Resemblance of a kitchen!
This has been some time in the making because IKEA had a 4 for the price of 3 on appliances before Christmas so I ordered slightly prematurely, so good to see the boxes now opened and those appliances installed! So far I can only set the clock and switch them on and off, need to study the manuals when I have a moment.
DESIGN
The overall design is as originally intended with a few minor modifications.
The intention is to have a very simple design that will sit well in a relatively small kitchen/diner/living space. Whilst I would much prefer an eye level fridge this would have compromised the linear design so I have gone for an under counter appliance with back-up freezer elsewhere.
To maximise the available worksurface and give flexibility in use the drainer is built into the worktop. I have never had a dishwasher before so I guess the need for a draining area is limited. I do feel a bit reluctant to use the drainer though it looks so precious!
The underslung sink is an IKEA model and is not entirely successful because it is principly intended for top mounting so the edge has a chamfer detail which is difficult to clamp without distorting from the underside. Better quality sink would avoid this problem but the aim is a fairly low budget, if experimental, installation.
The mechanical ceiling extract is lower than intended because the ceiling void is small and a tight duct bend is necessary just above ceiling level. The original plan was to build a lowered ceiling above the wall units with a pelmet downstand and lighting at the front edge. This all now seems like too much hard work for limited result, so I now plan to build a floating ceiling panel incorporating the extract grille - a bit like a 'cloud'.
I wanted to incorporate a microwave in the design but there was no logical upper level space and I wished to keep the worksurface uncluttered. So the compromise is a combined oven+microwave, the oven is relatively small, but it gives a neat solution.
The original plan was to incorporate a gas hob but I wanted a flush underside to the wall cabinets and integrated hob extract and found the minimum height for gas a bit limiting. So I switched to an electric induction hob which allows the extract unit to be mounted slightly lower.
IKEA SPECIFICATION
The base units are IKEA black woodgrain finish, not as readily available as white but the same price. They give a crisper appearance and show white dust rather than dark marks, so you take your choice. Another drawback is that the drawer units
only come in white, but when drawers are closed the black units and details give neat finish with lines around the appliances and doors etc.
All appliances are IKEA apart from the hob extract.
IKEA DETAILS
IKEA have recently completely upgraded their kitchen design worldwide including a rail system for mounting cabinets to walls and a much smaller kickspace beneath the units from about 150 to 80mm. I guess this is to maximise the use of space in base cabinets but it does necessitate a sliding mechanism on the dishwasher to enable the door front to be accommodated when the dishwasher is opened.
Dishwasher - Unfortunately the 450mm dishwasher does not come with an integrated mechanism (unlike the 600mm appliance) so an adapter has to be applied to the front and the whole dishwasher pushed back into the opening. (This adapter would be also be used where appliances other than IKEA are incorporated). The instructions for fitting this are pretty useless and offer an impractical way of making a neat job, so this took 2 attempts.
Oven - Again I followed the IKEA installation instruction which was a mistake. Their assumption is that the oven shelf support utilises only the pre-drilled cabinet holes and a blank filler panel is fixed above the oven. By customising the shelf height the gap is closed at the top edge whilst allowing for all the required ventilation dimensions. Since the drawer fronts below will be custom made rather than IKEA standard off the shelf, this will not present a problem.
Services - I have mounted the base units away from the wall with sufficient space behind to accommodate all plumbing and drainage. IKEA assume that all services will be drilled through the cabinets which can be messy. I also painted out the rear wall below the sink in matt black emulsion to give a neat appearance.
Lighting - The low voltage lights are wired up but not yet fitted. I need to mock them up beneath the cabinets to check the lighting effect - normally they would be towards the front of the cabinets to give even distribution over the worksurface and minimise shadowing on the rear wall. I am installing a narrow shelf with lighting to the right of the wall units so not sure how alternating the light from front to rear will look.
I did plan to install lights above the wall cabinets to avoid a shadowy area but have deleted this for the moment as too much lighting and unnecessary expense, it can all be added later if required but I want to avoid a 'blingy' effect.
OTHER
A check of existing walls showed that the area around the window was not level with the general wall; up to 12mm out. This would be impossible to tile and not practical to pack out with adhesive so I scabbled back the finish and applied several coats of plaster to level the area. During this exercise I also confirmed defective emulsion paint application which I had suspected during the construction phase. The kitchen walls were so wet when the room was painted that a watered down primer coat did not not 'key' into the plaster surface. So now the emulsion 'blisters' when splashed with water and tape or blu-tac efficiently removes the paint finish without effort - this will need to be rectified at the end of the defects liability period.
Hob extract - I did a lot of research to find a quiet but powerful unit and came up with a Smeg model. It is quite difficult to compare different manufacturers data and impossible to see one in action in a showroom so in the end I had to trust that I would be happy with details and construction etc. The extract cannot exhaust to the exterior otherwise the airtightness would be compromised, so it must be set to recirculate.
This required a purchase of charcoal filters that are extremely expensive £40+, it would be possible to refill with charcoal pellets in the future though in practice this may be too much hassle.
I felt that a low noise output was crucial - in my experience, if the appliance is noisy it will not get used and since the unit can only recirculate it is REALLY important that it is used whenever the hob is used. The noise data from all manufacturers is lacking but the general rule is that when set to recirculate it is noisier than exhaust to outside via duct.
It is difficult to determine if the additional noise is due to the fans working harder to push the air through the carbon filters or because the duct is effectively open at the top of the cabinet or maybe both.
In an effort to reduce the noise from the exhaust I made a plenum box for installation above the extract with a baffle, lined with an absorbent disposable material and space for a large grille to reduce airspeed where the air re-enters the room above the wall unit.
The box is designed to be removable to replace the 'acoustic' lining in the future.
It is difficult to determine how much improvement I have made, my hearing is not perfect and it is really difficult to detect where the noise is produced. If there was ever a product that would benefit from a new Dyson approach this is it!!! A
quiet or even
silent hob extract
The Iroko worktop is a superb construction by Steve, we worked closely on
the details which incorporate a reduced leading edge and drip to give a
refined look. It is long for a single piece and required some
dismantling of the temporary staircase balustrade, though the avoidance
of upstands or changes in direction makes it quite a simple construction.
I have applied a specialist 2 part Timbertect wood treatment by Conservation Chemicals that should preserve the appearance and protect the timber as an alternative to Danish Oil.
Very
pleased with the tap, spotted at a friends house, an old IKEA design
that was discontinued some years ago, I suspect because either it did
not meet water saving standards or a slight (but easily remedied) design
fault evident when fitting to stainless steel worktops.
I managed
to buy 2 taps on eBay and have fitted a 'WaterMagic' water saving
device which slighty detracts from the clean lines of the design but works beautifully.
Electric
switch positions have been roughly located and pockets cut into
blockwork these will be adjusted to suit tiling layout, these are set
300mm from hob/sink in accordance with electrical regulations.
Minor
hassles along the way were coincidental faults on the RCD switch in the
consumer unit that caused me a couple of minor electric shocks before I
invested in a new current detecting screwdriver and a faulty 30A cooker
switch that led me to believe that I had a duff induction hob.
The frequency of filter changes (recommended between 3 - 12 months) depends on several factors; intensity of use of ventilation system and amount of internal and external contaminants. The purpose of filtering is to remove airbourne contaminants from entering the dwelling; fumes, dust, pollen etc. and most importantly to protect the very low power fans from clogging up. 
It is very important to insulate the incoming and outgoing ducts to avoid condensation which would form if warm humid air inside came into contact with steel ducts that could be approaching freezing temperatures. 
Externally some 'making good' was required around ducts and fortunately I was able to get a sufficient offcut of the insulation board. The voids were neatened up, and tight-fit infill pieces cut on the bandsaw and finished with expanding foam. The external aluminium grilles were relying on friction fit so I made some birch ply panels and drilled the grilles to secure them.
