Overcoming the Unexpected with a Traditional IKEA Kitchen and Bath – Part II

A review of how an IKEA customer’s kitchen and bath were designed after a flood

In this Article

• Creating a Traditional-style kitchen using IKEA cabinets.
• Unique storage solutions featuring IKEA’s AXSTAD cabinet doors.
• How IKEA cabinet hacks can transform your kitchen and bath.

Storage Solutions

Shaunach had several preferences regarding the storage in her kitchen design, including choosing cabinet drawers instead of cabinet doors; requesting internal drawers and to include a trash pullout.

In addition, she wanted the base cabinets to feature a Lazy Susan, a corner cabinet with pullout, shelving and internal drawers. These requests were met with the extra cabinets added to the layout and a trash pullout incorporated as well.

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IKEA Cabinet Hacks

To meet the design needs of Shaunuch’s new kitchen, IKD designer Albert incorporated some IKEA cabinet hacks.

“In the kitchen we made a skinny cabinet in between the dishwasher and stove. My handyman permanently screwed in the interior shelves to make it more stable which creates limitations. However, it’s now perfect for keeping a small fire extinguisher and flame retardant kitchen blankets near the stove as a safety measure,” Shaunach explains.

Meanwhile the custom configured upper cabinets above the wall oven and microwave was achieved by modifying an IKEA AXSTAD cabinet door to 30″Wx24″Dx80″H and featuring two 15″Wx15″H doors.

Island Vacation

Another unique aspect of Shaunach’s kitchen is the center island, which features Semihandmade (SHM) Super Matte White Shaker doors with brass hardware and complemented by White quartz countertops with grey veining solid white to reinforce the traditional theme.

This provides additional storage options for the space to make workflow smoother while entertaining or during meal prep. It also provides a place for guests to congregate while entertaining as well.

IKEA Master Bath

The couple’s remodeled master bath also features a Traditional design theme and showcases IKEA AXSTAD cabinets in Matte White.

“I was unsure what wall color and tile selections I was going to use for the bathroom, so I knew that keeping with the Traditional white cabinets would give me more flexibility down the road to go in different directions,” Shaunach offers.

So Albert incorporated IKEA’s SEKTION high cabinet frame in white with 24″Wx 15″Dx30″H Matte White IKEA AXSTAD base cabinets throughout the master bath space, which also features a high sloped ceiling (low is 8′ and high is 10′). This cabinet layout is seen primarily in the vanity area, underneath the sink with a brass IKEA RUNSKAR bath faucet with strainer as well as two white IKEA STORJORM LED Mirror Cabinets. The base cabinets feature medium IKEA MAXIMERA drawers in white, to create ample storage options. Overall, the wall cabinet configuration measures 95″x114 ½”, Albert notes.

Completing the product lineup in the master bath are: An IKEA FORBATTRA Toe Kick in Matte White; an IKEA SEKTION leg 4-1/2″; an IKEA FIXA countertop support fixture; Quartz countertop from Vicostone; bathroom hardware called Occasion in Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass) and illuminated medicine cabinets from Kohler; Mirrella Artwood Porcelain Tile Collection in Natural (Floor) and Maple (Shower Floor); shower wall tile featuring Dimension’s Artifice White Matte Ceramic Tile (18″Wx 36″H); and the stacked washer and dryer combo from LG.

Master Hacker

Just as with the kitchen layout, the master bath features some clever custom cabinet modifications.

“In the master bath I wanted a long cabinet above the toilet just to eliminate ‘dead’ space on the wall. So we [asked Albert] to take a long kitchen cabinet and trim it down the back so that it was shallow enough to clear headspace. It’s the perfect depth for 13″ storage bins to organize medicine, band-aids, etc.” she says.

Also, a base cabinet — located adjacent to the stacked washer and dryer area — was custom cut to 18″x24″Dx75″H and features three shelves, one IKEA AXSTAD door (with an IKEA MAXIMERA drawer as a pullout) cut to 18″Wx30″.

“It was easy for me to see exactly what I wanted for each space, in my mind. I had both designs blown up and printed on foam core posters so that every worker coming to the house had a visual of what the final space should look like. If anybody had questions, the design became the focal point of conversations so that everyone had context,” she concludes.

Parting Advice

After successfully completing a kitchen and master bath project simultaneously, Shaunach offers some parting advice.

“My advice is going to the IKEA showroom and get a good understanding of the options. IKEA has a huge cabinet catalog that isn’t always readily available at the stores – ask for it! Also, monitor the IKEA Web site for sales, especially with appliances. Their adjustment policy is quite favorable, so we were able to get back a few thousand dollars just by being diligent and monitoring the promotions for a few months after we bought everything.”

As you can see, it’s possible to use IKEA cabinets in multiple rooms of the home and establish consistency and symmetry throughout — even when the unforeseeable occurs. For Shaunach’s kitchen and bath remodel projects, she used IKEA’s AXSTAD cabinets in Matte White to create a Traditional design theme that is equal parts form and function. Our design team is here to help you achieve similar results for your IKEA kitchen or bath project. Let’s get started now!