I Can Nearly Taste My New Kitchen

Right! It’s happening, I can nearly taste my brand new kitchen. And let me be clear, that’s exactly what I will be doing when it is installed. I will be licking it. It’s not weird, it’s just how I like to show my gratitude.

My first stop is the Jag Kitchens showroom, open 7 days a week! And if you can’t make it in or you wake early one morning with a hankering to check out some benchtop materials and can’t be bothered getting out of your PJ’s – you can do a virtual tour.

But this is where Jag differ, apart from being available to you nearly constantly (they assure me they do actually sleep) it’s having an experienced kitchen designer as part of their team that sets them apart. I’m not pointing to a ready-made kitchen and saying, ‘I want that one’ and crossing my fingers that it fits and suits, my needs and kitchen desires are really being listened to and factored into the design.

I met with Lesley, owner of Jag Kitchens with her husband Malcolm. Not only is Lesley an experienced designer that knows her marble from her granite, but she’s also a white-haired wonder woman, like me. So we instantly hit it off, even sharing shampoo tips by the end of the session.

The Jag Kitchens approach is to listen to the customer and really try and understand what their lives are like, how busy they are, what they are struggling with (me: Hoarding jars without lids. Please send help) and what they think would help. It was almost like a therapy session. Lesley listened and scribbled down notes trying not to look concerned when I told her we’d named our fridge ‘Alan’.

As per the Jag Kitchens instructions I’d taken measurements of our kitchen on the provided sheet, I was pleased to see I passed the test.

It was like going to see Santa, I told her what I wanted and she nodded and wrote it down. I’m super interested in those hot taps that you press for boiling water and then filtered cold water too – apart from being able to show off to anyone that visits, I think it’ll give me more bench space.

Next Lesley took me around the showroom and introduced me to various materials that I could use, there are SO many options I found it hard to make up my mind. Different colours, materials, benchtops not to mention the appliances that I could add to the kitchen. Restraint was needed.

Next, we experimented with cupboards and drawers with Lesley demonstrating the drawers can hold the weight of up to 65kg by actually GETTING INTO ONE which was the highlight of my day (week, let’s be honest) and I only lightly pressured her into it. She’s a good sport Lesley and she’s made everything so far feel fun and uncomplicated.

Next, she’ll have some 3D designs to see based on my Kitchen hopes dreams. I’m going to sleep right now to make this day come around sooner.