IKEA Kitchen Gives Midcentury Home Some Modern Appeal

Updating a Midcentury-styled home with a modern IKEA kitchen gave this DIY customer the European flair he was seeking

Sometimes it’s a good thing to be a flash in the pan.

So says IKD customer Jeffery from Allentown, PA, who recently remodeled his previously outdated kitchen to include a lot of modern flair (and function) for his family’s new IKEA kitchen.

He explains: “We have a Midcentury home built in 1957. A modern, Euro-style kitchen from IKEA seemed like the perfect fit for our clean, minimal aesthetic. Plus, my wife is an avid cook and we have three young children — including seven-year-old twin boys. It was very important to have a functioning kitchen that we could [easily] wipe clean.”

So, he combined IKEA’s SEKTION cabinetry framework with IKEA’s RINGHULT doors for the base cabinets, which are complemented by white quartz countertops and a stunning walnut veneer island. “RINGHULT is one of the higher-priced IKEA cabinetry options, but the ease of cleaning glossy, white doors appealed to us,” he says.

Ultimately, for less than $30,000, Jeffery was able to incorporate all of he and his wife’s design wish list. This includes a new island; lots of storage; minimalist, easy-to-clean surfaces; and new high-end appliances. (Note: Jeffrey’s total cost for his IKEA products was only $10,401.61!)

Even though Jeffrey was comfortable with DIY projects (and did preliminary research on HOUZZ for examples of kitchen designs), he also made one very important decision about his project: He hired IKD’s design team.

He explains: “I can DIY most tasks, but there’s little point in a well-constructed kitchen with a poor design. All the functionality begins with the design. It was critical to have a solid plan, and when the IKD owner responded to my questions directly, I knew I had found the right partners.”

It was our pleasure Jeffery, and we’re glad you enjoy your kitchen’s transformation.

Let’s see how Jeffery put his kitchen together!

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DIY Design for IKEA Kitchen

Jeffery and his family had very specific requests for this DIY kitchen project, such as an island; easy-to-clean surfaces and storage.

“The IKEA SEKTION cabinets really filled those needs for us,” he says. “I always look for value and DIY options, and the reviews I read about IKEA cabinets along with IKEA’s 25-year warranty appealed to me. I also wanted lots of smart devices that would streamline work and I selected a touch faucet and a touch-control induction cooktop. Everything is designed to minimize mess and make cleaning easy,” he adds.

The IKEA High Gloss White RINGHULT cabinetry – which Jeffery installed himself — provides ample storage space throughout the perimeter base cabinetry and makes clean up smoother. This gives his wife plenty of storage options for pots, pans and other cooking items and enhances the work triangle.

The RINGHULT cabinetry also complements the warm walnut veneer upper cabinetry doors from Semihandmade and the white quartz countertops.

Jeffrey concludes: “We were also undecided about a backsplash until the very end. I came across glass backsplashes and knew that was the way to go. I ordered tempered glass, then painted the reverse with special glass paint. I’m pretty sure that’s my wife’s favorite part.”

Working The Plan

Following the IKD design plan — even when faced with unexpected challenges — ensured that Jeffery’s kitchen would function how he needed.

One such obstacle occurred when Jeffery went to replace a poorly installed kitchen window and found the inside of the wall was completely rotted away. “The sill plate was gone and the studs were literally dangling from the roof,” he says.

Since he had to reframe the wall, he decided to replace the exterior door with a sliding glass patio door as well. “However, the spot where I wanted to place the door already had a hydronic baseboard radiator there. My solution was to remove it and replace it with a European wall-mounted radiator. It gave us a better view and more floor space around the island,” he says.

He concludes: “The kitchen is, ironically, the only room in the home that wasn’t open concept. I knew I wanted to partially remove a wall to open it up into the dining room. So, I gave IKD that information and asked them to design the kitchen from the ground up making the best use of space. I was willing to move anything.”

Budgetary Considerations

Budget was also a big consideration for Jeffery.

He explains: “I wanted to do it as cheaply as possible but still have very high quality since this is a forever home. By shopping IKEA on sale, purchasing lots of factory seconds and Ebay fixtures, and doing the majority of the work myself, I completed the project for $29,500. That includes every screw, nail and wire. Plus, all new appliances, heated slate floor, the sliding door and the white quartz countertops.” The quartz countertops and island were done by a local installer and cost around $5,000.

Chasing Waterfalls

Regarding the island, Jeffery notes it was initially a source of concern.

“My wife wanted the island and I was worried it would feel cramped. But, IKD got it to feel perfect,” he says.

Not only that, but the live edge walnut pass-through is Jeffrey’s favorite part of the design. “I bought it from a local sawmill and my daughter and I sanded it and oiled it together. The warmth of the wood and soft feel creates a nice contrast to our modern white IKEA kitchen. I also used a piece of ¼” walnut veneer plywood to back my island. It all matched beautifully. The island face cost me under $100,” he concludes.

IKEA DIY Ideas

According to Jeffery, there are necessary things to remember with your IKEA kitchen remodel.

He explains: “Check your order carefully. I had to source from three different IKEAs due to COVID closures — and I was always delivered wrong items. On one visit they tried to send me away without an entire cart load of merchandise. Thankfully I was meticulous about using the IKD plan and my online order to check each item and caught all the mistakes.”

He also says to save your receipts. “IKEA marked down several section cabinet components and when I went in for a price adjustment they refunded me over $200,” he offers.

From a design perspective, he also notes that “it pays to learn to scribe fillers and cabinet panels. Scribing gives a nice clean fit to your walls and ceilings, and it’s a simple concept you can learn from YouTube.”

As you can see, it’s very possible to transform your current kitchen into a stunning IKEA kitchen. And if you’re leaning toward a DIY remodel all you need is a clear vision and top partner with the right design (and installation) professionals. Then, like Jeffery, you too can have a bold new IKEA kitchen created in a budget-friendly way.

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