good idea about the lacquer. I know it’s not fashionable anymore but you can’t beat a good old aliphatic urethane. I used one on a slab of kauri in one house and it was so tough. Glossy finish but for the toughness I would use it again any day especially for a kitchen. Might be hard to find these days though?
I do need a good hard surface that cleans well as I use the benchtop itself for bread and pizza making. Hmmm
lakeview3,
Jan 5, 4:32pm
another option is buy an old unit, strip it and have new doors made by kitchen place, I have also done that but recommend using an oil based paint for any cabinetry.
This guy did a new kitchen for me once and some other really fiddly bits like new doors on existing cabinets, and some other bespoke wooden pieces. If it’s still the same guy, he is really nice and honest and a good cabinet maker
if you get a good urethane like I suggested above - the aliphatic one - you should be ok as they are for outdoor and commercial use. But for absolute ease, the meltecca one like mine is pretty easy to clean. Otherwise make yourself a blardy huge pizza making board! I do like your timber idea though.
lakeview3,
Jan 5, 4:36pm
This might have been the one I used, suitable for marine applications
I think that could be my memory bank well and truly exhausted!
laspaz,
Jan 5, 4:47pm
Whoa! Good this thread is in here so it will last for a year. I am sure I will be referring back to it. Many thank yous.
lakeview3,
Jan 5, 5:05pm
you are welcome. It’s good to draw on other people’s experiences. I used to work for an industrial chemical company so learnt a heck of a lot from my customers, I really miss that job actually, probably the most interesting one I ever had. I am sure you will come up with a great result and hopefully some other people can post a few of their tips as well.
shanreagh,
Jan 5, 6:07pm
Yes re the breadmaking etc. save as much as you can by doing the cabinets etc to send on the bench. My revamp is going to have good storage spaces for preserving things and baking needs. I got an old cabinet with those brilliant drop down bins for flour etc.
The thing I have found is that i want more drawers of different widths and depths than cupboards. if you feel like this that will really put your cabinet making skills to the test! The place that LV has recommended may have drawer units as well.
At the moment I am house sitting and the house has a lovely modern kitchen. BUT parts of both folding type doors that open to give access to a corner cup[board have come off. Spent a while looking to see why and see that one swung across blocking access to the wall oven and the other swung across impeding access to the sink. When I looked to see the alternatives one would swing across a big bank of drawers and the other the dishwasher. So corner cupboards may need a bit of thinking.
And as LV has said pics pl at some stage!
laspaz,
Jan 5, 6:18pm
Good thought thanks Shanreagh, I agree that drawers are great and more practical the cupboards for the most part. I am going to use blind corner units to maximize the space in the corners of the kitchen (it's U shaped).
Would love to have granite again, but pretty expensive here!
colin433,
Jan 5, 7:46pm
totally off-key, but to do with kitchen cabinetry. When designing a kitchen, most people these days opt for as many drawers as they can possibly fit in, with only an occasional cupboard. We bought a house with minimum drawers, but have solved that problem with what I consider to be a better option. (just another of my crazy ideas BTW) We purchased drawer slides, and fitted them inside the cupboards. These then supported the shelves which can be pulled out to access the contents of the shelf. You need to fit a spacer on the left-hand side before fitting the drawer slide on that side, otherwise the shelf wont come forward of the back end of the door. One of our units has very deep shelves, due to being under the servery, and to get at anything at the back would be a PITA if not for the shelves being able to be pulled out. Also, I'm approaching 80, so don't want to be doing contortions to get at anything at the back of the shelf. We've fitted these drawer pslides and modified shelves to the two pantries as well. The are spaced the exact distance apart to accommodate tins of a certain size, and this allows far more 'produce' to be stored therein. Another of my 'brilliant' idea was for storing spices and suchlike. We bought four teatowel rails that have metal flanges for screwing to the wall. Cut off the flange (that's my name for them anyway) drill holes in the top of a convenient shelf to take the 'legs' of the cut-down rails, and tap the ends into the holes. The spices wont fall over and roll off the shelf, they can be easily seen as to what's what, and moreover, a lot more can be fitted on one shelf than if you buy at considerable cost, than the spice racks that are designed for the purpose. I'd be interested to hear people's comments on my idea. Anyone we show the interior of our cupboards is always greatly impressed. (And the ideas were all from the lady of the house) Mrs C
spiritofgonzo,
Jan 6, 7:57am
We priced up a kitchen with mitre10, came to around $10k. Then saw the placemakers deal and priced that, came to around 12.5k, so not worth it even with the vouchers. Priced up the same kitchen at Bunnings and it came to around 7.5k. . we’re going with mitre10 as their stuff just seems better quality than Bunnings.
had 4 of them now. No problems at all. Best thing being you can alter the sizes to get an exact fit.
eta
The Kaboodles from Bunnings are absolute garbage IMHO. Lots of fancy features but the cabinets themselves might as well be made of soggy weetbix.
We use the Clayton Rd Bench Top Shop as well - nice guy.
laspaz,
Jan 6, 11:00am
Thanks for the additional replies. I had wondered about uduit, so thanks for the recommendation supernova2. WIll look into them some more.
The Variety place in Rotorua have no cabinets at the moment apparently so that's a shame.
I see trade depot have some reasonable prices, but might be crap?
Thanks for your ideas Colin, drawers certainly have advantages over cupboards. Will look into the spice rack :)
lakeview3,
Jan 6, 11:03am
if I am in town next week I will try and remember to call in and have a look see what they got anyway
laspaz,
Jan 6, 11:10am
That's very kind, thanks.
supernova2,
Jan 6, 11:17am
I know that Variety Mart used to make on site - had a joinery factory out the back of the area that's now the "Op shop". But do they still do that now they have moved into the smaller space?
shanreagh,
Jan 6, 1:25pm
see Colin's ideas too. swing out baskets in corner units are sturdier and more practical in my view that the sectional doors that go round a corner. the cupboard space on those are still ginormous to get into, at the back, even with the hopeless sectional doors. You could use the swing out baskets in blind cupboards.
The other thing that I am fanatic about is that every unit has to have a back on it. Right up to 1970/80s some units did not have backs on them. one of the pitfalls of buying older cabinetry. I always ask that everything has a back on it.
Does bread have to be kneaded on a cool surface? If so some times you can pick up smaller pieces of marble and have it set in to your bench top, I know pastry is best on a cool surface.
Bins for recycling? Where to put. Also composting scraps.
shanreagh,
Jan 6, 3:56pm
Rats mice cockroaches have free run into your cupboards if by some chance they get in from outside. .
sr2,
Jan 6, 4:19pm
For quality kitchen components my choice is Peter Hay (they supply Placemakers). https://www.peterhay.co.nz/ For budget kitchens it's hard not to go past Cabjacks Manufacturing, easy company to deal with and great value for money. https://cabjaks.co.nz/
I've used both companies on more than one occasion and will again in the future, they both have interactive web sites where you can design and order your kitchen.
lakeview3,
Jan 6, 8:07pm
ah ok. I will check anyway as I should over over that way early in the week for work, will report back
articferrit,
Jan 6, 8:42pm
For what its worth, I got my kitchen bench tops from a company that keeps its 'mistakes' in a 'graveyard' out the back of their business, if they can cut what you want from one of the graveyard bench tops it should be a lot cheaper, I paid for the edging and a bit more only, no harm in asking?
laspaz,
Jan 7, 8:37am
Here are a couple of photos of the room. Not very good but they give the idea. Please excuse the state of the place, the photos are from when I first viewed it.
Sink will go in front of the window, benchtop appliances on the bench by the fridge and the smaller window is an opening to the dining area.
Happy for suggestions.
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