I’m Steve. I’ve spent over 20 years in the kitchen industry — starting on the shop floor in retail, moving into manufacturing, and now supplying rigid-built, made-to-order kitchens direct to homeowners from my base in Oldham. I’ve seen every corner of this industry, and I know exactly where homeowners get misled, overcharged, and left confused.

This advice library is my attempt to fix that. No sales spin, no jargon, no pushing you towards a particular product. Just honest, straight-talking guides on everything from how kitchen cabinets are actually built, to what separates a trade supplier from a high street showroom, to which door style is going to suit your home and your budget. Whether you’re planning your first kitchen renovation or you’ve been through it before and want to do it better this time — this is the resource I wish existed when I started out.

Use the categories below to find the guide you need. Each one is written from direct industry experience — not recycled content from a marketing team.

I’m not a blogger who’s done one kitchen renovation and decided to write about it. I’m not a content team at a retailer with a vested interest in what you buy. I’m Steve Ball — and I’ve been working in the kitchen industry since the early 2000s.

I started on the shop floor in retail kitchens, where I learned how homeowners actually think about their kitchens — what they worry about, what they get wrong, and what the sales teams never tell them. From there I moved into manufacturing, which is where I learned what separates a well-built cabinet from a poor one at a glance. I know what 18mm Egger board looks like compared to a cheap substitute. I know what a properly assembled Blum hinge feels like versus a budget alternative. I know which shortcuts manufacturers take when they’re trying to hit a price point.

Now I run SJB Trade Kitchens from our showroom at Unit N, Central Trading Estate, Coulton Close, Oldham, OL1 4EB. I supply rigid-built, made-to-order kitchens direct to homeowners — no trade card needed, no builder’s markup, no call centre. Every kitchen is built using premium 18mm Egger and Kronospan carcasses with solid 18mm back panels and Blum soft-close hardware as standard. And because I supply nationwide, from as little as 10 working days, I’ve dealt with homeowners across the UK — which means I’ve seen every kind of kitchen project, every kind of space, and every kind of budget.

The advice in this library is drawn from all of that. If you’ve got a question that isn’t covered here, call me on 0161 509 4221 — I’m happy to talk it through.