3 Kitchens, 3 Budgets: What To Expect

Most of your time at home, when you’re not sleeping, is spent in the kitchen. Whether it’s cooking, reading, eating or chatting, it’s an area that everyone gravitates towards. It’s also the space that we’re most inclined to invest in, either when you initially move in, or after a few years when you’re ready for a change.

We sat down with John Cullen of Schmidt Kitchens to discuss the virtues of three kitchens in three different price points to find out what to expect out of each budget, from surfaces and materials, to handles and doors.

€12,000: The Scandinavian Kitchen

This laminate and lacquered MDF kitchen comes in a range of colours and textures. Featured here is a mix of the brushed concrete effect of Marvel Light and Iceland wood-effect laminates with a glass backsplash.

What John Says:

“This is a contemporary, Scandinavian-inspired kitchen but all the surfaces and glass backsplash are available in a range of colours and textures. The main units are handleless in keeping with the kitchen’s clean lines and each carcass has a concealed built-in handle that opens smoothly at a light push.

“There’s also a large six-drawer larder unit that offers drawers in a range of depth and is ideal for quick and easy storage. All Schmidt furniture comes with a 10-year guarantee but these are all soft-close hinges and drawers and both come with a 25-year warranty.”

€20,000: The Modern Kitchen

This kitchen combines a super-matte Nano black and Murphy wood-effect laminate and is available in a range of thickness, colour and texture options.

What John Says:

“The super-matte Nano black surface has only just arrived in store, it’s soft and warm to the touch, highly water-resistant, and more easily maintained than a regular laminate. It also comes with a waterfall effect that merges the countertop with the units for a seamless appearance.

“It’s available in a variety of colours and widths, from 12 millimetres to 78 millimetres thick. We opted for the slim-line here to enhance its modern qualities and added a hewn laminate in Murphy wood to add depth and warmth to the black.”

€30,000: The Classic Kitchen

This kitchen is made of solid oak with an open grain Celeste lacquer, laminate wood-effect drawers, integrated lighting and a Quartxo Lyskam worktop.

What John Says:

“This is slightly more classic look and a recent addition to Schmidt’s usually contemporary catalogue. It’s made of solid oak, hence the price jump. You really can’t beat the warmth and texture of real wood. It also means that you can re-paint it in a few years time if you want.

“It comes in three finishes, a standard painted door as seen here, a wire brush paint option that exposes the grain and a rubbed paint finish that gives a worn finish. We included some integrated lighting here, which is available in all the finishes and introduced the natural wood-effect laminate drawers to give the classic look a contemporary edge.”

Schmidt are now offering in-house financing up to €15,000 with an APR of 6.99%. Find out more information at Schmidt Kitchens, visit their Dublin showroom at Unit 4, 60a Longmile Centre Longmile Road, Dublin 12, or see them at the Permanent TSB Ideal Home Show from April 20 to 22 at Stand M31.