What IKEA Home Planner can’t do for your Kitchen Design

IKEA Home Planner vs. Hiring a Kitchen Design Professional

IKEA stores are fun to visit and plan — especially when you venture into the kitchen showroom. With their mix of IKEA cabinets and accessories, the kitchens within the showroom look almost perfect. You can see all available door styles, cabinet boxes, sinks, appliances, and utensils.

In the showroom, a team of kitchen specialists is available to help you every step of the way and give you access to the IKEA Home Planner. It looks like an ideal kitchen design experience that covers all your needs. However, our experience tells us this system could be better.

This article highlights the pitfalls of designing a kitchen without a professional by exploring three areas Home Planner can’t help you with. We will also demonstrate how IKD uses its years of experience to help you achieve the design you always wanted using IKEA products.

Flaws of Kitchen Design with the IKEA Home Planner

After reading this article on the IKEA Home Planner, you’ll understand why “plan” best describes what IKEA offers. IKEA’s Home Planner is a browser-based tool that gives you a virtual kitchen with a basic plan to add cabinets and appliances to the existing space. If you opt for their kitchen planning service, you get the same thing—four hours or less with an individual who will help you create a virtual plan to fill your space.

IKEA planners are not seasoned kitchen design professionals, and the practice of proper kitchen design is a world away from planning. A skilled kitchen designer will get to know you, your style, and the unique way in which you use your kitchen. With that information, they can introduce creative solutions.

The best way to design the most creative and efficient kitchen is to hire a professional designer, not waste hours trying to master a limited tool like the Home Planner.

Please take a look at some of the IKD sample designs to see what we have to offer you.

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IKEA Home Planner Doesn’t Save You Money

IKEA is a place that appeals to the budget-conscious consumer. From their seemingly unlimited supply of stylish accessories to top-rated yet affordable cabinets, a frugal shopper can get a beautiful new kitchen without emptying their bank account.

However, when you plan your kitchen with IKEA, they don’t help you find where to save money.

You can use their Home Planner or have a designer come to your house using their Kitchen Planning Service (who will also be using the Home Planner). Either way, pointing out savings opportunities is not part of the deal.

For example, say you like the simple yet classic white cabinet door options BODBYN or VEDDINGE offers. These doors are white, but each style is unique. Experimenting with door options is a great way to save money while customizing your look. The problem is that IKEA’s Home Planner makes it difficult to switch door styles, so you’ll have to take risks and make best guesses on your own.

Experienced kitchen designers from IKD are trained to know the details of all the available options and will offer a variety of styles while keeping savings in mind.

IKEA Home Planner Misses Crucial Details

The Home Planner cannot help you account for issues like structural integrity. It can’t show you how to design with a countertop/appliance support panel that is the correct thickness. You won’t know if you aren’t an experienced kitchen designer.

Consider how cabinets support a kitchen countertop when adding appliances to the mix. Added support is necessary if your cabinet run ends with an appliance. With it, your kitchen will stay intact.

You will also need a variety of knobs, handles, and other accessories to complete your kitchen. The problem is the Home Planner often needs to include more of these items. Too few pieces–a common occurrence—means you’ll end up back at your local IKEA store, wasting precious time and money.

Learn more about how we can design your IKEA kitchen, bath, laundry room, and closet.