# New Kitchen advice...Nolte?



## electric_cooper

We are in the process of purchasing a new kitchen.

We currently have a kitchen and dining room separated into two rooms by a partition wall so will be taking down the partition wall between the two rooms to create an open plan kitchen/diner space.

The room will be spacious once opened up, circa 7m x 3.5m

We have visited all the usual suspects, Howdens, B&Q, Wren, etc and then decided to spread the net a little bit wider and looked at a few regional suppliers of German kitchens having heard good reports and out of curiosity as to whether they were much more expensive.

I have attached CAD images of the plan that we are 99% set on and the supplier in question uses Nolte kitchens.

*The cost includes units, worktops, sink/tap, integrated dishwasher, integrated 70/30 fridge/freezer and pull out larder.*

Basically, everything in the pictures apart from the range cooker which we already have and the total price is coming in *just under £8k* (supply only).

Just wanted your guys thoughts on:

1. The Price
2. The Design
3. Nolte - the brand

Any alternatives/thoughts/views would be gratefully received :thumb:


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## Rayaan

electric_cooper said:


> We are in the process of purchasing a new kitchen.
> 
> We currently have a kitchen and dining room separated into two rooms by a partition wall so will be taking down the partition wall between the two rooms to create an open plan kitchen/diner space.
> 
> The room will be spacious once opened up, circa 7m x 3.5m
> 
> We have visited all the usual suspects, Howdens, B&Q, Wren, etc and then decided to spread the net a little bit wider and looked at a few regional suppliers of German kitchens having heard good reports and out of curiosity as to whether they were much more expensive.
> 
> I have attached CAD images of the plan that we are 99% set on and the supplier in question uses Nolte kitchens.
> 
> *The cost includes units, worktops, sink/tap, integrated dishwasher, integrated 70/30 fridge/freezer and pull out larder.*
> 
> Basically, everything in the pictures apart from the range cooker which we already have and the total price is coming in *just under £8k* (supply only).
> 
> Just wanted your guys thoughts on:
> 
> 1. The Price
> 2. The Design
> 3. Nolte - the brand
> 
> Any alternatives/thoughts/views would be gratefully received :thumb:


Not really heard of Nolte. I went for a local bloke for my Kitchen in the end, came out the same as B and Q but the quality of units were much better and it was bespoke.

Have you gone to KutchenHaus? Worth a shot - they do some brilliant kitchens and they have decent fitters too unlike the crap ones you tend to get from B and Q.

At the end of the day, all the doors are mostly the same e.g. gloss painted or laminated (whichever preference someone chooses).

Its the fitter that can make or break a kitchen!

Oh and the price is quite good for what you're getting - My kitchen is 7x 5m and I spent north of £25k :O


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## m4rkymark

Sorry I've never heard of nolte as a brand so don't know if they are good, bad or indifferent. We have also been looking at new kitchens and came across www.diy-kitchens.com, I've read quite a bit about them and most of the comments seem good and they don't seem that expensive.

As rayan says above though most kitchens are the same at the end of the day, it's definitely the fitter that makes a difference.


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## dholdi

Why is the breakfast bar bit higher than the rest of the worktop ?
Imho that will make it harder to keep clean and looks a bit odd.


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## danwel

Not heard of nolte but definitely worth getting more quotes and designs. Not a fan of the oven/hob being set in the island next to the breakfast bar if I'm honest. Also definitely don't like the fact it's two different heights, thy would mess with my head and ocd, just doesn't look right in my opinion


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## SuperMin

Hi, I had a look at Nolte when I did my kitchen a couple of years ago, amongst many many other brands. Thought the Nolte quality was rather good but I ordered from diy kitchens (as mentioned above) in the end - really good quality and cracking price. Good service too. You can order samples of the door fronts then send them back for refund. If you're interested, here's a pic of one part of my kitchen from diy kitchens:









I would suggest the pricing Nolte quoted you is probably about right for what you've got. As others have said - good fitters are essential.

PS:My wood worktops were from a different online company (much cheaper than any where else and top quality).


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## rf860

I'd say £8k is expensive for that kitchen supply only (i'm a quantity surveyor).

Try and see if you can get a joiner (chippie) who has an account with Howdens and he'll get the units at trade prices. The mark up on 'retail' kitchens is ridiculous.

I got a quote from Wren for my tiny kitchen and they were quoting £3.5k+. Went to a local furniture making company and they supplied all the units for £1k (got a bit of discount as my dad knows the director). It's good quality kitchen for the money, soft close doors and drawers, solid backs, metal drawer sides and backs.

Bought all my appliances direct from AO.com - would highly recommend - excellent prices and service. Your £8k price will have mark up on the appliances - just buy these direct and save yourself a few quid.

Here is mine for reference


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## electric_cooper

m4rkymark said:


> Sorry I've never heard of nolte as a brand so don't know if they are good, bad or indifferent. We have also been looking at new kitchens and came across www.diy-kitchens.com, I've read quite a bit about them and most of the comments seem good and they don't seem that expensive.
> 
> As rayan says above though most kitchens are the same at the end of the day, it's definitely the fitter that makes a difference.





dholdi said:


> Why is the breakfast bar bit higher than the rest of the worktop ?
> Imho that will make it harder to keep clean and looks a bit odd.


The offset breakfast bar is very deliberate, we want the breakfast height at a different level and are using 100mm thick laminate for the breakfast bar as opposed to 50mm thick laminate across the rest of the kitchen to set it off as a bit of a "feature"


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## Sean15

Looks nice that design, the only little thing that i would change is the corner by the sink, the wall units running straight from the corner, would look nice with a corner unit in there and some kind of flyover going above the sink to join to the other wall units. Would look nice to follow the design right round instead of stopping for window and then the wall units starting again from corner.

what extractor system will you use above the cooker?


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## electric_cooper

Sean15 said:


> Looks nice that design, the only little thing that i would change is the corner by the sink, the wall units running straight from the corner, would look nice with a corner unit in there and some kind of flyover going above the sink to join to the other wall units. Would look nice to follow the design right round instead of stopping for window and then the wall units starting again from corner.
> 
> what extractor system will you use above the cooker?


That is a great shout :thumb: will get the designer to look into that

We are going to give the extractor system some thought once fitted as will probably go for an aesthetic looking design rather than prioritising functionality


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## R7KY D

1. The Price - You could spend £3k or £30k as long as you get what you want

2. The Design - I wouldn't put the cooker anywhere but against a wall where you can have a nice SS splashback , Putting it in an island does look nice if you want a show home and your never going to use it , But I don't see it being really practical with fat etc jumping onto the breakfast bar , And I would say to anyone doing up their kitchen go for Quartz worktops , Find a good stone supplier and you'll pay 50% less than what the shop quotes you

3. Nolte - the brand - never heard of them

One third of mine


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## empsburna

A decent chippie is about 70% of the finished look. A good one can make an £800 open back special look like an £8k one.

If you want to put some legwork in you can probably get some really good deals on appliances and fittings, it depends if you want one price you can put on a credit card or haggle hard with cash.

//edit - I love a range cooker (we have one) but my days is it a pig to clean. I won't be having a Belfast sink or Range cooker next.

Simple bowl next time and glass induction hob next time.


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## empsburna

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Now I have seen that I want to extend our tiles all up the walls instead of just having them as a splashback. Hmmm.


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## Tricky Red

Go for quartz, corian or granite worktops. Whilst oak looks nice now, it won't when you get water on it, or drop beetroot or chilli on it. We went for granite and whilst it cost a few thousand on its own I don't regret it. Wipe over with soapy water and towel dry, done.

At risk of having my head bitten off I don't see the point of a breakfast bar if you have a table there. You're just losing valuable worktop space.

Deep drawers are better for storing pots and pans than cupboards. No faffing gettting to the back. We also had an inset s/s sink and although I was doubtful, cleaning is so much easier. Far cheaper too.

Personally, I'd lose the pendant lights too. Will cost a fair bit and you have plenty of lighting with LEDs. We only have 6 and it is enough.


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## LSherratt

To give you an idea of cost, I had mine done 18 months ago and got it through Wren kitchens. Although I can't comment on Nolte, it'll help you gauge a cost.

Cost wise, about £10k for basic gloss white slab units from Wren but still solid carcasses and of good quality (solid backs and soft-close as standard, soft close is a must), with a sparkly fleck black quartz worktop and upstand, integrated basic Neff dish washer and CDA wine cooler. Within the units, various extremely useful drawers for saucepan and crockery storage etc, integrated bins and more drawers in the island for trays and a lovely big cutlery drawer which I highly recommend. £4k of that £10k of that was spent on the quartz worktop. Add £1.5k for fitting (sourced my own chippie), £2.5k for Rangemaster cooker, RM splash back and RM extractor fan, £1.5k for Samsung fridge/freezer, £400 on double undermount sink and mixer tap, all of which I sourced myself.

So basically, the only thing that Wren supplied were the units, worktop, dishwasher and cooler. They have a great range of unit storage solutions to chose from. I could have saved even more if I used an independent to do the worktop but I didn't want the hassle. I reckon in 10 years time I'll change the worktop to white Quartz or stainless steel as the gloss black shows up every crumb (as you'll know regarding black paintwork on a car ).

So about £15-16k on what I would class as a designer looking kitchen. You could save a lot of money on budget appliances or by going for a chipboard laminate worktop but then I feel you lose the overall quality of appearance in general.

You must get a decent fitter. A good fitter can make a cheap kitchen look good. It doesn't matter if you spend £5k or £30k on a kitchen, if you have a rubbish fitter it'll look rubbish regardless of how much you've spent.

Regarding your island cooker as someone has already mentioned, defiantly have it against a wall with a splash back. The last thing you want is spag bol spluttering all over the place! I really like your breakfast bar feature, defienetly keep that . A wooden worktop will require cautious use as you don't want to mark it or burn the top with hot pans etc. If I were you, go for grantite or Quartz. They're basically the same hard-wearingness, granite being natural stone which requires sealing every year and quartz being part man-made which doesn't require sealing. It depends what you like the look of most.













I did all the usual shopping for quotes, Homebase, Wickes, Magnet etc. Magnet was like £20k+! I felt as Wren offered the best kitchen for the best price-point and quality. I didn't go to any local companies. Anyway, hope I've helped a bit.

I still need to get 2 more blue stools....


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## R7KY D

^^^^ Nice kitchen 

That's one big dog ?? or you got an indoor horse


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## LSherratt

R7KY D said:


> ^^^^ Nice kitchen
> 
> That's one big dog ?? or you got an indoor horse


:lol: Blame my GSD. 11 months old


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## Tricky Red

@ Lsherratt : ours is very similar except we went for granite instead, but the design is not hugely dissimilar.


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## electric_cooper

LSherratt said:


> £2.5k for Rangemaster cooker, RM splash back and RM extractor fan, all of which I sourced myself....


Looks good mate :thumb:

We are pretty set on a few of the features. The range cooker will stay in the island as we love the look/idea of it. I am expecting it to be something we live to regret and ultimately relocate in years to come but are going to give it a try.

Which Rangemaster did you go for? Trying to work out which width/model it is? We are pretty sold on the 900mm Kitchener in Black at the moment.


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## LSherratt

electric_cooper said:


> Looks good mate :thumb:
> 
> Which Rangemaster did you go for? Trying to work out which width/model it is? We are pretty sold on the 900mm Kitchener in Black at the moment.


Mine is the Rangemaster Professional Plus 110cm Induction Range Cooker and matching 110cm splash back and hood. I bought from cookersandovens.co.uk which was the cheapest I could find at the time.

Go on, squeeze out another 20cm width, your missues will thank you for it


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## R7KY D

We went for the Rangemaster Toledo XT Dual Fuel 1100mm

It's a really good oven , i don't even touch it and my dinner gets cooked


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## Bustanut

Watching this with interest, please keep the updates coming. We are looking to extend our house and have a kitchen dining room that will be a similar size to this one (approx 8 X 4M). I had already planned in my head and the back of a *** packet virtually what you have had drawn up.


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## Jack R

If you want to design everything yourself I would recommend these http://www.onlinekitchenstore.co.uk/ I now use these all the time as the quality is brilliant and so is there service not only that they are good on prices if you look on the home improvement thread on here it might give you some ideas. I get the link for you in a min for the photos


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## Jack R

He's the link on the other thread, http://s1383.photobucket.com/user/jreedman/slideshow/work
The kitchen with the yellow walls and the other with the black granite work tops are from them. Hope this helps


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## electric_cooper

Bustanut said:


> Watching this with interest, please keep the updates coming. We are looking to extend our house and have a kitchen dining room that will be a similar size to this one (approx 8 X 4M). I had already planned in my head and the back of a *** packet virtually what you have had drawn up.


I will put up a "project" type thread when we go ahead. Lead time on the kitchen is 6-8 weeks so likely to be end of April I suspect.


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## Simz

dholdi said:


> Why is the breakfast bar bit higher than the rest of the worktop ?
> 
> Imho that will make it harder to keep clean and looks a bit odd.


We have similar but with splash back for frying


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## Soul boy 68

Here is our kitchen supplied and fitted by Betta Living who are based in Manchester, did a really good job, had one or two snagging issues and they dealt with those very promptley. I would recommend, cost me 9.5k including appliances.


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