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Help! Ikea threw me quite a curveball

8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

So I had my heart set on Ikea Lerhyttan in light grey (pictured on the left), but just learned that it's out of production for the near future. I already paid for the kitchen, had cabinets delivered (sans the doors), have everything scheduled, etc. So I need to salvage what's left of the bad situation. In the pic below are the options I have. I have travertine floor that I'm not changing. The doors left to right are Ikea Lerhyttan (original), Semihandmade white, Ikea Bodbyn in off white, and Semihandmade in Antique white.

The countertop is in the front, it's white with greige veining, so it's on a warm side. I'm going nuts. The Semihandmade doors are nice, but white looks too white and antique white too yellow. The middle Bodbyn seems like the best color-wise, but I am not a fan of the "shiny" finish. Everything else is very matte. What should I go with?

Please help!


Comments (32)

  • 8 years ago

    I think Scherr’s can paint custom colors? Maybe check them and other sources for Ikea compatible doors and drawer fronts. (Also, I think you have your colors listed left to right, not right to left.)

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks, I corrected myself.

  • 8 years ago

    I think Ikea did you a favor! Photos can be deceiving, but I don't think the gray doors would have been a good match to your travertine floors.

    The middle white door looks good with your floors and counters (based on the photo).

  • 8 years ago

    It doesn't show, but the countertop has quite a bit of warm veining running though it, it does match the floors.

  • 8 years ago

    I was going to say the same as laurahahe, but you're saying that's not the case. Can you post a closer shot of the floor tile, counter sample, and antique white door together? That would be my pick, provided the counter is warmer than it seems. Also, did you try the grimslov door?

  • 8 years ago

    Since the countertop will be installed three feet or so above the floor — with cabinets in between — putting the sample directly on the floor throws things off.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Gray would not have looked good. If all you have to pick from is that, the door on the right is the clear winner. But not with those counters. Ditch the counters.

    If the pink travertine floors stay, they rule the roost. Everything has to work with them. You’re not getting a cold gray and white kitchen with them.

    You'd have thousands more choices if you ditched IKEA.

  • 8 years ago

    I agree that the door on the far right looks best with your floors. I also agree that it looks like a warmer countertop would work better.


    Loved our ikea kitchen and would definitely consider ikea again for future remodels.

  • 8 years ago

    You could do the whole thing in Shenendoah's Audrey door for about the same money. It's an all MDF door, just like Ikea. And Kraftmaid's basic line would also be similarly priced.

  • 8 years ago
    Here’s a post from Maria Killam that talks about choosing the right white (or cream) based on the fixed elements in your home. Your fixed element- the travertine floors- have to dictate the finishes in your new kitchen. If the cabinet color is not harmonious you’ll never really like the finished product.
    So no gray or bright white...
    http://www.mariakillam.com/white/
  • 8 years ago

    Why “must” the pink travertine floors stay? Why can’t you postpone the project until you can do it right and deal with them?

    Or adjust everything to work with them. You can’t ignore them like you’re trying to do. That just doesn’t work.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    2nd and 4th door

  • PRO
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I agree with Sophie - why on earth spend so much money to decorate around floors you don't like. You'll never be happy with the results. Save for another year or two and do what you truly like.

  • 8 years ago

    We are in the SAME boat - heart set on Lehryttan and now back to drawing board - Bodybn vs Grimslov fronts in off-white. We have hardwood floors and were hoping to use a light countertop as well - just got samples of Cashmere Carerra but now think it's too white! What did you decide???

  • 8 years ago

    Amy, we decided on white Bodbyn, went to Ikea and they comped us the $600 difference from Lerhyttan. I still love the countertop I picked (Cambria Ironsbridge) and I think we can make it work. The veining is very warm and it goes well with my floors. I am replacing my lighting with daylight bulbs because I have warm yellow bulbs now and I feel like it will make a big difference.


    We priced Semihandmade doors and it was $11k, which is insane (the Bodbyn doors were 3.5k) DH and I both agreed that Grimslov were too "flat" and plastic looking, not enough depth.


    I'm not sure where people got the idea that I didn't like my floors, I do like them and not changing them, it has nothing to do with money.



  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Yellow white cabinets, pinky tan floors, and gray white counters.....

  • 8 years ago

    What warm white countertop options are there in quartz? I hate brown or tan counters.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    You hate brown or tan??? What kind of statement is that??? You’ve got pinky brown tan floors that aren’t going away. You can’t ignore them. Everything has to work with them. And it makes no sense to say you hate brown or tan but love your floors.

  • 8 years ago

    Jules, I like your floors too! I do think the gray cabinets would not have gone well with the counter you show and the floor. We did Frosty Carrina for our white countertops because we wanted a warmer white. I don't know if it would go with your travertine. Our floors are stained wood and we didn't really take them into account when we were picking the counters. We just like warm colours so picked a warm white.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    In Cambria, with a bit of movement, look at Waverton.

    There are several without movement that would also work. Like Cuddington.

  • 8 years ago

    What are "pinky brown" floors? There's no pink in the floors, I'm not sure how it shows up on the monitor, but it's a light tan floor with greyish/brownish pattern. They seem pretty neutral. I want a white countertop, I have brown granite now that I hate.


  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Travertine is a pink based brown. Always. Just because you don’t see the undertones there doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Cold blue or green based whites do not work with pink. Yellow based whites do so guardedly.

  • 8 years ago

    Then it matches the counter well because it definitely has pink undertones but can't see in the pic.

  • 8 years ago

    Try looking at Dreamy Marfil, Taj Royale and Organic White (all Caesarstone). Also check out Lusso and Daria from Silestone. Good luck!!

  • 8 years ago

    Jules - I was going to suggest you take a look at The Swedish Door Company, who custom-make doors in any material, style and colour for Ikea cabinets, but it looks like you've already decided?
    Loved our travertine floors, they were SO easy to keep clean. Not even a hint of pink, either. ;~)

  • 8 years ago
    We are in a similar situation, however the doors were delivered to us already. I went to ikea to order two other cabinets and found out the lerhyttan light gray were on a “stop sale”. The black is still available, so I got those and I’m now having to figure out if I’m going to incorporate the black into the scheme, or get paint to match and paint them. I’m pretty upset, being that we didn’t order the cabinets for the island yet, and now we have to figure out if we will just wait a year to put the island in, or get one of their freestanding islands for now at least.
    I’m remotely considering returning all of it, as we haven’t got to the stage of hanging cabinets yet. We’re still taking walls out and attempting to raise the ceiling. Down to the studs and making a real mess.
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    FWIW I think Ikea released the grey and black Lerhyttan to possibly work together as a tuxedo kitchen ( light above, dark below) or as accents for each other. They are shown together in a few promotional images.
    If I were in this situation, stuck with a half finished Lerhyttan gray kitchen, that's probably the effect I'd aim for.
    I'd see if I had any lower door fronts I could use to fill any gaps on the top. Then I'd make the bottom cabinets all black and demand that Ikea swap any gray bottom fronts for the black.
    The end result, gray on top, black on bottom, should look intentional and probably very nice as well.
    I don't think it will be easy to do a paint match as the gray stain looked to be a whitewash effect. A totally opaque paint, even in a similar color, will look different. But using the black and gray doors together would look much nicer.

  • 8 years ago

    It might also look nice to do Torhamn on top and Lerhyttan black on bottom. IMO Ikea should accommodate whatever remedy customers choose as this was all a pretty big mistake on their part.

  • 8 years ago

    I'm in the same Lerhyttan boat. My husband and I ordered the light grey kitchen and two days before it was to be delivered, I got an email letting me know that two of our doors would "no longer be available". It didn't say anything about a stop sale. I had to figure that out on my own. I had picked out knobs, handles, flooring, countertop...really threw us for a loop. Anyway, we ordered the Bodbyn in a mix of grey and off-white. Like you Jules, I'm also not crazy about the shiny finish either but it's growing on me. Oh, and the cabinets were scheduled to be delivered yesterday. Truck showed up, driver opened up the back, no cabinets!! We're destined to eat toaster oven food for the foreseeable future. Jules, I think you chose wisely and I love your floors!

  • 8 years ago

    Hi Lisa, sorry for your troubles. We just had the white Bodbyn installed and it looks good. Waiting for the countertops and then backsplash. The finish doesn't bother me as much anymore and it definitely cleans up well. I'm hoping to post final pics once everything is completed.

  • 8 years ago

    I also have travertine that I have to work around. I would be very careful taking anyone's color suggestions based on photos. Monitors and screens can make things seem different than they are. Sophie Wheeler seems to be referencing Maria Killian (like someone else pointed out on June 9.) I think when they say pink undertone they mean it's very warm, almost like a flesh undertone. It definitely had to be worked with not against. Have you considered hiring a local designer for a single consultation over hard finish selection? This is too big of a decision to make and regret later. When the elements don't work together harmoniously the kitchen never looks as it could or should for its price tag.