Andrew selected IKEA cabinetry for its budget, modularity and good reviews. “It also looked great, especially in combination with the aftermarket fronts and hardware,” he says. To make their kitchen design ideas a reality, required professional help though. “For something as complex as a kitchen remodel, I figured that the money would be well spent on getting experienced designers to do it for us. I had read good reviews about IKD and we decided to give it a try. Our first challenge was deciding what we wanted. We spent a lot of time looking at design sites, reading and trying to understand how to balance form and function and budget,” he says. Another challenge was getting all the IKEA pieces needed for the project — especially since the remodel project began in the summer of 2020 during COVID-19. “Supply chains were not great for IKEA, which meant many items were not available. It required an online order, then three different trips to the local IKEA to get a hold of missing pieces that would be in stock for all of a day before going out again,” he describes. He concludes: “The parts list that IKD generated was perfect and the installation documents made it really easy for our installer.” The pair also hired a cabinet installer, and although the installer was inexperienced with IKEA’s system,“he was able to quickly figure it out and it all went well.” According to Andrew, there is one very important tip he would suggest for other IKEA customers beginning their remodel process. “If you are on a budget, that usually means the timeline will be a bit longer, so get ready for some extended camping in your own home. With that in mind, we moved the “kitchen” into our dining room. Another tip is that an induction hotplate ($35 on Amazon) was great for cooking simple stuff,” he concludes.