Customer questions: Is it too soon to start my IKEA kitchen design with IKD?

An introduction to the IKD online design services and process

“Hi there, we’re in the planning stages of a home remodel and we know we want an IKEA kitchen. The rest we’re still figuring out. Is it too early to start working with you?”

We get this question pretty often, so we thought we’d settle it once and for all.

It’s never too early to start your IKEA kitchen design with us. Especially if you’re building your own home, or undertaking a major kitchen renovation.

In fact, we encourage our customers to start their designs with us sooner rather than later. Why? Good planning takes time.
You should take your time with your IKEA kitchen design. This is the kitchen you’ll use for the next 20 years or so. Make it a space that you enjoy working in!

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First things first. What’s the soonest you could get a final IKEA kitchen design from IKD?

As a point of comparison, let’s look at the opposite scenario: someone who is in a hurry.
As we say in our FAQ, how long a design takes depends on our customer. Period. Designing your IKEA kitchen is a team effort between you and IKD.
The more quickly you respond to our requests for information, the more quickly we can turn around your first design draft and revisions.
The most efficient design process takes 9 business days, or 2 weeks’ time. This is what happens in those 9 business days:

1. Nothing can happen until we receive your payment and complete kitchen information.
2. But once we have that? In 3 business days you’ll receive your first design draft from us.
3. Nothing can happen until we receive your complete feedback on the design draft.
4. Once we have it? 3 business days.
5. More changes? Another 3 business days.

Of course, we aim to get your IKEA kitchen design perfect from the start! But we’re realistic. We know how our customers like to make tweaks once they actually see the design. We encourage this!

That’s why our  IKD Design Package includes 2 free revisions. That’s where the 9 business days come from.

But you’re not in a hurry. Can IKD still make a kitchen design for you?

Not only is the answer a resounding YES, but we also prefer not to rush the kitchen design process. Design and the design process are so personal that it makes sense to build in enough time to really think about whether or not your IKEA kitchen design will work for you.

Here’s what we recommend for our customers who are in the very early stages of getting an IKEA kitchen for their homes.

Start soon so you can :

1. Take your time and design for the cooking style you have, not the one you wish you had. Really think about how you will use your kitchen. Ask other people’s feedback on your kitchen design too. They may have real-world experience with some of your design ideas that could have an impact on our plans.
2. Experiment with the layout of your kitchen. This is a real luxury that most homeowners don’t have! Adjust the locations and sizes of windows and doors. Think about creating a galley kitchen, a U-shaped kitchen, or an L-shaped kitchen, if you can’t get that trendy open-plan kitchen.
3. Get a really great IKEA kitchen design. The design we create for you is the template for your kitchen. You’ll need to consider not just the cabinets, but also everything else that integrates with the cabinets. Start early for good planning.
4. Pick the perfect backsplash, flooring, custom doors, lighting, and more. You can use our IKEA kitchen design to set the tone for the whole kitchen. That way when you sit down with your interior designer to figure out those details, you’ll have a leg up.
5. Be ready for the next IKEA kitchen sale. We can’t emphasize this enough. Don’t wait for the sale to start your IKEA kitchen design! By the time you’re ready to shop the sale, you’ll have to wait in lines and risk items not being in stock.

It worked out really well for our IKEA kitchen design customer in Australia:

What about the 2016 IKEA kitchen sale happening right now?

The current IKEA kitchen sale ends April 17, 2016.

Our cut-off date for the sale is April 8, 2016. We will be able to finish your design in time for you to shop the sale if:

• You have purchased your design package and sent us all of your information by noon EDT on April 8th.
• You provide your suggested changes for revisions within one business day of the draft.
• You only need 2 design revisions or fewer.

Of course, if you aren’t concerned about shopping the sale, we can still create an IKEA kitchen design that’s just right for you.

“eggs of many colors” by Flickr user woodleywonderworks is licensed under CC BY 2.0.