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Standardization has opened the way for ‘kitchen shops’. These are outlets that sell kitchens but do not make or install them. The DIY outlets sometimes have a kitchen department within them and make no pretense of manufacturing themselves. Kitchen shops are also to be found in industrial estates amongst manufacturers or even on the high street. They buy in the ready-made kitchens and use self-employed tradesmen to install them. Some of the more up-market shops import kitset kitchens from Europe or Asia and retail them as exclusive designer brands (at exclusive designer prices).
A genuine bespoke kitchen will be made from scratch to your own specific design with no compromise for standardisation. It can be as individual as you are. The discerning eye will always pick out a genuine one-off. You can build into it any particular (and doable) features you desire. The finishing materials can be more adventurous and the finish can be of a higher standard. There are some excellent trades people around who can produce superb designer kitchens, at a price.
A genuine one-off bespoke designer kitchen will necessarily be more expensive than the common or garden variety found in most homes. If your home is of a standard and finish that demands the best kitchen you can put in it, the specialist kitchen maker is the one to go to. You can spot them by their showroom, the installed kitchens they can refer you to, the features in the up-market magazines, their reputation and the language they use.
A kitchen made up of standard-sized cabinets can be made to look very nice and there is not reason to dismiss this approach out of hand. Take a good look at your options; consider very carefully your budget and look realistically at your home. Remember: between 5% and 10% of the cost of building or rebuilding the house is the price range for the kitchen. Do the best you can without going over the top.
Skimp on the kitchen at you peril.
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