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Old 18 Feb 20, 12:11 PM  
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#1
wanye
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Join Date: May 10
Location: notts
recommend-me-do... kitchen/bathroom refurb features/gadgets/tips

we're gonna be getting our bathroom and kitchen completely gutted and re-done sometime in the next year or so.

but i'm looking for suggestions and ideas. i have a vague idea of what i want, but what features, devices and things can you not live without now you have one? what new design feature comes in really handy? what do you wish you knew then what you know now? can you not live without the low level LED lighting that comes on in the bathroom when you walk in at 2am so you dont have to put the main light on?

the bathroom seems fairly straightforward, but kitchen-wise, im sure there are lots of novel storage ideas now for maximising that weird bit of corner space, or a great method of storing all your pans and knives

i got this idea from alton brown for safe knife storage...


i already have one of these ikea rail/hook things, i think i'll be adding more to our new kitchen, as i find it really useful



our current old kitchen cupboards let in a lot of moisture, is there a way to make them more airtight? some sort of fridge door type magnetic seal maybe?

do you have a novel way of storing all your kitchen gadgets that doesnt involve them clogging up all your worktop space? of does it all just go in a big cupboard? i currently have a windowsill that houses a bunch of stuff, including a couple of larger pans and a panini press, but i'm not sure whether it will be usable like that when we get it redone.

what about materials? do them new plastic tile walls in the bathroom make a massive difference? is there some sort of kitchen worktop surface you wish you'd had put in 20 years ago? can you not live without your fizzy water dispensing tap unit?

convince me that something you have in your kitchen or bathroom is going to be a must-have feature when i get mine redone!
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Old 18 Feb 20, 12:47 PM  
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wanye
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i really like this, where they have a stainless steel metal splashback right along the back wall. although, it would probably make it all look a bit too industrial, right?

although saying that, i currently have a load of the ikea magnetic spice jars on top of my cooker hood... by having a metal splashback like that, i could have an entire spice section thats easily wipe-cleanable!
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Old 18 Feb 20, 12:59 PM  
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Mr Tom Morrow
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theDIBB Guidebook
Pages Created: 3
Some tips from the Trade.

Count all your appliances. Then triple the number of sockets you need!
I have 9 double sockets above the worktops. That way you are never more than 2+ ft away from a socket
Put in sockets with USB outlets
Run speaker cable behind the units, that way at anytime in the future you can locate it for future use
Plinth lights are great, easy to run the cabling.
Coil up data and other types of cables behind the cupboards for future innovations. Try getting it in later!
Never put built in appliances into tight spaces such as Micros. They break eventually and you will find the replacement is bigger and won’t fit!
Slam hinges and magnetic closures on all doors. That way you slam them close and they slowly close themselves.
Replace the cheap plastic shelf supports with brass pegs. No more collapses!
Work out the size cooker hood you need, then go bigger!
Waste disposal units, don’t!
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Old 18 Feb 20, 01:14 PM  
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wanye
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Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow View Post
Some tips from the Trade.
cheers, some useful suggestions!
  • Count all your appliances. Then triple the number of sockets you need!
    that side of things i kinda already have covered, we had a bunch of them fitted when we bought the house and got it all rewired (including 2 network sockets). will be doubling down on that when the refit happens.
  • Slam hinges and magnetic closures on all doors. That way you slam them close and they slowly close themselves.

    i definitely want slow close cupboards. some sort of fridge-style magnetic sealing strip to keep out moisture would be good too
  • Work out the size cooker hood you need, then go bigger!
    our current cooker hood (fitted during the rewire) is crap. its literally just a fan that doesnt go anywhere and a dull lighting strip. the replacement will be a proper vented unit and high powered fan. i'm sick of having to crack all the windows and garage door open if we cook bacon a bit too long and set the smoke/heat alarm off. as theres no heating in there either, we do have a bit of a condensation issue at times. especially when doing long cooks like boiling bones for stock
  • Waste disposal units, don’t!
    really? that was something i was really looking forward to getting. the amount of food that goes down our disposal pipe as it is, it seemed like a no-brainer to me to get something to stop it clogging!
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Old 18 Feb 20, 01:20 PM  
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parisdisneyfan
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Originally Posted by wanye View Post
we're gonna be getting our bathroom and kitchen completely gutted and re-done sometime in the next year or so.

but i'm looking for suggestions and ideas. i have a vague idea of what i want, but what features, devices and things can you not live without now you have one? what new design feature comes in really handy? what do you wish you knew then what you know now? can you not live without the low level LED lighting that comes on in the bathroom when you walk in at 2am so you dont have to put the main light on?

the bathroom seems fairly straightforward, but kitchen-wise, im sure there are lots of novel storage ideas now for maximising that weird bit of corner space, or a great method of storing all your pans and knives

i got this idea from alton brown for safe knife storage...


i already have one of these ikea rail/hook things, i think i'll be adding more to our new kitchen, as i find it really useful



our current old kitchen cupboards let in a lot of moisture, is there a way to make them more airtight? some sort of fridge door type magnetic seal maybe?

do you have a novel way of storing all your kitchen gadgets that doesnt involve them clogging up all your worktop space? of does it all just go in a big cupboard? i currently have a windowsill that houses a bunch of stuff, including a couple of larger pans and a panini press, but i'm not sure whether it will be usable like that when we get it redone.

what about materials? do them new plastic tile walls in the bathroom make a massive difference? is there some sort of kitchen worktop surface you wish you'd had put in 20 years ago? can you not live without your fizzy water dispensing tap unit?

convince me that something you have in your kitchen or bathroom is going to be a must-have feature when i get mine redone!
watching for any tips for our new kitchen
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Old 18 Feb 20, 01:20 PM  
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Mr Tom Morrow
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theDIBB Guidebook
Pages Created: 3
Wanye. They can be good but if you do want one go expensive as they burn out if cheap.
Good money to be earned by replacing them!

Get a top quality vent cover for the outside of the cooker hood extractor pipe. Nothing worse than hearing the vents flapping on a windy day.
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Old 18 Feb 20, 01:30 PM  
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#7
wanye
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Join Date: May 10
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Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow View Post
Wanye. They can be good but if you do want one go expensive as they burn out if cheap.
Good money to be earned by replacing them!

Get a top quality vent cover for the outside of the cooker hood extractor pipe. Nothing worse than hearing the vents flapping on a windy day.
any tips on brands/models to get (or avoid) - i'm not planning on moving anytime soon... if this kitchen lasts 25 years without a major overhaul, i'll be a very happy bunny (the current kitchen is from when it was built in the late 60's!), so i dont mind spending a little extra on fittings that will last a lifetime (or are easier/cheaper to repair)

on a related note, i bookmarked TROJAN BATHS a while back, possibly from one of your posts on another thread. i really like the sound of their stuff (extra strong, reinforced, built to last) so will be looking for one of their baths when we get round to sorting it!

cupboard-wise... i notice a lot of both kitchen and bathroom are essentially laminated chipboard. surely this is a bad idea having them in high-humidity rooms? should i be looking at solid wood cupboard guts? or some other new material? having standard sizes for things, so doors can be replaced seems like a good idea

*edit*
i've gone down a stainless steel cupboard rabbit hole now!
steelkitchenweb/project/s...tchen-cabinet/
cavendishequipment/

Edited at 01:45 PM.
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Old 18 Feb 20, 01:49 PM  
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Mr Tom Morrow
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theDIBB Guidebook
Pages Created: 3
Insinkerator seems to be the decent ones.
Kenwood used to do excellent ones but not made anymore.

Carcasses of units are invariably MDF. Not really much choice out there and at least if it’s sealed nothing to go wrong
Solid wood carcasses are horrendously expensive and are actually just left over strips of timber butt jointed and glued together.
They have a huge tendency to warp

I would opt for the MDF ones but check the end that sits on the tiled floor is sealed. If it’s not then put 2 coats of yacht varnish on it. That will seal it nicely
Most though are sealed already

Edit. Love the stainless steel as long as they don’t dent!
Will be a sod to keep streak free I would have thought.

Second edit. Look for decent adjustable legs for the units. Plastic is fine but you want a nice easy operation to level them

Do you have a laser? Well worth buying one.
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Multiple annual visits to America since 1976

Edited at 01:52 PM.
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Old 18 Feb 20, 02:04 PM  
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DisneyMadAng
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Storage for trays and chopping boards.

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Old 18 Feb 20, 02:17 PM  
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#10
wanye
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Originally Posted by DisneyMadAng View Post
Storage for trays and chopping boards.

i currently use one of these to organise all my baking trays and pans

ikea/gb/en/p/variera...teel-70154800/

and one of these in the plate cupboard, so i have large plates on the bottom, and the large bowls on top

ikea/gb/en/p/variera...hite-60136623/

(probably want to stack them vertically in future though)

my chopping boards all currently live leaning on the splashback of the main worktop area, in between the wall and my kitchenaid, but would like to have them mostly hidden in a cupboard in future like that
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