In this blog, I answer the most frequently asked questions about the Greenbank Interiors Kitchen.
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Where is your Kitchen from?
Our kitchen was designed and built by Oliver at Clarendons Kitchens is a family-owned business based in Lavister in the North West. We found Oliver on google by typing in the style of kitchen I was looking for. I’d spent hours on Pinterest saving any kitchens that I liked and this came in very handy when I first met Oliver. I could explain exactly what I was looking for. I had also seen the exact kitchen I wanted on Oliver’s website so bar a few amends, Oliver knew from the outset what I was after.
What are the dimensions of your Kitchen?
The overall dimensions of the kitchen are 15.6ft x 9.1ft (approx!)
The dimensions of the island are 1380mm x 1000mm
The distance from the range cooker to the island is 1000mm (or 1 metre).
What are the dimensions of the entire room, including the snug area?
19ft (main door to bifolds) x 22.5ft (oven to tv wall).
Do you have a plan for your kitchen?
I do!
What are the measurements of your Island?
W 1380mm x D 1000mm x H 900mm
What is the distance between your Island and Range cooker?
1000mm
What colour are your Kitchen units?
Our kitchen units are “Clunch” by Farrow and Ball
My Tip: You don’t necessarily need to go for Farrow and Ball paint as it can be quite expensive. Several paint companies now offer colour matches which will save you lots of pennies.
What colour are your walls?
Our kitchen walls are “James White” by Farrow and Ball.
My Tip: Unless you are 100% sure you’ve got the right colour, paint your kitchen walls white before your kitchen is fitted! We went ahead and painted the walls the colour we thought would work with our kitchen before it was fitted and subsequently had to repaint all the walls with 2 further coats of paint after the kitchen went in. If you know the layout of my kitchen and snug area you will know that, that is a lot of wall space to repaint! This tip also applies to other rooms in your house. Don’t stress yourself out with wall colours prior to a room being finished. Paint the walls white, have the bathroom/kitchen/furniture fitted/delivered and then choose the colour.
What type of corner cabinets have you gone for?
We went for this option…
When lots of storage is key to you then I think this is by far the best solution. I’ve had all sorts of corner solutions but this is the best by a long way. If mobility is your number one priority this may not be the best solution for you as it does involve bending down to get to your pans etc.
What are your units and worktops made of?
Our units are made from Maple Wood and the worktops are Oak.
My Tip: If your budget allows, go for a unit door made of wood. It will allow you to change the colour of your kitchen (and island if you have one) in the future should your colour palette change! I’m toying with the idea of painting my island a different colour to our units at the moment!
What’s behind your larder unit?
My food larder and my fridge freezer.
My Tip: Try and incorporate a microwave cupboard into your plans. Unless you have a very pretty microwave of course! I hadn’t thought about it when I was planning my kitchen and it drove me mad for months before I decided to give up a food shelf to hide it away!
What flooring did you go for?
I had originally wanted a real wood floor and soon realised it wasn’t practical with a growing family. A friend had used laminate flooring in their bathroom made by Quickstep and we loved it! It looked just like the real thing but was waterproof! We had also been told that Karndean was a great option but we had such a large area to cover and Karndean was a little more expensive so we went for the slightly cheaper Quickstep option.
What colour Quickstep floor did you go for & would you recommend it?
We went for the Classic Oak Natural colour in the Impressive range. It’s compatible with floor heating (amazing!) and comes with a 25-year warranty! This isn’t an ad! I think it’s amazing stuff! It’s super hard wearing too! Many a heavy toy has been launched onto our Quickstep floor and they simply bounce (or break!) without leaving a mark.
Does your Quickstep Laminate floor scratch easily?
Nope! It’s coated in a scratch guard making it scratch resistant! Happy Days!
What have you used to seal & protect your wooden worktops?
We have used a product called Fiddes Hard Wax Oil. I can’t recommend it highly enough! I love it! It eliminates any worries over water stains and scuffs. It’s predominantly used on floors which gives you an idea of how hard wearing it is. I love this product so much that I wrote a whole blog all about it – you can read it here.
What colour Fiddes Hard Wax Oil have you used on your worktops?
We used “Semi-gloss” on our worktops.
How do you clean your Wooden Worktops?
I use Fiddes Wood Surface Cleaner which has been developed explicitly for cleaning surfaces that have been treated with Hard Wax Oil. It’s great for daily cleaning as it won’t strip the oils or waxes from the Hard Wax Oil formula. It also helps to maintain the Water and Scrub resistance of the work surfaces.
Can I put hot pans on my wooden worktops after using Fiddes?
No! I just wouldn’t put hot pans down on any worktop no matter what the material. You never know how hot the pans are and how your worktop will cope with it. My advice for anyone is to get yourself some heat resistant mats.
My Tip: If you are having wooden worktops fitted ask your kitchen fitter to cut you some heat boards from any leftover worktops.
Do you use a dish drainer?
Yes! We use this one from Habitat. I take it away for my photos as it’s not that pretty! It’s great as it catches all the water so it’s not sitting on the wood.
Where did you get your bar stools from?
Our Breakfast Bar Stools were from John Lewis & Partners around 5 years ago and are no longer available. This is the closest style they have available now Click Here
For lots more, Kitchen Barstool ideas head to this blog ~ Kitchen Bar Stool ideas
Where is your range cooker from?
Our cooker is a Rangemaster Classic 110 Gas Range Cooker – Cream & Chrome. I love it! It’s fantastic for cooking roasts! Having 2 ovens really is a wonderful thing!
Are those tiles or bricks behind your cooker? Where are they from?
They are aged brick tiles from Reclaimed Brick Tile. They are made from original reclaimed bricks! If you visit their website you can order sample tiles for free! Perfect! We went with Shire Blend .
Did you seal the tiles?
Yes, we did. We used a sealant from Reclaimed Brick-Tile called Matt Finish Sealer.
How do you clean the tiles behind your cooker?
I don’t! You don’t need to if you seal them. The Matt Finish Sealer from Reclaimed Brick Tile protects against oil and water-based stains.
What extractor hood did you go for?
Our extractor hood is no longer available but this is the current version.
Where is your kitchen blind from?
My mother-in-law made it for me using material from Laura Ashley.
Where is your kitchen clock from?
It was from Asda back in 2015! Sadly they don’t make this exact one anymore but Newgate Clocks do a very similar one.
Where are your café pictures on the wall from?
They were from Next a long time ago and I’ve not found anything similar to share with you. I’m sorry!
Where did you get your sink and tap from?
eBay! Here’s the link to the tap. Sadly the company I bought the sink from isn’t around anymore but if you search for a double Belfast sink on eBay you’ll find lots of options.
Where are your kitchen shelves from?
They are from a The Chester Shelf Company. I have a discount for you on these shelves too! If you enter “greenbank10” at checkout you will get 10% off your order!
So that’s all the questions I can think of at the moment! I will add any more that come in and if you have a question that isn’t on this list then drop me a comment below and I’ll add it.
If you’re planning a new kitchen then you may find this blog helpful “Top tips when planning a kitchen renovation”
Finally, if you enjoyed reading this blog do scroll to the bottom to subscribe. Once subscribed, you’ll receive an email when a new blog is published so you never miss a blog post again.
Kirsty
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Could you please tell me where your radio is from?
Hi Rachael
I knew I’d forget something!
My radio was from Argos but it was a few years ago now.
They still do a similar version which is better as it’s DAB which mine isn’t!
Here’s a link to it. https://ebay.to/2CMghSG
Hope that link works and if not try the link which I have added to the blog. (*they are both affiliate links which means the price is the same for you but I may get a little commision payment if you purchase it!)
Thanks for the question.
Kirsty
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Hello,
Where are your cupboard handles from please? I am struggling to find black ones for our cream kitchen, and love yours!
Thank you,
Emma
Hi Emma
I can’t find the link to our handles but if you visit the Door Handle Company you should find what you are looking for in there.
Our handles look black in photos but they are actually antique pewter.
Hope that helps.
Thanks
Kirsty
Where are you breakfast bar chairs from and have you painted them?
Thanks!
Hi Bev,
Thanks for your message.
Our Breakfast Bar Chairs were from John Lewis about 3 years ago. I’ve just checked and they don’t do the exact same ones anymore but they do have some very similar options. Have a look at these http://tidd.ly/2ce8b47f or these http://tidd.ly/5c7229ad (*affiliate links)
Hope that helps.
Thanks
Kirsty
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(P.S I haven’t painted them, they are the original cream colour that they came in)
Love your kitchen! You say you have found your worktops easy to maintain- I have found my wooden work top hard work. I haven’t kept up with all of the required, regular sanding and oiling, and have never been quite sure how to keep it hygienically clean, (are products like detox ok?) I now have unpleasant black stains around the tap area and slightly tacky areas on some parts of the work top. About to embark on planning a new kitchen and wondering whether wood, although beautiful to look at, is a practical choice. You recommend Fiddes, is it really that easy and is it ‘food safe’? Could you safely work with food and ingredients directly on the oiled wood ie breadmaking, dough, pastry etc. What do you use to keep it hygienically clean? Thanks.
Hi Helen
Thanks for your message. I’ve just written a blog all about wooden worktop! Check out my latest Blog “My Secret to stress free wooden worktops”.
I’ve made many a pizza dough on ours! To disinfect I use a very diluted solution of Zoflora and water but use the Fiddes surface cleaner for daily cleaning.
Hope that helps.
Kirsty
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Hi Kirsty
As a newby to instagram I have just found your page a few days ago and love it.
I have been looking for a pendant light just like yours, where is it from please
Hi Annette
Thanks for your message.
Our pendant light was from John Lewis but it was a few years ago now and I they don’t seem to do them anymore.
I’ve had a look online and found some similar alternatives.
https://bit.ly/2SOBt5d
https://bit.ly/2SJWaPO
https://bit.ly/2DQHZOG
Hope that helps.
Kirsty
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I’m looking to create the surround you have around your cooker. What extractor fan did you use and how did you achieve incasing it.
Hi there Sadie
Thanks for the message. Exciting times ahead for you!
If you can drop me an email to kirsty@greenbankinteriors.com I’ll reply with some photos to show you how we did it.
Hope that helps.
Thanks
Kirsty
Hello! Where did you get your coffee tea and sugar canisters please?
Hi Ellie
They were from Garden Trading Company.
Kirsty
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