What to look for in a quality modern kitchen
A modern kitchen can give your house a light, uncluttered feel without sacrificing any storage space or functionality. Modern kitchen tend to suit a modern-style house. However, a contrast between a traditional house and a contemporary kitchen can also be effective.
So what should you look for to make sure your modern kitchen is a quality kitchen?
What door material to choose on a modern kitchen?
Many people feel that a modern kitchen generally looks best with modern flat/slab doors, but there are several kinds of modern flat kitchen doors — Wrapped, lacquered and painted, laminate, lacquered laminate. So, which one should you choose?
A lot of people make do with wrapped kitchen doors, since those are the ones you’re most likely to find in chains like Wren, Magnet & Wickes and trade-only suppliers such as Howdens, Magnet Trade and Benchmarx, but I’m afraid it’s only making do. These types of doors are the lowest quality available on the market. The big problem with these is they peel, as shown below. Unfortunately, once a door starts to peel, the only option is to replace it.
By contrast, higher quality lacquered and painted, laminate and lacquered laminate doors— which you’re more likely to find in local kitchen showrooms — will never peel.
So, if you are looking for the best balance of price & quality, lacquered and painted, laminate and lacquered laminate kitchens win every time.
How tough do the units need to be on a modern kitchen?
Many kitchen manufacturers use thin 3 or 6mm hardboard for the backs of units. After all, they’re tucked away out of sight, so what does it matter if they’re less solid than they might be? Unfortunately, after a while, these materials tend to bow & come away from the units.
For strength and durability, kitchen units should have solid 18mm backs. You might not see them much, but you can be confident that they’re doing their job.
The only exception to this is with German and Italian kitchens. Although German and Italian kitchens usually have thin hardboard backs, this makes no difference at all to their quality. With a German or Italian kitchen, the strength & rigidity is in the top of the unit rather than the back. These kitchens have supports called cross bars that run horizontally across the top of the unit. The cross bars give the unit it’s strength & rigidity. The backs on German & Italian units are there purely for cosmetic purposes.
With handles or handleless?
Handles can look great in traditional kitchens, where they fit with the old-world style, but they don’t go as well with the sleek lines and open feel of a modern kitchen. It’s not just a matter of style, though. Handleless kitchen units are easier to clean, and therefore more hygienic, as well as being safer for children.
On the other hand, they can be a little more expensive, so it may be a question of prioritising your budget. If possible, though, it’s better to incorporate handleless kitchen units into your modern kitchen design.
Kitchens from chains like Wren, Magnet & Wickes & trade suppliers like Howdens & Benchmarx may well be handleless, but they’re likely to use low quality backs, paired with low quality wrapped doors. Many local kitchen showrooms, on the other hand, stock the highest quality of British and German modern kitchens, often for similar to what you’ll pay for a low quality from one of the well known chains or trade suppliers.
How do you find the best value suppliers of quality modern kitchens in your area?
Simple, just contact us and we will tell you who they are.
Our service is free.
Our free service recommends the best value kitchen suppliers in your area.
Their kitchens cost similar to the chains and trade only suppliers, but are higher quality and will last longer.
Showrooms offer free, no-obligation quotes and are within 30 minutes drive.
Read what our customers say about our service 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
“Kitchenfindr recommended a showroom who were much better value than most of the other showrooms I’d previously looked at”
Hannah Malone, Esher, Surrey
“Lloyd was able to point me to local independent kitchen retailers offering greater quality and value compared to the high street chains”
Mohammed Hashi, Northolt, Middx