The original owner of our house choose a green kitchen with dark green benchtops. I wanted to change it, but it is rather nice and brings in the colour from the garden outside. It didn't pay the asking price either, and the place took 6 months to sell, so perhaps the price was reduced because of the kichen colour
When designing a kitchen, my advice is not to put things that open eg fridge and cooker in a traffic area. My inlaws just renovated and the fridge is right at the end of the breakfast bar where you enter - so you can't get in the kitchen when the fridge is open. Also, don't put cooktops on an island unit since this is unsafe for any future buyer with kids.
Your sink, fridge and cooker should be in a triangular arrangement in the room so that 2 people can work without bumping into each other.
I love having no cupboard handles. It makes it easier to clean and you don't get your clothes caught on the lower cabinets while working.
I dislike having the dishwasher in the corner where the leftovers in the glasses splash the fromt of the corner. Even the smallest drop splashes.
Gaggenau is great stuff but hugely overpriced IMO. We have some bits and I'd buy the same again but would probably recommend Miele to others since it offers the best value for money (high price but high quality, price/quality proportional to other brands).
I disagree, Whirlpool equipment is woeful, it's probably the worst white goods brand I can think of. Not only unreliable but none of their appliances work as they should IMO. If you are spending money on a new kitchen Bosch/Siemens is where it starts.
Yours,
A Kitchen Bore
EDIT: I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Sanitas Troesch yet
Just a couple of thoughts. Our rented flat has the fridge right next to the oven -- not a good idea. Also, the built-in cupboard (in the dining area) behind the oven gets warm (discovered this when chocolates became soft!).
I have heard that you have to allow for 20,000 CHF for just a basic, no frills new kitchen(?) and more if you want something decent. We have renovated the whole house but the old kitchen which was here when we bought the place is okay not great but the cost puts us off getting a new one. Nonetheless, it has to be done and that is why I am more interested in IKEA for the fitted bit: cupboards, work top but would spend lots more on quality appliances fridge, cooker etc. and a good electrican to change the electrics ad have proper lighting above the worktops. Those of you that have new kitchens, have you done your kitchen in separate bits? Or have you all bought your kitchens from one supplier who did the lot?
The price you quoted sounds about right depending on the size of the kitchen, and ikea are one option if you want to reduce that (get basic Bosch appliance though, they are not that expensive).
It's well worth seeing if you can buy an ex display kitchen from Fust or somewhere, they had a Noblessa kitchen with Bosch appliances for 12k chf when we were looking. It's just a matter of finding one that fits.
Word of warning to those looking for appliances in Germany!
My wife and I were at Hettler in Waldshut today looking at some appliances, particularly an oven. We were getting quite excited about the prices until we decided to talk to someone...
If you are looking for a drop in solution and you are buying for a Swiss kitchen make sure you have the correct width. Swiss standards were 55cm in width whereas the German standard is 60cm. More and more Swiss kitchens are also 60cm, but just like us, you could be disappointed.
Hello there... just want to point out that the 60cm width is not just for Germany but the whole EU.
We visited MoĚbel Dick in Lauchringen (D) a week ago and had a consultation on the design and quote on our new kitchen. They were very knowledgeable and helpful. One thing the guy specifically asked is whether we want the appliances to be the Swiss (55cm) or EU (60cm) standards. They are very familiar with the Swiss market - he told us that almost 85% of their kitchen business comes from this side of the border. He also gave us a full list of MSRP on of all the appliances modelsthey carry (e.g. Bosch, Miele, Siemens, you name it... etc), and told us that we can factor in an appx. 30% off the list price when we purchase through them (presumably the margin built in by the manufacturers in the MSRP).
We've opted for the EU standard for our home... as personally I always prefer more space for everything (fridge, dishwasher, overn...) AND I am not crazy with the idea that with Swiss standard.. you pay MORE (we noticed swiss models are generally slightly more expensive) and you get LESS .
We got 25% off the price of all our new appliances from a local Swiss kitchen fitter and they also gave us 50% off the induction hob as it was ex-demo.
If you are used to gas in your home country and cannot go for a gas hob here then get induction - it's brilliant - in so many ways.
Just as a bit of background: there was an article some time ago in a Swiss consumer magazine (K-Tipp) which explained that list prices for kitchen appliances in Switzerland bordered on the fantastic (as in fantasy...) and were to be taken with a pinch of salt. One should ALWAYS expect to get at least a 20% discount for such appliances.
Mrs. Snoopy and myself ended up in FUST. We told the guy that I get a 40% discount from a particular manufacturer through my employer but that we would prefer to buy one-stop and arrange installation at the same time. He didn't argue, just said that he would match the 40% and that was that.
So DEFINITELY worth haggling (which I agree is most unswiss...)
âIâm planning to buy a new kitchen setup and feel a bit overwhelmed with all the options. Should I focus more on durable cabinets or appliances first? Any tips from those whoâve done it before?â
Induction or ceramic hob
In the days of microwaves, sandwich toasters, air fryers, blendersâŚ, the oven itself has become less important, but then I do not bake.
Go for 60cm wide EU appliances - they are cheaper to buy, cheaper to repair and thereâs more choice than the Swiss standard which is narrower.
Only you can decide what appliances you need.
If you are getting a kitchen company to do your kitchen, you will pay a lot more for appliances than if you shop around yourself although you could ask for ex-display ones.
I like two ovens but one is a small air one and heats up very quickly. Itâs a steamer too but Iâve never really bothered to use that function.
Once you have worked out what appliances you need, youâll have more of an idea of what you need in the way of cabinets.
Ikea software is good to play around with but if you are employing a kitchen company, they will have ideas which you may not have even considered.
If you have room, go for 75cm deep worktops - you wonât regret it - especially if you are tall and have wall cabinets too.
Most cabinets, unless you go for bespoke wood are pretty similar in quality.
Use the free Ikea software.
Most Swiss go for granite work tops.
Donât go for one of those which absorbs oil and stains.
Some of the cheaper granite tops donât look too different to some of the most expensive.
Are there any kitchens that still look good 10 years, 15 years later? Styles and tastes change so rapidly I donât really bank on a kitchen lasting longer than 15 years.
Ikea has the advantage of standarization, modularity and availability. If any part wears out or breaks, then you can get a replacement easily.
I might consider also modular stainless steel kitchens like Vipp but that is not to everybodyâs taste.
OK. I think Iâm just showing my age. I was thinking about kitchens Iâd seen built in the 70s and 90s, but then realised the 90s were more like 30 years ago and not 15 years ago!
So I was more thinking of style than wear and tear. Although my pet hate with kitchens are the laminate coated MDF that most carcases are made of. Even with moisture resistant glue, after a while, water manages to get in and the laminate separates off. I guess the kitchen is quite a tough environment for materials.
The oldest of my Ikea installs in one of the rental apartments is now 7 years old and still looks great. No particular care beyond normal cleaning, no problems apart from a cracked wooden work surface, but thatâs down to me shoehorning the sink in too close to the edge to maximise space, and is not really obvious unless you know where to look. It was my first one, lessons learned.
Yeah, I might replace the worktop at some point, but have no reason to think that the cabinets and appliances shouldnât continue to look good for the foreseeable future.
Style-wise we went for a matt black, which suits the room anyway. I think the glossy bright colours that were trendy have a much more limited life span, aesthetically-speaking.
They did change the entire range about 10 years ago, I wanted to change the colour of the doors bought 15 years before but I was 6 months too late. Very pleased I had not put in a new kitchen the year before
