Am I being naive only looking at DIY kitchens

[Andy Clarke]

Your corner pantry door may bind on the wine cooler/worktop depending on how far back you can push the wine cooler, or the hinges that are fitted to the cross corner.

[Amelia Smith]

Thank you for that, I’ll swap the hinges to the other side

[Anthony Wright]

Hey, I’m a freelance kitchen designer. I can put together designs for you that you can send off to multiple suppliers just to compare supply prices and compare customer service etc. without committing. Feel free to message me for more info, I have 12 years experience in an independent showroom

[Amelia Jones]

We bought ours from DIY Kitchens who have a showroom in Yorkshire and another near Oxford. Spent a day there where you look at 60 big displays but can’t order a kitchen! Have to order online. So we did, the units are very high quality and thickness and delivered fully assembled. Not the cheapest but probably the best value in higher end kitchens.

[Ben Horner]

Wren never leave you alone, with constant calls and emails.

I went to both Wren and DIY showrooms and DIY were much better quality and price.

[Charles Brown]

We bought our kitchen from DIY Kitchens and I have installed it myself no regrets we didn’t look anywhere else but did have a Wren brochure

We’re also in Lincolnshire we went to the Yorkshire showroom 3 times changed our minds with quite a lot over the 3 visits. Highly recommend going to the showroom

[Natalie Smithson]

You dont need panels either side of your dishwasher as you have sink cabinet one side and cupboard on the other. Someone has already mentioned the wine cabinet issue.

[Donna Crich]

We’re in the middle of building our Wren kitchen (didn’t want to pay £4k to get it fitted) and have been ok so far units all come ready built and they give you loads of guides and plans to follow. Not started the worktops yet, that should be fun

[Edward Clark]

Reason I jacked wren, they hound you and don’t have a good reputation

[Elizabeth Adams]

Have to be honest – You have what appears to be a large space that many would be envious of and you’ve made a terrible hash of a kitchen design that neither looks nice, nor functions well.

Kitchen design isn’t just about placing ‘boxes’ in places that may or may not fit.

Sorry to be harsh, but all I see in your design is an expensive mistake.

[Freya Scott]

Just finishing touches of my Wren (Solihull and I have the designer name if needs be). Very impressed with the Shaker + (I think it is). Looked endlessly at all companies and price points and found Wren with discounts to be the best bet. Replacement parts no issues just order (4 or 5 in all). 23k to 16k. 8k to fit (more from subbies) was too much and no electric or plumbing so did myself as a handy DIYer and an all rounder electrician friend and a few hundred quid from Screwfix and MPlace. Yes I would use Wren again, didn’t find pushy BUT they are individuals and commission based and not always trained NOT to peas people off so I understand. Nearly finished

[Graham Thomson]

Try Kutchenhaus very good service at York

[Helen Geeen]

I used DIY kitchens and I couldn’t be more pleased with them. Started off with Wren (great for the design at least!), then Howdens, then Magnet and they were all overpriced and over-salesy. No hard sell with DIY Kitchens, excellent quality, great service and a year and a half on no regrets whatsoever.

[Ian Brown]

Went with DIY after quotes from Wren, Magnet, Sigma, Howdens and a few independents. Couldn’t fault their customer service, quality of product and price. 2 yrs on and the kitchen looks as new as it did when fitted. Don’t be put off by their location – delivered a replacement unit to West Wales within a week and additional fixings arrived next day

[Edward Jackson]

Wren are definitely a hard sales business. I made it quite clear when I contacted them that I did not want endless phone calls and no matter how much they pushed any decision would be in my time and after I had compared and considered other suppliers/fitters

[James Evans]

When we placed our order with DIY, they look over the design and offer feedback. We are paying to get it fitted though which i think is worth considering for the purchase saving with DIY.

Everyone we’ve spoken to has really recommended DIY.

[Crystal Robinson]

I don’t think you’re being naive at all. We focused mainly on DIY Kitchens and were really happy in the end. One of the reasons we chose them was that the cabinets come rigid, which makes installation much easier if you’re doing it yourself. We also had a similar experience with Wren’s sales calls which pushed us away a bit. If you can visit a showroom it really helps with layout decisions.

[UK Kitchen Advice]

Hi Amelia, in addition to the other comments I would highly recommend installing heat resistant strips around the oven to protect the doors either side of it as when opening the hot air will eventually retract PVC if using PVC doors. If using painted doors then it will discolor and shrink solid timber doors. Always review the cabinetry to make sure the fitter is using high grade hinges etc as these are high use areas and need to be able to withstand being used many times during a day.