Kitchen cabinet guidance needed!

7 years ago

We are remodeling our house and adding a new kitchen. Our kitchen is going to be 14' X 12 and we are in Denver.

We have gone back and forth on cabinet colors and believe that we are happiest with a modern looking light wood flat top and a black bottom. (we will have black windows and wood floors)

The problem is that we cannot afford custom cabinets made out of wood, have not found a "fake wood" that looks good to us, and I'm terrified of an IKEA kitchen/ Semihandmade. I'm concerned with the IKEA reviews of having broken or damaged pieces, millions of boxes, and the company IKEA uses to install doing an awful job per the BBB. So, has anyone had IKEA cabinets or another kind of modern wood / grain matched cabinets work out to be less than 20k to make it worth the trade offs from custom cabinets?

Thank you! and I'd love to see any pictures or references if you think they would be helpful!

Featured Answer

Jamie Ludwig

7 years ago

We just finished installing a new kitchen and I would never order semi-custom or pre-built cabinets again. I found out after we had ordered everything from the local Lowes (they were on "sale" so I thought I was getting a great deal) that it would have been less expensive and I would have gotten way better quality from a good local cabinet maker.

I had to hire a local guy to fix the problems with the cabinets from Lowes and then he custom built my pantry and laundry for less money and I got way better quality!

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Comments (6)

alanalinette
7 years ago
My kitchen is about the same size as yours and my cost of IKEA boxes ($5k) and SHM doors (supermatte, not wood grain, $7k) was roughly $12k. I was able to order during the Nov kitchen sale so I saved 10% at ikea and 15% at SHM. We haven’t installed yet but so far the ordering/delivery process was super easy. I was basically able to order everything myself and relied upon the employees from each company to spot check my trim, panels, etc. The delivery was top notch, both shipments were solidly and neatly packed with zero damage. Obviously the cost of labor for install will vary greatly (I’m outside of DC and using my own contractor) but you should still be within your $20k ballpark. Of course, you have many options outside of IKEA but I have friends with high end homes with gorg Ikea kitchens and so far my own experience has been positive. Don’t count it out just yet. :)
Kelly Connelly thanked alanalinette
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Laura Hill
7 years ago
Hi, I’m also in Denver! We have 2 sets of friends who installed IKEA cabinets for their Lakewood home and for a mountain home. Both kitchens look great and no problems were encountered with the products or install.
Kelly Connelly thanked Laura Hill
PRO
The Kitchen Place
7 years ago
Check out Shiloh Eclipse. I'm installing a new display tomorrow. I'll post pics if I can. I'm doing inset uppers and frameless lowers.
Kelly Connelly thanked The Kitchen Place
3z3z3
7 years ago
Hi, Kelly, I'm in Denver, too (DU area) and planning an Ikea kitchen. FYI, there is a Denver company that makes doors for Ikea cabinets: TheCabinetFace.com. They are in the process of moving their showroom but you can order samples from them. The samples I received appear to be equal quality to Semi Handmade but I haven't compared prices.
User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
If you can't afford decent cabinets, then cancel the remodel. Your budget is too tight to risk a giant blow to your finances when the inevitable unexpected expenses occur . You're signing up for an extended unfinished project, or bankruptcy. Wait another year.