Retro Fit Kitchen
This particular client had just received the keys to their new London property and wanted a fresh new look to the existing kitchen which was in relatively good condition.
After a previous Client of ours recommended our kitchen spraying services to them, they too decided to opt for a kitchen spray package as they already had a particular colour in their minds for their kitchen, but as there are only a select few kitchen colours now days to choose from, they knew they could not buy off the shelves.
Upon meeting our new client, they had a very specific idea of what they wanted but were not sure where to start. The brief for the job was they were happy with part of the kitchen that was already there, but it was too small and the colour wasn’t to their taste. The look they wanted was a modern clean looking kitchen where the units were the star of the show. Being first time buyers, they were keen for a hassle free project.
We went away and came up with an idea that we proposed to the Client.
Our proposal was to turn their existing small kitchen into a gally kitchen to allow more kitchen surface and cupboard space.
The Client was excited at this prospect and decided to purchase two new double base units on the opposite wall which they wanted sprayed in the same colour they had picked out and they also opted to purchase new white worktops for both sides of the kitchen and a beautiful new shelf to run the length of the units to give an open element of space.
Upon starting this project, we protected all hard surfaces such as the existing tiles and sockets and although the worktops were being removed, we still protected them as this eliminates any mess plus, leaving them on protects the existing units.
As with all kitchen spray packages we removed all the doors and labelled them as we went. We then gave them a good degrease and sand with 320 grit sanding discs.
Once the doors were all sanded and ready for priming, we sprayed a coat of Teknos Futura Primer which is a specialist adhesion primer. We also applied this primer to the units, end panels and plinths.
The kitchen had a high gloss finish which the client didn’t like and wanted to go for less of a sheen, we recommended an eggshell finish which the Client was happy to go with.
Once the units were primed we applied two sprayed coats of Teknos Futura20 in their desired colour Cooks Blue.
Once the spraying works were complete, we set about re-fitting the newly sprayed doors. The Client asked if we could refinish the existing door handles as they preferred a gold colour to go with the new blue kitchen doors but wanted to avoid the added expense of buying brand new.
For the handles, we first primed them and sprayed them with a specialist direct to metal product in Metallic Gold.
Once these were fully dry, we re-installed them.
The Client also wanted a sprayed finish to their walls and ceilings. They opted for White as they really wanted their new blue kitchen to stand out.
We protected the freshly sprayed kitchen surfaces and worktops, unfortunately, the interior décor was not completed to a very good standard, therefore we sanded the walls back using our dustless machine sander to achieve that high spec finish that complemented the newly sprayed surfaces.
Once all the prep work was complete, we applied a mist coat and two coats of Timantti Clean, this is a hard wearing, anti mould paint designed for bathrooms and kitchens.
Once the decorations had been completed, we removed all protection ready for the handover.
The final results exceeded the Clients expectations and gave them everything they wanted which was for a much bigger, brighter and more modern kitchen with their custom colour of choice as well as their newly sprayed handles to compliment.
The nightmare kitchen that became a dream kitchen
Becky was shopping around for a new kitchen but had a very limited budget. She also wanted to have new floors fitted and just some general maintenance done but the price of a new kitchen was well out of her budget. The kitchen was also a bad reminder of a shoddy kitchen fitter and also her ex-partner whom she had previously lived with and who had chosen the black gloss finish.
We chatted via a video call where Becky showed me around her kitchen and identified a couple of issues. I was well aware of the issues she had, as I had previously worked on various spraying projects at the property. The issues were edging strips that weren’t installed properly, plinths that had been badly installed, the handles were oversized, the hinges were all out of alignment and some of the doors were broken. Another issue was the high black gloss was too domineering for the room.
During the videocall I expressed that none of this was a problem and they were minor issues we run into regularly. We discussed colours and finishes and I’d recommended a 20%, sheen which would be a massive contrast to the black gloss. This would also sit much better in the room, as the room was very bright and gloss was bouncing too much light round the room.
After the initial consultation, I sent out the quote with the potential colours and confirmed it would be a 5 day transformation.
Becky was happy with price and all the changes. We agreed upon Farrow and Ball colour Purbeck Stone in a 20% Sheen finish using Teknos Futura Aqua Primer and Teknos Futura Aqua 20.
This was the first kitchen of the year (2024), so I was really excited to get going.
I arrived on Monday morning and was greeted by Becky, who was excited to see the transformation.
I started by protecting the worktops with Q1 recyclable cardboard protection. I then moved onto the floor using the same product.
Once all the protection was completed, I began removing the doors, numbering them as I went. People often wonder how I know which door goes where after they are finished. I simply put the door number in the hole where the hinge fits into as this is never seen on the finish product.
Once all the doors were off and numbered, I moved onto masking up the perimeter of the cabinets. We use 3M drop down plastic which is more expensive than masking paper, but its statically charged and will draw paint towards it, its also more efficient on the time scale of the project.
After all the protection was done I gave the units and the doors a thorough degreasing and finished up for the day.
Day two arrived and went over the days plans to Becky who had gone and got the new handles the night before. I marked out the new holes and drilled them out. I do this at this stage due to any unlikely mistakes on the finish product.
Once the new handles were drilled out, I filled where the old handles used to be using a two part wood filler that doesn’t shrink or crack. I then moved on to sanding the front next followed the structure of the kitchen bringing the day to a close.
Day three I arrived to a very excited client who was ready to start seeing some big changes in the kitchen. I set up the counter top drying rack, sorted the doors (I like to sort the biggest to smallest and also top and bottom). I set the sprayer up, for this we used our Apollo HVLP on this particular job. I warmed the paint which helps with drying times and also the paints flows and lays down better when warm.
I applied the first coat of primer to the backs of the doors and then moved onto the structure. Once this was dry, I checked the backs of the doors and gave them a light sand and applied another coat of primer. Purbeck stone is a very neutral colour, so we had to give two coats of primer to deaden out the previous black. Once both coats of primer were dry, I finished the backs of the doors and that was the end of the day.
Day four I arrived again to a very excited Becky who was now seeing the changes and was excited to see it all finished. I started the day by cutting the plinths and getting them ready for paint. Once the new plinths were installed, I started masking off the backs of the doors. I do this for the added protection when laying them down on the spraying rack and drying rack, the masking paper will just make sure they are 100% safe and sound, also I work really clean but still don’t want any unwanted finger prints.
Once it was time to spray, we followed the same procedure as day 3. Becky also had some panelling in the dining room part of the kitchen and it was in pretty bad condition so I sanded it back, protected the area and sprayed this to match the kitchen which then tied in the whole room.
Day five I woke felling really excited to put it all back together! I had my morning coffee and sent Becky a text message saying she couldn’t see the kitchen until it was all back together as it would ruin the surprise! She replied with ‘ok, but I’m really excited to see it!’.
I arrived and got to work. I demasked all the structure and bagged it up as I went in my trusty pop up bin. I have this on site everyday ensuring our clients kitchen is always tidy.
Once this was done I started demasking the backs and hanging them one by one. During this process, I also level in any hinges.
Two of the top units were top openers and needed the tensioner adjusted, so I made sure they were all set properly. I also repaired the broken hinge on the door.
Once all the doors were fitted I repaired the edging strips by gluing on new ones and finally, I started fitting the new gold handles. This is always a really exciting part for me as although I do the work, it’s only when its fully rebuilt and clean that you can appreciate it.
I opened the kitchen door and said to Becky she could come in and see her new kitchen.
Becky walked in, with her mouth wide open, she literally had no words! She shed a few happy tears as she was very overwhelmed with her transformation. Seeing her reaction, I also felt a little emotional, as this was giving her and her daughter a completely new space to spend time together, which they hadn’t been able to for a while.
I cleared site and asked if it was ok to pop up the next day and do my final videos and photos, as it was really late and dark on the Friday.
Saturday, I went back and took the finish photos and videos. We discussed how to clean and maintain her newly sprayed kitchen and I left a very happy client in her new kitchen.
Wapping, London - Case Study
Our client had recently purchased a beautiful 1-bedroom apartment overlooking the river Thames. The building in particular has a waiting list to buy and has that desired community feel.
The apartment in particular came with strict rules and regulations for internal changes, our client decided it was too much red tape to change the whole kitchen and decided that spraying the existing one was a more viable option, this is when they found The London Spray Company on social media.
On the initial consultation the client was excited to hear our thoughts on what could be achieved, the existing kitchen was an old maple laminated kitchen and upon inspection, we noticed some damaged areas where the laminate had come away and had general wear and tear.
We checked to determine whether the doors could be delaminated but discovered they were chip board under the laminate, this can be the case with older kitchens.
We went away and formulated a plan to deal with this particular project and the damaged doors.
We sent the client our plan of action and the products we proposed to use, the client was happy with the plan and was keen to go ahead.
We started by protecting all the hard surfaces and floors as well as the tiles and built in cooker hood. The existing walls did not need protecting as we were decorating these after the kitchen had been sprayed.
Once the protection was completed and a designated drying area was established, we started to remove and mark up the doors. The doors were thoroughly cleaned with a degreasing agent and finally lightly sanded using 320 grit sandpaper which was attached to our extractor to prevent surface dust on the doors.
Once the preparation stage was complete, we used an adhesion promoting primer (Teknos Futura Primer) designed to stick to any surface. Once the primer was fully dry, we went about repairing the damaged areas.
We used a ready mixed wood filler by Toupret which is designed for fine filling. Once the filler was dry, we applied another coat of primer to cover the filling. The primer was mixed to the same colour as the kitchen topcoats, this aids with full coverage.
Once the second coat of primer was dry we moved on to the top coat stage which was a satin finish.
Once two topcoats had been applied and was fully dry, the doors were ready to be installed along with new handles in black satin finish. The new handles really set the doors off and tied the whole kitchen together.
The client was extremely happy with their finish product. They had chosen a nice satin green colour for their kitchen to match the exterior metal work on the front of the building and decided on a nice blush pink colour for the walls. Both these colours complimented each other very well and enhanced the look of the space.
The client was impressed with the ease of the whole process and with only a few minor changes to some existing sockets that had some issues, they had a complete new kitchen in a colour they could not get from a kitchen supplier
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