Chichester's Kutchenhaus creating the heart of the home

The kitchen is seen as the heart of the home, it is one of the places many families spend most of their time.
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Kutchenhaus

So when you decide to get a new one it is important to receive the right guidance and advice to make sure you get something that works for your family.

Before opening Kutchenhaus Chichester in 2017 directors and designers Paul Turner and Andy Barwell had previously worked for Homebase on the south coast.

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“We were approached about opening a franchise of Kutchenhaus and decided to go for it,” explains Andy. “We knew Chichester really well as Paul worked in Portsmouth and I was based here.”

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Kutchenhaus

All the kitchens are made bespoke for each customer.

“This means that the customer can choose exactly what they want, so a certain door with different handles. They can really mix and match the different ranges we have,” explains Andy.

“One person chose the aqua and mixed it with the bronze and wood.”

Using Nobilia kitchens Andy says what they do is ‘affordable quality’.

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“We don’t do sales we do the best price for the customer first time round,” Andy says.

“So they could come back in six months and it will be the same or similar price, we just change it when we get new lines.

“As we deal direct with the supplier we already have good discounts.”

Although they were once in competition Andy says that him and Paul work well with each other.

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“We have had customers where Paul has done the initial meeting, I did the design, he went on site and did a first appointment and then I did the follow up,” he says.

“We offer advice to people about what they can do, some know exactly what they want.

“Whereas others need someone to just talk them through the different options and they can see it for themselves.”

Customers are shown a CAD (computer aided design) of the space so they can see how it would work and can see other options they may not have considered.

The new designs are released in January.

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“They look at trends across Europe to see which designs they want to keep or replace,” says Andy.

“There is a door that is popular in France but we don’t have it out on display as the colour isn’t one we think would do well. But then there is a colour called savannah, which was really popular here and they discounted it and put out replacements.”

As to the colour of the moment Andy says grey is still big but their aqua and concrete ranges are also proving popular.

People are also starting to move away from gloss finishes in the kitchen opting instead for matte.

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“We see a lot of customers choosing the minimalist look with clean lines,” he reveals.

“50 per cent of what we do now is handleless, so the canal is built into the carcass of the doors. It is seamless and you just open it normally no need to push it or anything.”

Once the kitchen has been finished and signed off Paul and Andy send the customer a bunch of flowers and a thank you card. It is these little touches and the expert work they carry out that sees 70 per cent of their work come from word of mouth and recommendations from previous customers.

Kutchenhaus Chichester 5 – 7 Ambassadors House, Crane Street, Chichester, 01243 780087, www.kutchenhaus.co.uk

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