You have finally made the decision to purchase a custom kitchen. Not ready-made modules from Sweden or usual furniture workhouse, but such one where everything is done exactly for you and according to your needs. The budget is determined, there is a project from the designer or just an idea of ​​the future design. The last question is remained – who will do it? We buy a kitchen with our eyes and this is the main reason for almost all manipulations in the furniture market. But it’s not just manipulation. A company can make cool custom kitchens, do a good job at all stages and… still not meet your expectations. Why does this sometimes happen?

The answer is simple, at least it sounds simple enough. In order to buy a product that meets your expectations, you need to understand more about details. In our case, it is necessary to understand what it is made of and how the price of a custom-made kitchen is formed.

We keep getting requests that sound all like one. We need a kitchen, painted facades, white or other color, Blum hardware, etc. Sometimes the request is accompanied by a project from a designer. The average buyer clearly understands what the white color is. More or less people are aware of what “painted facades” are. But usually “Blum hardware” sounds like a “mantra” that was repeated by a foreman, a neighbor, a work colleague, etc.

We, from our side, repeatedly repeat: two kitchens that look the same can differ in price even by 2 times!

Important questions for a kitchen ordering

The purpose of this post is to teach you, as a client, how to ask the right questions, because each question is already hours of joint work with a custom kitchen contractor.

The first question is for you and only for you. Ask yourself, what are you going to do in the kitchen? A simple and honest answer to this question will directly affect to the time spent with the manager, the order fulfillment time and the kitchen budget, in the end.

Some people cook in the kitchens sometimes once a year and sometimes 4 times a day for the whole family. Some people rest in the kitchens, drink coffee in the morning, and “not only coffee” in the evenings. Kitchens sometimes are simply shown to the friends. Some people work in the kitchens and order food for delivery. The kitchen is a place with its own soul, and the main thing is to make it so that it matches your lifestyle.

The second issue on the list is facades. Ask the manufacturer about the advantages of painted facades, facades made of chipboard, acrylic, facades covered with a film, facades made of natural wood. Determine for yourself how important the appearance of facades is to you. Or maybe it is better to invest in kitchen functionality?

And there are still many important questions. Which table-top to install? How will the kitchen sink be located and does the selected sink fit this table-top at all? How durable is the selected table-top and what care does it require?

When is a time to mount the kitchen-apron, before installing the kitchen or after? What are the advantages of both methods? What are the requirements for kitchen apron? How to locate electric sockets and who will carry out the electrical distribution plan? Do not forget to clarify before buying built-in appliances the requirements of appliance manufacturers for their placement, especially for dishwashers and refrigerators.

Question: what is hidden behind the facades of custom-made kitchens?

Answer: from 60 to 80% of the cost of the kitchen

 What class of fittings and hardware to choose? What can you remove from the project without losing quality, if you need a beautiful kitchen and you will rarely cook in it? How to organize the space when you plan to cook a lot in the kitchen and how to save the money without losing the necessary functionality? What should not be saved on at all.

How are lifting mechanisms better than conventional hinges and what are their disadvantages? How is it possible that the neighbor’s facades are always in a line and the colleague constantly order for the masters visit for adjustment? Magic corners and other unusual hardware are actually so magical or maybe better to spend the extra $500 on quality drawer fillers?

Do not forget to specify how the parts are connected to each other and whether the manufacturer uses dowels in the work as required by state standards. How are the holes made in the parts, on a drill-machine or with a regular hand drill? Ask what edge the body parts are finished with and what glue was used.

And finally, simple but important things: what warranty does the manufacturer give you and does he sign a contract?

Hope you found it interesting.

See a review of the kitchen from our client or other kitchens from portfolio.