HAWK K&B


Burbidge vs Masterclass; The Kitchens of Choice

Burbidge vs Masterclass; The Kitchens of Choice

When it comes to installing a new kitchen, no two brands are as synonymous with style, sophistication and luxury as Burbidge and Masterclass kitchens. If you’re looking for a quality kitchen and you can’t decide between these two brands, then this post is here to help. Here at Hawk K&B, we work closely with both of these first-class kitchen brands and we know a thing or two about what makes them such great options. We will compare these brands, and help you to define which is ideally suited to your kitchen space. 

Quality

When it comes to renovating your kitchen, the last thing that you’ll want to do is cut any corners on its designs and construction. You’ll want to work with the highest quality kitchens on the market. So, which offers the highest quality? The truth is that they are both incredibly high quality. The care and attention to detail given to every aspect of the kitchen design by both Burbridge and Masterclass means you’ll receive a high-quality kitchen. 

But this is the quality that you pay for. Both Burbidge and Masterclass are high-end brands, and they do cost about 25% more than a high street kitchen supplier. It’s true what they say that you get what you pay for, but you have to be prepared for this price difference. The little details like the exceptional storage ideas and the many different options that you have for cupboard doors or the door hadles for example, are what you pay the extra for.

Style

Burbidge is a very British manufacturer, with a real understanding of what it takes to design a modern kitchen. They are at the forefront of the ever-evolving design, choosing to reflect the different trends of the industry. This means that they have some amazing styles for classic and modern kitchens. These ranges can fit beautifully in kitchens of any size, including non-standard kitchen sizes and shapes. With Burbidge, you can stamp your personality on your kitchen, and it can be fitted to match your requirements.

The Masterclass style is incredibly detail oriented, with stunning, helpful aspects added to make your kitchen exactly what you needed. Masterclass knows that your kitchen is a useable space, somewhere where you will be spending a lot of your time. So their style goes down to the smallest details, including sliding cabinets, open shelving and chef tables. No detail is too small to be focused on with Masterclass and we know that they will meet all of your needs.

Why Work with Hawk K&B?

In this post, we’ve established that you can get a first-class kitchen from both Burbidge and Masterclass, but the real question that we have for you is; why not choose elements from both? Working with our designers at Hawk K&B means that you get to pick and choose the features that you like from both brands. 

You can pick the cabinets and the design features from either Burbidge or Masterclass and incorporate them into your kitchen design. We have a great relationship with both brands and can order the exact pieces that you need for your kitchen. This means that you’re not confined by one style or the other, you can have a high-quality kitchen, designed specifically for your needs.

If you’d like a kitchen made from some of the highest quality furniture and appliances on the market, then you should call our team at Hawk K&B on 01442 803303 to arrange a consultation. We promise that you will be completely satisfied with our work, and if we can’t find anything that matches your requirements, our in-house team of carpenters and joiners will make it for you ourselves.

How To Make The Most Out Of A Small Kitchen Space

In the modern household, the kitchen is usually regarded as being the main hub of activity, and it is not hard to see why this is the case. Not only will you prepare your meals here, but you can also take the opportunity to catch up with members of your family after a hard day at work. There can sometimes be a problem, however, if your kitchen is rather small. In these types of situations, you may wish to take on-board the pieces of advice that can be found below, courtesy of the Hawk K&B experts.

Use Potted Plants

Despite the lack of excess room that you are working with, we still believe that if you can find the space necessary for a couple of potted plants, you should do everything in your power to go down this particular route. In the world of interior design, it is almost-universally agreed that greenery can help to freshen-up a room, and give it a new lease of life. Whilst you may be devoting the majority of time and effort into choosing units for your bespoke kitchen, we would highly recommend that you not overlook this rather simple step.

Invest In An Island

On the face of it, you may feel as if trying to incorporate an island into your brand-new kitchen installation is something of a foolish move, particularly if you are already struggling for space. However, when you weigh up the pros and cons associated with this feature, you will start to see where we are coming from. The fact that this versatile unit can provide you with a significant amount of hidden storage, as well as double-up as a dining table, is certainly a major reason as to why so many homeowners fawn over kitchen islands in the twenty-first century.

Replace Light Fixtures

If you are slightly worried about the way in which your kitchen is designed, and want to try and improve the perception of space, one of the simplest courses of action that you can take relates to your overhead light fittings. Should these be dangling from a great height, it can lead to the room feeling cluttered and overcrowded, which we are sure is an effect that you would like to avoid. By having the lights installed within the ceiling itself, you can free-up some valuable vertical space.

Why Work With Us?

After you have worked out the certain design choices that you believe are right for you and your home, your next task relates to sourcing a design studio that will go above-and-beyond to bring your vision to life. It is in this department that Hawk K&B is truly able to shine. Were you to spend a minute or two reading over some of our wonderful Google Reviews, you would see that, above all-else, we are committed to producing exemplary results for our clients – we would love to be able to do the same for you.

Want To Take The Next Step?

Hopefully, you will have now started to gain more of an understanding in regards to the best way in which you can create a beautiful kitchen, despite having a lack of space to work with. A kitchen project can take a significant period of time to complete to the highest-standard, particularly if you are working alone. Should you want assistance from a kitchen company in St Albans that is famed for its attention to detail, you could do a lot worse than enlisting the help of Hawk K&B. To start your journey towards a dream kitchen today, please call our customer service team today on 01442 803303.

Freestanding vs Built-In Bathtubs

Both freestanding and built in bathtubs can turn your bathroom into a luxurious sanctuary but choosing which type to go with can be confusing. Taking into consideration space, style and purpose, we look at which tub suits what bathroom.

It is often thought that a freestanding tub is best for a larger bathroom and a built in, better suited to smaller space, however this is a common misconception. In fact a freestanding bath is often perfect for a smaller space as you are not restricted by where you position the bath, allowing it to fit in small alcoves where a built in bath could not. Due to their shape and occasionally their legs resulting in the tub being raised off the floor, this also creates the illusion of space.

built-in-bath
Image via Hawk K&B

With a built in bathtub, the real advantage is the space that the surround provides. It can act as storage, seating and mounting space for taps, spouts and hand showers so the more room you have the better. You can also tile in your bath tying it in with the rest of the room to create a seamless appearance or panel it to match the bathroom furniture as we have done here.

freestanding-bath-fireplace
Image via Hawk K&B

However that’s not to say with a freestanding bathtub you will have less storage. If space allows, placing the bath in the centre of the room, as we have done here, frees up valuable wall space for bathroom furniture and storage.

freestanding-roll-top-bath
Image via Hawk K&B

Alternatively, built in niche’s into the wall can add that storage space needed for bathing essentials where space is limited.

slipper-bath
Image via Hawk K&B

Also worth considering is that any built-in tub under 1700mm runs the risk of compromising the bathing experience. It is crucial to measure and plan your space to truly understand whether you can work with a built-in bath. In this instance a freestanding bath, in particular a slipper bath, is a great choice for a smaller space, allowing you to sit up and relax comfortably in a 1500mm bath for example.

burlington-hampton-shower-bath
Image via Burlington

A built-in bath is also much better suited for adding a shower to, whereas a freestanding tub is usually for bathing only. You can of course place a shower over a freestanding tub but only with the use of a shower curtain. In recent years however, the emergence of the ‘freestanding shower bath’ by companies such as April and Burlington mean the bath is fixed to the wall along two edges with the addition of a shower screen, resulting in a successful combination of both a fixed and freestanding bathtub.

back-to-wall-bath
Image via Hawk K&B

A similar alternative is a back to wall bath which offers the luxury of a freestanding bath whilst sitting flush against your bathroom wall. Designed to be installed in the middle of a wall it allows extra space either side for a basin, toilet and furniture whereas most built-in baths are designed to sit in corners and freestanding sitting in the middle of the room.

There are endless possibilities when choosing a bathtub so don’t feel restricted by your space and style choices. Both freestanding and built-in bathtubs can be adapted to suit your space and we will work with you to design a bathroom that is carefully space planned and is ultimately what you want.