It was down to the trainees to assemble it, but as Dr Phil warned, one slip-up could be expensive and knock the trainees off-schedule…
Installation
The first job for the trainees was to look at the drawings and check that all the right components had been delivered. Because the kitchen was so well made, none of the components needed to be cut to size for the installation. But that's not to say it didn't require skill and hard work.
As the trainees were to discover, precision takes on a new meaning with jobs like this. When they were cutting plasterboard, a centimetre either side didn't matter much - you can always make it good later. But cutting a top of the range kitchen work top, imported all the way from Italy, leaves no room for error. One mistake means the whole thing will need to be junked and replaced at very high cost.
Furthermore, many of the kitchen surface materials – such as the cupboard doors – are black lacquer and stainless steel. With materials like this, the eye can pinpoint even tiny imperfections.
Fitting the cupboards
Soaps fitted the hanging rails to the wall. These would take the entire weight of the cupboards. Once the cupboards and their doors were hung, fine adjustments were made using things called 'grub screws'.
Since the kitchen was pre-fabricated, the work tops and other components simply slotted in.
The trainees
Soaps really rose to the challenge. She showed patience and tenacity. And the trainees worked effectively in a team. David fixed up the electrical elements of the kitchen, and other trainees plumbed it in.
The kitchen was always for Dr Phil because it's an expensive bit of kit. But in the end the trainees made it look like a doddle.
