Two questions are recurring to me almost daily at the moment: why won’t it stop raining; why are
fitted kitchens so expensive? I’m old enough to realize that the rain will stop eventually and that this
isn’t the first Burgundian spring to arrive at the pace of a slug. Things take time here, some villages
(not naming any names) still have their Christmas trees up. However, the older I become the price
of a fitted kitchen is more and more amazing. Mars Bars used to be twice the size and 10p. To have
a bottom-of-the-range kitchen fitted into a square room is at least €5000. Is there no-one who can
explain this to me?
I have a friend who renovates houses, usually in Burgundy, to sell them on – and he is often a source
of wisdom. He often isn’t as well. Although in the last house he did he made beautiful open kitchen
units out of recuperated oak roof beams – which lent a rustic charm to the finished pied-à-terre he
was working on – he is now convinced that he won’t be able to sell his current project unless it has
a smart fitted kitchen. I think he may have read a magazine somewhere that laid out a convincing
argument about how fitted kitchens add inordinate value to sale-prices. Is this a reason why they
are so expensive? Is this why chipboard units with ‘real’ –wood veneers and plastic legs, with
conglomerate surfaces and flimsy hinges are more expensive than a hectare of good farmland?
My friend, never one to compromise on ways to save money, worked out it would reduce the price
almost by half if he brought the units directly and assembled them himself. It was still going to cost
a non-negotiable €3000 to have what he wanted, but being a seasoned bricoleur (DIY enthusiast) he
was confident that he’d be able to save himself the rest of the money. He said something about lego
and six-year-old children and took out a selection of screwdrivers.
On balance he did save himself a large amount of money. He lost an entire week of his time – though
on balance, this was still very much worth his while. He also lost a large amount of pride. To come
from the heartlands of the industrial north-east of England and to be found sitting on the floor of a
half-renovated farmhouse in La France profonde, surrounded by simple diagrams and mismatched
screws, weeping with frustration, is a blow to the toughest of egos.
It was no doubt the manufacturer’s fault that bits were missing, and the wrong size, and that the
instructions were upside down. But if this is the cheapest way to have a fitted kitchen (without any
appliances included) then it’s a sad day for us all. Although I have been inexplicably cheered up by it.
Whilst my personal preference regarding fitted kitchens is clear, there are, I must add, some perfectly good ones to be found in certain outlets in France, you just have to do your research and know where to look for them:
Ikea seems to be a favourite with a lot of ex-pats over in France and although it's not our natural choice at Bespoke Burgundy a kitchen from one of their outlets normally does exactly what it says on the tin, so to speak. They are reasonably priced and the stores are easy to navigate ( particularly as most of us are seasoned Ikea goers in our native countries ) as the format is always the same. As far as I'm aware the only Ikea to be found in Burgundy is in Dijon, just one word of caution, if you decide to purchase one here, local delivery prices are minimal, however, if you live a considerable distance away from Dijon delivery charges can be as much as 300 Euros extra, almost worth hiring your own delivery van, or even better borrowing one from a friend or obliging neighbour!
Arthur Bonnet http://www.arthur-bonnet.com/ are a favourite supplier of the Bespoke Burgundy team. They are more expensive than the Ikeas of this world, however, the input of design in their kitchens and attention to detail is inspirational. We have dealt directly with the team in Chalon Sur Saone in the south of Burgundy and from start to finish their team were absolutely on the ball, they provided a thorough service which was indeed a stark contrast to the conveyor belt experience you tend to get in a lot of other kitchen stores.
Arthur Bonnet kitchen recently fitted by Bespoke Burgundy
If you would like to see more of this kitchen renovation including the before and after pictures, visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BespokeBurgundy
Lapeyre http://www.lapeyre.fr/( pronounced 'La pear' ) is another good alternative which provides a middle of the range selection of kitchens, as well as bathrooms, floor and wall tiles etc, etc...The standard of quality is good, staff tend to be pretty helpful and often there are bargins to be had as long as you are willing to sort through the jumble of doors, windows, taps and sinks in the back room next to the collection desk. We once chanced upon a set of french doors reduced by 30% and when it came to pay for them the friendly assistant informed us that another 20% would be deducted, result!
