Hello - looking at getting a kitchen done. Currently have a quote from freedom which seems reasonable. Anyone here had one built recently and can recommend a company? Or has anyone had any experience with freedom kitchens. If so, please reply post haste.

going to be alot cheaper if you goto a cabinet maker directly, rather then one of those fancy showrooms.

Anyone got any experience with engineered stone bench-tops

We had our kitchen done through Kitchen Gallery at Salisbury.

Our neighbours also had theirs done through them (after seeing ours).

I would recommend.

we've already discussed kitchens before, search for it;

our kitchen was also done by kitchen gallery at salisbury coz they were local and made an effort doing out quote:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22408&id=628941331&l=5c1c3fe5f4

we were also extremely happy with the result

last edited by Spook at 08:17:05 08/Jan/10

My bro had his done through freedom and he was pretty happy. I got mine done through kitchen connection and I'd rather cut off my own balls with a rusty spoon before I used them again.

We were getting extensions done and our chippy also did kitchens. And not in the normal chippy way, they were accurate to within a point of a millimetre instead of 10s of millimetres.

We got it made from the ground up in red cedar. We wanted a solid wood kitchen and no chipboard or mdf that could easily be water logged.

I couldn't imagine getting a flat pack kitchen, even though our guys did bitch all the way through.
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs048.snc3/13541_230986893451_530228451_4297197_3533429_n.jpg


Sorry, no experience with Freedom Kitchens.

Freedom as in Freedom furniture?

didn't know they did Kitchens!

im not at home but we got ours done by cabinet maker and its beautiful all granite and wood... massive kitchen... it did cost around $30g but its huge italian kitchen that included the white good too i think.. when i get home will give u details and pics

Sppok, as much as it galls me to say this, you have a great house from those photos.

Really like both the style and layout of the kitchen. Nice work.

yer, was nothing to do with me luckily :)

wifey designed it all with the kitchen mob

i was originally against the oven due to me thinking it was ridiculously big, but i now accept i was wrong and you can never have too big an oven

i really should have included some before pix, coz it was so s*** before you wouldnt believe it

last edited by Spook at 09:47:21 08/Jan/10

The problem I think with solid timber kitchens is the maintenence in the long run.

They easily get mould and s*** happening and blackening around the dishwasher, oven and cooktops. My Mum has one - yeah looks good but I dunno :/

Laminate is just generally easier to keep clean.

10 bux mine was s***ter spook. We only went the standard size oven and cooktop rather than the 900. I was super keen for the 900 but our kitchen layout and size just didn't really lend itself to it.

But when we do a backdeck I'm going to do a basic outdoor kitchen with BBQ and oven so it will all be good then.

In saying that I haven't found our current one to be too small anyway :/

last edited by mission at 10:01:45 08/Jan/10

last edited by mission at 10:05:45 08/Jan/10

we've had ours for 5 years and have had no problems with mould.... the whole thing looks brand new still

Yeah I should add that Mum's is 15 years old now.

It still looks pretty good just hard to clean in certain areas. Actually some of the blackening (due to steam and general cooking funk) is permanent but unless you're really looking you probably won't notice it.

Try going and seeing some cabinet makers. If you deal with them it would be alot cheaper. And they would do alot better job. We have had to use some of those other companies when the customers wanted them, and they can be ruff. Not saying they all are, but alot of them are and I deal with them alot in my job.

The problem I think with solid timber kitchens is the maintenence in the long run.

We have varnished instead of oil. But we do know that we may have to reapply after a few years. We have a deck and we love the look of natural wood so it's worth it for us :)

No mould yet, and let's hope we have it decently ventilated that that doesn't happen.

But the last kitchen fell apart on us. We had to put drawers on chairs because the drawers fell apart. So anything was better than that

red cedar is easy to maintain and smells nice
stands up to moisture well which is why saunas are usually made from it

Not with freedom but my mum got hers done about 8 years ago by kitchen designer, custom made all cabinets and stainless steel bench tops, and custom made sink (so it's deep like commercial kitchen so it fits big pots/pans). It look fantastic, no problem with anything falling apart etc but, they were not cheap. She's a chef so kitchen is important to her and she actually makes pretty use out of it :) I dare say most people won't need anything this fancy and save of costs.

Having said that, I will say this IMO because it's a Kitchen, it's worth spending little bit extra to get quality work done so that it:

1) Is exactly what you wanted
2) Looks good
3) Lasts

Simply because, it's one of the fist things buyers will look at if you ever wanted to sell the place. So it can improve the resale value of your place dramatically if done right.

I can't remember the mob that did my mum's kitchen but they were in James St. years ago (across from Havey's) but I don't think they're there any more..

We were getting extensions done and our chippy also did kitchens. And not in the normal chippy way, they were accurate to within a point of a millimetre instead of 10s of millimetres.

We got it made from the ground up in red cedar. We wanted a solid wood kitchen and no chipboard or mdf that could easily be water logged.

I couldn't imagine getting a flat pack kitchen, even though our guys did bitch all the way through.

Billy was saying something about (I was rather drunk at Christmas) everything just being right and him not having to modify any of the stainless to get it on or something. Good chippie.

Edit: He also said "Kathline is a nice girl"

Hello - looking at getting a kitchen done. Currently have a quote from freedom which seems reasonable. Anyone here had one built recently and can recommend a company? Or has anyone had any experience with freedom kitchens. If so, please reply post haste.

I am currently involved in a long and drawnout process with Freedom Kitchens which has been an horrific experience. In summary, after our kitchen was installed in Oct 08, everything was ok until one morning when my 8 year old daughter pulled out one of the pantry draws (one of the high end deep and wide soft closing models) and the draw collapsed at the supports on the side ( pinning my daughters arms onto the draw below), the draw was only lightly loaded with cereal etc. Anyway, to cut a long story short, they sent a guy (about 2 months later) out in Sept 09 who said that all the draws had been incorrectly installed by the installer which had created the problem and hence breakage. He measured everything up and said he would be back within a couple of weeks to fix. Get to the end of October. No sign of fix.Call Freedom warranty people who proceed to tell me that this guy didn't let them know what to order. They called him and then subsequently ordered the goods, citiing a communication problems (real einsteins!), and after waiting approx 5 months without the use of the bottom half of our very expensive pantry, they will get the problem fixed. Get to late November, call the same people, I (always courteously and patiently) then request an update, assured that the problem will be fixed prior to leaving for our holidays in Mid Dec 09. Hear nothing. Call in early Jan 2010, couteously requesting an update. Assured that problem will be remedied within fortnight. No show. Call 1st Working day of Feb (approx 7 months without bottom half of new pantry). Told that they have all types of problems with installers and would get back to me within 4 days with a date for completion. No reply. I will call again later this week, after that I am going to the consumer advocates and building services authorities. I have never been subject to such an appalling treatment as this. Make your own decision. BTW - the rest of the kitchen is great.

go2 a good cabnet maker

you get what you pay for ... remember this

My parents had their kitchen done by the mob in randall street, slacks creek. I forget their name. Quality of the build is good.

http://www.alliancekitchens.net/index.htm

I cant recommend Alliance Kitchens enough. Ask for Jon to build it.

Stan - do you know the name of the installer or the person that sold you the kitchen?

We are signed up with freedom and your story worries the s***e out of me.

bunnings have diy kitchens from 3k?

my parents had a kitchen done in an investment property 6 months ago, just over 4k fully installed with (admittedly pretty thin) granite bench tops
i'll ask the name, might be interested in this myself

Does anyone know any software that can help design bathrooms and kitchens and you dont need to be a 3dstudio max guy to use?

Would get extra kudos if its free ;)

HI Domino

Don't remember the installer, I was at work whilst the installation was occurring. BTW Freedom are telling me that they can't source any installers at the moment in QLD. That may only apply to existing repairs, my guess is that dozens of installers for new kitchens exist, open to the imagination I guess. You will have to forgive my current sarcasm, but I have become a bit irate about the entire thing. Called them this morning, after the person who picked up the phone said they would get the manager straight away, she then came back on and said the manager was in another meeting and would call me back straight away (phone call was 9 am in the morning). Not one returned phone call all day. All my accounts have been factual, I am not attempting to defame, restating actual passages of events. You decide if this is acceptable or not. I don't mind in the slightest if you restate my situation to your salesperson and your concerns, this may assist my cause. As I have said, my account is restatement of fact.

I just bought a temporary flat pack kitchen from Bunnings.. Can't go wrong. Has white gloss panels, quite classy actually. IKEA also do great kitchens...

Bunnings has a decent online kitchen planner thingies..

http://www.bunnings.com.au/kitchenplanner3d.aspx#/home

IKEA has a nice online catalogue:

http://onlinecatalogue.ikea.com/2010/ikea_catalogue/AUE/
http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/

Like we say in the IT game - it's not IF stuff will go wrong, it's what's gonna happen when stuff goes wrong.

Also

i like to treat my kitchen like a PC - upgrade incrementally. I've already done stuff like replace all the door handles to modernise it, adjust all the cupboard hinges so they're all good etc, this weekend's job is to build a big drawer for inside the pantry as per mrs hardware's request and next month will be to replace the s***ty, s***ty ceramic sink with a nice stainless one and do away with the spawn of satan insinkerator.

last edited by hardware at 23:07:51 16/Feb/10

This looks so much better than a flat pack

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs208.snc3/21532_312610018451_530228451_4749042_4037918_n.jpg

do away with the spawn of satan insinkerator

woah!?!? they the best!

And then you go and spoil it all by doing something stupid like putting s*** all over your fridge :)
Very nice kitchens Kat and Spook
Omg Spook we have the same oven!! lezbfriends then go over to Kats for a spa and photos :)
Lol every photo I put up Joy hasn't cleaned up yet.
http://www.users.on.net/~lomu/Pics/kitchen1.JPG
Oven's massive ay woman can cook so much things.

omg my eyes Fn

what colour is that?

Edit: The Mrs loves this colour, but I'm not sold :(

last edited by Dazhel at 00:14:07 17/Feb/10

omg my eyes Fn

what colour is that?

AusGamers

I'd put a breakfast bar/island right where your table is, doesn;t look right otherwise :/

sup fn, lets hang out and watch our bitches cook two roasts at once

f*** yea Bitches and two roasts, Two roasts and Bitches f*** yea. Notice I used a capital B as a sign of the respect they so dearly deserve.
Two cooking at once is a fantastic idea, lets them pour/bring alcohol more frequently :)

Lol Dazhel I agree the photo looks wack yo, but real life I don't notice it, but it is the kitchen so..
Also pics of Mrs.

Great idea Martz :) that's the plan the s***ty table is temporary, I don't know why we don't have the dinning table there instead of around the corner till the bar/island thingy goes in but is it worth the discussion? I think not :)

Odd kitchen layout. Country mile between each surface and you are serving into the middle of it.

Yea but you can fit more Bitches in so..

re: gamer

you might find Google Sketchup a good tool for design. It's not much good when it comes to the cut lists that cabinet shops use to cut the parts with their machines.

If you are big into a custom kitchen and want to design it yourself, this guys blog was featured on googles sketchup blog a while back. He offers training and tips on kitchen design. http://sketchuptraining.blogspot.com/

In Crestmead there's a modern (sic of finishings, no cedar or other wood finishes) cabinet shop that do thermal laminate covering on the cabinets. Ive seen a couple of kitchens that came out of there, they come in a flat pack of parts if you decide to have a go at installing it yourself. http://www.flexipress.com/

Fn, looks like you had that one built by a place at Stafford yeah?

I got no idea mate, we bought the house brand new last year.

Where's your house?

karalee, he's only said it about 6234 times

I just wanted to hear it for the 6235th time.

Is that even in Australia?

Hi Domino

Not too sure, but it seems that my post on this forum may have provided some traction with Freedom. Senior people were apparently very upset at our situation dragging on so long and intervened to ensure our repairs were made a high priority. Thanks to those people, our kitchen was fully repaired this morning. Credit where credit is due.

I did ours myself and it cost about $2k. I only regret not having gas cooktops, but for my budget I'm happy with the result and we'll be selling this joint anyway.

I also took all the handles off cause the kids keep getting into everything and I'm too lazy for the childproof thingy's

Re: Freedom

Nothing but problems with Freedom from my end too. Mine was to do with the actual install.

I had times booked, and installers didn't show up. No call, nothing, I tried calling the installer about 45 mins after he was meant to show, and his phone was off, and remained off for the rest of the day (This happened twice!).

There were NUMEROUS problems after that, including not delivering the right parts, which threw a huge spanner in the works.

Take from that what you will, but I sure as hell know I will never use them again for a kitchen.