Can Kitchen Designers be Innovative?

It's my week for being trepidatious (although I'm not sure that's a word). I've just been reading a blog by kitchen design guru Johnny Grey. I normally hang on his every word. His book "The Art of Kitchen Design" was a revelation to me when I started out as a designer ... giving me an indication of what kitchen design should be all about ... and I heard him give a talk about his "kitchen central" concept, a few years ago, which was equally inspiring.

Magnet Kitchens

I write about Magnet kitchens with some trepidation. About this time last year, I wrote something about B&Q's Cooke & Lewis kitchen range ... and the blog still gets comments ... most of them from people complaining about the service they've received from B&Q. Will writing about Magnet attract similar attention, I wonder?

Our Design Service Prices

The design services we provide have changed slightly over the four years that Advanced Kitchen Design has been up and running (the vast majority are now produced by CAD, rather than hand drawn - and a lot more are done entirely on-line) ... but up until now our prices haven't changed at all.

We try to keep the prices as low as possible, so that an independent kitchen design is feasible for any kitchen buyer ... even those wanting to use the cheapest units, such as IKEA or Wickes (where arguably there is the most need for a good design).

A "Before" Picture Challenge

Have a look at these "before" pictures of a kitchen I was asked to re-design in London. It belongs to Richard and Belinda and it proved to be quite a challenge to me. I was delighted to see how colourful it was ... I like clients who are brave with colour ... but the new design kept me pondering for quite a while.

Cursing IKEA!

I'm cursing in a ladylike fashion, of course ... well, ok ... maybe I'm not.

I know I was singing the praises of IKEA last year for being cheap and cheerful ... with the emphasis on the cheap ... but with some nice styles too. And I love their made-to-measure worktops (or I did). The reason I'm cursing now,  is because I made a special trip to my local store this morning, to fetch a kitchen brochure (they have a dedicated kitchen one) and a price list.