HOW IT WORKS
Buying a new kitchen can be a daunting process, with what can seem like endless options and decisions to make. Our job is to simplify the entire process, making it an enjoyable experience and ultimately resulting in creating your dream space.
Every home (and family) is different, and our designers don’t just start off by taking measurements, we want to get to know you and understand every last detail about how you live and use the space, and all your individual requirements.
Commissioning an Ella Austin kitchen is very much a collaborative process. Our experienced designers will work closely with you to establish –
What you need
We will determine and incorporate the absolute essentials that you can’t live without.
This may be as simple as having your dishwasher in a certain position for unloading, or in most cases will be based on design flaws from previous kitchens you have owned that you don’t want repeated.
Would-like’s
Together we’ll write a “wish list” for those little extra touches and luxuries and we will do our best to source within your budget and include these in your design.
This could be a certain appliance brand or spec, or other finishing touches such as a worktop mounted wine cooler, or a dedicated charging drawer.
How you intend to use the space
Whether you consider yourself a part-time chef, or like to regularly entertain friends and family, or just need clever bespoke storage solutions to make life that little bit easier.
Our designers will work with you to ensure the space works to your exact requirements.
Your style & taste
Whether that be a super modern high true handleless statement kitchen with mitred waterfall island worktops and packed with the latest tech, or a timeless traditional in-frame shaker masterpiece with ceramic butler sink, hand-painted on-site in your favourite Farrow & Ball colours.
Design Consultation
The first step is usually to complete our online design questionnaire. We offer a highly personalised service so there’s no “one size fits all” approach with us so these answers will help us start putting together an initial brief of your requirements, styles, finishes, materials and much more.
We can either work from scaled architects plans, or we will visit you in your home to conduct a full survey (where possible) to see how your new space will interact with the rest of the home and the architecture.
We’ll then invite you into the showroom for a design appointment where together we will create and refine a list of the absolute essentials you need in your new kitchen, as well as an ideal wish-list for things like worktops, appliances, sinks/taps, plus some of the extra little touches to make your kitchen stand out from the crowd.
From an early stage we can advise of approximate costings based on the size of the project and cabinetry style, but it is important to provide us with an indication of how much you were ideally looking to invest in your new kitchen from the start where possible, as it means we can tailor the design and spec to your chosen budget, and we are not designing something drastically above or below how much you were looking to spend.
Following this initial consultation, we will get to work on your design proposal. This process usually takes around a couple of weeks, and is completely free.
Want to get the ball rolling? Request your online design questionnaire here.
Design Presentation
Once we have completed some initial designs we will usually email over some draft renders for you to view and digest at your leisure, to ensure we are on the same page and everything is looking as you imagined, and we always welcome constant feedback and we will be happy to tweak and revise as required.
Once we are there or thereabouts on the design and layout, we’ll invite you into the showroom for a design presentation. Here you will be able to view full plans, elevations and 3D designs, and even have the chance walk around your new kitchen using our state-of-the-art VR headset. Together we’ll go through the whole design and breakdown any amendments required, most of which can be adjusted in real time on screen so we can play around and compare things like colours, textures, materials, hardware, as well as design layout during the meeting.
Once you are 100% happy and comfortable with the design we will then get to work on pricing your new kitchen. Given the bespoke nature of everything we do, this will usually take us a few days to price everything comprehensively.
COmmitment deposit
Once you have received 1-2 updated designs and quotations, and are happy with your designer and general pricing but maybe still not quite 100% set on some of the final details, we then offer the chance to commit to a provisional installation slot which will reserve you a space in our installation schedule (which is typically booked up min. 3-4 months in advance), but changes can still be made to the design, quotation or timescales, plus we can share full designs and elevations with you or your building contractors, and liaise with your builder with any techincal queries on your behalf.
Commitment deposits are a non-refundable £500+VAT, and will be deducted from your order total.
Entering Production
Once you are happy with everything we start by taking a 25% deposit to confirm the order and to enter your project into our production schedule. Depending on the nature and size of the project, production usually takes between 10-14 weeks but we will keep you updated with the progress throughout the build.
If you opt for an Ella Austin Signature kitchen you are more than welcome to pop into the workshop (30 mins down the road) and view your kitchen being made!
Your designer will remain at your disposal for any assistance needed throughout the production stage. Our dedicated production manager will also be on hand to liaise with you and your contractors, conducting regular site-visits and surveys to ensure everything is ready for your installation to begin as planned, and everything is running smoothly.
We can also setup a WhatsApp group once your project enters production which will include all members of the Ella Austin team by default (so anyone can assist with any queries no matter how big or small), clients, as well as any 3rd party contractor you would like to be involved, or possibly even your interior designer - this way all communication is kept in one place for everyone to view for ease throughout your project.
Delivery & Installation
We’ve worked incredibly hard to find a reliable installation team that shares our philosophy for perfection. They’re not just kitchen installers, they are a team of highly skilled joiners and carpenters that will install your kitchen perfectly in your space. Your designer will be at your side to take you through the whole process from design concepts, through production, manage the whole installation then through to the final sign-off. We’re all about building relationships and providing the very best service possible.
We offer a “Dry Fit” as standard, which means we focus on the cabinetry installation, and work alongside your own contractors (electricians, plumbers, decorators, tilers etc) to ensure continuity. We can provide additional services if you would like us to take care of the whole project, this will be quoted alongside your kitchen.
Depending on the size of the project, we usually start on a Monday and allow upto a week to fit base units for a medium/large kitchen, that is ready for templating worktops on the Friday. Our worktop templating, fabrication and installation service is currently around 5-7 days. Overall you can expect your new kitchen to take 3-4 weeks from start to finish. Ella Austin Signature kitchens include a final hand-painted finish once everything is installed.
Final Inspection
After your new kitchen has been installed (including worktops and appliances) we will arrange a convenient time to pop back for our final inspection and sign-off to ensure you are 100% happy with your kitchen and the service we have provided. It is our aim for your expectations to be exceeded. All we ask is we’re allowed to take a couple of pictures for our portfolio!
Our services don’t end there. Our cabinetry comes with a 10 year warranty and we will continue to provide first class support in any way you need us via our after-sales care. We’d be happy to help with any warranty or non-warranty issues, whether that be assistance with any appliances, the best way to care for your worktops, or just general enquiries, we’d love to stay in touch one way or another.
Pricing
How much do our kitchens cost?
It’s a really important question, and one we get asked a lot, and can sometimes be tricky to accurately estimate as there are so many crucial factors that can easily influence the price of a whole kitchen.
We have 2 levels of cabinetry construction available - our handmade Ella Austin Signature, and the Ella Austin Catalogue Collection, which enables us to cater for as many different price-points as possible, without ever compromising on quality.
If you’re able to give your designer an idea of how much you wanted to invest if your new kitchen before we get started on your designs they will be able to tailor the design to your chosen budget.
All of the below examples are based on bespoke cabinetry, mid-level Neff appliances, quartz worktops, sinks, taps and any other cabinetry accessories, dry fit installation and VAT -
Small Kitchen - Typically 1-2 cabinetry runs, no island
Ella Austin Signature (Handmade) - £30-50k
Ella Austin Catalogue - £20-30k
Medium Kitchen - Typically 2 cabinetry runs, plus island
Ella Austin Signature (Handmade) - £50-80k
Ella Austin Catalogue - £30-50k - This is our most popular option
Large Kitchen - Spec and design as per the medium sized kitchen above, but on a bigger scale
Ella Austin Signature (Handmade) - £80k+
Ella Austin Catalogue - £50-80k
We have also added approximate price brackets to all of our completed projects on the website to give you an idea.
Why not book a FREE consultation?
To book your free design consultation, or if you just want to find out some more information, get in touch to discover the endless possibilities of an Ella Austin Kitchen.