I cannot recommend Complete Kitchens.
Our experience was marred by a critical design flaw that rendered our new kitchen essentially unusable. The layout meant the fridge door could only open to 85 degrees. Worse, with the adjacent pocket door open, the fridge handle collided with the pocket door handle, risking immediate damage and preventing full use of the fridge drawers. At 85 degrees, the fridge was not functional.
Despite providing all appliance specifications when requested, including fridge dimensions, Complete Kitchens failed to ensure the design allowed the fridge to operate as intended. This was particularly frustrating given we had clearly stated that functionality for a family of five adults was our top priority, followed by aesthetics, especially important in our open, plan living area.
When we raised concerns, Complete Kitchens refused to accept this as a design issue. In my opinion, Director Alex was particularly difficult to deal with: he was dismissive, repeatedly bypassed our questions, and offered the same inadequate response each time “if you want to open the fridge door, just shut the pocket door first. ” No effort was made to explore practical solutions, and he showed no willingness to engage meaningfully with the problem. I felt his tone throughout was condescending and rude.
We independently investigated alternative door configurations, none of which resolved the issue due to the height of the cupboard, not something that was discussed as potentially problematic earlier in the design phase. Complete Kitchens’ only suggestion was a costly and invasive fix: to cut into the freshly painted, load-bearing wall, move studs, and engage structural engineers, all at our own expense.
There was no indication in the original drawings that the pocket pantry door would protrude 154mm beyond the bench when open, nor any warning that it would interfere with fridge functionality. When we questioned the visual impact during a site visit, we were told it would be “hardly noticeable”, but the functional impact was never raised.
We spent several weeks without a functioning kitchen while Complete Kitchens delayed. Eventually, we redesigned the area ourselves, making several intentional changes to maintain the appliance space but split the height with more appropriately sized shelves and cupboards. This redesign added $8,000 to the original cost.
Complete Kitchens not only delivered a flawed design but also failed to take accountability and respond professionally when we raised legitimate concerns. We were left to fix their oversight at significant cost. We were also deeply unsettled by the confrontational communication we experienced. It became clear to me why Alex is not involved in the initial client engagement process.
Buyer Beware!
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