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22/08/2008 - Solid Surface Worktops - A Comparison
I've mentioned solid surfaces before but I've recently answered a ...
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20/08/2008 - Baby Belling at the Fringe
You've got just five days left to see a Baby Belling starring with comedian, and BBC Radio 4 presenter, Chris Neill ... at the Edinburgh fringe.

"Chris Neill’s Go...
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20/08/2008 - Fancy a Barbie in the Living Room?
August is usually a great month for barbecues ... but the British weather is putting a bit of a dampener on barbies this year.

Stoves have stepped into the breach...
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In our opinion, the best way to buy a new kitchen is to have an independent kitchen designer discuss all your options ... come up with a design tailored just for you ... and make some recommendations as to suppliers

Of course - we could be biased!
But you could:
  • end up paying less for your kitchen design even though the design fee is paid separately
  • avoid going over the same information with three or four different kitchen designers
  • get detailed kitchen design ideas without any sales pressure or commitment to buy
  • source furniture, appliances, tiles and worktops from different suppliers
  • get a beautiful bespoke kitchen without paying huge prices
  • discuss the overall look of the kitchen, including colour schemes and accessories. Kitchen interior design, not kitchen selling.
Or, you could:
  • design your own kitchen with our helpful downloadable kitchen design guide which then entitles you to Ask Majjie specific questions about your design
  • take your design to your local kitchen showroom and ask for a discount for designing it yourself (can't guarantee you'll get one - but it's quite likely)
  • contact members of AKD's Kitchen Craftsmanship scheme (if you live in the Midlands), any of which could supply you with a beautiful bespoke kitchen to your own design
  • use the suppliers on our useful links page to source appliances, worktops and a whole range of kitchen accessories
  • work it all out yourself and make your own choices
Of course, if it all becomes a bit too much for you - you can always change your mind and take advantage of our full kitchen design service after all. We'll deduct the amount you paid for Majjie's Kitchen Design Guide from the design fee ... because we're nice like that!

what are the alternatives?

Most kitchens are designed by "sales designers" (with a varying degree of emphasis on each of those two elements) they are normally either employed directly by the kitchen company, or are self employed but working only for that company, and their aim is to sell you one of their kitchens.

There are also many kitchen fitters and cabinetmakers, who will design and fit kitchens for you, but inevitably they are very often influenced by what is easy for them to make and fit. And some of them are not up to date with new kitchen design ideas, or the latest developments in appliances or worktops.

Kitchen companies often say that they offer free designs. This is true, in so far as they don't charge specifically for the kitchen design - it is only literally true, however, if you don't buy the kitchen.

The design costs are actually built into the price of every kitchen that is bought (otherwise the sales designers would starve!) and, when you buy your new kitchen, you end up paying for several of the "free" designs for those kitchens that weren't sold.

There are many sources of supply for your new kitchen. You can buy basic inexpensive units from a builders merchant or a DIY store and fit them yourself (or get in an independent kitchen fitter or use the sub-contracted fitter that the store recommends).

You can get a better choice, of similar or slightly better quality units, from a small family run kitchen showroom - where they will also organise all the fitting. These showrooms will often also have a choice of better quality factory made kitchens at a higher price.

Go to a large high street showroom and you may well get similar quality at much higher prices - some will be importing high tech, high spec European kitchen ranges - others may give you quite a wide choice of units. The higher price may be worth paying if the level of service you get is correspondingly better (these larger showrooms involve far more people ... to design the kitchens, run the showroom, do the ordering, do the accounts, organise the fitting teams and so on ...).

Then there are the big name designer kitchen companies. They lead the trends, have huge advertising budgets and charge equally huge prices (a few quote their starting prices as being around £30,000). If you want to keep up with the Jones's ... or more, likely the Smythe-Jones's ... these are for you.