IKEA Kitchen Lets Customers Really Get Cooking

Remodeling on a modest budget got great results in this IKEA kitchen

For IKD customer Andrew and his wife, their recent kitchen remodel let them really get cooking.

“We really wanted a space and look that felt great to spend lots of time in,” Andrew explains.

As avid cooks, the couple from Oakland, CA, knew that they wanted their IKEA kitchen remodel to include an external venting hood and for the space to provide character and function consistently.

To that end, they researched examples of kitchen designs on HOUZZ, plus “lots of Google image searches and Instagram designs,” he adds.

However, they also knew they couldn’t do it alone.

So with a budget of $30,000 and design guidance from IKD, they combined IKEA’s SEKTION cabinetry framework with custom fronts and panels from Semihandmade as well as Rejuvenation hardware to establish a clean, classic design theme. This look was complemented by IKEA Kasker quartz countertops as well as a Whirlpool refrigerator; Bluestar RNB Series 30” oven and Bosch 800 Series dishwasher as well as an eye-catching green tile backsplash from Heath that flows around the perimeter of the kitchen. Impressively, he accomplished this with a total cost for his IKEA products of only $2,535.57!

“The changed pattern on the backsplash above the stove was us figuring out how to use some different size subway tiles that we had to buy to get enough coverage,” he notes.

He concludes: “A major concern for me was that the design needed to be functional, but [IKD designer] Florence was really helpful in laying things out in a way that made sense. A major concern for my wife was that she would not like how it finally looked, however in the end it looks great and we both love cooking in it!”

Great to hear Andrew. Let’s see how Andrew and his wife’s kitchen came together!

Making The Kitchen Remodel Work

One of the keys to this IKEA kitchen was for it to match the overall style of the home.

“We wanted to match the character of our 100-year-old house at least in spirit — which meant we wanted no super modern stuff. We wanted a color scheme we loved versus something neutral for resale value, and also wanted warm, bright lighting. Overall, we wanted a space that felt great to work in and that meant laying things out so when we cook it feels easy.”

Making this happen meant incorporating an externally venting hood into this IKEA kitchen.

“This way our house wouldn’t smell like whatever we cooked over the past three days,” he says.

In addition, the couple’s budget included materials and labor for the cabinets, countertops, refinished floor, tiling, lighting, the nice range and hood and Bosch dishwasher.

This also includes the custom cabinet fronts and panels from Semihandmade, which are seen on the white upper cabinetry and dark base cabinetry. (By the way, the New York Times recommends us as a design resource for customers considering custom doors for their cabinets.)

The base cabinetry flows from the refrigerator along past the dishwasher and onto the other side of the oven. This provides ample storage options for dishtowels and other cooking supplies. The upper cabinetry provides storage for dishes and runs from either side of the external venting hood into the corner by the window. Open shelving is above the sink area, providing additional storage for pots and pans as well. Capping off the look is gold knobs and pulls from Rejuvenation, adding to the warm, classic feel.

IKEA Style

Andrew selected IKEA cabinetry for its budget, modularity and good reviews.

“It also looked great, especially in combination with the aftermarket fronts and hardware,” he says.

To make their kitchen design ideas a reality, required professional help though.

“For something as complex as a kitchen remodel, I figured that the money would be well spent on getting experienced designers to do it for us. I had read good reviews about IKD and we decided to give it a try. Our first challenge was deciding what we wanted. We spent a lot of time looking at design sites, reading and trying to understand how to balance form and function and budget,” he says.

Another challenge was getting all the IKEA pieces needed for the project — especially since the remodel project began in the summer of 2020 during COVID-19. “Supply chains were not great for IKEA, which meant many items were not available. It required an online order, then three different trips to the local IKEA to get a hold of missing pieces that would be in stock for all of a day before going out again,” he describes.

He concludes: “The parts list that IKD generated was perfect and the installation documents made it really easy for our installer.” The pair also hired a cabinet installer, and although the installer was inexperienced with IKEA’s system,“he was able to quickly figure it out and it all went well.”

Budget Friendly

According to Andrew, there is one very important tip he would suggest for other IKEA customers beginning their remodel process.

“If you are on a budget, that usually means the timeline will be a bit longer, so get ready for some extended camping in your own home. With that in mind, we moved the “kitchen” into our dining room. Another tip is that an induction hotplate ($35 on Amazon) was great for cooking simple stuff,” he concludes.

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