blogQ&A with Jamie

Q: What is the most important thing for customers to remember when buying a new kitchen?

Quite simply, that it is THEIR kitchen. It is not the kitchen designer’s kitchen. This should include a meeting where the customer and designer discuss their family’s needs and how they live their life. It is vital that the kitchen works for them going forward, and not how they have previously lived. A customer should expect a good quality kitchen designer to understand things such as; storage solutions, casual or more formal eating arrangements. Do they require an area to help their children with homework? – or even if they have a required space for family pet. All of the these items are things that can help make a house, a home!

Q: Our kitchen is very small, but we don't want to tear down any walls to extend the space. Do you have any tips for a small kitchen remodelling project that will make it seem larger?

In terms of making the space appear larger, lighting and colour are a fantastic, cost effective way to do this! A quality designer will have knowledge of how achieve a larger looking space using these two elements alone. A simple introduction of plinth lighting, rebated stone lighting or other clever lighting can really make a space appear larger and become more of a feature.
Something else I have noticed is the decline in wall units. Previously, a designer would see a wall and throw wall units at it. If sufficient storage has been made elsewhere having a more open space on a higher level is a fantastic way to make the room appear larger – giving a more minimalist space.
Kitchens of all shapes and sizes will have hurdles along the way, but as professionals it is our job to ensure that the same needs are met for each and every client. It is equally important to point out what is possible with the space available and the pro’s and cons of each design decision we explore. A great answer to smaller kitchens is the trend of drawer systems and larders. Previously in years gone by, the drawer systems were sometimes neglected, as we found the runners used to fail, or the bottom fell out from over loading. However, the advances in technology have allowed the drawer systems and larders to become a key feature in the majority of kitchens, allowing more storage in one specific unit.

Q: Do you manage the whole project?

Yes – One of the unique selling points of Kensington Scott is that we have the ability to undertake as little or as much as you require. Unlike some other companies we have our own employed kitchen fitters, plumbers, building experts etc. What does this mean to you as the customer? This means that as a company we have capacity to schedule and book in trades to allow projects to run seamlessly. One of the customer’s biggest concerns initially is “what happens when something goes wrong?” as the majority of our trades are Kensington Scott employee’s we are all working as one to complete your project. If something does crop up, we will be in constant communication to keep you in the loop, and a timeline of when this will be rectified. It is our goal to create a company that can offer an affordable luxury to the local community that offers an unrivalled service – whether that be a straight forward kitchen installation, or a more complex building project.

Q: Do you dispose of our old kitchen?

With all of our kitchen projects we offer a “before and after” photo shoot from our in-house photographer, Emily. Not only are these images great to see the transformation – but also allow the client to have the image to help them try to sell the existing kitchen. A lot of our clients have been surprised of getting some money back from their existing kitchen which otherwise would have been thrown away! Where possible, we will always have a skip on site, which if on a drive will have board placed underneath. Anything that is recyclable, will be recycled where possible.

Q: How do your prices compare to other kitchen companies?

This is a really common question and one that I feel some people are reluctant to ask. Everybody has a budget to meet and it is important that your kitchen designer is able to work with all kind of budgets, and also be able to streamline costs without jeopardising the quality of specification if needs must.
At Kensington Scott, we have kitchen ranges for all budgets. We are able to provide all kitchen styles – from a contemporary, high gloss kitchen, to a solid wood shaker style kitchen.
In terms of prices – Our kitchen projects generally vary from anywhere between £8,000 to £75,000. We also are incredibly competitive on our building kitchen projects which go beyond this price point. The best way to work out a realistic budget for a kitchen project is to split it into 5 sections:
- Kitchen Units
- Appliances
- Worktop
- Trade works
- VAT
Other than the VAT you are in control of 4 of these and it is entirely up to you where you enter the market. We have negotiated some of the best rates in the industry which allows us to price match online on all of our appliances.