How to find the best kitchen layouts
No two kitchen layouts are going to be exactly the same. They’ll reflect both the exact features of the space and your needs and requirements for the kitchen. Is that realistic, though? Where can you find the best kitchen layouts for your purposes?
Kitchen layouts at the high street chains
Most people will start their search at places like Wickes, Wren and Magnet. The “sales designer” who’ll greet you will explain enthusiastically about all the great deals they can offer you.
In the process, the actual kitchen layouts tend to take a back seat — you might get twenty minutes on that. The rest will be about all the discounts they can give you & what they can include for free. Their perennial “50% off sale”, for instance, is little more than a financial conjuring trick.
Unfortunately, the chains tend to design kitchens using a one size fit all approach. This type of approach rarely works. So, If you want a design that’s tailored to your requirements & makes best use of the available space, you usually won’t find it here.
Kitchen layouts at the trade suppliers
If you’re feeling more adventurous, you might go to your local builder, who’ll use a trade supplier. Howdens, Benchmarx and the rest offer big trade discounts for kitchen layouts — but not to the customer. By the time builders have added their mark-up, you’ll be paying as much as what you’d pay from the chains.
Unfortunately, their kitchen layouts aren’t usually any better than the chains. Unfortunately, the trade only suppliers also usually design kitchens using a one size fits all approach.
Kitchen layouts at the independent showrooms
If the “sales designer” at the chains is a salesperson, at the independent showrooms you’ll deal with a kitchen designer. They have little interest in sales tricks — they want to get on with finding the best kitchen layouts for your individual requirements & ensure it makes best use of the available space.
In contrast with twenty minutes at the chains, the independents will take as long as it takes over your kitchen. Often it will take them 3 or 4 hours to produce your design. Their focus is on identifying that one out of all the kitchen layouts that’s perfect for you.
What can you expect from an independent kitchen showroom? Firstly, they’ll quote you their best price upfront — no inflating the price, then pretending to give you 50% off. And don’t expect to be in and out in minutes. The designer will take time to get the design exactly right, probably running to a second visit to finalise things. You’ll end up with the kitchen you require, not a pre-packaged one a salesperson has talked you into buying.
Our FREE service recommends the best value kitchen suppliers in your area.
We’ll recommend local showrooms whose kitchens cost similar to the chains & trade only suppliers, but are higher quality & will last much longer.
We’ll recommend the best value German kitchen suppliers. Most of them also cost similar to the chains & trade only suppliers.
All showrooms offer FREE, no-obligation quotes & are within 30 minutes drive.
But don’t just take our word for it, check out what our customers say below:
“The kitchen your guys came up with is far more competitive than anything I have had quoted so far and the quality is in a different league”
Samantha Michaels, Watford, Herts
“The price was similar to builders merchants & DIY chains, but the kitchen was much better quality”
Andrew Scott, Wivenhoe, Essex
“If you’re looking for a good value kitchen supplier, these are the people to speak to first!”
Natalie D R, Stanmore, Middx
“Kitchenfindr recommended a showroom who were better value than most of the other showrooms I’d previously looked at”
Hannah Malone, Esher, Surrey