Keller Kitchens - a Review - and New Displays of Keller Kitchens in Nottingham
This is the first in an occasional series of blogs about kitchen manufacturers - or kitchen brands - and what they offer. Some of them I know, from when I used to work in kitchen showrooms; others I will have been introduced to, by the kitchen suppliers I work with. If a kitchen brand gets a blog from me - then I like what they have to offer. If they don't get a blog - then either I don't like their kitchens - or I haven't got round to them yet!
Keller Kitchens were introduced to me by DFM Ltd - a kitchen company in Nottingham that has a lot of impressive, new Keller displays in their showroom – including one using the very trendy ridged GL7300 doors, shown above. I thought I'd give you a treat, with Keller's own picture – rather than use one of my photos from DFM's showroom (kitchens are difficult to photograph - honest!). Have a look at DFM's entry on our Kitchen Retail Suppliers list – to see the showroom display.
Keller are a well established Dutch company, set up in 1977, and they make their kitchens in extensive factory premises in Roosendaal (Holland – obviously) – one of the most modern facilities in Europe. The kitchens are made to order and delivered straight to the kitchen company involved. We hear a lot about German efficiency – but, by all accounts, Dutch efficiency is pretty impressive too.
When you start to look at the styles of kitchen they produce, though, things start to get complicated (in spite of the claim that this is a simplified version of previous offerings!). There are three collections of kitchens: the Red Label, which is the main collection of modern and more traditional styles; the Black Label, which is modern, handleless door designs (with a choice of integrated stainless steel, aluminium, black or white inset strip handles); and the Gold Label, which is the newest range and the highest quality. The Gold label doors have a special low lustre, soft lacquer finish and matching individual furniture pieces are also available, to use in larger kitchens and open plan living areas. The GL7300 kitchen, pictured above, is from the Black Label collection.
This kitchen is Elba (from Keller's Red Collection) - in Olive and Basalt
There are then four colour/material collections to choose from – for the Red and Black Label Collections – the Master, Comfort, Combi and Starwood collections; whilst the Gold Label collection has it's own colours and finishes. The Starwood finish is solid wood and comes in blonde or bleached oak ... or in the same colours as the Master collection. So that's clear then!
Elba (in Ice) from Keller's Red Label Collection and GL7400 (in Vintage Oak) from the Black Label collection
To be honest, I shouldn't be complaining. I love kitchen ranges that have a big choice of styles and finishes! Suffice it to say, Keller have a very wide selection indeed ... including muted colours, black, and a choice of ice, white, vanilla, jasmine and shell (for the whites and creams) ... plus some good looking wood effects with both horizontal and vertical grain patterns. They also do many of them in both high gloss and matt finishes.
When I visited the DFM showroom, there were three things that impressed me about the Keller kitchens. One was the wide choice of finishes and accessories. Have a look at this quite simple display from the Nottingham showroom:
It has doors in Ginger high gloss veneer (I think) but the black plinth and the chunky black panels across the top and down the sides are what set the doors off to perfection. I like a kitchen brand where some thought has gone into the accessories.
The second thing that really impressed me was that the Master collection colours come in three finishes: melamine (which we would normally call laminate); vinyl wrapped (or a high gloss version called polygloss); or lacquered (and the lacquered doors can be in silk or high gloss finish).
So what? You might think. Other companies do different finishes too. But the Keller ones all match! You could, if you wanted to, combine doors in all three finishes - in the same kitchen - and you wouldn't notice. Which is exactly what DFM have done with one of their displays:
The doors come from both the Red Label and Black Label collections (if you notice - the base unit doors are handleless) and the colour is Lava. The left hand close up shows a melamine finish door - you can see the pvc edging - the centre shows the vinly wrapped door, and on the right is the lacquer. You can't see much difference between the last two doors ... but you can feel it ... the lacquer is distinctly smoother. (If you're confused by the different types of door - then you haven't been reading Majjie's Design Guide "Before You Start" - which is FREE and explains all).
You probably wouldn't want to mix the finishes in a real kitchen. The beauty of having the choice, though, is that - once you've got your design worked out (from an independent kitchen designer, let's just say!) - you can go and have it priced in the best quality lacquered doors. If that turns out to blow the budget ... then you have two lower price points to consider ... without compromising on the look or layout at all.
The third thing that impressed me ... was the Gold Label Loft door. It's a flat door with grooves - and it's a great combination of modern and traditional style. Here's the display at DFM's Nottingham showroom. I think the colour is Loam:
Doesn't it look great with those extra thick worktops? It's the sort of kitchen that would nicely fit into both - a very modern apartment - and an ancient room with beams. The Gold Label kitchens also have some extra furniture pieces with scooped out handles (in either grooved or plain flat doors). Here's Keller's own picture of a Loft kitchen (this time in the colour Steel) - and with a dresser inset into the left hand wall:
The Loft door colour choices are: Coffee, Caramel or Snow (white) - four shades based on grey (Loam, Dolphin, Steel and Smoke) - and a subtle black called Night.
So there you have it. That's what impressed me about Keller Kitchens, and why they're the first to feature in my kitchen brand reviews. Look out for more kitchen brands and manufacturers in the future.
Comments
We also thought Keller was a good kitchen range. Unfortunately we no longer think so. As a private buyer, we noticed that just 5 years after installation, the surface on the kitchen doors is lifting away, leaving big air bubbles underneath.
Not what we expected from a medium-priced kitchen. We contacted Keller and were put in touch with their UK sales manager, Ray Kilham. Mr Kilham offered us replacement doors which would not match the colour we had chosen, as our colour was no longer made. However once we decided on a non-matching door, Mr Kilham said we would have to pay £1000 + VAT towards the cost of replacing the doors as we had chosen a more expensive door.
As soon as we quibbled that £1000+ was expensive for a mis-matched, odd-looking kitchen, Mr Kilham stopped returning our e-mails. We have since tried to contact Keller Kitchens but have had no luck.
So we are left with a kitchen with faulty doors which are getting gradually worse and the kitchen is still under 7 years old.
The kitchens might look impressive in the showroom, but they don't look nice for very long and for the price, we would definitely NOT recommend them to anyone.
Oh dear Mr/s Eccles! Sounds like a complete breakdown of communication.
I can understand your disappointment but - on the other hand - I wouldn't expect a kitchen company to replace damaged doors - after five years - with much more expensive ones. Did they not give you any indication, when you were looking at the new doors, as to which ones you could choose from?
I can't really comment on the colour match, or what the kitchen would look like with new doors - because I haven't seen the original - but it's hard to imagine a finish that wouldn't go with one of Keller's doors! Was it a very unusual colour to start with?
As I've said here before - all kitchen companies and products get some problems and complaints - and blogs tend to attract unhappy customers not happy ones.
You're very welcome to express your opinion Mr/s Eccles - but I don't think I'm any less impressed by what I saw of Keller kitchens - because of one problem. I might change my mind - if I now get a flood of complaints!
I do hope you get something sorted, though.
Well, Keller, have sent a response - although they won't, of course, comment on an individual case:
They offer a full 5 year warranty on their kitchens and are more than happy to swap any faulty doors - for the original design - or on a "like for like" basis, free of charge.
In fact, they go further than that and will replace doors free of charge up to six years after purchase ... but only on a "like for like" basis.
After 7 years, they give a discount of 50%, less 80%; after 8 years it's a 50% discount, less 70% ... and so on, until the price reaches the standard retail value.
When there's a customer request for an upgrade to more expensive doors, they feel it's only fair to ask for a contribution towards the difference in cost.
I realise that Mr/s Eccles is unlikely to feel happy about that ... and I want to be impartial here ... but believe me, that policy is very much more generous than many kitchen suppliers!
Please remember that these are not 'damaged' doors, they are faulty, with a fault I understand, is known to Keller Kitchens.
The colour I chose was not unusual.
Also, they did not quite live up to the claim they make to you of offering free replacement doors up to 6 years' after purchase as I advised them of the problems within 6 years and they uhmed and ahed about it.
I would have been more than happy with 'like for like' replacement doors, in fact I would prefer it as it would look far better.
I did NOT request an upgrade, I do not want an upgrade. I just want kitchen doors which are not faulty and look good.
Their UK Sales Manager did offer me replacement doors of my choice but no mention was made of sticking to a particular range. We were only told once we had chosen the replacement doors that they were more expensive than the originals and that we would have to pay extra.
Would you want to pay extra for a mis-matched kitchen?
Since asking their UK sales manager last July which doors I can choose at no extra cost, I have had no response from Keller Kitchens whatsoever, despite repeated e-mails sent to them.
So even now, their claim to replace doors, even at a discount is not being met. Why are they not responding to me? I am in their hands, waiting to hear from them, but so far, a year after my initial contact, they have not made good their claim to you of replacing faulty doors. So not a generous offer at all !!
As I said before Mr/s Eccles, it sounds like a complete breakdown of communication. I don't know why they're not getting back to you. Have you tried writing a letter? Or calling into the showroom that sold you the kitchen?
We're only getting one side of the story here, since Keller won't comment on an individual case and ... unless I think the company provides poor service, in general ... I want to be completely impartial. Again, as I've said before, ALL companies get individual problems and Keller started to sort yours out ... but then something went wrong. Of course they're not going to do a complete door swap (after five years) at the drop of a hat. I'd expect them to uhhm and ahh a bit!
If you requested more expensive doors - that is an upgrade - whether you thought of it as such, or not. Perhaps that's where the problem started?
I'm not saying there isn't fault on Keller's side too ... but their replacement policy is, in general, more generous than many companies, who wouldn't even consider swapping doors after five years.
What I still don't understand is why you would call the new doors a "mis-match" if they weren't an unusual colour in the first place. Keller do such a large range of colours and finishes. If your old carcasses are a plain colour - they could be combined with a wood effect door - if they're wood effect they could be combined with white or a pale coloured door. Why wouldn't the new doors be giving you a brand new kitchen ... in a trendy combination of finishes ... at a bargain price (if not free)? There's a thriving industry in kitchen door replacement - that does just that.
I'm sorry you're unhappy with the situation Mr/s Eccles - and I hope you get something sorted out - but there are two sides to most disagreements and I feel sort of duty bound to counterbalance your arguments because I don't think it's a cut and dried case of bad customer service.
If you get no response from Keller, why don't you see what your local Trading Standards have to say?
Of course this is bad customer service.
Retailers make huge profits on these kitchens. July 2010 and you have not resolved your customers problems. Shame on you!
Seems like a lot of kitchen retailers are "bandits" and yes DFM have an amazing showroom, but unfortunately they take your money up front....and you never get problems resolved.
Pity John Lewis do not sell Keller kitchens, as they do know what good customer service is and good quality.
Well Anonymous, since you're not brave enough to give your name - or your particular gripe with DFM - then I can't tell whether you're just a troll or not. I'm not impressed by anonymous comments that just bad mouth companies with no justification ... and with no possibility of hearing both sides of the argument.
DFM have a good reputation in Nottingham. The first complaint, above, is a problem with the manufacturer and not the retailer ... and as I said, it's a complicated situation that isn't clear cut. I've given my reasons for saying that. More importantly, perhaps - it's NOT a complaint about DFM - it's a different retailer entirely!
Retailers of kitchens don't make profits that are any more huge than other retailers - all kitchen companies take money up front (they'd be mad to order and deliver all those expensive kitchen units without taking some money for them) - and whether or not customers get their problems resolved depends on the customer and the problem. The customer isn't always right, in my experience.
John Lewis have a good reputation too - and they sell kitchens - and they make the same sort of profit on them as DFM do. Begs the question why you didn't buy one of their kitchens?
Hi Majjie,
A very nice website you have. Working in the shopfitting trade I often come across very stylish designs and Keller Kitchens do have that wow factor. However John Lewis do not sell Keller Kitchens but our Alno kitchen from them is still as good as new 10 yrs. on.
DFM do not manufacture kitchens, but they do charge excessive prices for example a worksurface from Permabond £700 and DFM £1800. They also have a bad reputation for paying their suppliers.
Informative web site you have.
Hi Mr Fowler,
Thank you for your kind comments about my website!
I feel like I'm putting up a one woman defence for DFM and Keller here ... which is not my intention ... I aim to be impartial when it comes to manufacturers and retailers. I do feel that criticism should be fair, though.
I know that John Lewis don't sell Keller kitchens but, as you demonstrate, they do indeed sell kitchens which is why I wondered why our anonymous contributor didn't buy one of theirs, given that he's such a fan.
The fact that your Alno kitchen has lasted beautifully for ten years and that one Keller kitchen hasn't ... doesn't actually tell us anything meaningful about either kitchen brand ... although, it certainly colours the opinions of their respective owners, of course it does.
I understood that DFM do manufacture their own carcasses ... and buy in doors from a number of different suppliers ... as well as supplying Keller kitchens. That sort of diversity is very common amongst independent kitchen retailers and is the way that they offer their customers a good choice and spread of prices.
I may be missing something, but comparing a mainly retail outlet like DFM with a trade supplier like Permabond - that fabricates worktops - seems hardly fair. And whilst being slow to pay suppliers is not a commendable thing, it is very common amongst kitchen retailers. I keep an eye on the retailers I'm connected with .. and DFM certainly haven't been taken to court for non-payment of bills ... now that I would take seriously!
Just an update to let you know - I wrote to the MD of Keller Kitchens in Holland quite a while ago and have received no response whatsoever, no acknowledgement, nothing.
However, the cupboard doors are getting worse - the covering is continuing to lift away from the backing. I have personal experience of the Keller product which you do not have and I would definitely not recommend them to anyone. One of the benefits of your website must surely be an end-user's viewpoint.
I don't expect you to defend Keller Kitchens on my behalf, I would prefer it if Keller did it for themselves, but they don't appear to wish to do so.
If they ever do acknowledge that there is a problem, I will let you know, but don't hold your breath - I'm certainly not going to.
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