How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

We're planning on getting some alcove cupboards in our bedroom but trying to work out dimensions/usability.

Looking at this kind of thing

Ideally would like to be able to hang clothes in it but that would mean a 55-60cm depth. Chimney breast is only ~ 25cm so that would leave it protruding a fair bit. Also undecided what to do in the way of drawers, shelves, rails, etc. Pondering a tall section to put the ironing board in but not sure if that would be a bit of a waste of space.

Anyone done similar and have some wisdom to impart?

what is the kind of thing you're looking at?

Ikea PAX have a shallower version, but still 38cm - they can use these internal rails to hang stuff front-to-back as opposed to left-to-right that would only fit in the deeper units (58cm).

Cheers, back to front hanging is an option but seems like a lot of space for not hat much.

We'll be getting someone to make them so we're pretty free with what to go for, just trying to work out how to maximise the space. We have a big Pax one in another room and the crooked walls and floor make it look a bit crap.

yeah my big bug-bear with PAX is that the amount of play in the feet assumes your floors/walls are a maximum of 0.005mm out of plumb - already had one of them pull the plugs and a load of plaster out of the wall :/

This is a bit of studwork prep done by my builder. Doesn't look particularly sound as the bits of wood look split. Can I say something?

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Doing this and no bath!

Doesn’t look level for a start?

Folk tend to just do it a lot in places and not give a fuck, seems to happen in a lot of places now

Definitely, looks like the nail gun needs to be slowed down a little, or the spacers should be increased in size. Basic stuff.

They'll probably say it's not structural and will be hidden eventually. But they should be making the most of the materials they're working with. You didn't spec/pay for smaller/weaker timber, etc.

Bit off

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Unless there is a reason for that I’d say throw him out. No one who can tie their own shoe laces cracks wood like that either. Or builds walls like that.

Made some tweaks to my kitchen order a while back after some feedback from here about moving the fridge and getting a larder unit. Magenta and cyan are various electrical/light formats.

Had a few quotes to get the ball rolling from builders to raise the lintel in our fireplace ready for an extractor and they were quite eyewatering so got a friend coming up from back home next month to give me a hand with it. Also have a sparky mate coming to visit next weekend so will get him to talk me through how to spur mains points off from each other.

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Were you thinking of having 9 spotlights?

Those pictures made me feel loads better about my studwalling efforts. Thanks!
That's not a 'bit off', and what is up with that corner?

Aye, its now gone down to 8 with a central one of these - reckon its too much/too little?

Pink strips indicate under cabinet lighting that's all linked up - the wireless Ikea strip light set.

Are any of those doors internal? Are the spotlights for tasks or general lighting? I think I'd have bottom right more central to the drawer, bottom left more central to fridge. One over the sink so there's not a shadow cast into basin.

General lighting - ceiling is 2.8m but I'll have more of a think about shadows.

It migh look odd to have a couple of the lights doglegged out - perhaps a putting more distance between the rows would help.

All doors are internal at the moment - top right heads of a downstairs loo/washing machine cupboard, bottom right heads to the hallway, left heads to a utility room and the back garden.

I'd maybe have suggested directional lighting rather than all fixed spots.

Pending spec that's quite a lot of lighting concentrated over where you don't need a lot of lighting. I'd go two rows of four pushed further out, medium/flood beam, look for something with at least 600 lumens. Personally i'd put the pendant over the dining table in another room.

With 8 Orluna downlights you'll get around 225lx with decent uniformity and plenty of light on the walls. The under cabinet stuff will take you up to kitchen task levels.

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ooooh this is cool.
But now worried we don't have enough Orluna lights specced in our kitchen...

dbl post

Does £10k for built in storage and pb partition wall removal and tidy sound cheap/expensive/about right? We want to build in wardrobes and recessed shelving between the two bedrooms and remove the horrible walk in corner unit in room 2. Carpenter/builder came and had a look and reckons £9-11k to build MDF wardrobes and shelving, remove and tidy corner unit, redo skirting, move sockets and plaster skim where needed. We looked at building alcoves/openings for Ikea Pax units but would much prefer custom wardrobes if we can afford them.

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Basic plan and elevation

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Got a spec? Orluna's generally top out around 700 lumens from the fitting so won't be that punchy but have soft diffuse distribution so are good for resi/smaller spaces. Pending finishes/how good your eyes are you might want something under cabinets to put proper task on the worktops.

My builders have installed new (aluminum, sliding) windows. I’ve noticed they haven’t sealed off between the window frame and the window sill, at the bottom. Should I be running the silicon gun along this gap?

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