IKEA Kitchen Adds Charm To Historic Home

DIYers overcome pandemic and wildfires for IKEA remodel

It was the ultimate COVID-19 project.

So says IKD customer Chelsea from Eugene, Oregon about her decision last year to remodel the kitchen in her historic, 100-year-old home.

She explains: “After two appliances died in our outdated kitchen, we decided to make the leap into a full remodel and the affordability and quality of IKEA made that possible!”

She and her family wanted additional counter space; a design theme that matched the character of their 1920s Craftsman-style home, and an eat-in bar area.

The kitchen’s layout posed a unique challenge, however “Between the long galley shape of the kitchen, the two ceiling heights, and the support beam (which used to be the old door frame to the porch), we were worried about how we could make the space more conducive to having multiple people cooking together and the whole family in the space,” she describes.

With a budget of $30,000 and design guidance from IKD, she combined IKEA SEKTION cabinetry framework with IKEA AXSTAD Matte Blue doors as well as high-end stainless steel appliances and Silestone Quartz countertops in Classic Calacatta to create a warm, inviting IKEA kitchen. Notably, the total cost for her IKEA product choices was $5,753.60.

“We purchased the quartz through a local hardware store called Jerry’s Home Improvement and it was installed by Keystone Granite,” she says. “We did the majority of the other work ourselves but did have the floor installed, ceiling re-textured, and the wallpaper hung by professionals. We snuck in right at budget for the whole remodel.”

She adds: “I also spent a lot of time on HOUZZ looking through kitchen ideas, especially those that used IKEA cabinetry. That’s actually how we found IKD and we’re so thankful we did. HOUZZ was also a great place to search by kitchen color and style. Being able to see how other people complemented dark blue cabinetry or craftsman-style remodels inspired many of our own ideas.”

Let’s see how Chelsea’s kitchen came together!

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Affordable Quality

According to Chelsea, her main reason for selecting IKEA cabinets for her DIY project was their affordability and warranty.

“People were surprised to hear we were using IKEA cabinets in our home. I think people assume IKEA only has modern designs, but the IKEA AXSTAD style matched well with the original craftsman details in our house. We decided to go with a blue-and-white color scheme which is always classic,” she says.

The result? An IKEA kitchen complete with ample storage, clever use of space and plenty of charm.

For instance, the Blue AXSTAD cabinetry is featured around the stainless steel refrigerator and wall oven (extending to the other side under a long run of quartz countertops), as well as in the base cabinetry under the five-burner stove. It is also featured under the sink and under the eat-in bar area. This provides a lot of storage and allows for the family to comfortably enjoy time in the space while meals are prepared. In fact, the big, open quartz counter space has allowed the family to cook together “and is a great place for our daughters to have breakfast in the morning” she adds.

Cole & Son’s wallpaper and coved crown molding bring a historic touch to the space as well.

At Your Service

Although Chelsea had a clear kitchen design idea, achieving these results required professional assistance.

“I went into the project having a good sense of the colors and materials I wanted. However, the layout of our kitchen was a struggle. Our kitchen has some difficult design features due to the age of the home. These challenges, coupled with us wanting to save costs on not moving water lines, stumped us. That’s when we decided to work with IKD,” she explains. “With IKD’s great layout and already having many materials selected, we got to the ordering stage quite fast.”

And she quickly adds, the decision paid off.

“The designing phase went smoothly. Our designer Florence at IKD suggested moving the fridge next to the oven and this was a tremendous idea. It allowed us to move the stovetop to a new location too, which gave us more counter space in the center of the kitchen and made the eat-in bar a reality. These layout changes have made a world of difference for the flow of the space,” she says.

Challenges Upon Challenges

Living in a 100-year-old house definitely presented unique design issues.

“Our major concern was what we would find behind the soffits and cabinets,” she says.“Early on, we found that much of our lath and plaster was heavily damaged and that the ceiling had been dropped around the soffits. So, we changed course from the planned facelift of the kitchen and instead took everything to the studs.”

However, she also had to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic as well as wildfires that were raging in Oregon at the time.

She explains: “These events led to major challenges in getting all of our IKEA cabinets and appliances here, between store closures due to air quality and shipping delays. However, all of the companies we worked with were great, it just took weeks longer to get things than we would have hoped.”

Despite all this, Chelsea says it’s hard to pick just one favorite part of her kitchen.

“We love the big open counter space that flows into the eat-in-bar and the wallpaper. I also love the accent wall with the wallpaper. It really brings movement into the space and helps bring a historic touch to the room,” she concludes.

Parting Advice

Ultimately, Chelsea says that doing an IKEA remodel on your own is doable.

“There’re many helpful resources out there, from YouTube videos to sites like HOUZZ, that give such good pointers about installation and design possibilities. The affordability and quality of IKEA cabinets also allows for a budget to stretch further. For us, that meant getting quartz countertops and high-end appliances that would have been totally out of the picture otherwise,” she says. “Also, the IKEA online Home Planner is challenging. I had played with designs before hiring IKD, and there were so many components I would’ve missed if I did it all myself.”

She concludes: “Working with IKD helped us get a fabulous design and made ordering simple. They give you all the information you need. Because of that it took less than 40 minutes in-store with an IKEA kitchen planner to make sure I had everything I needed going home with me.”

Learn more about how we can design your IKEA kitchen, bath, laundry room and other rooms at inspiredkitchendesign.com.