| New Kitchen and Floor. November, December 2004. AND January February, March 2005. |
| Time to update the inside of the house. The hinges on the kitchen doors were going up the creek and seizing up. When the first pair broke, I hunted around for a simple replacement pair (do you realise how many types of hinges there are out there??), Typically, I found out that they don't make a hinge my size to replace them. I bought a pair as close as could be to the originals, then set to modifying the door to make them fit. Being extremely mechanically minded and able to turn my hand to just about anything, I made complete and utter balls up of this !! I ended up with a door that has a mind of its own, which mostly refused to close all the way. It seems it much preferred to stay open just a quarter of an inch. Probably just to annoy the shit out of me. The next hinge that decided to stuff up, I took apart and found a way to make them kind of work (Adapt and overcome). Now though, they were not self closing. At least these worked somewhat. Though, they just didn't have any spring to close them. The kitchen came with the house when we built it, and was now 19 years old. The laminate was starting to peel off in odd places, mainly inside the cupboards, top of drawers etc. Enough to annoy the shit out of you, but not so bad that it pissed you off enough to make a decision. It was working O.K.�ish, but was getting tired (like me). Definitely nearing time to upgrade. After much deep and comtemplative thought I finally came to a decision...... "My brain hurts. Let�s put it off �til another day and not think about it.!! " I decided. The carpet was also 19 years old too, but was mostly in a fair condition. Looking a bit flat in the walkways, but otherwise not bad. I know, I have an idea ! "Let�s put that off �til another day and not think about that as well!! " My sister and her hubby were booked to come and visit from England in March. They would stay with me for a couple of weeks. Not a problem me-thinks. Aha.... but the evil house forces were plotting in the background though!! The kitchen was obviously in tune with the carpet and the door hinges were in league with the light fittings. Right on cue, a small rip appeared in the carpet just as you walk into the kitchen. Not an out of the way place? Oh Nooooooooo....!! Not a place that can be covered up? No chance!! Not a place that could be repaired? You must be kidding!! Right as you walk into the kitchen it bloody well was! Right where you coudn't miss it !! By the time I had thought about this rip, it had grown to about a foot long, and looked really tatty. The carpet definitely needed replacing now. The thing was, if the carpet was replaced and then the kitchen was replaced afterwards, the carpet wouldn�t match up with the kitchen cabinets. Ergo:- To contemplate replacing the carpet, the kitchen had to be replaced first. I really didn't want to stuff around looking at kitchens; I just wanted to get a quote, haggle a little bit, and get it done. I was fully prepared to go with the first company we got, just to save the headache and not worry about it. A local company nearby, at Castle Hill, was called in, to do a measure and quote and give some amazing inspiration, to design and supply the kitchen of the future. Castle hill is a bit of a snooty area and the company had a super whiz bang showroom with all the trimmings. I knew absolutely bugger all about kitchens and wanted to keep it that way. All I knew was, we wanted more drawers instead of cupboards. We booked her (it was a 'Her') to come and give us a quote. She came; she measured and then took off like a rat up a drainpipe, saying she would be in touch. Must have been there all of 20 minutes if that. A couple of days later she says the quote is ready, and to come in, which I duly do. She shows me this 3D thing on the computer where you can scan round the room (which didn't impress me as much as she would have liked) and also showed me one �letter size� page (birds eye view) printout, of the kitchen layout with no measurements on it. NOW.... THIS is where the problem started. I asked for a copy of this print out that she had done, so that I could take it home, sit in a chair and think about it. �Oh no, we don't give out plans until you sign on the dotted line� she said. I thought about this a moment and then said:- �But it�s not a plan it�s just a drawing with no measurements, how am I supposed to know what you have done, or what my options are, if I don't have �THAT�, to sit and look at while I think of it?� She was adamant, �No one will give you a plan� she said quite snootily (like saying "EVERYONE knows that!!!). I took a deep breath, counted to ten and tried again. �If I sign on the dotted line, do you then make up a full plan with measurements on it for the installer?� �Oh yes� she says smiling. "Big full size plan with everything on it. Front view, side view, exact measurements, everything" So I said �Well.... In that case, this is not a plan is it? Now, I could understand if you had come up with some whiz bang, new fangled ideas that no one had ever thought of before; and you were worried that people will come and steal your fantastic ideas. BUT.... this is just a top view drawing of my same old kitchen, exactly the same layout, just a few drawers instead of cupboards, which I even told you where to put! AND it doesnt have any measurments on it." She still wouldn't give me one though (more the fool her), so I got the shits, said "thanks very much" and walked out. I then decided I'd go to another kitchen place, for a second quote (really didnt need this shit). He (this time a 'He') came out and spent more time with me, but still wouldn't give me a copy of this HAND drawing he did on graph paper (no fancy computer drawing from this company). I expected him to come in cheaper because, he made the cabinets on site in a factory down stairs, was a smaller company, wasnt in Castle Hill (where the toffs live) and no computer 3D stuff. He came back with a hugely more expensive quote though!!. I reckon they pick the area you live in, and add 20% if they think you have any money (I don't). A guy at work put us on to a small back yard person, who I got to come out. He whizzed through so quickly though and couldn't speak 'Good'er Engrish, like what I does', so he got the flick quick smart. I was still pretty pissed off that that I didn't have a plan to look at, of my own damned kitchen. I wanted to sit and look at it, investigate changing this, changing that, and consider the results. The kitchen companies were saying �You can come back to us as many times as you like, and we will always come out�. Who wants to have them traipsing through your house 15 times though?? Also, we now had more information, and choices (much too much), and thus more questions. �Do you want laminate doors (again), vacuum sealed, or Poly Urethane? (I dunno!) Which colour? (Ummmm.....) What finish? (what were they again?) Whose hinges and drawer sliders? (Who does the best ones?) What sort of bench top, man made stone, natural stone, laminate, composite? (Hang on let me think...... ) Would that be a tiled splash back, glass or stone? (what's cheeapest?) What profile edges do you want on the doors? (you mean we have a choice??) What handles..... made of what..... what shape???? (Errrrr.....) It was turning into a nightmare. I was definitely learning about kitchens, whether I liked it or not. I was still pissed off that I didn't even have a drawing to look at and had the shits big time. So, I got out the trusty laptop and loaded my simple CAD program. Sitting in the kitchen with a tape measure, I then proceeded to draw it up myself. WELL.... the things I learnt about my old 19 year old kitchen were quite amazing!! For a start the bench tops are not 600mm deep (which is the standard), they came in shorter. The drawers don't go the full depth of the bench top (or anywhere near it). The dishwasher space is too big. Not enough shelves for cupboard space, so lots of wasted area. The corner cupboard (one of those two door corner cupboard thingy's) is the wrong size. It�s too big, so it sags. Lazy Susan's (the things that spin round inside a corner cupboard, don't allow full use of space. The wall oven space is lots wider than the norm. The cupboards didn't go right up to the ceiling they stopped short by 280mm (11 inches). Lots of stuff like that. It all meant to the original house builder, that they saved money when they put it in. To us though it was wasted space that we could be storing more junk in, that we will never use, and ultimately.... will throw out after it gathers dust for 5 years. It took a bit of time to get it right, but eventually I had a full plan on the computer. Top elevation, front elevation, thickness, details, measurements, they were all there. It was easy then to come up with other ideas, change the plan, print it out and see what it looked like. Whilst I was doing this, Steve2 told me about the 'Delhi Connection'. The Delhi Connection was an Indian guy (as in 'Curry and Elephants' NOT 'Feathers and Tomahawks' !!) that was a cabinet maker, not just a kitchen maker. He didn't have a showroom, but he had done a kitchen for Steve's daughter, one for Steve himself, and one for his son. Also steve had put him on to two other people at work, who also had kitchens made by him. I talked to the other people at work, which were very happy with theirs and one sent me pictures. So I thought �What the hell, lets include him in this three ring circus as well.� By this time, I had the plans finished. I walked into all three companies, slapped the plans on the counter and said �Quote on that!!�, then walked out (with a satisfied grin). NOW the boot was on the other foot. NOW, they were working on my terms and not me on theirs. It's a good feeling, well worth the trouble and I highly recommend it. The quotes came in at about $26,000 for one, another was $20,000, and the third wa about $18,500. No small bikky's. I also knew that once we got the bits added, that price would go up too. Funny enough the guy that came in cheapest (Indian) was the most helpful out of the whole lot. He spent 2-3/4 hours here talking us through what could and could not be done. He also had a really good sense of humour and nothing was too much trouble. The middle price one, was the first one we went to (she should have given me the drawing Big mistake.... HUGE!!). The most expensive was dreaming, and a definite rip off. After much haggling we settled on the Indian for $17,500 cash, with bits thrown in ($1,000 worth of the best soft touch drawers, more expensive handles, extra cabinets etc). If anyone wants a copy of this CAD program, ask and you shall receive. Its only small and fits onto a floppy. It�s Powerful enough though, to accurately design and draw something up, with measurements. The carpet got the flick and was superceded in place of a wooden floating floor. The house is a concrete slab, so the wooden floor lays on this. They lay plastic then board then the timber floor. I�ll let the pictures tell the rest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE PLAN: KITCHEN. Old one ripped out Thursday. New one installed Thursday Friday and possibly a little on Saturday. Stone bench top man comes on Friday or Saturday and measures. 7 days later the stone man fits the stone. Plumber comes the same day and fits sink and tap. Electrician comes same day and installs oven, cook top, range hood, powerpoints. Total time= 1week ACTUAL. KITCHEN Comes on thursday rips kitchen out. Comes on friday and starts to install. Hangs one door. I notice it looks rather pink!! Everything stops while we discuss the colour. Big boss comes with our colour sample. Colours are totally different. Big boss says the painter thought it was a little light so dropped some red in it. Packs up all doors etc and everyone leaves. Monday they spray the doors again. Tuesday they finish spraying the doors. Wednesday fitter turns up to install cupboards and doors. Works for an hour then has to leave sick. I agree rather than have him bugger up the installation. Nothing happens on Wednesday Thursday or Friday. Monday fitter turns up and installs cabinets. Tuesday finishes what he can of the installation. We point out what needs fixing up, due to not perfect paint job. Wednesday stone man comes and measures for the splash backs and bench tops. Nothing happens for a week. Stone man say he will install on Thursday. Rings Thursday and cancels until Friday 11:00am. Rings Friday and says now 2:00pm Rings again and says 5:00pm We say do it Saturday. Turns up Saturday and installs stone, except for one piece (missing). I notice that the edges of the splashback are not chamfered as they should be. I ring kitchen man, who rings stone man, who rings installer. Installer says to stone man "will do" Stone man says same to kitchen man, who says same to me. Monday they rip stone splashback off and chamfer it. Stone is all finished. Amazingly electrician arrives same day and puts in appliances, cupboard lights, and we pay him to put in ceiling lights too. Call the oven company, there's dust behind the clock face and it pisses me off everytime I look at it. Plumber arrives next day and says "Shit, its a three bowl sink. They are a bastard to put in I dont have the parts" He leaves. Next day he comes back, farts about for an hour or so, then says"I cant fix it (the sink) to the stone, needs the cupboards altered and a spacer put in. Dishwsher is a long and dificult job 'cos it's a two drawer, I'll do that after the kitchen man has altered the cupboards and made the spacers." Oven man comes and fixes oven. Says the dishwasher isn't that hard to put in (made by the same company). I get sick of waiting for the dishwasher so I install it myself. Fiddly but not that hard. Kitchen man comes in and installs the sink himself rather than wait for the plumber. Transformer in the cupboard blows. Cupboard is really hot. I find he has 50 watt bulbs in there. Far too big. Call electrician to come and repair. Electrician comes changes transformer, borrows screwdriver from me. I make sure I get it back, but then he forgets one of his own. I'm pleased. I'm now the new owner of a nice electricians screwdriver. THE PLAN FLOOR Arrive on monday rip out carpet. Tuesday wednesday put in new floor. Actual Arrive on monday rip out carpet. 2 days later we have a new floor. Bloody excellent. Someone said you should sack the kitchen guy. Quite the opposite. Everything that happened to drag this out was not his fault. Whenever there was a little upset he was there like a shot on the spot offering solutions and fixing it up. He even added little bits himself at no charge that we had forgotten to incorporate to ensure it was the best job. We didn't want a fast job we wanted a FIRST CLASS job. I'd recommend him to anyone and we are going to use him for more work, to fix a wardrobe system we have. I know I'll get a first class job Pictures below. |
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| Old. Note that the cupboards don't go all the way up to the ceiling, only one drawer under the oven, raised cook plates and knobs. |
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| NEW. Cupboards now go to the ceiling, lots of drawers, flat ceramic cook top (no knobs). |
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| OLD. Microwaves on top of each other (we use two), old (twin) taps, corner cupboard sagging, dishwasher front panel broken, tiled splash backs. |
| NEW. Appliance cupboard on wall with lights under, decent corner cupboard, new dishwasher, microwaves moved, single tap that comes out on a flexible pipe like a shower, more drawers. |
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| OLD. Two bowl two drainer sink, with separate taps, old dishwasher. |
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| NEW. Stone splash backs, three bowl sink with drainer cover, two drawer dishwasher. |
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| OLD. |
| NEW. |
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| OLD. Carpet, wooden table post, old chairs. |
| NEW. Stone table leg, stone tops and table, extra drawer and cupboard for storing more crap, new chairs. And yes, you see right. They ARE swivel, leather, office chairs. Sounds a bit weird, but I wanted something that I could sit in for ages and be comfortable. These tilt back, go up and down and are supremely comfortable. Everyone agrees as well. |
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| Extra wide drawers. Old were 450mm these are 700mm and go the full depth of the bench. |
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| So what happened to the other microwave then??? We did say we used two!!! Well.....it's hidden in a lift up slide away cupboard!! See below. |
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