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A tradesman’s eye, deep blue cabinetry and a white quartz worktop that runs all the way to the floor. Vinnie rebuilt a tired kitchen with his own hands in four weeks, and left only the stone to the specialists.
When Vinnie bought his house eleven months ago, nothing in it had been touched for a very long time. The kitchen was the room that needed the most, and it was also the room he was best placed to tackle himself. A tiler by trade, with years of general building and kitchen fitting behind him, he had fitted plenty of kitchens for other people. This would be the first one that was entirely his own, from the rip-out and the design through to the last cabinet.
The result is a kitchen of quiet confidence. Rich blue units, a crisp white quartz worktop, and a waterfall end that carries the stone all the way to the floor. We spent some time with him to hear how it came together.
In conversation with Vinnie
The house needed everything. Where did you begin?
“We bought it eleven months ago and it was extremely outdated, so everything needed doing. The kitchen was the obvious place to start.”
You did almost all of the work yourself. Was that new territory?
“I’m a tiler by trade, and I’ve done general building and kitchen fitting before. But this was my first independent kitchen install. I did it all apart from the plumbing, from the rip-out onwards.”
How long did it take, from design to finished kitchen?
“About four weeks. Two of those were waiting for the worktop to be measured and installed.”
The units came from DIY Kitchens. Why go direct to a specialist for the worktop?
“Gemini had more variety, the process of ordering samples was simpler, and it was cheaper. I found them on the internet after a very quick search, and they were the easiest company to deal with.”
Why quartz, rather than laminate, wood, porcelain or marble?
“It looks so much classier than anything else, and quartz suited the whole design.”
How does the worktop change the room?
“The white against the blue units really pops. It creates a stunning finish. I wasn’t originally going to have a waterfall edge, but for the extra cost compared with a standard end panel it was well worth it.”
Were there any surprises in the budget?
“None. Doing most of the work myself, it came to about £14,000 for everything. That’s very cheap compared with what it would have cost if I’d been paying for labour.”
Looking back, would you do anything differently?
“Nothing. I’m extremely happy with how the whole project turned out.”
And working with Gemini?
“From start to finish the process was easy and straightforward. Christopher at the start, the lad who came out to measure, and Jack and Adam who installed it. I can’t recommend them enough.”
The details
- Worktop - 20mm Aspen Ice quartz by Gemini Worktops, with a waterfall end
- Cabinetry - Blue units from DIY Kitchens
- Fitting - Kitchen fitted by Vinnie; worktop templated and installed by Gemini Worktops
- Timeline - About four weeks, design to completion
- Total budget - Around £14,000, with most labour done by the homeowner
Get the look with Aspen Ice
Interested in a Aspen Ice worktop for your kitchen? Get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote today.
GET PRICE & SAMPLESHow the worktop was made
Vinnie’s kitchen shows what is possible when a skilled homeowner works directly with a stone specialist. He chose and fitted his own cabinetry, then came to us for the one element that genuinely needed a workshop behind it.
Once his units were in place, one of our templaters visited to laser-measure the room, capturing every wall, corner and appliance to the millimetre. The worktop, waterfall end included, was then cut and polished in our own factory in Middlesbrough before Jack and Adam fitted it.
Working this way, with no high-street showroom or middlemen in between, means more of a customer’s budget goes into the stone itself and the craft of making it. It is how a four-generation family business has always done it.
If you have a kitchen story of your own, we would love to hear it. Share your Kitchen Story.
Request a Quote & Free Samples
Interested in a quartz worktop for your kitchen? Get in touch for a free, no obligation quote today.
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