Kitchen design

**Barty** · 29-05-2007, 01:32 AM

Can anyone recommend a Bangkok based company that can design and build a kitchen? We have gone to Modern Form and a company with a show room in Emporium but both designs leave a lot to be desired. It seems to me that the staff who do the designs do not have any experience with modern western kitchens. Our budget is 800,000 - 1,000,000 Baht and we would like to get it done right. Any suggestions?

**WhiteLotusLane** · 29-05-2007, 09:34 AM

Heh.

If you don't find an experienced contractor then you will need to do this one step at a time, in the traditional '2 steps forward, 1 step back' method.

I would select a store that has EVERYTHING, from the cabinets, top slab, sink, gas unit, taps, everything. This way you can easily cost out the whole thing in terms of materials needed.

Have a feeling that would be less than 800K-1 mil, even when you select nice cabinets and everything.

Our house fortunately HAS a kitchen with wooden cabinets, granite top and built-in fancy gas stove, we just wanted to add a hot & cold water tap, which is proving challenging enough. Just the hot/cold mix tap was 2400 baht, though it's a work of art.

BTW, we're trying to re-use an existing typical bathroom electrical water heater, will that work or is something specific needed? It is a high power unit, 6500 Watt which is a lot higher than most. (Bought it when I lived half way up a mountain and the usual heaters didn't do the job)

**lom** · 29-05-2007, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by WhiteLotusLane

BTW, we're trying to re-use an existing typical bathroom electrical water heater, will that work or is something specific needed? It is a high power unit, 6500 Watt which is a lot higher than most. (Bought it when I lived half way up a mountain and the usual heaters didn't do the job) WhiteLotusLane is online now Add to WhiteLotusLane's Reputation Report Post Reply With Quote

Yes of course it will work, the heater is not aware of where it is installed.

**Barty** · 29-05-2007, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by WhiteLotusLane

Heh.

If you don't find an experienced contractor then you will need to do this one step at a time, in the traditional '2 steps forward, 1 step back' method.

I would select a store that has EVERYTHING, from the cabinets, top slab, sink, gas unit, taps, everything. This way you can easily cost out the whole thing in terms of materials needed.

Have a feeling that would be less than 800K-1 mil, even when you select nice cabinets and everything.

I would prefer to use an experienced designer and by pass the whole two steps forward one step back scenario. I do not trust myself to come up with a practical design that will work properly.

I have received a couple of PMs. Thanks to the people that responded. I cannot PM back until I have over 20 posts. Any other suggestions are also welcome.

Barty.

**dirtydog** · 29-05-2007, 01:52 PM

As long as it is a bath water heater and not a shower water heater, bath waters turn them selves on when there is a flow of water, shower heaters turn themselves on when there is water pressure, so if it was fitted before the kitchen tap there will always be pressure.

Barty the best bet is to design the kitchen yourself, the odds are you will be limited to where the kitchen sink can be fitted so you got your starting point already.

For your cooking equipment the odds are you want that vented to the outside, odds are you only got 2 walls that are exterior walls.

**WhiteLotusLane** · 29-05-2007, 05:29 PM

As long as it is a bath water heater and not a shower water heater, bath waters turn them selves on when there is a flow of water, shower heaters turn themselves on when there is water pressure, so if it was fitted before the kitchen tap there will always be pressure.

Ah, I see.. It's a "National" water heater.. when you press the main button a green LED light comes on but no heating takes place. Then when you open the hot water tap the red light comes on and heating will start.

In my old house it was installed above the tub with a switch-faucet being used to either let hot water come down into the tub, or go up to the shower head if that makes sense. I mostly turned the unit off with the big central button, with the water supply always open; this way water would start coming out after pressing the button on the heater. However it's also possible to leave the heater turned on and open/close the water using the hot water tap, when opened the red light then comes on.

Am I making a mess of this description..

**dirtydog** · 29-05-2007, 05:49 PM

It could have been explained easier I think

you have a bath water heater which works on water flow, ie the tap or valve can be before or after the heater and will only turn on when the water is flowing, a shower heater works on pressure so the tap or valva has to be before the shower heater unit, if it is after the unit then it will always be under pressure and will be on all the time

**DrAndy** · 29-05-2007, 05:52 PM

as for the kitchen, if you really cannot design something yourself, go to an architect who will do it for you

he can also supervise any fitting etc

with your budget you should have a few diamonds set in the worktop

I designed my own

building cabinets and cupboards above B20,000
teak doors and supports B12,000
other wood for cabinets B10,000

granite floor B1500 per sq m 16sqm = B24,000

granite worktops B20,000 including cutting holes for sink and hob

plumber and electrician B2000

bit of painting etc Bme

total around B80,000 then you can pay what you want for taps, sinks, hob, lights whatever

**hillbilly** · 29-05-2007, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Barty

Can anyone recommend a Bangkok based company that can design and build a kitchen? ... Any suggestions?

Forget the high price companies, if you want it done right go with a well known local. PM hillbilly.

**AntRobertson** · 29-05-2007, 06:53 PM

I don't know if this will help any at all, being that I'm in Chiang Mai and am generally clueless about these things, but I have 'mains' hot-water throughout my house - all bathrooms, kitchen etc - all without any of those ubiquitous heater type units you see (the ones DD is referring to if I'm not mistaken).

As I say, not much help but does go to show that it can be done. I believe there may be some tanks involved in the process somehow. Either that or magical hot-water fairies are working their thing?

**DrAndy** · 29-05-2007, 07:15 PM

no help at all

how is it powered, or is it the cold water supply coming in from a nice time in the sun?

**AntRobertson** · 29-05-2007, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by DrAndy

no help at all

Oh.

Sorry!

how is it powered, or is it the cold water supply coming in from a nice time in the sun?

There are tank thingies, hot-water cylinders I think they're called? Much the same as for a Western house. One for the upstairs bathrooms/showers and one for the downstairs bathroom/kitchen/laundry. I think the upstairs one is concealed in the roof but the downstairs one is in the laundry itself.

**DrAndy** · 29-05-2007, 07:40 PM

must be electric then? cost a bit to run

**Boon Mee** · 29-05-2007, 07:43 PM

^
But then you don't have to worry about venting a propane heater.

I'm installing on-demand electric in the bathrooms and a on-demand propane for the laundry - detached from the house.

**AntRobertson** · 29-05-2007, 07:44 PM

^^Oh right, yeah sorry... electric.

Doesn't really cost that much actually. Our last electric bill was for 2-2,500B and that was higher than usual because we've been running the aircons more. I think our usual bill is around 1,500-1,900.

**Barty** · 29-05-2007, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by hillbilly

Forget the high price companies, if you want it done right go with a well known local. PM hillbilly.

Thanks hillbilly. Appreciate the offer. Can I ask you to PM me? I still do not have 20 posts and although I can receive PMs I cannot send them.

Thanks

Barty

**DrAndy** · 29-05-2007, 07:51 PM

yes, I would be happy to help you with your design too, it is something I like doing, good fun

you would have to wait until I return in September though, sorry

**WhiteLotusLane** · 29-05-2007, 09:12 PM

Just went to the house to check.. It works wonderfully well.. Very quick to get warm, and it gets really hot too, too hot to hold your hand under. They put a breaker switch in there as well so the unit can be completely powered down too. So I'm ending today in sweet victory.. Another battle lies ahead tomorrow (fans and wooden floor)

**DrAndy** · 29-05-2007, 10:33 PM

hooray. That unit must be quite a high wattage

I have a small water heater, I think 6000w, that serves the showers and kitchen, but it does not get very hot. If you run the water slowly then it can be hot enough to wash greasy plates, but the shower is lukewarm...good enough but not luxury!

**Marmite the Dog** · 30-05-2007, 09:40 AM

Kitchens depend on how much you want to pay (of course).

The Italian designer showrooms on Thonglor are top end, but if you go to Index or Modernform you will get something pretty good & they'll offer a design service too.

Anything factory made will generally be better quality than purpose made, the quality of which depends very much on the skill of the workers which as you know, is difficult to guarantee.

**Rigger** · 30-05-2007, 10:06 AM

My kitchen out in the village cost me 60,000bht with gas/electric oven fitted all wooden cuboards made by a local and is a nice size kitchen. The kitchen in the place in Khon kean which is half the size cost about 50,000bht.
30,000 for pre made wooden cupboards 12,000 for labour, and 8,000 for sink and taps and power points and stuff.

**DrAndy** · 30-05-2007, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Anything factory made will generally be better quality than purpose made, the quality of which depends very much on the skill of the workers which as you know, is difficult to guarantee.

I disagree 100% on that Marmite

most factory products tend to get damaged and chipped very easily because of the materials the cheap and mid-range products use. They soon look crap unless you treat them with kid gloves

maybe the top end stuff is better? anyway, if you build it yourself, or get a good carpenter, then any cupboards should last as long as you want

depending on the skill of the workers....yes, you have to, so choose one carefully whose work you know

**Marmite the Dog** · 01-06-2007, 12:10 AM

^ Don't blame me for that. I emailed an architect friend and that's his reply, but I think we all know what we mean.

**DrAndy** · 01-06-2007, 04:41 PM

hmmm, first you post some nonsense about factory made stuff, then you distance your self from it when shown to be nonsense

you would make a good politician Marmite except for your ageism

**Marmite the Dog** · 01-06-2007, 05:10 PM

I try my best.

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