Kitchen Cabinets????

[conwood]

For those of us who are serious about these things, have the tools and inclination, I suppose in the ideal world we should employ people like tom and work with them during kitchen instals.

tom, you'll be hearing from me soon.
conwood (brisbane)

[seriph1]

Tom, I find your agument proves my point exactly. You were the exception to the rule. You were a patternmaker - a profession in rare supply in this country nowadays and grossly undervalued. How many kitchen makers would even know what a pattern maker is, dyu think? Your statement that you produced a unique fitout again reinforces that you have a level of flexibility, extremely rare in kitchen firms. But having said all this, you use one case to disprove my point - a case that by your own admission is extraordinary.

Pick up any Australian kitchen/bathroom renovation magazine .... it will be filled with firms trying to pump as much product onto the pages as possible - and what are most of them displaying? Great slab-like runs of cupboards with little style and a few stainless appliances. And copycats abound!

Then grab an american (or British) Kitchen magazine, like the ones offered by Fine Homebuilding, Old House Journal, Old house Interiors or This Old House etc. The difference is huge to me.

My experience is 25 years in renovation/restoration advising. Also, I worked as general manager of Nicholas Dattner furniture maker and I design and make 18th and 19th century European country style furniture. I am no purest and do NOT believe MDF has no place in design. I just strongly assert that in Australia, most kitchen companies are devoid of innovation, creation and uniqueness - typical of a manufacturing mindset, over a design mindset.

A look at many of the websites offered as displays of craftsmanship, leave a whole lot to be desired too.

end of sermon

[seriph1]

here are some kitchens from OS magazines I have here - they are representative of kitchens from the magazines mentioned previously.

[seriph1]

more - didnt know the file size limit

[Aussiebruce]

This is all confirming my attitude towards trades workers. If you want it done right for a reasonable amount of money and in a reasonable time - DIY.
One of my hobbies is gormet cooking - I have built 3 kitchens for myself over the years. I shudder to think of how bad things could have gone wrong given all the specialized items I needed/wanted and the fact that I need to work during the day to support my hobbies so that would have left the installer on his own making decisions......