Hot In The Kitchen

Glass splashbacks now in any design or colour

2011-07-07T07:32:00.001-07:00

The latest in glass splashbacks manufacturing techniques mean that you can have any choice of design or colour - either by selecting from the ranges available on kitchen diy sites, the thousands of pictures available from photography sites - or using your own images, like scenes, flowers - even pictures of your children!

By using new digital printing technology kitchen splashbacks can now add a unique design aspect to your room with literally any possible image being printed and encapsulated onto toughened glass panels to go behind the hob.

The panels, which are made to order, can be in any size and a typical price would be around £193 for a 600 x 750mm splashback to go behind a 600mm wide hob. Easily fitted using mirror glue and then sealed all the way round with silicone sealant, your individually designed panel will take around 3 weeks to make.

For a truly stunning centre piece for your kitchen that reflects your own deisgn style, patterned glass splashbacks are an ideal choice.

Kitchen waste bins make recyclying easier and cleaner

2011-05-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

Recycling rubbish is becoming an increasingly demanding task, so the options available to help with this in the kitchen are evolving to help make it easier and cleaner. Kitchen waste bins can now be housed easily into kitchen cabinets and drawers, with multiple compartments so that you can separate out waste and neatly fitting lids to keep the odours at bay.

Take this impressive 78 litre waste bin on the Kitchen DIY website, which has 3 x 24 litre compartments and a handy 6 litre bin which is ideal for food waste. Each bin has its own lid and the unit is solidly built and fitted using the runners that come with it. You can fit it into a hinged door cupboard, or alternatively you can have a fixed door unit using the brackets that are also supplied. The system is designed to fit a standard 600mm cupboard.

If you have less space available, then you could opt for a pull out self closing units that fit into a 300mm cabinet, like the one shown here, currently available at a 10% discount on My Kitchen Store. the unit comes as either the three bin options shown here with each being 10 litres, or you can choose a 2 bin option with one at 20 litres and the other 10 litres.

Both websites offer a wide range o options for cabinets from 300mm to 600mm wide and there are also options to fit into kitchen drawers or standalone pedal bin units, including the impressive and popular Simple Human range.

Visit either www.mykitchenstore.co.uk or www.kitchendiy.co.uk for more information.

Wire Baskets are a big drawer!

2011-03-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Our new range of wire baskets offer exceptional value and are a great way to make your kitchen storage, cleaner and easier to access!

This new product has proven instantly popular with our customers as a robust solution to give you kitchen cupboard drawers that slide out easily and smoothly on kitchen runners that are fitted to the inside of the kitchen cabinets.

These wire basket drawers come in three sizes to fit standard kitchen cabinets that are 400mm, 500mm and 600mm wide - and they are currently being offered at 10% off the RRP, meaning they start at just a little over £20!

Visit www.mykitchenstore.co.uk for this and other great kitchen storage solutions!

Pull out larder - expand kitchen storage in a compact space

2011-03-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

Pull out larders are a great way to expand your kitchen storage substantially in a compact space. And why not check out the range at http://www.mykitchenstore.co.uk/ where they are currently available at 15% discount off RRP until the end of May 2011.

There are a range of options available most commonly for standard kitchen cabinet widths from 300mm to 600mm wide and at varying heights to take advantage of floor to ceiling cupboard options. Most come with wire baskets included (typically 3 to 5). Extra baskets are also available for most models.

Pull out larders are typically fitted using runners enabling you to draw out the unit smoothly and easily - the action of which is enhanced substantially if you purchase soft close versions, where the slow shut mechanism automatically comes into play when you push the unit closed, meaning even with a sharp shove, the door will not bang, but ease slowly and quietly back into place.

Where space is tight and you are seeking even easier access to your larder storage, you can opt for a top of the range revolving larder unit which twists as you pull it out allowing you to access the baskets at 90 degrees to get to all your groceries, utensils and pans.

In term of the wire baskets, you can opt for a linear version lower cost but with the wires running in a single direction, which means smaller items may not be stored as they may slip through the wires - of the mesh version, a little more expensive but with a robust criss crosssed mesh bases that will hold small items easily.

Pull out larders are a very practical and compact way to expand kitchen storage - check out the options available!

Fabulours new floral glass splashback designs

2010-04-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

Glass splashbacks are one of the best selling new trends in practical kitchen decor.

Easy to fit and maintain, these colourful glass panels are used to protect the wall behind the hob and above the worksurfaces as well as adding a touch of elegance and colour to your kitchen.

These 6mm glass panels have long been available in a range of plain colours, including vibrant pink, lime and red, classic black grey and white and subtle blues and greens. But new developments in technology now mean that you can have stunning images on your splashbacks to make them even more beautiful.

The new range on http://www.kitchenkitten.co.uk/ inludes the beautiful purple tulips shown above, red poppy, elegant calla lily and a stunning lime green lily bud. Available in a range of standard sizes, but also can be made to your exact size requirements.

This new development in kitchen glass splashbacks offers even more striking options to theme your room - and deliver practical protection at the same time.

New toughened glass splashbacks now in stock!

2010-03-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

Glass splashbacks are one of our best selling products and offer a beautiful, practical solution to protecting the walls behind your cooker or hob and above the work surfaces.

We are delighted now to offer both toughened and untoughened glass options. The difference between the two is that the untoughened range can be cut to size to meet your exact needs where the standard sizes do not fit the space you have available, whereas the toughened option (which is a little cheaper) cannot be cut. Both conform to EN standards and are formed in 6mm glass.

Both ranges come in a number of standard sizes and in a stunning range of colours, from bright vibrant lime, fuschia pink and red, through mid ranges classics like blues and browns, to elegant and simple black, brown or white. As well as the hob panels, we also have upstands which can be fitted above the work surface to create a beautiful colour theme around the kitchen.

The panels are easy to fit using a combination of the peel off back and mirror glue, the only golden rule to remember is to leave a 2mm gap all the way round the panel (including above the work surface) and to seal with hygienic silicone sealant. Once in place, the splashbacks are very hygienic, easy to clean and durable.

For more information, visit http://www.mykitchenstore.co.uk/.

Wicker Drawers Are A Natural Kitchen Storage Choice

2009-10-02T01:37:00.000-07:00

Wicker storage drawers are becoming an increasingly popular choice to improve access to your groceries and kitchen utensils.

Also known as seagrass baskets, the most popular of our range is the wicker and beech drawer shown here on the left. Of high quality, sturdy design, they are fitted using the beech runners supplied, making them easy to pull from your kitchen cabinets. This is a particularly good kitchen storage solution for those who find bending and stretching into cupboards difficult to do.

These come as a single basket with runners, or in a two drawer ste with pull handles crafted into the front of the drawer.

In addition to these, we have a range of grocery and bread basket kitchen drawers that can be fitted with simple beech glides.

So for practical, attractive solutions to your kitchen storage needs, take a look at the wide range of options on http://www.mykitchenstore.co.uk/.

Mirror Radiators Reflect Practicality and Style

2009-08-17T02:33:00.000-07:00

Mirror, mirror on the radiator, is the fairest of them all… this fabulous idea combines praticality with warmth and makes a feature of something that has previously been something of an eyesore in the kitchen.

This sleek designer radiator comes in 3 sizes, fits compactly against the wall and is completely reflective - a full length mirror in your kitchen. Aside from the obvious practical use for you to check out how you look when the door bell rings, the mirror opens up the room by reflecting light - adding brightness and a sense of space.

To add a touch of practical warmth, find details about the various option for the

mirror fronted radiator on our website with information about output in BTUs. At www.mykitchenstore.co.uk, we offer practical, beautiful solutions at great prices.

Kitchen Door Knobs Add A Fresh New Look...

2009-04-20T02:17:00.000-07:00

New Kitchen door knobs are one of the simplest ways to give your kitchen a bit of a makeover and a fresh look - and the choice available is quite staggering.

Far from the basic wood and chrome door knobs you will typically find in your B&Q, there are a mass of beautifully designed ceramic, metal and chic moulded materials that offer a touch of real class to your doors and drawers.

Ranging in size from a mini door pull at just 12mm square to the bold colourful statement of an 80mm
Red square door knob, shown here, there are options at every level of budget and to suit all tastes.

Contemporary designs include hammered pewter knobs, patterned ceramic knobs and moulded knobs in designer finishes like Wenge wood.

You’ll find our prices are exceptionally competitive - and we don’t package to force you to buy more than you need - you can purchase to your exact requirements matching the number of kitchen doors and drawers you have.

So get a handle on a new look for your kitchen by taking a look though our great range of contemporary, traditional and classic kitchen door knobs - you can freshen you kitchen look without forking out a fortune.

Visit http://www.mykitchenstore.co.uk/ for more information

Kitchen Corner Unit Storage - Maximise Space with a Magic Corner

2009-02-24T06:28:00.000-08:00

Kitchen corner units present us all with a dilemma - how to utilise the space in your corner cabinet without dislocating your shoulder trying to grab the items in the farthest darkest part? Well that’s where a ‘Magic Corner’ storage unit will definitely do the trick!

You would be amazed what these clever pull out units can do to improve your corner storage - both in terms of practical access and cleanliness.

The two-tier tray style shelves shown here have a pivot and slide mechanism that means thay slide in and then sideways to fit neatly into the corner section of the cupboard you can’t normally get to. What that means, is that you can grab the front of the tray and then pull and slide it forward to get easy access to everything you have stored. They are available in gloss white, gloss black and gloss grey and for right hand or left hand cupboards.

The units make a great storage mechanism for groceries, pots and pan, cleaning materials, pretty much any household item you would normally store on a kitchen cabinet shelf - but knowing that access will be quick and easy.

There are a number of options available - the chrome wire basket style shown here offers great value and has two carousel style baskets on a central spindle to pivot the trays into the corner storage area.

What’s more, youll be surprised how easy these units are to fit - definitely a DIY task that most people can take on.

The sets all come with the appropriate fittings and instructions to make the job as straigtforward as possible.

So, if you want clean, easy access corner storage, these magic little number could be the best solution for you - at least in future you’ll be able to easily find that elusive can of baked beans you were sure you had bought!

For more information about these and other great kitchen storage solutions, visit

www.mykitchenstore.co.uk.

Cutlery Trays - Should You Fork Out On a New One?

2009-02-16T10:55:00.001-08:00

... crumbs yes! And therein lies one of the reasons why! If your cutlery drawer is anything like mine, then the cutlery tray would be enough to make Kim and Aggy recoil and reach for the marigolds! Crumbs are only the start of it when it comes to kitchen dirt finding its way into my drawers!

Buying a new, fresh and clean cutlery tray is probably much easier than you think - we have a wide range of white, cream and frosted green inserts that can be fitted quickly and easily into your kitchen drawer - and you won’t have to fork out a fortune to do it with prices starting as low as £5.58.

Though when it comes to cutlery trays, you should know that silver is the new white and we have a fabulous range including the new ‘wave’ cutlery inserts that come with spacers so that you can set the widths of the sections to suit your needs. All our trays are designed to fit standard kitchen drawer widths - the majority are suitable for 500 and 600mm widths, but we have some designs as wide as 1000mm to suit today’s trend for wide drawer designs.

And if you want to push the boat out and treat yourself to something really special, then you could consider our beautifully crafted Beech cutlery trays, formed in steamed and oiled beech wood especially for this purpose.

So now that we’ve spoon fed you all the choices, there’s no excuse for not replacing your old and tired cutlery tray - get to it, sharpish!

Glass Splashbacks - A Guide to Buying

2009-01-11T03:38:00.000-08:00

Glass splashbacks are the latest must have item - and we have many enquiries both for our standard sized splashbacks and upstands plus custom made versions, so I thought I’d give a quick guideline to answer most of the questions we get asked.

I will concentrate here on the options available to purchase – and in a subsequent blog, how to fit and maintain them.

So first of all, when is it a splashback and when is it an upstand? Well they are really the same thing in terms of functionality - they are glass panels fitted against the wall to protect it from the splashes and general mess created from preparation of food and cooking - the two terms are simply used to distinguish between a panel that goes directly behind the hob (splashback) and a panel that fits against the wall above a work surface or other part of the kitchen (upstand). If you want to use a single term, then call it all splashback.

Do I Buy Standard Or Bespoke?

1. Standard Splashbacks and Upstands

As the term implies,

standard splashbacks come in fixed size and colour variations. The splashbacks are varying widths that conform to the standard sizes of hobs and cookers, 600mm, 800mm, 900mm, 1000mm and 1100mm. Our standard glass splashbacks are 750mm in height.
Upstands (which come in matching colours so that you can create a continuous wall of glass) are in fixed lengths of 1m and heights of either 450mm or 140mm.

The colours vary from vibrant lime, fuschia, Vermeer (stunning! Zest green is shown in the pic above), to more subtle blues, browns and blacks and mid range colours between

Key Question: Can I Cut Them?

If the splashback is made of standard float glass, then technically yes. But the reality is that you will be taking a risk. You should not cut them yourself, but take them to a glazier who can also smooth and polish the edges – but beware; the glazier will not guarantee that the panel won’t fracture or that the cutting won’t weaken the glass. If you need to conform to a particular size or shape, you could save yourself some stress and possibly money by having a bespoke one made.

If the panel is in toughened float glass, then they cannot be cut.

2. Bespoke Splashback panels

Bespoke panels offer you great flexibility in having anything from a simple made to measure back panel for the hob, to creating a fabulous made to measure wall of glass. We recommend that panels be a maximum of 2m for handling, but corner cut-outs, curvature shaping and socket holes can all be accommodated to ensure the panels fit snugly under cabinets, around window sills and so on. There are some minor limitations, (you can’t for example, have an exact square cut out of the corner of panel as it will break), but apart from this, most designs will be workable.

Another major advantage of bespoke panels is that you can have virtually any colour – select from a

standard RAL chart or provide a paint colour that can be matched to suit your décor.

Types of Glass – What to Choose

There are essentially three types of glass, which can come in varying thicknesses. Our splashbacks and upstands are all formed in 6mm glass, which is standard (work surfaces, window sills and so on tend to be thicker).

1. Stand 6mm float glass

Formed in extra strong glass but not toughened. This technically means the glass can still be cut, but please beware the points made above. Our standard splashbacks and upstands come in this option, but not bespoke.

2. Toughened 6mm float glass
This is one of the options we use for our bespoke splashbacks. This glass conforms to all required EN and BS standards. The difference between it and the Low Iron variation (see details below) is in colour purity and consequently, cost. Float glass has a slight natural green tinge which may show though to varying degrees in the final colour of your splashback. For pale and some mid range colours (blue for example), the green tinge will be noticeable to a small degree (and some people prefer it), whereas for dark colours and heavier mid range colours (re, pink etc) the tinge is barely noticeable. This is the lower cost option.

3. Toughened 6mm Low Iron Glass
Manufactured by Pilkington and branded Optiwhite, the glass is purer and offers a more accurate representation of colour. For paler colours and where you are specifically aiming to colour match, this may be the best option. It is a little more expensive than the float glass.

So that’s an overview of the options available.

In the next blog, information about measuring for, fitting and maintaining your splashbacks. If you have any questions in the meantime, then email

enquiries@mykitchenstore.co.uk and we’ll be delighted to help!

Glass Splashbacks - A Guide To Buying

2009-01-03T03:46:00.000-08:00

Glass splashbacks are the latest must have item - and we have many enquiries both for our standard sized splashbacks and upstands plus custom made versions, so I thought I'd give a quick guideline to answer most of the questions we get asked.

I will concentrate here on the options available to purchase – and in a subsequent blog, how to fit and maintain them.

Do I Buy Standard Or Bespoke?

1. Standard Splashbacks and Upstands

As the term implies,

The colours vary from vibrant lime, fuschia, Vermeer (stunning! Zest green is shown in the pic above), to more subtle blues, browns and blacks and mid range colours between

Key Question: Can I Cut Them?

2. Bespoke Splashback panels

Another major advantage of bespoke panels is that you can have virtually any colour – select from a

standard RAL chart or provide a paint colour that can be matched to suit your décor.

Types of Glass – What to Choose

1. Stand 6mm float glass

2. Toughened 6mm float glass

This is one of the options we use for our bespoke splashbacks. This glass conforms to all required EN and BS standards. The difference between it and the Low Iron variation (see details below) is in colour purity and consequently, cost. Float glass has a slight natural green tinge which may show though to varying degrees in the final colour of your splashback. For pale and some mid range colours (blue for example), the green tinge will be noticeable to a small degree (and some people prefer it), whereas for dark colours and heavier mid range colours (re, pink etc) the tinge is barely noticeable. This is the lower cost option.

3. Toughened 6mm Low Iron Glass

Manufactured by Pilkington and branded Optiwhite, the glass is purer and offers a more accurate representation of colour. For paler colours and where you are specifically aiming to colour match, this may be the best option. It is a little more expensive than the float glass.

So that’s an overview of the options available.

In the next blog, information about measuring for, fitting and maintaining your splashbacks. If you have any questions in the meantime, then email

enquiries@mykitchenstore.co.uk and we’ll be delighted to help!

Cabinet Hinges - a DIY Guide to Blum Hinges!

2008-12-06T04:29:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-14T02:57:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-29T15:05:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-25T08:21:00.001-07:00

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...

2008-10-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-10-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

... 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

2008-10-17T02:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-08-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

... 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?

2008-08-28T07:10:00.001-07:00

... 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

2008-08-26T02:43:00.000-07:00

... 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.