boring but informative

right, have exhausted every kitchen available to man (under the £10-15k mark). so somewhat dull but all the same possibly helpful for anyone else looking, see my reviews ...

• homebase - verdict: 6/10. ok (but safe) colours -mainly white/cream wood/gloss, cheap prices. however, quality reflecting price. terrible showroom in the milngavie site, poor selection and no 'soft' shut for drawers/cupboards even (not sure if that's a reflection on the showroom or the goods). to be honest, the one trip was kinda enough to put us off. though not a bad website for initial viewing. reviews from friends = none.
• moben - verdict: 5/10. this could have been a lot higher, however...the website is not bad, though lawrence is a bit off-putting. there is a good range of colours (safe and non-safe) and had i gotten to know the prices it may have had more to offer, however the two times we tried to go to the store (sauchiehall st, glasgow), it was shut. review from friends = none.
• howdens - 8.5/10. liked the colour range and price of these guys. they had a trade showroom (open when we visited) however the quality of the style we had chosen put us off a little. busy showroom (good sign) and this came highly recommend by both our builder and friends, for quality and build. review from friends = 9/10.
• john lewis - 7/10. some good colours in the range and really like the idea of the painted wood range, though, in the glasgow showroom, it looked a bit mock for my liking (and therefore the price). also despite having wandered around the showroom twice, for at least 15 mins, not once approached by a sales person. website ok, hard to find - i didn't realise they even did a range until visited 4homes website (which is very good for ideas btw, hats off to them). review from friends = none.
• fired earth - 8/10. to be honest, this would be a 10/10 but i can't afford it, so ba humbug. anyone who has afforded anything fired earth rates it 10/10
• magnet - 9/10. liked a lot about their products, very helpful showroom (glasgow sauchiehall street) and the kitchens felt quality. therefore whilst being mid-range on the price, worth it. the only let down was the colours on offer. apparently they have reined in the range to reflect the current wants of the market place, so now focus mainly on wood/cream/white/gloss. the website is very informative with good pics, and gives a good idea of range and cost. we went during their sale and they offered a realy good deal. friends have rated this pretty good.
• ikea - 8/10. liked a lot about these kitchens, stylish and good designs. the quality, unfortunately not so good. website not bad, the 3d planning tool rather irratating. key item to consider - can you handle going to ikea.
• b&q - 9/10. an initial review of the place had left a good impression. we had liked one of the ranges, though were slightly worried, because we hadn't felt the quality was as quite as good as some of the other higher-end places we had been. but the colour range was definitely the best we had seen, and generally the quality was comparable/better than the mid-range kitchens, but with less of a price tag. however, the website isn't that appealing - it feels cheap and this rubs off a bit on the way that you feel about the product before you look at it. however, a second look round after seeing all others really helped. the staff were friendly and helpful and the look and feel from the showroom puts the website to shame. no friends rated, however following a purchase and the impending installation in Dec 10 by our builder, we will be able to provide you with an in-house review. woo yeah.

any other reviews happily received - just comment

come diy with me

got a sneak preview at our new place this week. the agents let us in (pretty good of them considering they get nothing back now its a done deal ~ so ta SHH clarkston) and i was v excited, running around and admiring stuff. also tempered this with running around and freakin at the dodgy wallpaper / carpets / paintwork / electrics...you name it.

so anyway, thought i should start 'come diy with me'. it would follow the simple rules of the programme, with a twist. basically you get four people who do or don't know each other, but each claim to have an interest in diy. then i get them to come round to mine and work their magic.

some photos to paint the picture...

like the idea of this blue suite, but the reality is a bit difficult to pull off (especially when the toilet has already been changed to white). so have been to the salvage yard (glasgow architectural salvage - fully recommended, very helpful and they have a good range) and got an edwardian white sink, called trevor. still searcing on the perfect bath to match.

aahhh the kitchen. again, would love to keep these cupboard fronts- the colour is amazing- but the reality is they're creamcrackered. this is the room that will take the most work. we're going to knock out the wall (still working on that) and basically refurb, but keep the traditional larder and wall cupboards. has made planning the layout of the kitchen very tricky but we're getting there. couple of items to note, stop tap coming out of the wall. plugs in the window frame. lush lino.
nb. also check out the tiles and play spot the difference with the above photo...

just dodgy paint in the one...what's that? oh yeah~the amazing 70's carpet. love it. will find a special place for it (no this is not a euphemism for the skip).

bedroom #2 wallpaper. 70's revenge.