Cabinet Hinges - a DIY Guide to Blum Hinges!

I thought I would just clarify a few little details about the wonder that is the cabinet hinge.

If you’re a kitchen fitter or carpenter/joiner, you can switch off now, but if you are a mere mortal, listen up because you might learn a thing or two about a fascinating subject.

If you’re still reading, I just lied. It probably won’t be fascinating - but at least it might be useful!

Anyway, here we go. You may recognise this picture as being the same (or similar) to the hinges that are inside your kitchen cabinets. For many they are a mystery - and seem like they might be the most difficult DIY thingy to fix or replace. So here a a few things that might help to demystify them.

First. What are they called? Well apart from cabinet hinge, they might be referred to as a concealed hinge, or more commonly, a Blum Hinge. Blum is actually a reference to the most famous brand of cabinet hinges (rather like a cleaner being referred to as a Hoover). They are all the same thing.

Next. The component parts. They come in two pieces. The hinge itself and the backplate. There are different types of backplate to match the hinge you are buying - if you know your stuff, you will recognise which backplate goes with which hinge, but on mykitchenstore, we have grouped the most commonly used to create a full hinge and backplate set in either a slide on cabinet hinge, or a clip on cabinet hinge. More of which later. The hinge part consists of a round ‘cup’ (item 2 in the diagram above) and a hinge arm (item 1). The cup will generally be a standard 35mm diameter and is the part that is fixed to the kitchen door. A corresponding 35mm hole is drilled into the door to accommodate the cup, which is then screwed into place with two tiny screws supplied with the hinges. If you are wondering how to do this yourself, the best way would be to use a 35mm hole boring bit (often refered to as a forstner bit, shown here to the right). These fit onto any standard drill. You will find a precision drill bit at this link on our site

The backplate is the other separate component (item 3 in the diagram). This is attached to the inside of the kitchen unit using the screws provided. Then, if you have a slide on hinge, the hinge ’slides’ (funnily enough) onto the backplate and is secured with screws. If you have a clip-on hinge then you can simply ’snap’ the arm onto the back plate. Simple as that.

If you are replacing existing hinges, fitting them really is a very simple process as all the positions are marked and the holes already pre-drilled. If you are replacing a kitchen door, if the door has not been pre-drilled by the manufacturer, then simply use the old door as a template to mark where the hole needs to be drilled and then use the hole boring bit. Take care not to drill down too far!
So that’s all relatively straight forward, what else do you need to know? Well the hinges come in a variety of types, which are differentiated by the angle and crank level of the hinge. Want that explained? read on….

Angles. You will see reference to angles attached to these hinges - and what that refers to is the maximum angle that the door will open to when the hinge is fully extended. In the vast majority of instances, you will not be concerned about opening the door much beyond 95 to 110 degrees, but you can purchase them at up to 170 degree angle.

Then there’s Crank. You can buy the hinges at certain Crank amounts. What this refers to is the level to which the door will overlap the edge of the cupboard when it is closed. For example, if you purchase a hinge with 0 (zero) crank, the edge of the door will completely overlap the edge of the cabinet when it is closed (and this is how the majority of kitchen units are designed, so that the door fully overlaps the frame of the kitchen cupboard). If you buy a hinge with 7 or 8 crank, when the cupboard door is closed, you will be able to see part of the edge of the cabinet. In other words, it only partly overlaps the edge of the cabinet. Then if you want what is called an ‘inset’ door, that is that the door sits just inside the edge of the cupbard when the door is closed, then dependant on the thickness of the edging of the cupboard, you will need to buy a hinge with 15 (for cabinets with wall thickness of 16mm) or 17 (for cabinets with wall thickness of 18mm) crank. Has that helped? Or just made you cranky? Hope not! Image below to help if it has though:

As mentioned before, we have made the process relatively simple for purchasing what is by far the most used variation of the cabinet hinge (or blum hinge). For most situations you would be looking for a 95 or 110 degree hinge with 0 crank. We have an easy-to-buy set of these in both economy (suitable for light doors) and premium options (more robust and suitable for heavier doors). We have them in both Clip On and Slide On variation and the links are below for you to get straight through to them:

1. Slide On Cabinet Hinge and Backplate set, economy
2. Slide On Cabinet Hinge and Backplate set, premium
3. Clip On Cabinet Hinge and Backplate set, economy
4. Clip On Cabinet Hinge and Backplate set, premium

And what if you don’t fit them absolutely accurately? Well you will be pleased to know there is a little margin for error. The hinges are designed to allow for adjustment both vertically and horizontally. A minor adjustment with your screwdriver and a little repositioning should resolve most minor door hanging issues.

So I hope this helps to clarify a little further for you the intracacies of kitchen unit hinges - I’m sure it’s not comprehensive, but it covers most of the bases. If you need further information, then you can always email us at enquiries@mykitchenstore.co.uk to see if we can answer your specific questions. Don’t become unhinged - just ask!

Glass Splashbacks - Colour Your Kitchen Beautiful

Our standard glass splashback range creates a stunning splash of colour in the kitchen - as you can see here from one of our beautiful colours, fuschia pink.

But we’ve had many enquiries from people who want to colour match or order a size to fit their particular needs - so we are now offering a bespoke service, meaning you can order a beautiful glass splashback in any colour and in any size. (well, within reason!)

And you don’t need to restrict yourselves to the splashback area, glass panels can be fitted to the wall under your kitchen cabinets and pretty much colour match to any standard reference. We can also accommodate those awkward plug sockets and switches.

Just email us at enquiries@mykitchenstore.co.uk and we’ll help you with a bespoke glass splashback to meet your needs.

So go on, pick a colour, any colour…

Wicker Baskets Are a Natural Choice For Kitchen Storage

Wicker basket drawers are a fabulous way to improve you kitchen storage. Made from natural wicker, the basket is fitted using a pair of solid beech runners inside your standard width kitchen units.

For a typical kitchen cabinet, you would fit one basket drawer in the top section (above the shelf) and one in the bottom section (below the shelf). You can remove the existing shelf completely if you wish.
Once the runners have been fixed (which is a very straightforwad job) the basket fits neatly inside - meaning you no longer have to scrabble around at the back of cupboard, instead you have a storage unit that just pulls out for you to access your groceries.

For many of us, these just represent a much more attractive method of

kitchen storage, but the biggest benefit is for those who might suffer from back problems, making reaching down and into cupboards uncomfortable. They really do make a vast improvement to accessibility.

The baskets come in variety of styles, incuding the bread basket drawer shown here and various sizes to fit kitchen cabinets between 450mm and 600mm (although the options available vary by style).

So if you’re looking for a naturally stylish option for kitchen drawers, or if you know someone who would appreciate a more accessible from of kitchen storage, then why not consider the wicker basket case?

Flip Down TV - Kitchen TV With Flip and Swivel

Does preparation for dinner strictly interfere with Come Dancing?

Is your Good Morning spoiled without TV?

Well the need to be in the kitchen should no longer interupt your viewing pleasure - because we have these fabulous flip down TV, DVD player and radio units.

This is pretty much the complete kitchen entertainment unit - and its so versatile that not only does it flip down - but it also swivels. Meaning you can view from anywhere in the kitchen.

The TV has Freeview and can be operated from its own panel or with a remote control and it has a 250cm LCD screen.

So, no more excuses, lunchtime is now definitely for Loose Women!

Door Handles Get Funky!

Door handles just got funky! We’ve just received details of a whole range of new kitchen door handles that are fabulous for sleek contemporary kitchens.
Take this new range of cloud coloured bar handles. Available in a range of psychadelic colours, they make a fantastic statement about you and your style. The swirling, art nouveau style pattern looks fabulous, particularly on gloss finished kitchen doors and drawers.

I’m excited about getting all these new products on our webiste - these are already available and there’s lots more to come. Come on, get funky, get new kitchen door handles!

Designer Radiators - Glass Fronted Radiators Are A Hot Feature In The Kitchen

Designer Radiators are a hot item right now and with good reason. Making a beautiful feature from something that has been traditionally a bit of an eyesore offers a great improvement to the design of any interior - and these stunning glass fronted radiators are no exception.
These sleek modern radiators come in a variety of colours, including Zest lime green, stunning fuschia pink, sleek polished black and elegant chalk white. There is also a
mirror fronted radiator for those in need of a little peaceful reflection!
Formed in extra strong glass and with a lifetime guarantee that the colour will remain vibrant and strong, these radiators are plumbed in using the usual process and conform to the relevant BS and PREN Standards. If you need a fitter, take a look at our useful
fitters page to find a list of contacts.
An added benefit is that the radiators are hygenic and easy to clean, having a sleek flat surface.
The colours also match with some of our glass splashback and glass upstand ranges for a complete, co-ordinated look.

Sleek and elegant - designer radiators fronted with stunning coloured glass offer a beautifully warm welcome in any kitchen.

At Last... Pictures of Our Beautiful Glass Splashbacks

We’ve been waiting from some pictures from our glass splashback suppliers because we wanted to show them off to better effect.

We’ve had a mass of interest in them but haven’t really been able to demonstrate just how fabulous they look when they are actually up in the kitchen – but now we can!

We’ve got a couple if images – and as it happens, they are in the two best selling colours, bright refreshing Zest (that’s Zest in marketing speak, or lime green in English!) and deep exotic Fushia (dark pink!). I’ve slotted them into this blog for you to take a look at added them to the main splashback section of the website.

They come in a wide range of colours – orange (also a strong seller), lime, pink and red for a fresh, bright look and then a range of blues, greys, browns and blacks for the more subtle appearance. Whichever colour you choose, they make a stunning effect. The glass is sort of translucent and if you have downlighters under your kitchen cabinets, they really do look amazing.

And not only are the great to look at they are also really practical They fix to the wall with a self-adhesive backing and are very easy to wipe clean.

So there you have it – to add some truly beautiful practicality to your kitchen you need glass splashbacks.

A New Twist On Your Old Door Handles

Attention to detail is the key when it comes to making your kitchen the best it can be - and one of the details that sometimes gets less attention that it should with a fitted kitchen, is the door handles.
There are hundreds and hundreds of options available, and what you choose can literally change the personality of your kitchen.

Indeed if you want to give your kitchen a quick makeover or refresh, then the door handles (or door knobs, catches, pulls and so on) can be a great way to start.

The topic is as broad as the options available, so I’m going to come back to this subject so that I can deliver it in themes, but I’m going to start with a review of a currently trendy option in handles, ones with a twist! Traditional in design and available most commonly in Black, Antique Pewter and Antique Brass, Twister handles are pretty much as describe they have either a basket, cage or molded twist in them as a feature. One of my personal favourites is this drop drawer and door handle with an antique brass finish.

It oozes class and has a fine antique appearance - but it won’t break the bank at only a smidgen over £2 each. If you have a standard size kitchen, you’d probably be looking at less than £40 to give your doors a fabulous new personality.

DIY TIP: When you are measuring to establish the size of door handle you need, measure between the Hole Centres (often referred to as CC for some bizarre reason) - that is the distance between the points at which the handle will be attached to the drawer or door.

The next category of door handles with a twist are T-shaped handles. Some examples of those we have available are shown here.
With these, a touch of elegance can be added at even lower cost. the attractive barley style twist door handle shown at the bottom right of this picture is available at just £0.95 each - so a makeover cost per average kitchen of less than twenty quid!
These, again are generally available in a choice of black, pewter or antique brass.

And our final category of handles with a twist comes in the style of door knobs.

Available in diameters from 30mm to 38mm, these button style door knobs are a subtle touch of class for those who prefer a compact look.

The cage style twister door knobs shown here are both available in black, pewter and antique brass and come in at a little over £2 each, whereas the moulded style antique brass door knob , which also comes in antique pewter, retails at around £1.20 each.
So, a contemporary look using a traditional theme can be added to your kitchen at relatively low cost - just give it a new twist.

I Should Be Running My Own Doughnuts Off, But...

I’m sponsoring Dee Kirkham to run her doughnuts off instead!

The power of the tweet and
twitter.com was pressed home this morning when a message popped through from Dee about how www.justgiving.com had generated a great response for her sponsored run this coming week in support of the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign. Inspirational Dee is running 10 miles (she’s completed a marathon before, it will be a doddle, right? Not! It’s a tough distance)
Admiration for Dee plus a combination of timing and the content made me click through and add a little support myself. I have been meaning to participate in a charity run myself for about a year, but despite my training efforts (I really have got shin splints, honestly!), I’,m ashamed to say that I still haven’t managed to get to the start line. I was also so really impressed with the JustGiving website and how it offers such a powerful support mechanism to help those wanting to generate sponsorship or gift giving - it makes it so easy to give your support.

So inspirational person +tweet + great website + guilt = donation

A winning formula all round. And if it adds up for me - it should add up for you too, so why not click through directly to
Dee’s sponsorship page by clicking here and offer her a little doughnation of your own?
There, I feel much better, liberated… now pass me that sticky toffee pudding.

Hot In The Kitchen: Door Handles, Splashbacks, Upstands...

... and much more! Since we have thousands of kitchen items, everything from cabinet hinges to Range Cookers, I thought I'd provide a simple list of our top products for you to link through to:

Cabinet Hinges - also known as blum hinges

Drawer Runners - fix those droopy drawers quick and easy!

Door Handles & Knobs - hundreds of styles and types

Shelf Supports - handy and often difficult to find

Soft Closers - sssshhhhhh - makes the kitchen doors close quietly

Cabinet Carcasses - aka your kitchen cupboards!

Replacement Doors - great choice available - a low cost route to a kitchen makeover

Chrome Baskets - fantastically convenient way to improve kitchen storage

Wicker Drawers - another great way to improve storage

Glass Splashbacks - hot hot hot!! Practical and a great way to add a splash of colour to the kitchen.

These are just a few of the product we have - trade or consumer, we can provide you with pretty much everything you need for kitchen home improvements.More soon....

Free Advertising For Your Kitchen Fitters Business

I have a free directory listing service on my website, so if you are a quality kitchen fitter, plumber, tiler, plasterer, carpenter, joiner or electrician I would like to here from you!

Mykitchenstore offers thousands of kitchen fitting products - everything you might need from fixing a problem with a cabinet hinge to performing a complete kitchen makeover with replacement doors and cabinet carcasses. With thousands of visitors coming to my site, chances are some folks will be looking to find a kitchen fitter or trades person to carry out some work on their kitchen using the products they are buying.

I would like to have at least one of each of the above trades listed on my site for every county in the UK - so if you are interested in some free advertising with a listing on my website then I would like to hear from you.

You can list your main services, your contact details including telephone and email and a link to your website or bttradespace.

To take a look at the current listing (and check out our huge range of kitchen fittings, door handles, hinges, appliances, kitchen cabinets and much more), click on this link to our kitchen fitters page

And if you would like to take advantage of this free advertising opportunity for your business, then get in touch!

Splashing Out On a New Kitchen Splashback

We have thousand of kitchen items on our kitchen store website - but one of the most popular products recently has been kitchen splashbacks.

I don't know why this might be - but on further investigation it seems that it is also one of the most searched items. Maybe kitchens don't get fitted with a splashback in place - or equally I suppose a splashback might not be something that gets much thought until after the kitchen is installed and you notice that it is an integral part of 'the look'. This struck me yesterday when a customer purchased one of our glass splashbacks in fuschia - a powerful and rather splendid colour that probably has quite a big impact as it sits proudly there behind the hob.

So what are your options when it comes to splashbacks? Well the standard and best known are probably the stainless steel splashbacks in their shimmering silver splendour - and if you have a range cooker, you may well be willing to splash the cash on a sleek, slick and commanding rangemaster black splashback which is formed of hefty 15mm thick steel and splendidly coated in black enamel.

But for the fun and funky, there's the far more exciting glass variations. You can have glass tiles or a solid glass panel and each come in a fabulous range of colours; turquoise, pink, gold, blue - what a great way to add a 'splash' of colour!

Let's Hear it for the Soft Closer - No More Kitchen Door Slamming!

If there were a Nobel Peace prize for bringing harmony into the kichen, it might have to go to the inventor of the Kitchen Door 'Soft Closer'. This ingenious little item can be easily fitted to doors and drawers to top that awful slamming sound that you hear so frequently either when you're in the kitchen yourself - or when you're trying to relax in the lounge and all you hear is the constant 'thwack' as another kitchen cupboard closes while your supper's being prepared (how irritating is that!!).

What's even better about these quiet little gems is that relatively inexpensive - and straightforward to fit. Let's start with the simple plastic soft closer that can be fitted inside your existing cabinets. Pictured here on the right, this shows the soft closer pressed into a 10 mm hole - so that's all you need do to fit it, drill a nice even 10mm hole into the wall of your kitchen cabinet and then press in the plastic closer. It's a simple enough principle, as you push the door closed, it meets the end of the closer, which 'dampens' the momentum of the door - and then the pressure of the door on slowly pushes the piston of the closer back into its housing. Leaving a quiet, slow, gentle door close. Aaaaahhhh.

When you open the door again, the piston pops out - ready for the next time you close the door.

Using this method, you need only fit one per cabinet and they are a little over a couple of pounds each - so a typical kitchen will set you back a little less than £30 to fit on all doors. Not much to pay for a bit of peace and quiet is it?

They work on drawers too, so for an even quieter life, fit those too.

Now if you don't fancy drilling the hole into the cabinet, for an extra £0.18 per fitting, you can use a surface mounting unit to house the soft closer which you fit on the inside of the cabinet.

Then on the slightly more sophisticated level, there is the soft closer unit that fits onto your clip on concealed cabinet hinge. It will need to be the 170 degree example shown on the link, which opens sufficiently for the bit to clip onto the door piece of the hinge. This particular soft closer

(shown on the left here, looks a bit more sexy don't you think?) is even less obtrusive than it's plastic sister above.

But please be sure you have the right type of hinges (or are fitting the right hinges for example in your new replacement doors!) before you plunge in and buy. These little marvels will set you back all of £2.56.

There are few other variations to look at, but you'll find lots of information if you take at out soft closer section - and be sure to download the various pdf documents available.

So now the quiet secret is out, isn't it time for peace to break out in your kitchen?

Sagging Drawers? Hitch Them Up With New Kitchen Drawer Runners

Sagging drawers is a very common problem - and one that gets worse with age. BUT you'll be relieved to know that there is a simple and generally inexpensive solution.

First of all, given the title of my blog, I realise that this isn't the sexiest subject - and not very hot. But given we get so many people visiting our website in search of a solution, I felt the usefulness of the information warranted a diversion away from the more glamorous aspects of the kitchen.

So, back to the drawers. It feels fairly fundamental when the kitchen drawers start to fall away from the runners or the runners depart from the side of the kitchen cabinet (or kitchen carcasse as it is known in the trade(winks!!)), but it is often an eminantly fixable DIY job. All you need do is replace the runners. The difficulty is often in identifying where to buy the runners - and which ones to buy. That's where http://www.mykitchenstore.co.uk/ comes into the equation. We have a large selection of all types of kitchen drawer runners, from the most basic plastic drawer runner to the more specialised heavy duty zinc plated stainless steel runners (who said it wasn't sexy?). The fomer - more common- variety are very cheap (less than a quid), whereas the latter will set you back a bigger chunk. But generally speaking you will be able to perform a refit and fix your porblem for just a couple of pounds.

The best way to find the one you want (if you aren't an expert kitchen fitter or kitchen drawer runner spotter of course), is first to measure it and then probably to try a bit of picture comparison work. Remove the runner and hold up against the computer screen to judge best match if necessary (but possibly not if you're intending to go to an internet cafe to conduct your search!). Pretty much all runners come in pairs so you probably just need to buy one unit.

Then as long as the fixing points are sound, all you need do is take out the old ones and fit the new ones. The simple, straightforward and painless solution to saggy drawers - go on, you know you should, because leaving them like they are... well, that just pants isn't it?!

Getting a Handle on Quick Kitchen Makeovers

With the credit crunch biting and the housing market pretty stagnant, folks are turning towards a bit of DIY both to make their living environment more enjoyable and to potentially maximise the value of their property when the time does come to sell again.

John Lewis recently reported an uplift in sales of kitchen replacement and refurbishment products in lieu of investment in complete new kitchens - and several reliable sources in the DIY market reckon to have had an increase in sales too. So here are a few tips on giving your kitchen a bit of a makeover to help brighten your day.

Let's kick off with something simple like kitchen drawer and cabinet handles. These come in a huge variety of styles and sizes and can make a major difference to the look and feel of your kitchen. Traditional and cottage style kitchens can change personality with the use of a different door knob or handle. Replacing a simple wooden pine door knob (which come as standard in so many kitchen designs) with a finely crafted antique pewter style twisted bar handle will lift your room from the ordinary to the extra-ordinary - and believe me it really is quite extra-ordinary that something seemingly to small can make such a big difference. Kitchens require on average around 20 drawer and cupbard handles - so for about £40 you can cheer yourself up with a new twist on your existing style.

If you want to push the boat out when it comes to handles, then solid pewter handles can create a stunning effect. They are more pricey - at around £15 each they are definitely more of a luxury, but well worth it for a superb finish.

For those of you with a little more ambition in the DIY area, Replacement Doors are pretty much like having a completely new kitchen - and they are suprisingly easy to fit. They come in a myriad of styles and colours, contemporary replacement doors tend toward the more sleek and simple designs in a variety of colours and wood effect finishes. Classic doors have more detail but retain the simplicity that makes them timeless favourites and traditional replacement doors are more elaborate and tend towards the wooden effect finishes than colour.

So what's involved with fitting replacement doors? Well in most cases, it's really very simple. The vast majority of kitchen cabinet doors come in standard sizes in width and height and are secured using standard fittings. If you open your kitchen door, you will generally find two hinges on the inside; these will usually be concealed cabinet hinges (also often known by a well know brand, Blum hinges). The hinges fix via a small back plate that screws onto the wall of the cabinet plus the hinge itself which in most cases sits inside a 35mm drilled hole in the door, secured using a couple of small screws. The hinge part fixes to the back plate part either by sliding on and securing with a single screw, or by clipping on. To release the door from the cupboard, all you need do is either flip the clip or undo the screw.

Once you've removed the door (and please don't be worried about doing so, it's very easy to put back on!), then you can take a look a the condition of the hinges. As long as they are working ok and still nice and clean, then there's no need to replace them, just use them again on your new doors. If not, you'll need to buy the same style and quantity to refit with the new doors. You can see Clip on Concealed Cabinet Hinges here and download a more detailed guide to replacement doors and fittings by visiting this link and downloading the pdf on the link labelled Replacement Door Guide

So, the next step is to measure your doors, width and height. (Click the following link to see standard sizes for replacement kitchen doors are shown in the table on this page. Then you have a choice whether to have the 35mm holes for the hinges (mentioned above) pre-drilled into the doors when you order them. To do this you will need to provide the supplier with the exact locations of the holes by measuring the distance from the top and side of the door to the hole centers (this is covered in the guide you can download above). If you want to DIY it, then you can use a 35mm Forstner bit (pictured right) attached to your standard drill. There is some leeway for adjustment both vertically and horizontally in the concealed hinges, so get it as accurately centered as you can, but you can make adjustments if necessary.

So you've measured all your doors and drawer fronts and assessed how many cabinet hinges you might need - now you just place your order!. When the doors arrive, fix the hinge part of the concealed hinges into the 35mm holes in the door, and simply attach them to the back plates affixed to the inside of the cabinets.

That's it! New look, new feel kitchen in a few easy steps. Of course if you have any doubts at all, contact a local carpenter of joiner, or kitchen fitter for advice. And if you have a bespoke kitchen you may need to contact your supplier to discuss your requirements.

Please note! The above tips are provided for guidance only and I take no responsibility for the success or otherwise of your project (unless of course, you are truly ecstatic with your new look kitchen and want to express your undying gratitude!!)

How To Handle the Kids....

... no this isn't a masterclass blog in pre-adult management, its about where to find handles that are great for kids - door handles. !

Actually these are great fun and whilst you might not strictly want them to be in your kitchen, here are our lovely, bright range of door handles and knobs for your children's room: Cute aren't they? Vividly painted ceramic. Visit our website to take a look at these little gems!

We've also got a great range of chrome door handles, wooden door knobs, pewter handles, stainless steel pulls, tasteful ceramic knobs - which are absolutley right for the kitchen. Visit http://www.mykitchenstore.co.uk/ for a closer look.

Are you wired?

... that's wired in the kitchen sense of course.

Which at the moment means have you got the latest chrome wire baskets in your ever-so-trendy kitchen? No? Then what are you waiting for? This, for kitchens, is like adding a spoiler to your sports saloon - they make things a bit faster, a bit sleeker, a lot more polished (we're talking the subtle, stylish spoiler type here, you understand...) . I mean if you look at my first example image here, you could be forgiven for thinking it was an upside down spoiler right? But what this beautiful polished chrome wire basket actually does, is make your kitchen storage more efficient. What you do is install them inside your kitchen cupboards rather than the staid old lumpy shelves you currently have - and because they are on runners either side, you can then pull them out of the cabinet to put in/take out your stuff. They come in standard sizes to fit inside pretty much any size of kitchen cabinet (or kitchen carcasses as we in the know call them ;) ). What's more, you can usually get two of them inside a cupboard (which is handy because we generally supply them in pairs), meaning you can have two storage levels without bending all the way down to the floor and scrabbling around in the back of the cupboard. Marvellous!

And there's more... Just like spoilers, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There's the plain pull-out chrome wire basket set for your cupboards. (remember, cleaner, tidier, saves all that bending down and back pain). Then there's the 'Under The Sink' variety that means your unpleasantries such as cleaning stuff can be given tidied neatly away into a wire drawer that pulls out from under the kitchen sink. There's even an industrial strength, lockable pull out unit which, all joking aside, is absolutely brilliant for keeping nasty cleaning fluids away from the exploratory hands of the children. It's less a chrome wire basket and more a cage, but it absolutely does the job it is designed to do.

The other things about these handy items (apart from the fact that they're brilliant if you have back problems or if you generally find bending down is a form of exercise you'd rather not indulge in), is that they are remarkably easy to fit. They come with runners to fit on either side of the cupboard (like your drawer runners), fit them with a few screws (also provided) and you're ready to go. So very DIY - or DFY if you prefer.

So there you have it... one of the biggest trends in storage right now means fitting a polished chrome wire basket. Take a look at our options on http://www.mykitchenstore.co.uk/ - you'll be spoiled for choice!!

If You Can't Stand The Heat - Visit mykitchenstore.co.uk

... because that's where you'll find what's cool in the kitchen!!

Despite the gloomy picture being painted by our British press, there are glimmers of hope (aside from the sparkle of an Olympic medal), to keep us bizniss people optimistic. For instance, the fact that peeps are spending more time on sprucing up their houses given the gloomy fact that they're not likely to sell them right now.

So this blog will be dedicated to letting you know about all the great value kitchen gadgets, great value fancy fittings, great value makeover products, great value new space saving kitchen storage items and many more (did I mention great value?) kitchen items to make your life easier and - er, prettier. All these marvelous items can be found at http://www.mykitchenstore.co.uk/ which has thousands of trade and consumer products.

I'm going to start with a bit of DIY help (because its not just about the pretty things, we can be practical about kitchen DIY too).

Do you know what a Blum Hinge is? You do? Good. If you don't , it's a trade name for the hinge that you find on the inside of the door of your kitchen cabinets. Many people struggle to find this little DIY gem when they need it. Well you'll find them at mykitchenstore - and for far less than you would spend in B & Q. Now 'Blum' is actually a brand name ( a bit like Hoover, it has become synonymous in the trade with this type of hinge), but actually what you are looking for is a concealed hinge and they are available in many other brands other than Blum. So if you need to change or fix a kitchen door (which is really very simple to do, more on that another time), then this is the type of hinge you want.

Now for a little bit of magic - actually a magic corner. I found out about magic corners myself when I had a sticky problem in one of my kitchen cupboards. You might be familiar with it. The cabinet in question was in the corner with that awkward blind area that you can't see into or reach properly. I put my hand in to grope around for a jar of honey - and put my hand straight in it - the honey that is, which had leaked from the jar on its side and settled in a sticky, furry pool on the base of the cupboard. Sweet - not!! Yuk and double yuk. So in searching for a way to improve access to the cupboard, I came across a magic corner: which looks like this picture. It's a great thing! It very cleverly fits onto the kitchen door and when you close it disappears into the unreachable area of the cupboard. It makes it easier for me to get the stuff I need (I often don't even need to bend down, let alone dislocate my shoulder to get round the corner). It's also easy to fit - it must be, I did it myself!

Anyway, some time along and now with my very own kitchen store, I can highly recommend these fabby items - and what's more, we have 25% off magic corners until the end of September 'o8. MAGIC!!

By the way, if you fancy working from home and earning money running your own kitchen store, check out ReadyStore.

Phew, I'm a bit hot now, best get out of the kitchen for a while! If you want to ask any kitchen DIY or kitchen refurbishment questions, feel free to do so; if I can't answer them, I know someone who can.