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alexsmi12

Ikea kitchen. Good or bad idea?

12 years ago
I'm thinking of remodelling my kitchen, and keep coming back to the idea of getting a full Ikea kitchen. The reason for this is I really do need to scrap everything except for the new fridge I purchased a year ago. I don't know anyone who has done this so I'm looking for any advice from people who have used Ikea to redo their kitchen or any other resources I should be looking into.

Comments (25)

  • 12 years ago
    Have you heard the saying "you get what you pay for" well that applies here. Ikea is great for dorm rooms or some un costly home accessories. To buy a whole kitchen is not something we advise. Most of your time is spent in the kitchen and you want to be sure the supplies and accessories in your kitchen can up stand the use. Check with warranties, most good quality cabinets have 15-lifetime warranties, if they only have a limited warranty that tells you how long the manufacturer warrants them to last. Shop around, get quotes from contractors and ikea, way your options before making a decision. Good luck :)
  • 12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    Lots of previous discussions on this topic. It might be worthwhile for you to peruse them. Lots of differing opinions. Not a clear consensus.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I agree check out peoples opinions I have installed them in Very high end homes and in collage dorms. This pic is one of my favorite Ikea kitchens and it is still going strong 16 yrs. later.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    They are good value and look good - invest in a good plan / design from an independent - choose colours that work for your home and won't date too quickly ! And enjoy your new kitchen !!
    NB. if you buy the new Metod range you can always change the doors for a new look in a few years time !
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    In my opinion IKEA makes very good products at fantastic prices. The final product is a direct reflection of the time and talent used in the assembly.
    Take your time and assemble the furniture correctly. If the assembly is out of your comfort zone, then hire a professional to do it for you.
  • 12 years ago
    Absolutely not. So cheap. Do your research. There are many other better quality cabinet builders out there. Whether going fully custom is in your budget or you'd rather go prefab, there are quite a few. Kitchen craft does a fair quality prefab with a bit of a custom element. Any home supply store will do cabinets as well. Avoid ikea. IKEA stuff is not made to last. It's disposable. That's why it's cheap.
  • 12 years ago
    I am not a designer. I'm a journeyman cabinet maker who makes hundreds of the thousands of dollars of excellent quality custom built kitchens and other furniture every year. I know good quality when I see it. I also install everything I make. I know ikea is crap. From an educated experienced point of view. As you hopefully noticed, I also never made any kind of sales pitch in my previous comment.
    IKEA is crap. If it come in a box ready to be assembled, then it can be easily disassembled. The fasteners are not made to last. And because they ship by weight, all of the material is lightweight and cheap. Will either swell due to moisture or break from use. And the quality I hardware is nothing I would put in even my cheapest kitchen. It wears out after only a few years.
    So no. Not a designer. Someone with an educated and experienced opinion. I have lifetime warranties on all my work.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    IKEA is not cheap! Consider where the saving come from.

    The consumer saves big on shipping cost! If you consider the fact that IKEA can fit hundreds of kitchens in one tractor trailer load while other manufactures can fit, say only 20 kitchens, you can see how IKEA passes on the savings to their customers. Other companies with pre assembled cabinets factor this expense into the cost of the cabinets.

    The consumer pays no distributor, dealer and salesman markup. If the consumer does the assembly, then that is yet another cost saved.

    IKEA cabinets are NOT cheaply built and yes they have a fantastic 25 year warranty.

    Personally, I would never keep a kitchen or a car or any furniture for 25 years that's a long time and trends change.

    IMO those who are negative on IKEA cabinets usually have their own agenda. Most appear to be ️designers who need to charge for their service. In addition, many ️designers have NOT personally installed any cabinets! Consumers can use the free IKEA program to design their own kitchens. IKEA also offers in-store help.

    I install IKEA and other manufacturers' cabinets. In fact, I sell other cabinets and can mark them up. IKEA sells direct and I do not mark them up.

    I like IKEA, the quality and enjoy the custom "hacks" which are custom and unique modifications that can be done with IKEA cabinets and prove to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, with other cabinets because IKEA's are unassembled making it feasible.

    Ask an installer or someone who has IKEA cabinets installed correctly their opinion.

    IKEA may not be for everyone but neither is a Mercedes.
  • 12 years ago
    In our various homes we have had IKEA kitchens, kitchen shop kitchens and an expensive custom built kitchen. We are about to refurbish a high end house and having looked at what feels like millions of kitchens we are installing IKEA cabinets with Silestone and solid timber worktops and good quality sinks, taps and appliances. IKEA cabinets are well designed, good quality and have an amazing range of flexible interior products. Whatever the style of a fitted kitchen it's essentially a load of boxes with drawers and/or door so unless you have a tricky shape that needs custom building you can go with standard carcasses.

    If you look in home design magazines many of the projects use IKEA cabinets with stunning results. Of course it depends on your owns taste and the style of your property. If you want a traditional solid wood kitchen with dovetailed drawers and all the twiddly bits then IKEA won't suit you but please don't be bullied into paying over the odds for the marketing, showrooms and sales staff of kitchen shops as you will have less flexibility and won't necessarily get a better end result.

    A final point is that IKEA cabinets don't waste internal space in cupboards or drawers like many manufacturers and you will be able to store a lot more in them. When looking at kitchen specifications look at the internal dimensions not just the external and you may be surprised by how much space can be lost. In my current custom built kitchen I reckon that as much as 25% of storage space is lost in the units with drawers. They look lovely but drive me nuts!
  • 12 years ago
    Their cabinets are horrible quality.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Are you referring to Sky Kitchen cabinets. They must be horrible as their warranty is only for 5 years according to their website.
  • 12 years ago
    Pollyanna gives some good advice. Ikea has come a long way. But let them come out and measure and Install. I think you will be happy.
  • 12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    We recently redid our kitchen and we used ikea cabinets. The granite etc was from somewhere else. our cabinets came with a 25 year warranty and we reinforced everything with our own nails, screws and glue. It looks amazing. Our granite installer does custom cabinets and even complimented them. We've had ikea cupboards in the past in our old home and they held up very well. Over 20 years old and still looked perfect. What I really like about the ikea cupboards is that all the selves are adjustable( Finally i have a space that fits all my weird shapped things!) also they have organizers that are meant and built for all their draws (so you don't loose on space) and even glass racks so you don't have to stack coffee cups anymore!

    Yes Ikea does make some cheap quality made things. But i found the more expensive items 9such as the cupboards) are made very well.
  • 12 years ago
    Also some people like the doors by semi homemade??? As a upgrade. They make doors specifically for ikea kitchen upgrades.
  • 10 years ago

    I've had my entire kitchen cabinets and counter from IKEA, and our kitchen is the focal point in our home. It's been 13 years and we have never had a problem and still don't. I would do it again if I had to because I did the kitchen myself without a contractor or designer and not only does it look beautiful, but it saved me a lot of money.

  • 10 years ago
    Ikea kitchens look like Ikea kitchens. I can see them from a mile away, they just have this look...... I've had two kitchens built recently, both by the same local cabinetmaker. I did go to ikea to check the options and the price. My cabinetmaker's price was less. Why would I go to a big box store when I can buy local and sustainable, have it installed by the same shop that makes them, get a lifetime warranty, and get repairs and replacements whenever needed with no fear of items being discontinued? People just don't look local anymore, we are brainwashed into the big box stores.
  • 7 years ago



  • 7 years ago

    IKEA Sektion high gloss. Looks incredible. IKEA is incredibly underrated.

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    Even if it’s from Ikea - it still needs to conform to Gas Safe regs if it’s installed in uk !