Milestone Kitchens News

Some happy news in the August issue of Living Magazine for those of you who would like to give their kitchen a face lift on a minimal budget. We can make you just new doors. Send us your door measurements and we will send you a quote.

One of our clients, Eleanor, bought her kitchen in five phases over the period of three years. The process is now complete!

A beautiful open-plan kitchen with plenty of surface space, we love the chic colour contrasts.

In the latest issue of Elle Decoration South Africa, our Factory Outlet Shop is part of their stunning 44 Stanley feature!

"With its stylish interior, this alluring space offers customers the opportunity to experience the brand's solid-wood, modular kitchen units in a lifestyle setting. We love that Milestone Kitchens has filled a gap in the market for locally made, competitively priced, free-standing units," says decor writer Mila Crewe-Brown.

Thanks for including us in the article!

We're featured on Franke Group's #MakeItWonderful blog today!

An interview with owner and founder of Milestone Kitchen, Silvia Miles, the article is about kitchen design, trends in the kitchen and our Factory Outlet Shop at 44 Stanley.

You can read the full piece here > https://bit.ly/2KSPavT

Thank you for including us on your blog, Franke!

If you're looking to create the ideal family kitchen, SA Home Owner's Kitchen Confidential feature in this month's issue has all the answers you need!

Milestone Kitchens is featured in the article and our resident kitchen pro, Silvia Miles, was interviewed...

"Free-standing kitchen units, rather than fixed wall-to-floor units are ideal for a family-friendly home, making cleaning that much easier. A broom and vacuum cleaner fits under the units with ease, and if you've chosen units on castors, then you can simply move the units aside to clean the floor," says Silvia.

Not many clients know that we do doors only. Here is an example of a client with a difficult kitchen space. It would have been almost impossible to put free-standing units in Esme Klopper’s kitchen as it has a weird, hexagonal layout, but she desperately wanted a Milestone Kitchen. So we made her doors. This is the result.

This is Esme's feedback:
👍💗💗💗Thank you so much, it's delivered! Beautiful. 👍💗💗💗 I am so pleased, it's beautiful!👍😄😄😄😄💗💗💗💗

 

Our Housekeeping Cupboard, listed as one of SA Country Life​ ​magazine's country kitchen must-haves!

Our units are fully customisable, and can be fitted with a variety of tops for the kitchen.

From stainless steel preparation and sink units to hard-wood kitchen islands, stone countertops and more, there is so much choice and flexibility.

Units with wood or stainless steel tops can be ordered directly from Milestone Kitchens, or you can order your units ‘topless’ to be fitted with the tops of your choice on site.

Recently, one of our clients created bespoke concrete tops for their kitchen. Take a peek...

A stunning kitchen plan that we recently completed​! All the units were ordered without tops and fitted with Caesarstone ​counter​ tops on site.

Have you picked up the latest issue of Home/Tuis yet? Our very own kitchen guru, Silvia Miles, of MK, answers readers’ kitchen dilemma questions in the latest ‘Ask the experts’ feature.

Here is one of our latest plans for a modern kitchen design in Kloof. We can’t wait to see this striking kitchen come to life!

We have an English Elegance kitchen, painted in Plascon Fresh Linen, available at our Factory Outlet Shop. The pieces are set on plinths and have antique oval knob handles and blonde pine tops.

It's selling for R60 000 (plus VAT) and is available immediately (with free delivery!) from our Factory Outlet Shop at 44 Stanley.

Contact us for more info.

Jo'burg based photographer and mom, Elza Cooper shared a gorgeous #MilestoneMomMoment with us on Instagram in celebration of Mother's Day! Congratulations, Elza, you have won a kitchen small of your choice from our Factory Outlet Shop at 44 Stanley.

In celebration of the Comrades Marathon, Biddulphs International is giving you the chance to win a R10 000 voucher from Milestone Kitchens!
Entries close on race day, 10 June 2018, at 11pm.

Click here for all the details: https://www.biddulphs.co.za/comrades-marathon

While we are known for our free-standing kitchen units, we also create a range of interchangeable, space-saving cupboards that can be used not only for groceries and kitchenware but also clothes, linen, towels and so much more!

Take a peek at our Cupboard Love feature, which was in the Home/Tuis May issue, to find out more!

Our Njabulo Bookshelf in Mexican Red. BOOM. Bruno just owned it.

Factory Special: Wardrobes
We have 20 of these wardrobes available, going for just R9999. Order yours quickly, they are selling fast.
Visit our Factory Outlet Shop at 44 Stanley, or contact us for more detail and to place your order.

Owner of Milestone Kitchens, Silvia Miles, pictured with Candice Botha, KZN Contributing Editor for SA Garden and Home magazine. They were photographing a Durban flat, which is soon to be published in an upcoming article on small spaces in SA G&H...something to look forward to!

"It was a hot day and we were all exhausted, but especially Candice who is 8 months preggies. I love the shoots with Candice and photographer, Sally Chance. We always have many laughs and a lot of fun!" says Silvia.

In celebration of Mother's Day, for the rest of the month of May, Milestone Kitchens invites you to share a #MilestoneMomMoment of you and your mom, or you and your children, enjoying time together in the kitchen.

Whether it is preparing your favourite meal together, baking with your kids, relaxing with a cup of tea around your Milestone Kitchen island or even perusing our 44 Stanley outlet shop together, we want to hear about it!

Our three favourite submissions will receive a gift of choice from our Factory Outlet Shop - one of our Kitchen Smalls.

Competition details:

• Make sure you follow both our Facebook and Instagram pages
• Post your pic and blurb to either Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #MilestoneMomMoment and be sure to tag Milestone Kitchens in the post
• You have from 11 to 31 May to submit your #MilestoneMomMoment
• Winners will be announced on 4 June

We have a kitchen similar to this one at our Factory Outlet Shop at 44 Stanley at the moment...

In matt black Annie Sloan paint, with Antique French Oak tops. All pieces are available immediately. If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen, then look no further than our Factory Outlet Shop. Don’t think about it too long, it will be gone in a jiffy!

Photographs sourced from Pinterest.

"I could not believe my eyes when I saw that you opened an outlet shop in Gauteng...I am so excited to visit there with my hubby, as I am in need of a brand new kitchen after 20 years of marriage. I am the type of person who loves to touch and see something before I can actually visualise it in my home...now I get that opportunity and hopefully my starter kitchen unit set will become a reality. Thanks Silvia! See you soon."

Thank you for this lovely message, Connely! We look forward to seeing you at our Factory Outlet Shop very soon.

Have you picked up the latest SA Garden and Home magazine? We're excited to let you know that our 44 Stanley Factory Outlet Shop is featured in the Home Front section and our Njabulo Kennel is on the Shopping page. The issue is on shelves now!

Thank you Tracy Kelly of Nom de Plume Studio for assisting us to bring our vision for the space to life.

We recently assisted Cheryl, from Gauteng, to bring her dream kitchen to life. Silvia loves how warm and inviting this kitchen is and how Cheryl cleverly used other pieces of furniture alongside her Milestone Kitchen units.

Thank you for this lovely feedback, Cheryl...

"Choosing a Milestone Kitchen was one of the best decisions have I ever made. My little kitchen was looking drab and lacklustre and I had wanted to refresh it without losing the cottage feel the entire house has. I chose pieces that could fit in neatly with some existing heirlooms and a more modern shelf. The island is amazing! I use it to display my beloved roses and baked goodies and there is so much space for storage. The ordering process was a dream. Lulu is ever helpful and when the kitchen units arrived my dream fell into place! We are building a new home and although I have to leave my little kitchen behind, I am ordering a new Milestone Kitchen that Lulu has helped me plan. So at least I will have a very similar kitchen in my new home. A Milestone Kitchen should be on everyone's bucket list. Simply stunning!"

We love this write-up on the new shops at 44 Stanley in Hello Joburg Magazine!

Here's what Hello Joburg had to say about Milestone Kitchens:
"These beautifully crafted, modular and free standing kitchen cupboards and units are the bomb for maximising space in small apartments. All your stuff in one place – got it. Moving to a bigger place? Easy – just add on with matching items to grow your home.​"

Click here to read the full article: https://bit.ly/2GA8xI5

Jenna Schoeman was the the winner of the Home Magazine competition that we ran at the end of last year. We are very excited to be creating her dream kitchen for her - transforming a dilapidated space into something that reflects Jenna's style and needs for her kitchen, and does justice to the beauty of her blue stone farmhouse in KwaZulu-Natal.

Here is a peek of the exterior of her house and the kitchen plan that we have created for her. We are excited to start bringing this plan to life!

It's so lovely when someone who already has a Milestone Kitchen comes back for more!

Julie, we look forward to assisting you with your new African Allure kitchen pieces and wardrobe.

Milestone Kitchens would like to welcome Rico Boaga, our new office assistant at the MK factory, to the team.

If you send us an email asking for price list or if you have a general enquiry, this is the person on the other end of the email, who will be more than happy to help answer your questions. And, if he can't, will go in search of someone who can. Rico is an expert in logistics, and will ensure that your kitchen gets to you in time.

We're thrilled to have you on board, Rico!

Silvia Miles' pointers, Brian and new rescue pup Zuri, taking it easy in their Milestone Kitchen!

#brianthepocketsizepointer #zurithegsp #germanshorthairedpointer

From the entire Milestone Kitchens team, we hope you are having a safe, happy and fun-filled Easter weekend with your loved ones!

This April, we are pleased to offer you an Easter special...the first three customers to place orders will receive a 7% discount on their Milestone Kitchens purchase.

"It was an absolute pleasure to see your showroom. My mouth fell open when I actually saw the beautiful units 'in the flesh' so to speak. Your units are much better than the website pictures show and the workmanship and finishes are stunning."

We were thrilled to receive this message from a customer who visited our new Jo'burg showroom at 44 Stanley recently!

With our handy Kitchen Planner, you can design your dream kitchen with ease! There are hand-drawn, cut-and-paste and drag-and-drop options available for you to create your kitchen layout using our wide range of free-standing units.

Click here for more information and to download the Kitchen Planner

Our Chateau Dresser adds a dash of classic elegance to your kitchen! A pretty, practical way to store your tea, coffee and breakfast essentials, it can be customised to suit any space.

This evening, 44 Stanley is open for late night shopping! A chance to enjoy fabulous music, beautiful shops, outdoor eating and more, we hope to see you at the Milestone Kitchens showroom! We will be open until 7pm.

Our Njabulo Bookshelf is in the latest SA Garden and Home magazine, which is on shelves now! Take a peek...

We love messages like this! Tanya gets our Milestone Kitchens concept to the tee. Our free-standing kitchens make it possible for you to update your current kitchen, while planning for upcoming renovations later, as you can move your furniture when you're ready!

Great coffee and friendly neighbours are one of the many perks of being a part of the 44 Stanley precinct in Jo'burg!

We're thrilled to let you know that for the whole of March, our friends at L8 Cafe at 44 Stanley, will be giving complimentary coffee to anyone who makes a purchase at our Milestone Kitchens showroom. Thank you, L8 Cafe!

Our new showroom at 44 Stanley is not only a display of our kitchen furniture, but also a shop, where you can purchase our one-of-a-kind kitchen smalls.

Pictured here are our cutlery boxes, which are rare to find and sell out quickly! Each one is unique and we only make them up every now and again. Our cutlery boxes are available in raw, distressed white, flat white and in a dark brown stain.

Our friends from GSP Rescue came to join us at our showroom!

We’re thrilled that they made themselves at home in the dog bed within our Njabula Bookshelf.

 

We’re pleased to let you know that our new showroom is officially open! A taste of what a Milestone Kitchen can look like in your own home, we are excited to welcome customers to our new 44 Stanley Avenue space.

Thank you Tracy from Nom de Plume Studio for the fantastic effort and stunning work you have done for us…you have helped us to bring our vision for the showroom to life!

And, a very big thank you to everyone who made it to our opening celebration on Saturday morning, we so enjoyed spending time with you and truly appreciate your support.

Our new @44_stanleyavenue showroom opens tomorrow and we are so excited to welcome you to our new space! Join us for a glass of bubbly and handmade chocolates from 10am to 1pm tomorrow. We hope to see you there!

This month of love, we're running a Valentine Special to celebrate our new showroom opening!

All you need to do is send in a love letter with your Milestone Kitchens order and you will receive 7% off the purchase price.

The special is running until midnight on 28 February 2018, and does not apply to the 7 Piece Starter Set, smalls or factory seconds.

Our new showroom opens at 44 Stanley on Saturday, 17 February. Join us for a glass of bubbly and handmade chocolate to celebrate! All the details are in the image below...

To those of you who guessed that our new showroom is located within the vibrant design and decor destination - 44 Stanley in Johannesburg - you are correct!

Congratulations to Nicolette Van Der Westhuizen, you were the first person to guess the location correctly. You have won a R1000 voucher to use when purchasing units from Milestone Kitchens!

We open our doors on Saturday, 17 February and would like to invite you to join us from 10am to 1pm for a glass of bubbly and scrumptious homemade chocolate, made by the chocolatiers next door.

The first 30 visitors will also be getting complimentary tea and coffee tickets to use at our friendly, neighbouring coffee shops.

Thank you for all the well wishes and messages of support! It means so much to us. We are very excited for this next step on our journey.

Photograph by Robyn Davie

Our new showroom is situated in a mixed-use development that fuses downtown urbanism with a subtle sophistication. Our neighbours are a mix of carefully-curated, bespoke stores and independent restaurants.

This dynamic centre is an up-and-coming a décor and design destination, situated near some of the most historic suburbs in Johannesburg.

#NewMKshowroom #Clue3

​If you'd like to comment, please visit our Facebook and Instagram accounts to check out the posts!​

Photograph by Robyn Davie

Our second clue sheds light on exactly which city our new showroom will be located in. This city is home to over 6 million trees and is said to be the largest man-made urban forest in the world.

Now, where in this city is our showroom located? More clues to come!

#NewMKshowroom #Clue2

​If you'd like to comment, please visit our Facebook and Instagram accounts to check out the posts!​

We have some incredibly exciting news to share!

Eight years since we first started creating handcrafted, freestanding kitchens from our workshop in Wartburg, KwaZulu-Natal, we are opening our very first showroom. A permanent display of Milestone Kitchens' offerings.

This photograph is a sneak peek of our location. Can you guess where this is? We will be showcasing a few photo clues this week and will reveal the showroom address on Friday!

The person who guesses correctly first will receive R1000 off their next Milestone Kitchens purchase!

#NewMKshowroom #Clue1

​If you'd like to comment, please visit our Facebook and Instagram accounts to check out the posts!​

Photograph by Robyn Davie

We're very excited to announce the winner and runners up of our Home Magazine competition!

Thank you to each and every one of you who entered - it was heartwarming and inspiring to read your submissions.

A huge congratulations to Jenna Schoeman for her winning entry, and well done to runners up, Linda Arkert and Maura Hardman. We will be in touch with you soon!

There's no need for cleaning materials to clutter up your kitchen! Our space-saving Housekeeping Cupboard can conveniently store your laundry and cleaning essentials in style.

After a restful and rejuvenating break, the Milestone Kitchens team is thrilled to be back in action from today.

If you're setting your sights on a new kitchen in 2018, we'd love to assist you to bring your dream kitchen to life.

Here's to a wonderful ​year ahead​!

When you go to the doctor and return with a kitchen! Sam spotted Milestone Kitchens in Garden & Home magazine, while waiting for a doctor's appointment. Thanks for getting in touch, we look forward to creating your dream kitchen.

Another beautiful kitchen, designed by a client and converted into reality by Milestone Kitchens.

Carol designed her dream kitchen using our Kitchen Planner and it has been such a joy to bring this kitchen to life! Carol has chosen a customised Coffee Dresser with space for a microwave, two Butler Sink Units, a spacious Drawer unit, Utensil Wall Unit, Broom Cupboard and customised Deluxe Island.

Her units have been designed in Swedish Style, with lovely silver cup handles. She chose mahogany-coloured solid pine tops, which contrasts the white units beautifully.

Here is an image of Carol's kitchen layout, as well as pics of her Deluxe Island.

Click here to download our handy Kitchen Planner and plan out your own kitchen: http://bit.ly/2zVFzxG

Chic contrasts and monochrome tones...we are loving how this kitchen is looking!

Our client Eleanor, from Hillcrest in KZN, ordered her units in the Swedish Style range without tops, and had granite fitted on site. Eleanor requested fitted units, which is always a possibility when ordering from us (it just requires a little more work from the client). This photo shows the Cutlery Server and Sink Unit joined with a dead-end panel, and on the wall is a Microwave Unit with cupboards.

Eleanor is not yet finished with her kitchen and promises to send more pics. We can't wait to see!

Small kitchen? No problem. We can tailor-make our units to maximise your space...

This new corner unit, in African Allure style, was created for a client in Pietermaritzburg and compactly fits in drawers, a bin, space for trays, with room for a dishwasher too! The sink will fit neatly above the double doors, and we've incorporated space for bar stools on the edge of the unit. We just love it! 

Fresh apple green and full of fun! We're loving this custom-made island a client asked us to create, which includes space for her precious pooches. This design inspired our Nina Island.

Did you know that all of our pieces can be customised to suit your needs? Contact Us to find out more.

KZN-based friends, we hope you picked up a copy of the @SundayTribune over the weekend?

It was such a lovely surprise to see Milestone Kitchens featured! Take a peek below:

To read more about our new Nina Island go to http://durban.getitonline.co.za/2017/08/08/no-dog-island-milestone-kitchens-latest-unit/#.WYnRSdOGORs

 

Tears of joy are a welcome side effect of discovering the Milestone Website.

 

This competition is now closed.

Enter this competition via Home / Tuis magazine. See competition for details.

 

These are a few pictures of a Milestone Swedish Style Kitchen we sent to Zambia. Our client, Rita opted to have her units ordered without tops. She had the granite tops put on when the kitchen was in. I am proud what we can achieve with clients across the miles.

"Our kitchen is a tiny galley kitchen.  As we live on a farm, I went for units on legs for ease of cleaning and also as our cement floors are not level - chose Swedish Style with white painted units and black granite counter tops.  We just love our kitchen and it more than met our expectations with quality fittings and workmanship.

I have no hesitation in recommending Milestone Kitchens.  Sylvia is very talented with design and layout and Lulu is beyond helpful, we received outstanding service and the kitchen was delivered in perfect condition and on time.

Unfortunately photography is not my forte but hope attached pics will give you some idea.

Kind regards,
Rita"

 

Thank you Dea for taking the trouble to notice and to write to us about it. We try.

"Hi Lulu

If you don't mind maybe sending me the price list then I can work on a few
designs. We have a tight budget now that we have finished the alterations,
building isn't cheap these days.

Thanks for always responding so promptly. You have a great customer service
ethic.

Kind regards
Dea"

All in a day’s work at the Milestone Factory office. This is a transcript of an actual conversation that we had with a client. It is the kind of conversation we have all the time so I thought I would share it with you because you probably have similar questions.

Cleverly designed Corner Unit for a small kitchen with space on the left for a washing machine. The corner sink fits into the Corner Unit. Swedish Style. On legs. Ice White.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRUQG6ssogk

Adding to our (already spectacular) range of free standing units, Milestone Kitchens has been working on a new, more specialised kitchen cupboard. The House Keeping Cupboard. The House Keeping Cupboard can be customised to fit your accessories and is the perfect way to hide all cleaning appliances, laundry items and clutter to keep the kitchen looking modern and tidy. Contact Us for more information on how to order one.

Our KIAC in Dulux Night Jewel 3 with a Blonde top looks rather stunning. This one is going to Pretoria.

Cool letter from client.

Kitchen is finally finished in the nick of time. Sending a couple of photos.
A few minor hiccups. But dealt with them.
Finished the little bar area, Sink area, Corner tea section, Hob and stove section.
Am really pleased with the out come. Thanks for getting my kitchen finished in time.  
For your information Biddulphs were very good. Pleasant and helpful

Jen Bales, Mpumalanga

The English Elegance Double Butler Sink Unit with Utility Drawer, 2 doors and 2 Veggie Drawers featured in the January issue of SA Garden & Home.

Fancy a peak into my own Milestone Kitchen? Check out Home Magazine’s July edition to see the 'latest' version of my own kitchen. My kitchen changes regularly because I like to test new products in my own home before I put them on the market. Obviously this is only possible because the units are moveable. Hence the flexibility that they afford you. 👌

Home, July 2017

One of our carpenters, Mduduzi, working on a set of Swedish Style wardrobes destined for Johannesburg.

Should you need a sketch with dimensions of the units you ordered so that the builder can ensure the plumbing in the wall is at the right place and height - just ask my trusty PA. She will supply as below. Thank you Lulu for always doing such stunning digital sketches for our clients.

I love it when you go to the dentist and end up buying a kitchen. 😂

I love this small and simple free-standing kitchen that is part of a very welcoming living area. I would love to cook in this space on a cold winter's night. I particularly like the way the steps have been extended into book shelves. If you are redecorating a small holiday cottage you could achieve a similar and probably even better look with Milestone Kitchen units.

Nice tennis balls Nadal.  We would like to see how you handle them in a Milestone Kitchen. 😂

Our factory manager, Dennis & his wife Wendy had a blast at the Comrades Marathon this past Sunday.

Set up at the Biddulphs stand for the Comrades Marathon has begun. Looking good. Well done Deshen and team.

Cleverly designed Swedish Style Corner Unit in ice white for a small kitchen with space on the left for a washing machine. The Corner Unit accommodates a Franke corner sink perfectly.

Adding to our (already spectacular) range of free standing units Milestone Kitchens has been working on a new, more specialised kitchen cupboard. It is called the House Keeping Cupboard (1400mm wide, 650mm deep and 2100mm high).

We have designed a cupboard that is perfect for homes without a laundry room by reinventing the broom cupboard and giving it a whole new make-over. The Housekeeping Cupboard is the perfect way to hide all cleaning appliances, laundry items and clutter to keep the kitchen looking modern and tidy.

On the outside this cupboard looks like an ordinary grocery cupboard but inside the House Keeping Cupboard there is room for a washing machine, vacuum cleaner, broom, ironing board, buckets and a variety of cleaning products. All in one convenient place and neatly tucked away out of sight. There are a variety of shelves for packing away ironed laundry and also a hanging rail for any items that need to be hung instead of folded. Shelves inside the door offer handy space to store essentials like scrubbing brushes, washing powder or detergents.  The House Keeping Cupboard can be customised to fit the clients accessories.

The back of the cupboard behind the washing machine is open to allow the outlets for the washing machine pipes and electrical wires. 

The cupboard photographed is in the African Allure range but it is available in any of our 4 ranges and finishes - the English Elegance, the French Flair and the Swedish Style - and you may have this unit in any colour your heart desires.

You can order this beautiful cupboard directly from us, there is no middleman, go to milestonekitchens.co.za.

Starting from R16 500 excluding appliances. We are happy to oblige with custom made units or adjusted measurements so that it can fit into your special place.

We love this Swedish Style Deluxe Coffee Dresser in Plascon Scandinavian Sky 8445-1. This stunner made it’s way down to Knysna recently. Well done Richard on the great choice in colour.

Well done to Valné in Namibia for choosing such a stunning colour for her Swedish Style Milestone Units. Dulux Night Jewels 2 - 00NN - 13/00.

We simply love this. It's classically stylish and elegant. The colours, the design, the quality of the workmanship is simply superb. The Island and Stool is pretty cool too!

This is the only acceptable form of stalking…and we dig it!

Two beautiful French Flair wardrobes ready to leave the factory.

Our latest promotion in the HOME/TUIS magazine features parts of my own kitchen. I decided to add a bit of jooj to my existing Milestone Double Butcher Block by painting it graphite back. What do you think of the result? Also note beautiful Nina lying ever so eloquently on the dog bed. It is like she has always belonged here.

See our African Allure promo on page 108 of the April issue of House & Leisure.

Home & Leisure April, 2017

Welcome Nina, the newest addition to the Milestone Kitchen factory family. If you know Milestone Kitchens, you know we love GSPs and better than that, we love rescuing GSPs.

"Hi Silvia

I must just tell you,  since we bought our property in Mozambique 7 years ago, I said to my husband that when the house is almost ready I want a Milestone kitchen.  I always had my eye on your kitchens.  Absolutely love it, can’t wait for mine!

Kind regards/Cumprimentos
Celeste, Mozambique"

Red never seems to date. Used with white and natural wood it is bright, cheerful and young. Perfect for a couple with a young family.

Don't miss Isabelle Hagner's beautiful Milestone Kitchen in French Flair in the April Issue of SA Garden & Home.

This is the full interview:

On purchasing your home (when?) you decided to renovate some areas including a kitchen space-

We purchased our house late 2011 and did basic work in the house (renovating/changing floors, repainting but no major changes as we wanted to live in the space before making drastic changes…)

What did you do and why?

With regards to the kitchen, it became quite quickly apparent that the kitchen was:

1.  Too small and people piled up in the kitchen during our many entertainment weekends, as, although small, the kitchen was the heart of the house and people just loved being there literally to see “what’s cooking”

2.  Being at the back of the house and fairly “remote” from our patio/entertainment area, I (the Cook) was being isolated from all the guests that couldn’t fit in the kitchen space and from the fun outside when busy preparing meals for my guests…

What was your inspiration and or wish list for your kitchen (did you want a specific style?):

Having immigrated from Lyon (the French Capital of Gastronomy) 14 years ago, I always wanted to have a very open kitchen that would have lots of light, be an “arm reach” from all my herbs and veggies and with a timeless look that would say French cooking is for everybody to prepare and share together with us…
The kitchen project was actually the base for the creation a couple of month later of our now well stocked veggie “patch” right next to the terrace…

How did you find/why did you choose Milestone Kitchens?

I specifically searched for French style/solid wood kitchens via the internet and on magazines.

I actually saw the first striking picture of what type of kitchen units I wanted to have in a Garden and Home Mag in an advert for Milestone Kitchens and, after further research to compare and settle on the right product for us, chose Milestone kitchen as they offered by far the best quality/price.

Did you work with them on the design of your kitchen?

Not really, I took my measurements and drew the plans inclusive of passages and windows and existing appliances, and then browsed the very complete units specs to first chose the basic units I absolutely wanted to see in my kitchen (a big pantry, corner units and 90 cm pot drawers, sink unit, server as a base for my central console/island). I placed these on my drawing and then looked at the space left and what units would be fitting and useful to incorporate.

For the surfaces, I knew that I wanted something cost effective and durable for the counters (Rustenburg granite was perfect for the look) but something really special for the central island that would bring that African spirit into my French passion and what better than a reminder of the Nguni cows so characteristic of this part of the World I chose to call home 14 years ago…
I went to quite a few suppliers and found the best selection and service from The Stone Library in North Riding as they managed to not only give me the best price but complete the full job in 10 working days from my first visit to meet my birthday deadline date in December!

As I wanted a kitchen full of light and open onto our terrace I chose to install Constantina doors and Cape style windows (supplier was Gauteng Mouldings in Kya sands)

Did you enlist the help of a builder or architect? If so, who?

I used our builder of many years to place the windows and do the plastering/paint and the tiling only and my husband installed the full kitchen himself…

Did you run into any difficulties?

Not really but I am a very hands-on owner and Project manager! But on installation we realized that we would need another corner unit which Milestone Kitchen managed to make available to us within a couple of weeks and my husband made a full day trip to collect directly from them to meet my deadline to finish the project prior to my birthday!

How long did it take?

We started with the building work late September and finished the full installation on December 10th.

What did you want to achieve from the renovation? i.e. do you entertain a lot?

We DO entertain a lot J and this project has definitely changed our way of doing it.  Also this open and welcoming space has now become the place where everybody want to be, from my daughter helping with harvesting some veggies in the garden and the cooking with me in the evening or doing arts and crafts, to my husband and I when we have extra work to do in the evening on our laptops!

Did you have a strict budget?

Although not absolutely strict, our budget was indeed limited and the selection of suppliers/products balancing carefully durability of the products with the price tag. We ended up spending about 20% above budget. Total cost of the project was +/- 160k inclusive of labour and all materials (kitchen units, fittings, granite tops, windows, constantina doors, tiles, paint, etc)

Have you done something like this before?

No but it was so inspiring and exciting that I am actually considering doing this as a full time job one day in future to help people achieve their dreams without breaking the bank… I just LOVED IT!

An African Allure kitchen being loaded up, ready for the long hall to Knysna. Biddulphs makes it look so easy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSIcjFXgiui/

Stunning Island. Designed by Quentin Campbell from Roodepoort made by Milestone Kitchens.

We really love the clean, simple lines and colours of this Swedish Style Stove Unit with fitted hob and under counter oven. This Stove Unit also features our Spice/Oil Drawer combo which can be included in any unit and accessed from the left or right.

"Hello Silvia & Lulu,

I am so happy and proud of my Kitchen Units. They are beyond gorgeous. My hubby Stephen, is so impressed with the quality of you workmanship. I will definitely in the future order from you again!

Thank you very much Lulu and Silvia you service is excellent and rare!

Kind regards
Monica Seeley, Benoni"

We put our back into our work for clients like this. And we love it when husbands give their stamp of approval. Thank you Monica, we loved working with you too.

This is one of Monica's beautiful units.

All Milestone Kitchens are German Shorthaired Pointer approved and we have the proof.

This is good to read if you are considering buying a free standing kitchen. Here I am pictured with Goodness, our head painter. She is brilliant at her job.

"Thanks for all the effort from your side Lulu – you truly are great!

Charmaine, Windhoek"

More beautiful sketches from clients. We can custom make anything. Send us your sketches.

Congratulations Elize Zaayman. We look forward to working with you.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is really how our wonderful carpenter, Sizwe, keeps his workstation. How awesome?

Stunning job, Richard from Knysna. African Allure with highlights of Sky Blue. Beautiful in his beach home. Relaxing. Peaceful. Inviting. Very handy Richard is with good taste and clever with his use of colour. We LOVE it.

We really  love this kitchen design sent in by a client. Check it out for some great ideas on planing your kitchen.