Free-standing kitchens are made up of self-supported, movable, mobile units that arrive at your house complete and ready for placement. Here we explain to you the difference between fitted and free-standing kitchens and show you why our kitchens are so fantastic.
The most amazing thing about free-standing kitchens is that they give you CREATIVE FREEDOM.
Today it is common practice for architects to draw a fitted kitchen for each house. Once the design is approved by you it goes to a workshop and the kitchen is built to a point where it can be transported and assembled in your kitchen space. The whole process can be quite long from discussion, to measure up, design and construction, delivery and eventual assembly by specialist tradesmen in your kitchen space. All this before you can see and examine the kitchen in its finished form.An architectural drawing showing how an architect or draughtsman will automatically draw in a built-in kitchen regardless of whether you want a built-in one or a fitted one.
We have tabulated the ways in which our kitchens are different to fitted kitchens. If you would like to know more, please continue to read the table below.
Fitted Kitchen |
Free-standing Kitchen |
Limits you | Gives you creative freedom |
History | |
Became popular in 1930 | Have always been around |
Construction | |
Stuck to the walls | Kitchen units are not stuck in place |
Joined together | Kitchen units have gaps between them |
Cover strips are used to cover gaps between walls and cupboards | Cover strips are not necessary |
Internal linings used which creates hidden spaces that pests love to nest in | No hidden spaces |
Kitchen base is a recessed plinth | You have a choice of castors, legs, plinth or a recessed plinth |
Materials used in construction of base |
|
Made with chipboard | Made with solid wood and supawood |
Chipboard disintegrates over time | Wood lasts a lifetime and more |
Chipboard is easily damaged by water | Wood is much less porous than chipboard |
Chipboard cannot be sanded and repaired if damaged | Wood can be sanded, repaired and repainted if damaged |
Toxic materials used in construction | Environmentally sound |
Kitchen base is a recessed plinth | You have a choice of castors, legs, plinth or a recessed plinth |
Tops | |
Tops are continuous | Different work areas have different tops |
No gaps in the working surface | Gaps in the working surface |
False importance is placed on length of continuous working space | Smaller working surfaces are allocated for specific culinary jobs |
One type of material throughout | Different tops may be used in different areas |
Floor | |
Floor covering stops at base of kitchen | Floor covering covers the entire kitchen from wall to wall |
Kitchen is levelled on site while being constructed | Arrives with adjustable feet |
Sink | |
Plumbing cannot be accessed without a great deal of mess | Plumbing can be accessed easily and leaks easily repaired |
Stove | |
Stove cannot be moved if it is built in | Stove can be moved, even if built in |
Wall Units | |
Wall units are stuck to the wall | Wall units are attached to the walls with bolts |
Colour | |
Same colour throughout the kitchen | Can have many different colours in one kitchen |
Renovations | |
Deconstructed a fitted kitchen falls apart | Kitchen units do not fall apart when moved |
When deconstructed there is no value | Kitchen units keep their value |
Can only be renovated at great expense and mess | Can be re-arranged with minimal fuss and a lot of fun |
Cost | |
Huge initial capital outlay | Kitchen Units can be bought piece by piece |
Delivery | |
Delivered in pieces and assembled on site | Delivered to your home fully constructed, ready to use |
Installation | |
Needs to be fitted by an expert | Our kitchen units are placed in position by you |
Consultation | |
Consultation needed in your home | You order your kitchen online |
Early kitchens were free-standing. Kitchen companies that fitted kitchens had not been invented yet.
Photo Credit: CountrySampler
Fitted kitchens are typically dark with wall to wall and floor to ceiling cupboards.
When you deconstruct a fitted kitchen, you are left with a great big mess.
This image shows how fitted kitchens are fixed onto the walls of your home.
This picture shows how a fitted kitchen cannot stand alone without the support of a wall and the floor.
A Milestone Kitchen being constructed. This picture shows how our kitchen units stand alone - they do not need a wall to support them.
This image shows a rat's nest in a cosy closed off base of a fitted kitchen.
This image shows a fitted kitchen being built on to a recessed plinth.
This image shows a Milestone Kitchen with different base constructions.
Chipboard
A carpenter in Milestone Factory working with solid wood. We use these solid pieces of wood to make our legs which forms the base structure of our units.
In this fitted kitchen these granite tops are continuous.
This image shows how different tops can be used in one kitchen. We have an Ash top on the corner unit, a Saligna top on the butcher block and a stainless steel top on the stove unit with the oven and an induction hob.
In this fitted kitchen the floor covering stops at the base of the cupboards.
In this Milestone Kitchen, the floor covering goes right to the edge of the wall. Note the plinth on the island and the legs on the grocery cupboard.
Should this kitchen have a leak in the sink area it would be impossible to get to the pipes without making a huge mess.
This Milestone Butlers Sink Unit is on castors. It is easy to disconnect the plumbing and roll the unit forward to work on the plumbing behind it.
It would be extremely difficult to access the stove in this fitted kitchen.
This Milestone Kitchen Stove Unit can be easily moved forward to work on the electrical component behind the stove.
In this fitted kitchen all the units are the same colour.
In this colourful Milestone kitchen, each unit can be a separate colour because they are not all joined together.
Renovating or changing a Milestone Kitchen is as easy as pie.
Consulting with a kitchen designer in your home.
Order your Milestone Kitchen Units online.
There are many good reasons to opt for a free-standing kitchen and Milestone Kitchens offers a great product in this section of the market. We have a comprehensive range of units and styles which fit into any interior scheme. Our range can be seen on our website or at our showroom in Johannesburg where you can see their quality, robust construction and the colours and styles available. There are no surprises when the kitchen is delivered except perhaps in the efficiency of our service and the beauty and solidity of the units when you see them ready to be put into place.
If you move home you can take all of your kitchen or just your favourite pieces with you. (Remember to leave details of the supplier in the kitchen so the new owners can order their own custom free-standing kitchen that suits them.)
- Lynne Gibb, Durban