Welcome to the Blogs

Tucked away in Stratford, East London, Paragon Interior Furniture is a little gem, designing, manufacturing and installing bespoke kitchens, studies and bedrooms at distinctly non-bespoke prices.

Using only the best quality solid woods, veneers, stones and granite, Paragon uses its low key East End location to keep overheads right down; and without salesmen or high street overheads, it can offer a large range of kitchen products at a fraction of usual retail prices.
 

As bank balances recover from the Christmas shopping splurge, you might be looking towards your next investment. And where better to invest than your kitchen?
 
If you are based in London or the Home Counties, a first port of call is the wonderful GLK Kitchens. GLK stocks over 48 different kitchens and cabinets made from the best quality materials, including FSC certified wood and recyclable metals. And don’t forget the free design and planning service…
 

If that Christmas bonus is burning a hole in your pocket, why not put it to good use?

Well I’m delighted to have been invited to participate in the Problem Solved Blogs and I hope that you find the contents of the pieces I write over the coming months both useful and informative.

To introduce myself, I am Tim Foley, owner of the website www.kitchensfitted.co.uk and aside from our very popular forum that assists those buying and fitting kitchens and our website articles detailing how to fit a kitchen, we provide and install bespoke quality surfaces nationwide.

After all that Christmas cooking, what better than a new cooker to see in the New Year?

When it comes to your kitchen there is no room for error, but you know you are in safe hands with Stone & Kitchen Emporium.

Conveniently located on the King’s Road, Stone & Kitchen Emporium offers a fabulous selection of keenly priced kitchen furniture and appliances – as well as stone work tops sourced directly to keep prices low.

The designers here have a wealth of experience between them, and will work with you to help you achieve your dream kitchen – be it contemporary, traditional or somewhere in between.

The approach of Compost Awareness Week (6-12th May 2007) has served as a timely reminder that standard household rubbish such as vegetable peelings, garden and plant cuttings, egg shells and pet hair can all be used to the benefit of your garden. Worried about the smell?

I always think of the kitchen as the heart and soul of the home, and if you’re planning renovation work, or have just moved somewhere, it’s the most important room to get it right. Lucky for those based in London or the Home Counties, GLK Kitchens offers a reliable, professional service, and great looking, good value kitchens to those living locally.
 
GLK stocks over 57 different kitchen styles with cabinets made using only the best quality materials including FSC certified wood and recyclable metals, and offers a free design and planning service.
 

I couldn’t resist this Willow China set of plates and bowls from Pedlars.co.uk – apart from the obvious charm of the intricate Oriental design, the set has the added advantage of being under discount. A small bowl for £3.95 instead of £6.50, a large plate for £5.75 instead of £9.50; the set features alongside a variety of other tempting discounts on the Special Offers page  - but stock is limited .

Squeezing lemons equals sticky fingers and, if you’re really unlucky, a spurt of juice in the eye. Whilst this is hardly a major irritation, it is one that can be avoided – just snap up this Squeeze-me lemon squeezer (£10) from j-me. A minimalist yet functional design; just place half a lemon into the base, replace the nozzle and squeeze – the built-in pip guard in the nozzle keeps back any unwanted pips and bits, ensuring only lemon juice is squeezed onto your food. Call 020 8365 1136 or visit J-me.co.uk

I haven’t baked a cake in a long time, but this Cake Base Slicer from Tchibo might be just the inspiration I need. Featuring two adjustable cutting wires, it allows you to cut cake bases into different depths with ease. Lemon drizzle cake, chocolate cake  and  Victoria sponge all taste fabulous, and even better when made by your own fair hand. The Cake Base Slicer costs just £4 from Tchibo.co.uk

When you are baking cakes this winter, make sure you do so with these snazzy spatulas from Gilbert’s Food Equipment. Aptly called “Spatulart” due their innovative silicone printing, these are made with a specially designed silicone head, curved on one side and flat on the other, to ensure you get all the cake mixture out the bowl. Priced at £6.95 each. To find stockist details, call Gilbert’s Food Equipment on 0845 230 0681.

Shorter days and colder weather have confirmed it in bold: winter is on its way. The upshot of this is a desire for homely, oven cooked meals, and for this, you need a proper cooker. More than standing up to the task is this Richmond 1100DF Flavours range cooker from Stoves. The new collection is available in Jalapeno (red), Papaya (burnt orange), Sushi (teal green), Aubergine (dark blue/purple) and includes four ovens and a sleek one piece hob.

No time to cook? Can’t think what to cook?

Importing its stylish designer kitchens direct from the factory in Italy, Interior Design firm Molten London cuts out the middle men, and passes the savings onto its customers - and that's just for starters. 

There's also a full Kitchen Design service (from £150 plus VAT – fully refundable on order), carried out by a professionally trained interior designer, which includes a site visit, initial and final design, and a full quotation for units, appliances, splash backs and work tops – the full shebang.

Grown ups don’t chuck cheap vodka shots back from sticky tumblers in the pub, they sip grown up digestifs such as Limoncello and Armagnac after dinner, and from tall, elegant shot glasses such as these colourful little numbers from Dwell. Each glass from this set of six is a different shape and colour and features a long, narrow stem. A set of six costs £14.95 from Dwell.co.uk; or call 0870 241 8653.

Filled with nostalgia for your hot holiday in the med?

With bikini season coming to a close, you can finally give up the Atkins Diet and put bread back on the shopping list. And the perfect place to keep all those wheat-based delights? In this highly stylish bread bin from Joseph Joseph of course. Made from a melamine and beech combination, this looks great on kitchen worktops and features a practical lid that doubles as a bread board. Priced at £39 from JosephJoseph.com (020 7261 1800).

If you’re based around London or the Home Counties, and are on the hunt for a good kitchen company, pick up the phone to GLK Kitchens.
 

Jam spoons left in the jam pot inevitably result in a sticky handle, sticky fingers and a general sticky mess. It’s a small annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but tiresome nevertheless, which is why Baileys Home & Garden has come up with this curved spoon. Simple, yet effective, it allows you to hang the spoon over the edge of the jar, keeping the handle squeaky clean, and ensuring a flawless start to the day. Priced at £4.50. Call 01989 561 931 for mail order.

With the kids out of school for the summer, and a whole host of accidents waiting to happen, it’s worth bearing in mind that Magnet has a gallery of safety gadgets to help prevent disasters. A remote locking system (£157.90) for cupboards; lockable bleach cage (£125.90); a kiddie cam (£608.90) to help keep an eye on the little horrors; and this hob guard, which prevents hot pans (£73.90) being pulled of the hob when kids venture into the kitchen. Call 0845 123 6789 or visit Magnet.co.uk

Calling all the shots when it comes to quality and exceptional value tableware, Maxwell & Williams has proved its cutlery credentials once again with the launch of its Allure range. Allure by name, alluring by nature, the range is made from dishwasher safe stainless steel with each handle featuring a distinctive curve (designed for comfort to mould your hand) and a stylish squared end. And Maxwell & Williams is offering a 40 piece set (worth £145) to each of four lucky Really Useful readers.

For keenly priced kitchen furniture, work surfaces and appliances all under one roof, it’s well worth paying a visit to the recently opened Kitchen Art Ltd in Essex. A short journey from London will bring you face to face with hundreds of contemporary, modern and traditional styles, with work surfaces competitively priced and fitted to a very high standard.

Each kitchen is individually designed to suit your requirements and built by traditional craftsmen to the most exacting standards.

Cut down on the expense and environmental waste of buying sparkling water with this new top of the range Drinksmaker from SodaStream. The Penguin comes with reusable glass carafes, and allows you to add as little or as much sparkle as you want to water. Just fill the carafe with tap water, put it in the Drinksmaker, close it and push the button. The Penguin is available for purchase online at Soda Stream Penguin.co.uk, priced £99.99 for a starter pack.

Prevent kids’ fingers coming to any gruesome accidents with this Lock Block from Lakeland. Featuring a unique patented system, it secures up to five knives in place – and only by simultaneously pressing the safety buttons will the block release the blades.

Small kitchen hampering your culinary ambitions?

For keenly priced kitchen furniture, work surfaces and appliances all under one roof, it’s well worth paying a visit to the recently opened Kitchen Art Ltd in Essex. A short journey from London will bring you face to face with hundreds of contemporary, modern and traditional styles, with work surfaces competitively priced and fitted to a very high standard.

Each kitchen is individually designed to suit your requirements and built by traditional craftsmen to the most exacting standards.

Forget seasonal sales, when it comes to year-round bargains, you can’t beat outlets such as the Reject Pot Shop. Tucked away in Camden, this little gem sources plain white bone china and porcelain seconds from factories in Stoke-on-Trent. Pieces may have very minor marks on them but this does allow you to enjoy discounts of up to 65 per cent off original prices – and you can’t argue with that. The outlet stocks lines from famous brands that it’s not allowed to mention with prices starting from as little 99p for porcelain plates.

The highest quality granite, quartz and marble sold at the best possible prices makes Granite Solutions Direct Ltd a first port of call when you’re looking for fine kitchen worktops, bathrooms or floor and wall tiles.

As a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen, they really know their stuff, sourcing their colour range of marble and granite from around the world, and offering a first class service.

If you haven’t logged onto Homes & Bargains of late, you’re in for a treat. The whole site has been re-designed and now has its own bargain shop – filled with deals, offers and discounts on an array of seriously snappy furniture. These Sam Bar stools are great for the more contemporary kitchen and  feature a deep cushioned leather seat, square chrome base sets and a stunning square profile.