IKEA kitchen

[maize]

Has anyone done or looked into doing an IKEA kitchen? Pros and cons?

 

They are running a 15% off promotion right now, and we've been looking into redoing our kitchen.

[RegGuheert]

I haven't, but I used to work with a man in Singapore who had one in his expensive home. (All homes in Singapore are pretty expensive, but this home was on the higher end.) That kitchen was beautiful! He said he installs an IKEA kitchen in every home he purchases because he likes that he has such a wide range of options they give him.

 

After he moved to the West Coast of the USA, I asked him if he upgraded his kitchen to IKEA. "Of course!"

Edited June 23, 2017 by RegGuheert

[emcap]

love my ikea kitchen.  We've only had it for about seven months, but so far its great.  We have all drawers in the base cabinets and its the best thing ever.  the quality seems really good so far, love the storage options, and workers (electrician, etc) that we've brought in have been impressed and commented that they'd like to use them in their own homes.

[tdbates78]

Love ours too! We had it installed in March and couldn't be more pleased. We hired private installers that were super impressed with the quality.

[Bluegoat]

I haven't, but I have heard from a few builders I know that they think the IKEA kitchens are quite good for their price range.

[Seasider]

I've asked this question several times and always get positive responses. As I research the possibilities of doing it for a house of mine, I've come across articles and resources for using all the IKEA stuff but getting the cabinet and drawer faces from a different source, for a great IKEA kitchen with a custom look.

[idnib]

I haven't but I recently spent a week in a rental property that had an Ikea kitchen and I really liked it. It didn't have the same solid feeling cabinet doors I've felt in higher-end kitchens, but the difference didn't seem worth the extra cost, at least to me. If I had to quantify it I'd say the cabinets felt 25% less solid, but at a savings of at least half the cost.

[RegGuheert]

I've asked this question several times and always get positive responses. As I research the possibilities of doing it for a house of mine, I've come across articles and resources for using all the IKEA stuff but getting the cabinet and drawer faces from a different source, for a great IKEA kitchen with a custom look.

Yes. For some reason, the IKEA cabinet fronts have a distinctively European look to them.

[Mimm]

Yes. For some reason, the IKEA cabinet fronts have a distinctively European look to them.

 

Is that bad? Asking honestly, I haven't redone a kitchen so I haven't looked at the options. :)

[Bluegoat]

Is that bad? Asking honestly, I haven't redone a kitchen so I haven't looked at the options. :)

 

It's only bad I tink if you don't like that look, or perhaps it is wrong for the house.

[sbgrace]

My kitchen is IKEA. I still love it three years later. My kitchen is 1/3 the size of the my old kitchen, with far fewer cabinets. But I have drawers for bottom cabinets and a pantry unit with pull out shelves. I have more space than I need. I love the look, and it's easy to care for compared to my old kitchen. I've absolutely no regrets. 

[Seasider]

European kitchen! Real estate agents should jump on that phrasing: "Lovely remodeled midcentury ranch, 3BR, 2BA, new European kitchen...."

 

!

 

I have an adjunct question. I know IKEA cabinetry is compatible with appliances from other manufactuters, but have any of you gone totally IKEA with appliances, too? How do you like them?

[Laura Corin]

Very happy with ours.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/522893-kitchen-before-and-after-photos/?do=findComment&comment=5815530

 

It's holding up well.  The only issue is slightly raised trim on one stretch.

[Seasider]

Is that bad? Asking honestly, I haven't redone a kitchen so I haven't looked at the options. :)

I personally don't think it's bad, it's just easily recognizable as an IKEA product, which to some equals big box store (which may be true for some items they sell, but I think their kitchen cabinetry is good stuff).

[Farrar]

Happy with ours. We've had it for nearly a decade and it's held up pretty well. The countertop that didn't come from IKEA is the one thing that hasn't fared well. The side that did, has fared fine. One cabinet has an issue, but it's the neighbors' fault - they knocked it off (along with some other things) when they were doing work.

 

I am, however, annoyed that they changed over the whole cabinet system a couple of years ago, which means that one of the selling points of an IKEA kitchen - that you can change out the doors and fittings easily - doesn't apply because we have the old system.

[Guest]

I have one.  We moved into a flip house that had one.  I like it fine.  I've spent a lot to re-do kitchens and yes, the quality was better and *exactly* what I wanted, but if I had it to do over, I would do the IKEA kitchen and save the money.  The flippers did some nice things--if you look online for IKEA hacks, you can get some good ideas of how to make it look customized.  For example, our kitchen is in our "great room"; at the end of the great room is a fireplace, with IKEA shelving/cabinetry on each side.  The same "line" as the kitchen...but in the kitchen, they put very nice crown molding all along the top of the cabinets where they meet the ceiling; on top of the bookcases in the family room, they left them plain.  

 

Another nice feature was that we needed more counter space than came with the kitchen (which I would have designed differently...) but we were able to go to IKEA and get a behind-the-sofa-table in the same finish and pattern and put it under the adjacent window.  It makes it look like it is part of the kitchen.

 

AND I went to the paint store and found a paint that matches the finish on the cabinets.  That way, I can do trim myself.  

 

I will say this:  the end panels (at the end of the peninsula, by the refrigerator) have been the only problem areas.  The end panel at the end of the peninsula was not well attached and whether that is bad design (which I doubt) or bad construction (which is more likely), it is annoying.  And the paint on the end panel that surrounds the refrigerator has paint that has crazed, so I've had to mess around with that.  

 

I love love love the soft close drawers and doors.  

 

Almost everything I dislike about my kitchen has to do with the design, not with the actual cabinetry.  That is not IKEA's fault.  :0)

 

Oh, and I get lots of compliments on the kitchen.  One friend, a KITCHEN DESIGNER, came in the house for the first time and drooled all over the cabinets.  I said something about having to make a run to IKEA to get a couple of add-ons, and she sniffed, and said I didn't want to muck up this great kitchen with IKEA crap.  Boy was SHE surprised when I opened the drawer and showed her the label.  HA.  :0). 

[milovany]

We won an IKEA kitchen about ten years ago and installed it in our hosue; that hosue is now a rental and as far as I can tell, it's still holding up well.  We do have the old system, too, which is a bummer because now we can't change anything out, but you'd get the new system so that wouldn't be an issue for you.  

 

By the way, they run that sale every year in June (I believe, somewhere around this time of year anyway), so if it doesn't happen this year, you can also get the sale price next year.