Help! Kitchen Order Nightmare :(

9 years ago

Hi all,

I hope someone can help me, I've just had our kitchen delivered from DIY Kitchens and we've realised I've made a massive mistake as our tall units are too tall for the room!

We decided to drop the height of the ceiling to conceal the steel beam installed during the extension and I totally missed this when ordering the units.. New units would be circa £2k we ideally need to find a solution!

So our ceiling height is 2300mm high and the tall units are 2300mm high inc. 150mm for the legs.
Our builder has suggested fitting smaller legs to the whole kitchen to keep the drawers in line however I wanted to get some thoughts on this.
Once the floor is laid this will reduce the height of the ceiling by around 30mm, so room would be around 2970mm

If we put 50mm legs on the units this would mean our kickboards would be around 80mm, what are your thoughts on that?
I see Ikea kitchens have 80mm plinths so that makes me think this wouldn't be too horrendous if they do that as standard but I just can't really visualise it?

So, so wishing we hired a kitchen planner to check everything, hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Hope you can help, frankly I feel like crying right now :(

Featured Answer

PRO

OnePlan

9 years ago

Just drop the plinth height on the tall units - if you do it on the base units too - the worktop will be too low and could cause bad back etc !

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Comments (14)

Lucy Mackie
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks OnePlan, really wish I'd hired you!

My builder said the issue with dropping the height on the tall units only is that the lines wouldn't match up, do you not think that would be a problem?

I've attached a pic of the plan, you can see we don't have drawers next to the tall units.
But then wouldn't it be weird having the tall units with a lower plinth compared to the other base units?
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PRO
Create Perfect
9 years ago
I think it really depends on your height and what you need from the space. Try laying out the height of the base units both with higher and lower boards and see how you feel. I think the 80 is fine. Sorry it's been such an upset. There's always so much to consider it's easy to make mistakes.
Daisy England
9 years ago
Are your wall units high units too e.g. 900 mm high? If they're the standard 720mm high you could cut down the carcase on the tall tower units to 1970 which is classed as standard size and then reorder some doors that would suit this size which are normally 1245 and 715 for a larder unit.
Lucy Mackie
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you createperfect, that's a good idea. I'll be meeting my builder over the weekend to discuss options but I'm also going to the house tonight to have a look as they've laid out the cupboards as best they can.

Hi Daisy,
The wall units are 900 high so then they would need to be right up to the ceiling too to run in line with the tall units wouldn't they?
I actually like units going right up to the ceiling anyway, I just worry how it will look with a thin plinth and whether all will line up.
I don't think cutting down the tall units would work either as one of them is a swing out pantry so the internal wouldn't fit and that's the costly part.
What do you think?
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
Just typed out a long answer and it didn't load !! Grrrrr !!!
Basically I was saying start by lowering the tall units so the doors clear the ceiling with about 5mm to spare ... then fit the wall units so they finish at the same top point too - then change the plinth on the tall units to flush fitting rather than recessed - so the change won't be so prominent as it will be different from the recessed plinth ... as it's only the straight corner unit that's next to it - I think it will be fine !

If you change to the lower caresses 1970 carcasses and you have 900 wall units - you won't have enough space between when you line them up !

Hope that Helps :-)
PRO
Create Perfect
9 years ago
I wouldn't change the heights of the top ones. You want them in a nice clean line and up to the top would be better as the tall ones do. Its working out if loosing a little at the bottom alters the height of the workspace too much for you personally.

I think to the ceiling units offer a smart clean look and saves that void at the top which is wasted space.

Cutting down the units wouldn't look great as the finish will never be great on them. I look forward to hearing how you get on and hope this evening goes well.
Lucy Mackie
Original Author
9 years ago
One Plan and Create Perfect thank you so much for your input, I'm now feeling a lot better about this and think we'll definitely figure this out.
One plan your suggestion re the flush plinth sounds perfect, I'll pass all this on to my builder and hopefully be able to post some nice photos next week!
Daisy England
9 years ago
If you have 900 high wall units then my suggestion on cutting down the tall tower units won't work.
Jonathan
9 years ago
Really sorry but I don't agree with monkeying around with this kitchen and personally I think that tall units suit a taller room than you have.
Have you considered reinstating the original ceiling height?
mcpeeple
9 years ago
Don't DIY Kitchens take units back/swap them? You could just move the fridge along and add another base and wall unit instead. Or am i missing something?
Lucy Mackie
Original Author
9 years ago
It would be far too much work to change ceiling height back at this stage of the project unfortunately!
The ceiling height is only 100mm less than a standard height room so I don't feel like they will look wrong being floor to ceiling flush in this room at all, it's a large light and airy space and I was actually wanting them flush with the ceiling anyway.. Just not this way with short legs haha!
No sadly they don't take the units back, I tried today and they said all made to order so it's in their Ts&Cs that they're not refunded.
Lucy Mackie
Original Author
9 years ago
Sorry to add, the fridge is an American style F/F so there isn't any additional room to re-order the units
PRO
Qudaus Living
9 years ago
Hi Lucy - if you use the 50mm legs the the base units will be too low and a dishwasher will not fit. Most need a min height of 815-865mm
Std height of floor to underside of wtop is 870mm (150 plinth + 720 unit).
Leave the bases as they are and just concentrate on the talls.. Check the height of you fridge freezer however as lowering the plinth line might mean the unit above may not fit and may need replacing or cutting down.

Help! Kitchen Order Nightmare :(

OnePlan

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Lucy Mackie
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