen Design and Buyers Guide . Free Online Kitchen Design Tool . Free Online Bathroom Design Tool
Diy Conservatory Shop .
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Areas of England covered by this bathroom design and buyers guide

Bedfordshire | Bedford | Luton | |Dunstable | Leighton Buzzard | Biggleswade | Sandy | Berkshire | Reading | Bracknell | Maidenhead | Newbury | Windsor | Wokingham | Abingdon | Buckinghamshire | Aylesbury | Milton Keynes | Slough | Buckingham | High Wycombe | Cambridgeshire | Cambridge | Wisbech | Ely | March | Whittlesey | Chatteris | Linton | Cheshire | Chester | Stockport | Birkenhead | Wallasey | Runcorn | Macclesfield | Crewe | Cornwall | Bodmin | Truro | Camborne | Redruth | St. Austell | Falmouth | Penzance | Newquay | Cumberland | Carlisle | Whitehaven | Workington | Penrith | Keswick | Brampton | Derbyshire | Derby | Chesterfield | Ilkeston | Swadlincote | Buxton | Matlock | Ashbourne | Devon | Exeter | Plymouth | Torquay | Paignton | Barnstaple | Tiverton | Newton Abbot | Tavistock | Dorset | Dorchester | Poole | Weymouth | Sherborne | Wimborne | Minster | Shaftesbury | Durham | Sunderland | Stockton-on-Tees | Darlington | Hartlepool | Gateshead | Washington | Essex | Chelmsford | Basildon | Romford | Southend | Colcheter | Harlow | Brentwood | West Ham | Gloucestershire | Gloucester | Bristol | Cheltenham | Stroud | Cirencester | Tewkesbury | Hampshire | Winchester | Southampton | Portsmouth | Bournemouth | Basingstoke | Newport | Herefordshire | Hereford | Ross-on-Wye | Leominster | Ledbury | Bromyard | Kington | Hertfordshire | Hertford | Watford | St. Albans | Hemel | Hempstead | Stevenage | Hatfield | Huntingdonshire | Huntingdon | St. Ives | St. Neots | Ramsey | Yaxley | Kent | Maidstone | Canterbury | Bromley| Rochester | Margate | Folkestone | Dover | Greenwich | Lancashire | Lancaster | Liverpool | Manchester | Preston | Bolton | Warrington, Barrow-in-Furness | Leicestershire | Leicester | Loughborough | Hinckley | Melton Mowbray | Coalville | Lutterworth | Lincolnshire | Lincoln | Grimsby | Scunthorpe | Boston | Grantham | Stamford | Skegness | Louth | Middlesex | City of London | Harrow | Enfield | Staines | Ealing | Potters Bar | Westminster | Norfolk | Norwich | Great Yarmouth | King's Lynn | Dereham| Cromer | Hunstanton | Northamptonshire | Northampton | Peterborough | Corby | Kettering | Wellingborough | Northumberland | Alnwick | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Morpeth | Hexham | Berwick-upon-Tweed | Nottinghamshire | Nottingham | Mansfield | Worksop | Newark | Retford | Southwell | Oxfordshire | Oxford | Banbury | Witney | Bicester | Henley-on-Thames| Carterton | Thame | Rutland | Oakham | Uppingham | Cottesmore | Shropshire | Shrewsbury | Telford | Oswestry | Bridgnorth| Whitchurch | Market Drayton | Ludlow | Somerset | Taunton | Bath | Weston-super-Mare | Yeovil | Bridgwater| Wells | Glastonbury | Staffordshire | Stafford | Stoke-on-Trent | Wolverhampton | Walsall | Cannock | Lichfield | Suffolk | Ipswich | Bury St. Edmunds | Lowestoft | Felixstowe | Sudbury | Haverhill | Bungay | Surrey | Guildford | Croydon | Woking | Sutton| Kingston-on-Thames | Wandsworth | Wimbledon | Brixton| Sussex | Chichester | Brighton | Worthing | Crawley | Hastings| Eastbourne | Bognor Regis | Horsham | Warwickshire | Warwick | Birmingham | Coventry | Nuneaton | Rugby | Solihull| | Stratford-upon-Avon | Westmorland | Appleby | Kenda | Windermere | Ambleside | Kirkby | Lonsdale | Wiltshire | | Trowbridge | Salisbury | Swindon | Chippenham | Devizes | Marlborough | Warminster | Worcestershire | Worcester | Dudley | Kidderminster | Stourbridge | Halesowen | Malvern | Evesham | Yorkshire | North Riding | Northallerton | Middlesbrough| Scarborough | Whitby | East Riding | Beverley | Hull | Bridlington | Driffield | Hornsea, Filey | West Riding | Wakefield | Leeds | Sheffield | Bradford | Halifax | Harrogate | York (within the Walls)

Areas of Wales(including Monmouthshire) covered by this bathroom design and buyers guide

Anglesey/Sir Fon | Beaumaris | Holyhead | Llangefni | Amlwch | Menai Bridge | Brecknockshire/Sir Frycheiniog | Brecon | Builth Wells | Hay-on-Wye | Talgarth | Llanwrtwd Wells | |Caernarfonshire/Sir Gaernarfon | Caernarfon | Bangor | Llandudno | Conwy | Pwllheli | Porthmadog | Carmarthenshire/Sir Gaerfyrddin | Carmarthen | Llanelli | Ammanford | Llandovery | Kidwelly | St. Clears | Cardiganshire/Ceredigion | Cardigan | Aberystwyth | Lampeter | New Quay | Tregaron | Denbighshire/Sir Ddinbych | Denbigh | Wrexham | Ruthin | Abergele | Llangollen | | Flintshire/Sir Fflint | Mold | Flint | Rhyl | Prestatyn | Connah's Quay | Holywell | Buckley | St. Asaph | Glamorgan/Morgannwg | Cardiff| Swansea | Merthyr Tydfil | Barry | Caerphilly | Bridgend | Neath | Pontypridd | Merioneth/Meirionnydd | Dolgellau| Bala | Tywyn | Blaenau Ffestiniog | Barmouth | Harlech | Monmouthshire/Sir Fynwy | Monmouth | Newport | Blackwood | Cwmbran | Abergavenny | Chepstow | Tredegar | Montgomeryshire/Sir Drefaldwyn | Montgomery | Newtown | Welshpool | Machynlleth | Llanidloes | Pembrokeshire/Sir Benfro | Pembroke | Milford Haven | Haverfordwest | Fishguard | Tenby | St. David's | Radnorshire/Sir Faesyfed | Presteigne | Llandrindod Wells | Knighton | Rhayader | New Radnor.

Areas of Scotland covered by this bathroom design and buyers guide

Aberdeenshire | Aberdeen | Peterhead | Fraserburgh | Inverurie | Huntley | Ellon | Turriff | Angus | Forfarshire | Forfar | Dundee | Arbroath | Brechin | Montrose | Carnoustie | Kirriemuir | Argyllshire | Inveraray | Oban | Dunoon | Campbeltown | Lochgilphead | Tobermory | Ayrshire | Ayr | Kilmarnock | Irvine | Saltcoats | Kilwinning | Largs | Troon | Cumnock | Banffshire | Banff | Buckie | Keith | Macduff | Portsoy | Dufftown | Berwickshire | Greenlaw | Duns | Eyemouth | Lauder | Coldstream | Buteshire | Rothesay | Millport | Brodick | Lochranza | Cromartyshire | Cromarty | Ullapool | . Caithness | Wick | Thurso | Halkirk | Castletown | Clackmannanshire | Clackmannan | Alloa | Tillicoultry | Tullibody | Dumfriesshire | Dumfries | Annan | Lockerbie | Moffat | Sanquhar | Langholm | Gretna | Dumbartonshire | Dumbarton | Clydebank | Cumbernauld | Helensburgh | Alexandria | Kirkintilloch | East Lothian | Haddingtonshire | Haddington | North Berwick | Dunbar | Tranent | East Linton | Fife | Cupar| Dunfermline | Glenrothes | Kirkcaldy | St. Andrews | Cowdenbeath | Burntisland | Inverness-shire | Inverness | Fort William | Kingussie | Newtonmore | Portree | Kincardineshire | Stonehaven | Banchory | Laurencekirk | Inverbervie | Kinross-shire | Kinross | Milnathort | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Kircudbright | Castle Douglas | Dalbeattie | New Galloway | Lanarkshire | Lanark | Glasgow | East Kilbride | Hamilton | Motherwell | Coatbridge | Carluke | Midlothian | Edinburghshire | Edinburgh | Musselburgh | Penicuik | Dalkeith | Bonnyrigg | Morayshire | Elgin | Forres | Rothes | Lossiemouth | Fochabers | Nairnshire | Nairn | Auldearn | Cawdor | Ferness | Orkney | Kirkwall | Sromness | Balfour | Peeblesshire | Peebles | Innerleithen | West Linton | Perthshire | Perth | Crieff | Pitlochry | Callander | Blairgowrie | Rattray | Coupar Angus | Kincardine | Renfrewshire | Renfrew | Paisley | Greenock | Johnstone | Port Glasgow | Barrhead | Kilmalcolm | Ross-shire | Dingwall | Stornaway | Tain | Alness | Invergorden | Roxburghshire | Jedburgh | Hawick | Kelso | Melrose | Roxburgh | Selkirkshire | Selkirk | Clovenfords \ Galashiels | Shetland | Lerwick | Scalloway | Baltasound | Stirlingshire | Stirling | Falkirk | Grangemouth | Kilsyth | Bridge of Allan | Denny | Alva | Sutherland | Dornoch | Helmsdale | Brora | Golspie | Lairg | Durness | Tongue | West Lothian | Linlithgowshire | Linlithgow | Livingston | Bo'ness | Broxburn| Whitburn | Armadale| Bathgate | Wigtownshire | Wigtown | Stranraer | Newton Stewart | Whithorn .

Areas in Leicestershire covered by our online quote design and installation service
Arthingworth | Bagworth | Belvoir | Birstall | Botcheston | Braunston | Burbage | Burton on the Wolds | Caldecott | Catthorpe | Church Langton | Coalville | Coleorton | Croxton Kerrial | Donington le Heath | Dunton Bassett | Earl Shilton |East Goscote| East Langton | Elmesthorpe | Fleckney | Foxton | Gilmorton | Glooston | Great Bowden | Great Easton | Great Glen | Grimston | Gumley | Hallaton | Hathern | Heather | Hinckley | Hose | Hugglescote | Hungarton | Husbands Bosworth | Ibstock | Isley Walton | Kegworth | Kibworth | Leicester | Little Stretton | Loughborough | Lutterworth | Market Bosworth | Market Harborough | Markfield | Marston Trussell | Measham | Medbourne | Melton Mowbray | Middleton | Mountsorrel | Narborough | Nether Broughton | Oakthorpe | Packington | Quorn | Rothley | Saddington | Sapcote | Scraptoft | Seagrave | Shepshed | Sibson | Sproxton | Stathern | Sutton Bassett | Sutton Bonington | Sutton Cheney | Swannington | Swinford | Theddingworth | Thorpe Langton | Thringstone | Thrussington | Ullesthorpe | Uppingham | Walcote | Walton on the Wolds | Whetstone | Whitwick | Wigston | Wilbarston | Wilson | Wolvey | Woodhouse Eaves | Barrowden | Bisbrooke | Braunston | Caldecott | Clipsham | Cottesmore | Countywide | Egleton | Empingham | Exton | Great Casterton | Greetham | Hambleton | Ketton | Lyddington | Market Overton | Normanton | Oakham | Preston | Seaton | South Luffenham | Stamford | Stapleford | Stretton | Uppingham | Whitwell | Wing
Areas in Nottinghamshire covered by our online quote design and insallation service
Arnold | Askham | Beeston | Besthorpe | Bingham | Blidworth | Blyth | Boughton | Calverton | Carlton In Lindrick | Caunton | Caythorpe | Clarborough | Claypole | Clayworth | Colston Bassett | Cotgrave | Countywide | East Leake | East Markham | East Retford | Eastwood | Edingley | Edwinstowe | Elkesley | Elton | Flintham | Gunthorpe | Halam | Hayton | Holme Pierrepont | Hucknall | Ilkeston | Keyworth | Kimberley | Kirton | Kneesall | Laneham | Langar | Laxton | Long Eaton | Lound | Lowdham | Mansfield | Mansfield Woodhouse | Mattersey | Nether Langwith | Newark | Nottingham | Old Clipstone | Oldcotes | Ollerton | Oxton | Pleasley | Radcliffe On Trent | Rainworth | Ravenshead | Redmile | Retford | Ruddington | Rufford | Selston | Shirebrook | Southwell | Sutton | Sutton Bonington | Sutton In Ashfield | Teversal | Thrumpton | Thurgarton | Trowell | Tuxford | Upton | Warsop | Wellow | West Brigford | Workop |
Areas in Derbyshire covered by our online quote design and installation service
Alfreton | Alstonefield | Ambergate | Ashbourne | Ashford In The Water | Ashover | Bakewell | Bamford | Barlborough | Barlow | Barrow Hill | Barrow On Trent | Baslow | Belper | Birch Vale | Birchover | Bolsover | Bonsall | Bradwell | Brassington | Brimington | Burton Upon Trent | Buxton | Caldwell | Calow | Calver | Castle Donington | Castle Gresley | Castleton | Chapel En Le Frith | Charlesworth | Chesterfield | Chinley | Church Gresley | Clay Cross | Clowne | Coal Aston | Codnor | Countywide | Crich | Cromford | Cutthorpe | Darley Abbey | Diseworth | Doe Lea | Donisthorpe | Donnington | Dronfield | Duffield | East Midlands Airport | Eastmoor | Edale | Elon | Elvaston | Etwall | Eyam | Fenny Bentley | Foolow | Glossop | Grassmoor | Great Hucklow | Great Longstone | Grindleford | Hadfield | Harpur Hill | Hartington | Hartshorne | Hasland | Hassop | Hathersage | Hayfield | Heage | Heanor | Heath | High Peak | Higham | Hognaston | Holbrook | Holmesfield | Holmewood | Holymoorside | Hope | Hope Valley | Horsley Woodhouse | Ilkeston | Kedleston | Kegworth | Kettleshulme | Little Hayfield | Litton | Long Eaton | Longshaw | Loscoe | Lower Pilsley | Makeney | Mapperley | Marston Montgomery | Matlock | Matlock Bath | Mayfield | Measham | Melbourne | Mickleover | Middle Mayfield | Midway | Moira | Morley | Morton | New Mills | New Tupton | New Whittington | Newhaven | Newton | North Wingfield | Oakerthorpe | Oakthorpe | Old Brampton | Old Whittington | Osmaston | Overseal | Renishaw | Repton | Riddings | Ridgeway | Ripley | Risley | Rosliston | Rowsley | Scarcliffe | Shardlow | Shirland | Shottle | Smalldale | Smalley | Snarestone | Somercotes | South Normanton | South Wingfield | Staveley | Stretton | Sudbury | Swadlincote | Swanwick | Taddington | Tansley | Tibshelf | Tideswell | Tintwistle | Tissington | Unstone | Wardlow | Warslow | Wessington | Weston Underwood | Whaley Bridge | Winster | Wirks