Kitchen dilemma. Will I won’t I ?

Fleurpepper

paddyann54

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and ours is replaced every few years ,if its important to you, do it,Look at Ikea for a reasonably priced range and maybe your family could build and fit it .It needn't cost the earth

Sorry, but find this quite 'shocking' - what do you mean by 'every few years?' - the cost is phenomenal, but the environmental issues are even bigger. Sorry- but really made me jump.

What do you mean by 'not cost the earth'?

Aveline you didn't think THIS was rude ? I dont pass judgement on what other people spend their money on why do they and you think its OK for Fleur to criticise my spending?

My comment was not 'personal'- but a general remark about the principle of chainging kitchens regularly- in your case, every 6 years. I did try to curb what I was going to say- but will say it now- I do think this is madness. My opinion, my choice.

I was in a similar position OP. Didn’t want to alter the layout of the kitchen and the cupboard carcasses were fine. So, I had the doors, trims & plinths replaced by a company called ‘Dream Doors’. It cost a fraction of a new kitchen and was done in 2 days. Really pleased with the outcome - looks like a new kitchen!

I'm starting to feel guilty for even thinking about changing my kitchen now but the current one is 25 years old - I know as we put it in when we moved in.

I also think that if you have a massive space you can accommodate new inventions as they come along, but kitchens didn't used to have freezers, dishwashers etc - even fridges - so really old ones only go on forever if you are prepared to forego appliances which nowadays are considered standard.

Mine is a reasonable size, but the position of doors and windows means that I don't have a lot of choices when it comes to layout, and I want to preserve the 'triangle' of fridge, sink and cooker that might be more difficult in a traditional non-fitted kitchen in which you could add large white goods wherever there is a socket. This means moving things about to get the most practical use of the space.

Fleurpepper. It is the environmental cost that would inhibit me from changing my kitchen too often.

We put a new kitchen when we moved to our current house, the pevious one was 30 years old, and we didn't change it for 20 years.

I do think, generally, not any case in particular, that as with clothes and everything else we should consider the environmental costs of our home renovations and refurnishings.

It does remind me that, we try to teach children about environmental cost at school. So when we teach about animal habitats that leads to why those habitats may be lost, what they are being lost too and what they can personally do to make a difference... which leads to much less wasted paper in classrooms

It is always something worth considering when we plan changes

I think that paddyann has a point though - we all have different ways of limiting our carbon footprints. I will never forget someone I know posting on FB about non-vegans being cavalier with the Earth's resources when she was running a yoga retreat on Bali and flying to and from the UK several times a year. There is a lot of hypocrisy sometimes, and we have to make our own choices based on what is important to us.

If paddyann's old kitchens are passed on and recycled then fair enough.

No-one would want our old, solid wood kitchen so it would probably go into a skip and landfill ☹

Oh dear!

Everyone spends differently and watches their carbon footprint in ways that are not embraced by all. Like everything: to each their own.

We love river cruises and we fly. We would never put our petrol guzzler 4x4 car on a filthy ocean ferry on our way over to ski. Others would stay in the UK. Fine by me. Paddyann likely doesn't fly all round, she has new kitchens fitted - so what?

I'd imagine there is not a person here who would live over 60 years in their GPs (and GGPs really) old home whilst only adding on and never fitting a whole new kitchen. Knitted floors, mismatched cabinets and worktops.

We're content. I'm even happy with our carbon footprint.

Must be arguing Sunday! I'm sorry paddyann.

I’ve never desired a ‘dream’ kitchen. It’s just a place for me to pop in and out of (mostly out…)
It was bespoke, not wood and my daughter thinks I should upgrade. New blinds and new flooring is as far as I’ve gone. I remember the awful upheaval when it went in maybe 40 years ago, don’t fancy that now as it’s reasonably large with lots of cupboard space.

I've never paid 30k for a kitchen in my life ,we buy direct from suppliers and fit them ourselves last one was @ 4k.
During covid all our neighbours landscaped their gardens,costing in excess of £8-10 k and twice that in one case .
We did our own,just my OH and me ,cut down 20 odd 15 foot tall Leylandii, well I cut off all the branches with secateurs and OH cut down the trunks with a chainsaw and we built a new 8 foot fence ,built a 12 x10 shed from composite materials lined and insulated it ( no painting required) re roofed the other shed ,and landscaped the garden with new, built by us,planters and plants .Its beautiful ,according to the stream of neighbours who have popped in for a nosy and it cost us @£3 k in all .Took 8 days for the trees and fence and a week for the sheds.
I did say it needn't cost the earth Fleur all the OP needs is someone to build the kitchen if she buys it off the shelf.
We have always been fortunate to be fit enough and to enjoy DIY

None of you have old, non insensible wood cabinets, as this, in your kitchens. I'm content. We really are all different.

Norah 'I'd imagine there is not a person here who would live over 60 years in their GPs (and GGPs really) old home whilst only adding on and never fitting a whole new kitchen.'

we re not talking about 60 years here (although that would be about right for our kitchen here) - but every 6 years- again and again. It does not make any sense to me- and this is the subject of the OP. My opinion, my reasons- it is a discussion.

Oops that went too quickly, Now widowed, not so much happens in it. Much prefer to spend any extra monies on trips which don’t cut into life savings.
The best meals come out of the worst kitchens design wise which are often full of character.

Norah those are stunning

Norah, love your cupboards!

Stupid auto-correct.

What is non insensible? I've no idea and I'm reading my own words.

Did wonder about that lol

Irreplaceable?

Norah

None of you have old, non insensible wood cabinets, as this, in your kitchens. I'm content. We really are all different.

I think non insensible means sensible 😁

I'd keep them!

paddyann54

I've never paid 30k for a kitchen in my life ,we buy direct from suppliers and fit them ourselves last one was @ 4k.
During covid all our neighbours landscaped their gardens,costing in excess of £8-10 k and twice that in one case .
We did our own,just my OH and me ,cut down 20 odd 15 foot tall Leylandii, well I cut off all the branches with secateurs and OH cut down the trunks with a chainsaw and we built a new 8 foot fence ,built a 12 x10 shed from composite materials lined and insulated it ( no painting required) re roofed the other shed ,and landscaped the garden with new, built by us,planters and plants .Its beautiful ,according to the stream of neighbours who have popped in for a nosy and it cost us @£3 k in all .Took 8 days for the trees and fence and a week for the sheds.
I did say it needn't cost the earth Fleur all the OP needs is someone to build the kitchen if she buys it off the shelf.
We have always been fortunate to be fit enough and to enjoy DIY

We must be real cheap-skates!

We landscaped our own garden, DH built little walls, extended the patio, built fences, terraced it, we still have the same kitchen, some old furniture, some inherited.

I think Fleurpepper used the term 'cost the earth' in its other, environmental, meaning, but if your old kitchens and furniture have been recycled, re-used then that's fine.

fb.watch/n78jxzrNyS/

ah well

yes, love those cupboards Norah.

It was called Keeping Up With The Joneses 😃

I like change Fleur not a change of country or continent not a "holiday house" like many on here do just a change of colour and textures and furniture kitchens and bathrooms included.Its not a crime .my sister and neices like my clothes which are also not kept long ,I have tenants who all like a change of kitchen or furniture,they in turn will pass on their existing ones to family or friends .Nothing is wasted ,never has been .You didn't answer my question ,do you, have you flown or cruised in the past 15 years? Do you have new cars ? I have done none of those things ,I buy organic from the local farm shop ,my milk is delivered from a farm I see from my window We recycle our waste ,have solar panels and heat pump appliances .Please dont concern yourself with my green credentials I'm doing just fine

To be fair paddyann you didn’t explain any of that in your first post: you just said that you changed your kitchen every few years.

Norah travel Brittany Ferries to Normandy. All their ferries have scrubbers that not only reduce sulphur emissions but also removing 70% of particulate matter, which is also harmful to health. The EU has funded Brittany Ferries and 5 other ferry companies ot do the same, so you no longer need worry about travelling by ferry. Not to mention the new LNG powered ferries they are building and starting to bring in service.