Guide: which kitchen fitter to choose?

After purchasing your property, you decide to embark on fitting out your kitchen or perhaps you simply wish to change it? Whatever your motivations, the kitchen remains an important room in your home. A genuine living space, it must be in keeping with the style of your decor while being ergonomic and practical. To assist you with your project, kitchen fitters are at your disposal; but how do you choose the right one from the wide range available to you today?

October 4, 2019 · Updated March 20, 2020

Fitting out your kitchen is a substantial project that can prove costly. It is therefore essential to define in advance the budget you wish to allocate to it. You will also need to meet with several kitchen fitters to obtain quotes and determine to whom you wish to entrust the completion of your kitchen. In reality, there are numerous types of kitchen fitters. Some sell only kitchen furniture and handle delivery and installation, while others will guide you through plan design and the overall project. It is therefore important to understand your needs well in order to approach the right person.

We can distinguish 3 types of kitchen fitters according to your budget and needs:

Ready-to-assemble kitchens for smaller budgets:

Many generalist retailers are now present on the kitchen market, with some having created low-cost solutions. Castorama, IKEA, Leroy Merlin, Lapeyre and SoCoo’c therefore offer ready-to-assemble kitchens, designed to fit different spaces. The range of models is very extensive and you will need to design the combination and layout of the units yourself. These large retailers have developed software to make things easier, where you can test and visualise your kitchen design from the elements on offer. Regarding installation, a home service is offered. If you consider yourself a competent DIY enthusiast, you can also install the kitchen yourself, but you will need knowledge, particularly for water and electrical connections. These retailers also often offer a wide range of appliances that you can add, depending on your needs and whether you wish to keep your own or not!

Kitchen specialists:

These are what we generally call “kitchen fitters” as it is the core of their trade. Brands such as Cuisinella, Ixina, Mobalpa and Arthur Bonnet will offer you a complete service. We advise you to visit these retailers if you have few ideas about your future kitchen and little knowledge of DIY and fitting out. Indeed, these professionals are at your service to think of everything. They will guide you both in terms of design and equipment and can advise you best. Using plans of your current kitchen or your room, they will be able to propose a kitchen to match your wishes but also what is actually feasible! They accompany you from start to finish and know how to surround themselves with trusted suppliers and craftsmen with whom they regularly work. Here too you can choose a bare kitchen or a fully equipped one according to your needs!

Premium range:

Beyond the specialist kitchen fitters who can meet your needs using catalogues and pre-designed kitchens, there are premium kitchen fitters where the offer is entirely custom-made. Special requests, bespoke creations, special materials, ultra-precise finishes or the latest innovations, these kitchen fitters offer the best on the market. Players such as Xaviez, Armony and Veneta now offer this type of quality service.

As you will have understood, the multiplication of players in the kitchen market in France makes it possible to meet all budgets but can also create confusion in the project of fitting out your kitchen. Today, depending on the project and the kitchen fitter chosen, the bill can vary between €1,000 and €20,000! To help you determine your needs, here is a list of questions to answer before you begin: