Before We Order IKEA Cabinets – What Are We Missing?

2 months ago

I'm looking for input to see if I'm missing anything obvious, or if someone has a better idea. 😊

The first picture is our kitchen as it is today. The second shows our proposed remodel. This will be a DIY project using IKEA AXSTAD cabinets with drawers wherever possible.

I know this isn't the ideal kitchen layout, but we're hoping these changes will make our 1990s kitchen much more functional and bring it up to date.

Refrigerator wall:
We'll be using a standard 36" freestanding refrigerator. Next to it will be a 36" coffee station, followed by pantry cabinets. The ceilings are currently 8', but we'll be raising them to 9' to match the rest of the house.

To the left of the refrigerator is an angled wall that currently houses a built-in desk. I'm considering turning this into a beverage/bar area with a small prep sink, beverage refrigerator, and perhaps glass-front cabinets above for glassware. The coffee station could also use this sink for filling the coffee maker. The microwave currently sits next to the double wall oven, but I'm thinking of moving it to the coffee station since it's only used for reheating and snacks.

Island:
We'll be enlarging the island. The kitchen side will have full-depth drawer bases, while the seating side will have shallower cabinets for seasonal serving pieces and other infrequently used items.

Sink:
The current sink is a 4-foot-wide, three-basin sink. I'm planning to replace it with a large single-bowl sink. I'm also wondering if two faucets would be worthwhile, since we often work in the kitchen together.

Cooktop:
I know cooktops on islands aren't everyone's favorite, but I don't see another practical location in this layout. The current plan is a 30" induction cooktop.

Laundry room:
We're currently renovating the adjacent laundry room. We borrowed space from the dining room to create a full wall of storage (pictured below). This will hold serving pieces, holiday dishes, warming trays, small appliances, and overflow pantry items, so the kitchen itself won't need to accommodate all of those. The laundry side of this room will have the washer, dryer, and a sink under the window.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions before we start ordering cabinets. If you see something that could work better, I'd much rather know now than after installation!

Existing:

Proposed:

Laundry Room - Storage wall

Laundry Room - Laundry wall

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Comments (3)

just_janni
2 months ago
You should post a 2D view of the IKEA layout for the kitchen, along with the front facing views of each bank. You'll get more feedback. it's really hard to tell much from your entire first floor plans. And your existing isn't that important.

For your laundry - the only thing I will saw is that depending on your W/D set up (front load / pedestals, etc) those upper cabs may be low if you are using the top of the W/D to fold. I get you want to max storage, but you may feel crowded if the cabs are right in your face.
PRO
Main Line Kitchen Design
2 months ago
The cooktop is bad in the island and lowers the value of a home because many people that cook a lot won't buy a home with a downdraft. I would put the cooktop 18" from the laundry wall and put the ovens in the other corner that has the odd L. Turning every corner with base cabinets for short distances is not a good look or functional. Pros don't do that.

You have some big issues. Cabinets usually need a little play on top with a flat riser to the ceiling because no ceiling is perfectly level. Also Ikea is not a good investment or a well made cabinet. Brands like CNC will be all plywood construction and 3/4" thick vs IKEA which is all particleboard and 5/8" thick on the best boxes. CNC comes assembled and should be about 25% more.

Read the two blogs below - they discuss these issues:

In the first blog, for modern cabinetry you wouldn't use a crown molding but a 2 or 3" riser would disguise any ceiling areas out of level.

Why cabinets should NOT go to the ceiling

The Ikea effect
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AnnKH
2 months ago
There are many good reasons why folks here don't like cooktops on islands. First off, I suspect you are doing a DIY kitchen to save money. Venting an island cooktop properly might cost more than your cabinets.

Second, NO WAY should there be seating next to a cooktop! You already have a dining room and a breakfast nook - I don't see a need for island seating when you have comfortable table seating practically in the kitchen.

I would move the cooktop to the right wall, and put a prep sink in the island. That gives you two faucets, without bumping elbows, and lets you use a smaller sink base, which might give you more functional storage space.