# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  Mitre 10/Principal flatpack kitchens

## portlester

Hi all 
We are looking at replacing our L-shaped kitchen and, mostly due to limited funds, looking at heading down the flatpack dyi path. 
There has been quite a few posts over time on this forum regarding Ikea (which we have decided against since they are located in Melb & we are in the Geelong region) and Kaboodle/Bunnings kitchens, however I haven't seen anything on Principal Kitchens through Mitre 10. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on these? How do they compare with Kaboodle kitchens? 
We also aim to get some quotes through local cabinet makers who sell flatpacks, so if you have any recommendations it would also be appreciated. At the moment also thinking of getting quotes from Kitchen in a Box and Goflatpacks. 
Many thanks in advance
Ian

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## METRIX

I have all my kitchens custom made in flatpak form, these are 10 times better quality than Kaboom doodle or shyt kea and cheaper, they come with Blum hardware !!
Kaboodle and most low end stuff id vacuum formed, when you look at them on an angle you will see how poor quality the finish is, I get 2 Pak Poly ones cheaper than the inferior vacuum formed. 
I would suggest getting quotes from other suppliers, the only advantage Bunnies offer is you can go pick it up today nstead of waiting a few weeks for manufacture, but you can have any sized cabinets / doors you want.

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## portlester

> I have all my kitchens custom made in flatpak form, these are 10 times better quality than Kaboom doodle or shyt kea and cheaper, they come with Blum hardware !!
> Kaboodle and most low end stuff id vacuum formed, when you look at them on an angle you will see how poor quality the finish is, I get 2 Pak Poly ones cheaper than the inferior vacuum formed. 
> I would suggest getting quotes from other suppliers, the only advantage Bunnies offer is you can go pick it up today nstead of waiting a few weeks for manufacture, but you can have any sized cabinets / doors you want.

  Thanks Metrix. You have answered my other question regarding the vacuum formed doors. Looks like we should stay away from them. With 5 kids and the plan to be using the kitchen for many years to come, we don't want them falling apart on us. 
Will definitely get some quotes from other suppliers.

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## ChocDog

Who do you use for that Metrix?  
====

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## METRIX

> Who do you use for that Metrix?  
> ====

  Local Sydney based guys based in Auburn Area, the only deal locally unfortunately, their product is really good, I have one of their kitchens in my place, in Satin White, 2.5 years on, it still looks like new.

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## METRIX

> Thanks Metrix. You have answered my other question regarding the vacuum formed doors. Looks like we should stay away from them. With 5 kids and the plan to be using the kitchen for many years to come, we don't want them falling apart on us. 
> Will definitely get some quotes from other suppliers.

  I understand there is probably good quality vacuum formed products out there, but the Kaboom stuff is low quality chinese stuff, take a look at the doors next time you are in Bunnings, especially the gloss white, it looks like the doors haven't been cleaned properly prior to VC, they are contaminated with dust or similar, and there is heaps of small dimples all over them, horrible. 
I did do one for someone who insisted on it being Kaboomdle, I said ok you do all the ordering etc, I will just put it together and install it, she special ordered Icing Sugar, which had to be made, I think is was made here, and took quite a while to get them, these doors were a satin finish and looked not bad but were expensive. 
One of my mates got one made by someone and asked me to install it, he said it was 2-Pak Poly, it arrived and I went to install it, and noticed there was a plastic film on the doors, I said are you sure these are poly, yes they are i asked for poly and paid more for it. 
To his disappointment I had to let him know they were VC doors, and he soon found this out, his wife is quite small so they wanted the upper cupboards lower than normal, well ok if that's what you want.
One week after install his son was cooking toast right under the doors, the heat from the toaster made the VC peel off the doors, opps, his msrs was not happy.. 
This is also a common thing I see with older style VC kitchens, the plastic has let go of the adhesive and peels away, then cracks off looking very ordinary. 
NOTE: 
Kaboomdle DON'T come with German hardware, but with kaboodle chinese branded (I think they are now using DTC brand) hardware, it is very ordinary, the friend who I did the icing sugar one for, wanted everything push to open, the kitchen looked good with no handles, of the 6 draws I put in within 3 month 2 of the push to open drawer runners failed, and 4 of the push to open mechanism on the doors failed within 6 months. 
Kaboodle hinges are also not standard, so you can't fit off the shelf Blum or Hettich as an upgrade, the holes are slightly offset, Bunnings do sell upgrade kaboodle Hettich hinges but they cost a bomb.  
IKEA stuff is NOT standard size, everyone else is 720mm for base and upper cupboards, IKEA is 700mm they do this so you can;t mix and match their product with someone else, you have to buy everything from them. 
Also IKEA accessories are not standard size, such as cutlery inserts etc, these are smaller than normal because their draws are smaller than normal so they won't work in other brands

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## phild01

I have had the vacuum formed doors and never again.  

> ... his wife is quite small so they wanted the upper cupboards lower than normal, well ok if that's what you want.

  You don't have to be short to appreciate the lower height.
I will never understand why kitchens of this era have top cupboards so high you need a stool to see into them.  Back in the '60's commonsense reigned in this respect!

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## METRIX

> I have had the vacuum formed doors and never again. 
> I will never understand why kitchens of this era have top cupboards so high you need a stool to see into them.  Back in the '60's commonsense reigned in this respect!

  Sounds like someone could do with a pair of these, you like red don't you  ? 
I built one for a friend it was 2.7m high, even I needed a ladder to get to the top cupboards.

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## phild01

:Rofl5: 
Not quite my style, remember thongs are my work boot  :Biggrin:

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## METRIX

> thongs are my work boot

  I think I will leave that one alone  
Well I was going to put these ones up, but they are square, I thought you like rounded things. ?

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## phild01

I was waiting for something like this:  
but not this:   :Toobad:

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## METRIX

Well, the only ones I could find had some other components in them, and some were even hanging out of them, I did not not think it appropriate to place them on here  :Biggrin:

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## phild01

> Well, the only ones I could find had some other components in them, and some were even hanging out of them, I did not not think it appropriate to place them on here

  Same here  :Wink:

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## charlesb

Only thing I can tell you about Mitre 10's Principal range (which replaced their/our -- I work at a Mitre 10 -- Imagine range) is that it is Hafele product. Some of the range (some bench-tops/doors) is made to order, not sure where but these are manufactured in Australia.

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## ChocDog

> Local Sydney based guys based in Auburn Area, the only deal locally unfortunately, their product is really good, I have one of their kitchens in my place, in Satin White, 2.5 years on, it still looks like new.

  Cheers Metrix. Was looking at options for the laundry fit out.  
====

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## D2R

> Cheers Metrix. Was looking at options for the laundry fit out.  
> ====

  Looking for options too. Definitely looking at custom  - Laundry is 4200x3100. 
Im in the Hills area. @METRIX care to share name of company? PM if you prefer.  
Cheers

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## David.Elliott

FWIW, I custom made doors and fitted 6 of the Principal kitchens over the time of Masters and loved every one of them.  I had the misfortune to agree to help a mate of a family member fit a Bunnies kaboodle and NEVER again...

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