The Kitchen Makeover

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Pontius Navigator
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#21 Post by Pontius Navigator » Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:21 pm

Sise, we got a new range with induction top, brilliant. Previous home we fitted induction. New home had gas. After cooking we had 27 bits of top, burners, stands, rings etc to clean, and the top.

Induction, wipe clean, job done. The new one beeps but what I love is I can put a pan on, low heat, set timer and it switches off the hob the same way ovens do.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#22 Post by ian16th » Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:32 pm

Fox3WheresMyBanana wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 11:26 am
I am also keen on downlit glass cabinets and under the wall unit LED lighting.
LED's weren't available when we did our kitchen, I had to settle for low voltage fittings.
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I get my appliances and sinks (also granite for me) from local dealers in their sales.

Getting the built in fridge & freezer at 50% off, was the decision point of starting the whole job.
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4Asss.jpg
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#23 Post by G-CPTN » Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:41 pm

Bought a house in 1977 that had just had a very large kitchen extension added before the acrimonious divorce that prompted the sale.
The disgruntled wife took all the kitchen units (when we arrived with a young toddler and a pregnant wife the water was turned off as she even took the taps - and the ceiling light fittings leaving bare wires dangling).
I decided to design and install the replacement kitchen unit layout and found a manufacturer that was prepared to supply worktops as well as the units.

The overall job worked out well, however I (I admit) chose 'antique leather' laminate for the worktops which was a disaster.
The finished result looked excellent, but the 'grained' finish was impossible to clean - wiping didn't clear the grooves, and however much you washed and wiped there was always a grey deposit in the grooves.

I did, however, incorporate a drop-leaf breakfast bar using clever hinges that I found in a DIY Aladdin's Cave (still there forty years on - and it had been there for decades already). This place stocked the most unusual clever items that called out to be used for a special project as well as every possible small fixing item.

Elsewhere in the house I built Contiboard furniture wherever something was needed - including beds for the children with storage drawers underneath - all 'flatpack' for moving, using Contijoins.
I also built a large 'Wendy House' from faced hardboard using Contijoins which daughter still has forty years on.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#24 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:43 pm

A very nice job Ian 16th!

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#25 Post by ian16th » Mon Apr 22, 2019 1:05 pm

Fox3WheresMyBanana wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:43 pm
A very nice job Ian 16th!
I only did the design and overseeing! Oh, and supplied the money.

A friend from my former employer, who set up in his own business in early retirement did the work.
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#26 Post by Pontius Navigator » Mon Apr 22, 2019 2:30 pm

G-CPTN, in 1974, before we actually had a house, I had an Electrolux fridge, excellent and silent which was state of the art, and then a super heavy upright Electrolux freezer. The point though is the freezer had some tapped holes on top. "For a cabinet".

Then, by chance, in a side road in Birkenhead we found an Electrolux show room with Electrolux kitchen units. Now we really were in state of the art. The worktop, IIRC, was dark brick red with a dimpled surface.

Fortunately, from your experience, we didn't buy it.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#27 Post by ian16th » Mon Apr 22, 2019 2:37 pm

One thing I should mention, is that I used Broderbund, 3D Home Architect Home Design S/W.

I find it very easy and intuitive to use.

I also earlier worked with a friend who designed and built a house from scratch, with the same S/W.
Aviation connection! His house was built on an airfield, and the house had a garage at the front and a hanger at the back. This friend was the one I've mentioned before. He had a C120.

This thread has caused me to install the s/w on my Win/10 system and look up my old plans.
Can't find 'em! They are on one of the disks and I will find them.

A starting point here is the kitchen that I had to start with.
Empty Kitchen.jpg
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The kitchen had a lobby built on, and yes it had an outward opening external door.

It was only when I had the idea of bricking up that doorway, knock a new door from the Kitchen and use the lobby as a utility/scullery that it all came right.

If no-one objects I'll post the before and after pictures.
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#28 Post by llondel » Mon Apr 22, 2019 2:56 pm

We replaced our kitchen about 15 years ago, did it all ourselves, which was fun. I conquered my fear of plumbing and did all of that, electrics was easy and it was a year before all the new regs came in so I avoided having to deal with that. Managed to rout the kitchen worktops without screwing any of them up, including cutting the hole for the new sink. There was the scary moment when we'd cleared the old stuff out and then had to start putting the new stuff in, but it all went together and did us until we moved out of the place. It's all gone now, as far as I can tell based on planning applications, the new people completely re-arranged the inside of the house so the kitchen isn't even where we had it.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#29 Post by ian16th » Mon Apr 22, 2019 3:12 pm

llondel wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 2:56 pm
the new people completely re-arranged the inside of the house so the kitchen isn't even where we had it.
With US dry walling this isn't too difficult.

When things are built of bricks, life is different.

Then I could mention my parents in law cottage on Teesside, it was built of 2 foot thick sandstone blocks!

Cavities for insulation simply were not needed.
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#30 Post by llondel » Mon Apr 22, 2019 3:27 pm

ian16th wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 3:12 pm
llondel wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 2:56 pm
the new people completely re-arranged the inside of the house so the kitchen isn't even where we had it.
With US dry walling this isn't too difficult.

When things are built of bricks, life is different.
This was a UK house so built with bricks.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#31 Post by 1DC » Mon Apr 22, 2019 3:36 pm

Not letting Mrs 1DC read any of this, no point in sowing unnecessary seeds. We have granite worktops but are quite enthusiastic for the polished stone used in the apartments we rent in Oz, if we ever change she will be looking to source stone. She was talking about changing the American style fridge freezer this am but should have forgotten about it by tomorrow.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#32 Post by Pontius Navigator » Mon Apr 22, 2019 3:51 pm

People who bought our house saw the hatch between kitchen and dining room. He said " I like the American open plan, I can soon open this up". She said "I like this"

We didn't point out that the wall he intended to demolish had a 4 metre run of cupboards and drawers with cupboards over and provided 80% of the storage space. The three doors ate up much of the rest. I also didn't point out the bedroom wall above was block not stud.

I had previously taken out two block bathroom walls to build a second bathroom. That was fun. Had to break up the cast iron bath (avacado) and then bring in 4*8 panels. They will have fun removing them as we built the bathroom after putting the panels in.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#33 Post by G-CPTN » Mon Apr 22, 2019 5:09 pm

I was going to mention an avacado bath - there is a trail on the radio about 'things that won't come back'.

The bath in the '1977' house was purple/mauve IIRC. The walls in the extended living room/dining room were painted poppy red and another room had purple walls. Fortunately I enjoy wallpapering.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#34 Post by Fliegenmong » Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:47 am

All done now, the tiler was finishing up when I arrived home from work....it's all just perfect now.... :-bd
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#35 Post by JimR » Wed Apr 24, 2019 2:30 am

I remember installing new kitchen cabinets in a house I once owned. To hang them on the cement wall I bought a nail gun that used .22 cartridges (much easier and faster). After a long day we ordered pizza for supper. When the delivery guy came my wife went to door. With my sick sense of humour, I fired a nail into the wall and at the same time as the loud explosion I let out a scream. I didn't actually see the guys face but apparently he was somewhat shocked.

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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#36 Post by ian16th » Wed Apr 24, 2019 10:45 am

G-CPTN wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 5:09 pm
The bath in the '1977' house was purple/mauve IIRC.
The one we had was called Burgundy.
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#37 Post by ian16th » Wed Apr 24, 2019 1:56 pm

Seeing as no one objected, here are my before and after pics.

1st the room floor plan.
Empty Kitchen.jpg
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Looking towards left hand top corner.
Before
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After
1Asss.jpg
1Asss.jpg (31.37 KiB) Viewed 132 times
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#38 Post by ian16th » Wed Apr 24, 2019 2:03 pm

Empty Kitchen.jpg
Empty Kitchen.jpg (10.73 KiB) Viewed 131 times
Looking to the top left hand corner

Before
2Bsss.jpg
2Bsss.jpg (52.77 KiB) Viewed 131 times
After
2Asss.jpg
2Asss.jpg (36.19 KiB) Viewed 131 times
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#39 Post by ian16th » Wed Apr 24, 2019 2:07 pm

Empty Kitchen.jpg
Empty Kitchen.jpg (10.73 KiB) Viewed 131 times
Looking into the Bottom Left Corner

Before
3Bsss.jpg
3Bsss.jpg (52.91 KiB) Viewed 131 times
After
3Asss.jpg
3Asss.jpg (28.96 KiB) Viewed 131 times
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Re: The Kitchen Makeover

#40 Post by ian16th » Wed Apr 24, 2019 2:18 pm

Empty Kitchen.jpg
Empty Kitchen.jpg (10.73 KiB) Viewed 128 times
Looking in to Bottom Right Corner
Before
4Bsss.jpg
4Bsss.jpg (47.96 KiB) Viewed 128 times
After
4Asss.jpg
4Asss.jpg (24.68 KiB) Viewed 128 times
7Csss.jpg
7Csss.jpg (34.77 KiB) Viewed 128 times
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