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What’s everyone’s opinions on IKEA cabinetry?

reddit.com › r › DIY › comments › 16ejerv › whats_everyones_opinions_on_ikea_cabinetry

I'm a pro cabinetmaker. It pains me. Really, really pains me to say this. But I will, because I believe in honesty (and you're not getting a quote from me...) IKEA cabinets are decent, with caveats. As for build quality, unless you're going either high end or custom spec, they're on par with the majority of other things put there that cost a lot more. IKEA has been in the engineered board game for a very long time and it shows. Their business model is one of efficient manufacturing by limiting variances. Limited colours and finishes, limited layouts and options mean they can focus on making a better product, rather than a huge range. They go with what works and stick with it. The hardware is really, really good for the price point. I'll even admit that I've used IKEA hardware in some of my builds (not a full kitchen, but some furniture) when my supplier didn't have what I needed. They also supply parts, often for free. Keep the manual and if you blow a hinge or drawer slide, customer service can likely give you a replacement on the spot. My supplier will put me through hell for warranty, IKEA has thrown me a bag of parts and said "There's probably triple what you need, but hang on to them if you need them". Probably the biggest endorsement I can give is to say that if I was doing my own kitchen and didn't want to make my stuff, it would be my first choice. The quality has improved greatly over the last couple of decades, to the point that I think it has surpassed most of the other "ready built" manufacturers. Most of the people will compare it to either full wood or custom spec cabinets ($$$$$), where that isn't their market. They make stuff for the average person who wants nice on a budget. There are a lot of overseas "wholesale outlets" out there selling solid wood for cheap...but the wood is iffy quality and prone to warping and shifting when transported, the hardware is awful and the finishes are horribly toxic. I would never, ever buy something like that from an overseas seller. Too many risks and not nearly enough quality control. Answer from Zenmedic on reddit.com

reddit.com › r/diy › what’s everyone’s opinions on ikea cabinetry?

r/DIY on Reddit: What’s everyone’s opinions on IKEA cabinetry?

September 9, 2023 -

I’ve seen several posts on here of people replacing kitchen and closet cabinets with IKEA stuff and it always seems like the first few comments are “IKEA stuff is junk that will break right away” and “IKEA is great for the money and mine has lasted a long time”. What has your experience been?

I'm a pro cabinetmaker. It pains me. Really, really pains me to say this. But I will, because I believe in honesty (and you're not getting a quote from me...) IKEA cabinets are decent, with caveats. As for build quality, unless you're going either high end or custom spec, they're on par with the majority of other things put there that cost a lot more. IKEA has been in the engineered board game for a very long time and it shows. Their business model is one of efficient manufacturing by limiting variances. Limited colours and finishes, limited layouts and options mean they can focus on making a better product, rather than a huge range. They go with what works and stick with it. The hardware is really, really good for the price point. I'll even admit that I've used IKEA hardware in some of my builds (not a full kitchen, but some furniture) when my supplier didn't have what I needed. They also supply parts, often for free. Keep the manual and if you blow a hinge or drawer slide, customer service can likely give you a replacement on the spot. My supplier will put me through hell for warranty, IKEA has thrown me a bag of parts and said "There's probably triple what you need, but hang on to them if you need them". Probably the biggest endorsement I can give is to say that if I was doing my own kitchen and didn't want to make my stuff, it would be my first choice. The quality has improved greatly over the last couple of decades, to the point that I think it has surpassed most of the other "ready built" manufacturers. Most of the people will compare it to either full wood or custom spec cabinets ($$$$$), where that isn't their market. They make stuff for the average person who wants nice on a budget. There are a lot of overseas "wholesale outlets" out there selling solid wood for cheap...but the wood is iffy quality and prone to warping and shifting when transported, the hardware is awful and the finishes are horribly toxic. I would never, ever buy something like that from an overseas seller. Too many risks and not nearly enough quality control.

Sorry for harsh lighting - but I LOVE my IKEA cabinets. Six years old and going strong. We get tons of compliments and “that’s IKEA?!?” Comments.

reddit.com › r/kitchenremodel › did you regret ikea kitchen?

r/kitchenremodel on Reddit: did you regret ikea kitchen?

May 18, 2025 -

The price is amazing, but when I tried the drawers in the showroom they feel flimsy. Is an Ikea kitchen worth it or will it fall apart in a few years? Can I switch the drawers with wooden ones?

IKEA showrooms are more than a stress test. Some people seem to go there for the pleasure of breaking things; they appear to be on a mission to demonstrate that IKEA products are no good. Despite that, stuff in the IKEA showrooms holds up incredibly well for the beating they get. Additionally, not everything at IKEA is of the same quality. They have a low-price range and a higher-price range. If you buy upper-tier stuff, the quality is amazing. Sektion cabinets are not to be confused with Knoxhult cabinets! However, the final quality of an IKEA item greatly depends on its assembly. If the assembly is poor, you’ll end up with something that won’t last.

You could have a 50k custom kitchen and still scratch the doors, overload the drawers and fail to clean-up spills as you slam items in and out. If you take care of them, IKEA kitchens are a great value.

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reddit.com › r/ikea › ikea kitchen - tell me what you learned?

r/IKEA on Reddit: Ikea kitchen - tell me what you learned?

January 14, 2021 -

I’m planning to replace our existing kitchen and am 95% sure the new cabinetry will come from Ikea. I used it a few year ago in our laundry room and am overall happy with it and am familiar with the build installation process but a kitchen is a much bigger job.

People of Reddit who installed an Ikea kitchen please tell me what you learned? What would you repeat? What would you do differently? What nightmare do I want to avoid?

(I’m looking for advice on any of the steps from design, planning, DYI install etc etc)

Follow instructions that comes with each cabinet, drawer, fronts. There are slight differences between each pieces. Except the plastic legs: put 4 legs on each cabinet bottom and screw them in. It will make your life easier. Tolerances: I have above the fridge cabinet that is 36" wide. I thought refrigerators that are typically a bit (.25") than 36" in width would fit underneath the cabinet at 36" wide. Well.. some refrigerators apparently are fatter than they state. So make sure whatever you measured is wide enough for things like appliances to actually fit into. We had the same issue with drawers in the island and the waterfall countertop-sides :-( I hope you live close to Ikea.. for missing pieces, missing order, additional panels, etc, etc. Youtube- someone else already mentioned Laser levels- like someone else mentioned Make sure you're good with a drill/driver. You need one. You'll ruin your wrist if you only use a screw driver. If you see yourself using a hammer when the instructions does not tell you to use it. Stop. you're doing something wrong. Walls, floors and ceilings will be out of square, tilted, warped, curved. That means cabinet frames will twist, things (drawers, fronts) don't lineup and trims leave gaps. Make sure to carefully measure AND see what is out of alignment before you fix things together. Check whether you're doing too many (I ended up doing too many.. like 50) drawers. They are more expensive (drawers cost more, and you need more handles too) and time consuming. If you're doing an island, you'll need to make sure they are sufficiently reinforced and anchored to the floor. Think about whether you'll install your floors before or after cabinets. You'll need to adjust leg height accordingly. Make sure your coutertop people know what they're doing. Any mistakes there can be costly, and permanent. You'll need to do some custom wood work for filler pieces. You'll need a table saw (best) or you need to be good with circular saw. Wear gloves when opening the boxes. All (almost all) of the boxes are glued shut, and it's easy to get paper cuts from the box edges. They're sharp. This is all I can think of for now. Hope this helps.

I hate the plastic legs and the amount of labour involved in ~properly~ doing it. One mistake and you got to re-do ALL OF THEM - pain... pain.... pain in the butt. A much easier solution, a quicker solution, a ‘you-see-what-you-get-immediately-so-you-can-spot that mistake’ solution is to build a plywood base for the boxes. This thing gets fabricated to proper size, gets installed and levelled as the ~first thing~. You can throw all your pre-assembled boxes including monster pantries on in right away [as it is load bearing] and verify right away - IS THIS MY FINAL SOLUTION? or maybe it’s better to shift it over a 3/4 of an inch....’ - fabricating your own base allows you for quick efficient builds. *edit: I find most practical drawers are 24” and 30”wide. People love the 36” monsters but they invite themselves to be overloaded and then the momentum to open or close them carries you with them....

reddit.com › r/diyuk › [deleted by user]

IKEA Kitchens? : r/DIYUK

May 29, 2024 - For the price IKEA is hard to beat. DIY Kitchens gets great reviews and I looked into them briefly but ikea happened to have a kitchen that was exactly the style I was after so just went with them for ease. Quality is fine.

reddit.com › r/ausrenovation › ikea kitchen - tips, regrets and reccomdations

r/AusRenovation on Reddit: Ikea kitchen - tips, regrets and reccomdations

November 12, 2022 -

Hello everyone

I am renovating for the first time. I have a 70s unit with a U shaped kitchen. The cupboard are chipboard and the whole thing is a rip out job.

I am going to go with Ikea for replacement because their style is nice and the cost is low. I am still at initial planning phase.

I would appreciate everyone's two cents on rookie errors, any regrets you've had with Ikea kitchens and reccomdations of specific products when it comes to the design, fit out of appliances/interior of cupboard and choice of surfaces ( laminate vs wood) etc.

Thanks in advance!

Pay someone else to come put a stone top on, it will make any cheap kitchen look 100 times better. Get a local kitchen guy (not a huge company) to come give you a design and quote. Sometimes it's about the same cost or maybe only a grand over, if so I'd go with the custom build (a couple of grand extra on a kitchen may hurt your wallet a little now, but the trade off is worth it) Just my experience and what I've heard from heaps of customers (So many regret not spending that little bit extra right at the start)

This is our IKEA kitchen island and kit/dining run with custom YDL stone & custom drawer pulls installed. Recommend reinforcing some cabinet backs with 3mm ply, especially if moving the centre bracing shelf (we did this for 1.5oven install & for a couple of tall cabinets). We used IKEA cabinets, IKEA drawers (they have German BLUM hardware) & door fronts. We installed IKEA Metod in the Kitchen, Laundry, Dining, Entry & Home Office. About $100k of custom cabinetry (like for like) for $26k.

reddit.com › r/ikea › ikea kitchen

Ikea Kitchen : r/IKEA

March 5, 2025 - We had to move cross country and ended up building a new house and I absolutely HATE the cabinets the builder used. The quality is horrible compared to the 2 ikea kitchens I had and we paid for upgraded cabinets. I can not wait until I can redo it with ikea again.

reddit.com › r/homebuilding › ikea: good, bad or alright ?

IKEA: good, bad or alright ? : r/Homebuilding

April 11, 2024 - We did our Ikea kitchen just over 10 years ago. Everything still looks brand new. We are not easy on them by any stretch. I regularly kick drawers and doors closed. My kids are far from gentle or coordinated, etc. The Ikea appliances have all been replaced in that time, but the cabinets are solid.

reddit.com › r/diy › is ikea worth it?

r/DIY on Reddit: Is ikea worth it?

July 14, 2024 -

I’m going to remodel my kitchen and I’m shopping around. I got a quote from IKEA and other local cabinet companies and every local company cringes when I mention ikea cabinets. Are they really that bad?

EDIT: The cabinets in question are 21st century. So I’m asking ikea vs 21st century.

If you're comparing them to custom-built, they're definitely not as good. If you're comparing them to other assemble yourself cabinets, they're just as good if not better. I know people who have used them in kitchens without worry. We have some in our laundry room, living room, and dining room and they're holding out very well.

I'm a builder and I've installed IKEA cabinets in probably six dozen homes. I love them because it's a company I know is going to be there long enough to actually support the warranty, whereas most other cabinet builders are either wildly overpriced or are not long-lived companies. The IKEA flat packed cabinetry, although made from melamine covered particle wood, rests 4 inches above your kitchen floor on plastic legs. If you have a flood in your kitchen that would ruin most base cabinets, the IKEA cabinets will not even get their feet wet. Even plywood cabinetry usually has side panels that go all the way to the floor, which risks wicking up water. Everything is CNC cut and drilled so there's perfect accuracy whereas some cabinet makers are a little more slipshod. Go open the door on a kraftmaid ( highly rated brand) cabinet and wiggle it back and forth and then do the same thing to an IKEA. You'll feel the difference with IKEA. All the hardware is Austrian made from blum. You're only limitations are the door selections they've got, often I'll combine like black or white with some wood color to make a two-tone kitchen. IKEA also has some great ideas in the store kitchens about different ways to combine them and get unique installations. Also notice you can fully customize them with different pullouts and baskets and dividers and so on. Everyone I've installed has never had any failure that was the fault of the cabinetry.

Find elsewhere

Google Bing Mojeek

reddit.com › r/kitchenremodel › ikea cabinets the good, bad, and the ugly

r/kitchenremodel on Reddit: IKEA cabinets the good, bad, and the ugly

April 13, 2025 -

Can I have some feed back on ikea cabinets? They are very much in my price range but I don’t want to be making a mistake. I have two young kids and that’s one reason I am going more towards “cheaper” cabinets as I think it’s like furniture - don’t buy the GOOD stuff until the kids are out of the house.

So hit me with all the feedback please!

IMO, they are great value for the cost. They use German Blum hardware, and have a 25-year warranty. You can swap out door and drawer fronts if you get tired of the color or style you start with (or if kids damage a door...), and several companies make aftermarket solid wood doors if you want something higher-end. Because the cost is reasonable, you can likely afford more drawers in the base cabinets, which will make your kitchen more functional. We've had an IKEA kitchen for 13 years without a single complaint. They hold an amazing amount of stuff, including a 10-person place setting of glass dishes in lower drawers. IKEA kitchens are TOUGH. I'd use them again if we moved. 100% recommended.

Honestly I have no complaints about my ikea cabinets. If you’re doing them yourself it can be a bit finicky to figure out some of the mounting, but YouTube has some great tutorials. Also try to get them to fit perfectly flush against each other in the final design, since they don’t have great options for spacers.

reddit.com › r/homeimprovement › how good are ikea kitchen cabinets?

r/HomeImprovement on Reddit: How good are ikea kitchen cabinets?

January 27, 2022 -

Moving into an older house with original cabinets from the 60s which have been painted over way to many times to salvage. The kitchen is quite large and currently doesn’t even have any drawers only cabinets…I’m interested in just doing a full ikea kitchen since it is on the low cost side but the reviews seem to vary a ton. Does anybody recommend them and how have they held up?

Can’t recommend them enough. Most competitors also use the same materials for the frames until you get into the much higher end stuff. I would suggest looking into 3rd party fronts and side panels thought, from someone like semihandmade. Then you could get basically any style/color you want and they seem to be a bit more durable. Also, finding cabinets at any ikea is hit or miss right now, they are waaaaay back ordered on their kitchen and closet components. If you can put off the reno for a year, it would definitely be less stressful. Finally, I’ve read elsewhere that cabinet makers are not nearly as expensive as you would expect, and in many cases rival the cost of big box pre made stuff, once you factor installation in. I haven’t researched it too much because I’ve always done my own installs.

They are excellent. You will not find a better quality-price tradeoff. Especially now since they’re selling painted MDF fronts and not just thermafoil. They’re easy to install so you can do it DIY if you want. I highly recommend getting the 2 hour $40 ikea kitchen consultation. They’ll design a kitchen for you and price it out, with counter tops. It will be 50% the price of a custom kitchen (mine was). they also give a great deal on Caesarstone quartz and will arrange installers if you want to pay for it. Definitely consider it. The downsides are that you have to choose cabinets from what they have. You are limited to their features and colours. All of this might be totally fine btw. You will also need a little bit more trim around the kitchen to fill the gaps as you reach the end of the space. Not a problem. One concern is availability during COVID. Might take a few trips to different ikeas to get everything.

reddit.com › r/homeowners › is buying kitchen cabinets from ikea most cost efficient?

r/homeowners on Reddit: is buying kitchen cabinets from IKEA most cost efficient?

January 10, 2025 -

i just dont need fancy cabinets.

we just need to redo the whole kitchen cabinets since they are like 50+ years old.

looking for just average quality with average cost of labor to install.

is IKEA a good choice or local shops are better? or big box stores?

I’ve done four IKEA kitchens now. I can’t believe that’s true, but here we are… I love the boxes and the inserts and the flexibility of the pieces. That being said, a few caveats: I would recommend getting white doors only, as we have very visible white gaps behind our blue doors and we’re now trying to prime and paint the boxes to match the doors (eye roll). The first three kitchens had white doors. In our third kitchen, we got custom (white) doors from Scherr’s, which was a great choice and elevated the look. That was a good call. We also had a situation where the whole kitchen was built, but one door was on a mysterious back order so it was about three months without one corner cabinet door. Islands can be tricky - just keep that in mind if it’s relevant to you. Also, would highly recommend building your kitchen with one planner then reviewing with a different one to get two sets of eyes on it.

I just did a kitchen with Home Depot cabinets. They have people on staff who will design the kitchen, and tell you what you need to buy. It’s turned out beautifully, but that may be fairly dependent on how good the designer is? I also paid someone $50 an hour to install the cabinets, so I’m not sure how much they might charge for installation.

reddit.com › r/housinguk › ikea kitchen renovation - cost and review?

r/HousingUK on Reddit: IKEA kitchen renovation - cost and review?

July 21, 2024 -

To anyone that has their kitchen renovation done recently by IKEA, how much did you pay for and was the quality good?

Our kitchen is 2.92x2.41m so it’s not big at all. Wondering how much it costs you guys, their process and service.

TIA

We did ours 2021, very happy with it. Do educate yourself on the installation process as our hired trader actual did ours wrong to the point it was unsafe (high cupboards coming off the wall). You can do it yourself too if you want, I would if we could go back. We bought a separate solid oak worktop from a different place. I think ours was about £2k all in with appliances.

2.5k with oven. Fitted myself. 2.5 x 3m Tip Dont have high level wall cabinets in a small kitchen. The room will feel and look a lot bigger without them.

reddit.com › r/homeimprovement › ikea kitchen installed quote is far less than other estimates. should this be a red flag?

r/HomeImprovement on Reddit: IKEA kitchen installed quote is far less than other estimates. Should this be a red flag?

July 1, 2018 -

We are updating our 1970s kitchen and we got 3 quotes. Custom kitchen was $70k, Lowe’s was $50k, but IKEA was $20k. All quotes included demo, labor and installation. The IKEA kitchen sale is coming up soon and it’s 15% off cabinets so I got to make a decision soon.

Is IKEA really that subpar? I’ve read many positive reviews from them and their local installer. They offer the best warranty, 5 years on labor and 20 years on cabinets if I recall correctly.

Any input would be helpful.

Other factors that allow IKEA to have lower costs include a) they flat pack (box home improvement stores come pre-assembled and that costs significantly more to ship plus you are paying for the assembly labor), and b) fewer options for the frames (both in sizes, styles, and finishes). Quality I'm pro-IKEA; I've built 2 kitchens and 2 kitchenettes out of their stuff. I don't think the quality of the frames is subpar compared to box home improvement stores and the hardware is excellent (made by Blum for IKEA). The quality won't be able to match your $70K custom kitchen. Just last night I stood on top of the peninsula in my IKEA kitchen to change the lightbulb in my ceiling. Having said that there are lots of tips for improving certain aspects of the IKEA kitchens which you can research (or feel free to ask, honestly I don't mind). Installation As you mentioned, the people who install your kitchen probably won't be master carpenters. I highly recommend that you choose someone who has experience with IKEA cabinets and plenty of reviews - do your research, nothing else is as important as hiring someone who has the right expertise. You don't really say what you budget is, but something else for you to consider: because IKEA is a global brand and so accessible a niche market has popped up for custom doors/drawers. Try searching "IKEA kitchen customization" to find companies like SemiHandmade, Kokeena, Superfront, and Plykea. By saving money using IKEA frames you can invest more of your budget into buying some really beautiful face pieces and end up with a kitchen that looks like you paid $70K for.

I asked an Ikea sales person why their kitchens were so cheap and he said it’s a combination of a few things... mass productions... ownership of the mechanisms used in hinges, screws etc But he said it’s mostly because their prices are just off the shelf prices. Where as, competitors price according the max profit they can get. Fair play to them. With regards to cheap installation/labour costs, he said the people who fit it will likely be particularly good at installing Ikea kitchens, but probably aren’t expert carpenters or whatever. Where as most other fitters are carpenters who fit kitchens. Being an expert carpenter comes with increased costs. Fair play, again. For what it’s worth, I installed my own Ikea kitchen. I only paid for someone to cut the worktop, (copper) plumbing and electrics. I fit the washing machine, dishwasher and sink. It took like... 3 weeks of on and off work. But as long as everything was level, it was hard to make a mistake.

reddit.com › r/ikea › ikea kitchen, how affordable is it?

r/IKEA on Reddit: IKEA kitchen, how affordable is it?

April 30, 2025 -

I love IKEA and pretty much all our furniture is from there.

We've been planning to do our kitchen in the next year or so and general Contractors want insane amount of money for a remodel (like $16K+). So, I have a feeling we will end up doing our kitchen thru IKEA. However, I see mixed pricing ranging from only $6000 all the way up to $20K. Now I know all kitchen sizes vary. Mine is a standard 10x10 with about 12 cabinets.

I was at IKEA a few weeks ago and looked at the kitchens and some with the labor was only like $6000. Is that possible? Cuz my budget is no more than $10K for this project and I'd be even happier if it was way less.

I inquired about the process, they said they also come out to our house for about $200 and it's a 4 hour appointment where they design the layout on the laptop in 3D.

Does the price also include the demolition, or is that something we would have to do prior?

I feel like this super affordable price is too good to be true.

If anyone can give me some info on this I'd appreciate it and THANK YOU.

I got my kitchen really cheap from ikea. I planned it way ahead of when I wanted it then kept going back to the asis and buying all the good condition doors for $5 and all the cabs where always 50% off. takes alittle to get it all but I paid under a grand for an entire kitchen and installed it myself besides getting a plumber I knew to do plumbing, since so much was saved I got really nice appliences and a really nice countertop. I love the ikea kitchen so far if you can and wanna save money see how much you can get in asis and then find someone who knows how to install it to put it in. though not always a obtainable option anyway

$10k all-in is cutting it close. Do you need stone countertops? Ikea cabinets can be considered affordable and expensive— it depends which doors and drawers you choose. I recommend you hop on the Ikea kitchen planner software (free) and roughly lay out your space. The software will tell you the price. You can remove all the upgrades such as lighting. Then once you have the cabinets laid out, run some comparisons to other affordable cabinets. I used the Ikea software for other stores. Search “RTA” cabinets. Ready to assemble. We ended up buying white shaker style RTA cabinets from Home Depot because it was a better deal. But if you want real oak, Ikea has good options. Depends on what you want.

reddit.com › r/homeowners › experience with ikea cabinets?

r/homeowners on Reddit: Experience with IKEA Cabinets?

March 6, 2022 -

I'm closing on a house in a few weeks (🎉) and I'm making a short list of things that must be done. Sitting lower on that list is replacing the kitchen cabinets. At first glance they look good, but they're that first gen particle board-real wood hybrid and whomever installed them in the mid-2000s DIYed it, installing two perpendicular narrow bottoms in the corner instead of a one piece lazy Susan (so you can't access 80% of either cabinet). I can get a remnant, so the counter is just a matter of cost and availability. My question is cabinetry.

Has anyone had issues with IKEA cabinets? Specifically GRIMSLÖV. They're really affordable and beautiful, but the contractor side of me says there's no way you can get quality cabinets for $2k. Am I being paranoid?

I've installed two full Ikea kitchens and I would definitely do it again. Ikea cabinets are very well designed and solid, and have none of the "disposable furniture" feel that Ikea is known for. They also come with a 20 year warranty. But my favorite part is how easy they are to install compared to traditional cabinets. You just install the main rail and all the cabinets hang off of it. The only reason someone should not choose Ikea would be purely aesthetics. Even their most "traditional" style still is pretty modern for a lot of people. But other than that, I think they're a superior choice.

We bought a house that had IKEA kitchen cabinets installed when they remodeled 12 years ago. We thought we'd need to get them replaced sooner rather than later but honestly, they've been pretty solid. They have soft close doors and drawers and they still look modern. Replacing them has moved way to the bottom of our list and we might even consider using IKEA again to update them one day.

reddit.com › r/kitchenremodel › has anyone found that an ikea kitchen hurts them on resale?

r/kitchenremodel on Reddit: Has anyone found that an IKEA kitchen hurts them on resale?

August 14, 2025 -

So, we’re trying to decide which way to go for our kitchen remodel and we’re kinda down to RTA or IKEA.

IKEA we’d likely do the vendham oak doors or maybe a semihandmade door. The ikea comes out to more money. The concerns with IKEA are primarily around longevity and resale appeal.

Has anyone had any issue selling a house where potential buyers were turned off by an ikea kitchen?

Edit to add: we’re in Utah. Price point at today’s resale would be mid-600’s.

I think it partly depends on if it “looks” like an IKEA kitchen. I combined IKEA cabinets with some high end other design elements and materials, and everyone is surprised when I tell them it’s IKEA. Go for the overall design and make it special, don’t just pick everything from the catalog.

I would say no, but I'm in Sweden and I think even condoms are IKEA-branded here

reddit.com › r/homeimprovement › your thoughts: ikea kitchen cabinets

r/HomeImprovement on Reddit: Your thoughts: IKEA kitchen cabinets

February 4, 2022 -

Hi fellow reno-redditers! I am going to be renovating my kitchen in the next few months (complete gut and knocking down a wall). None of the cabinetry can be kept, so I'm looking for a solid budget cabinet option - most have told me to check out IKEA kitchen cabinets. What are your thoughts?

In reference to the actual boxes/cabinets…As a professional cabinet maker I recommend them all of the time. I cannot make better for cheaper. Period. Contrary to popular belief, plywood is not better than fiberboard. No professional cabinetmaker uses plywood and for several reasons…cost, warping, and moisture wicking. Plywood is less dimensionally stable and wicks moisture deeper into the material than pressboards due to orientation of the grain. That being said; not all fiberboards are created equal. IKEA uses cabinet grade, 3/4”, coated on all sides, and properly support panels = as good as you can expect. Their mounting and support systems are made so that the actual cabinet does not make contact with the walls or floor, preventing water damage and mold growth as much as possible. They do everything they can to make a solid, lasting system. I haven’t looked at them for a couple of years but the craftsmanship of the Home Depot/lowes/Menards stock cabinets (in my experience) leaves something to be desired. Lower density boards with exposed edges, thinner than 3/4”, unsealed edges that sit directly on the floor, etc. etc. Now, the doors. Doors are the faces you put forward. Doors get used/abused and most importantly…seen. Mdf doors are stable, and beautiful, but are not that durable and cannot be easily repaired/repaired at all. Now, IKEA has fairly stable product lines. If you chip an IKEA door, you just go get a replacement. No real option to repair. As a professional, I build solid hardwood doors. They can be repaired and refinished, but not easily replaced. If you call me to replace a door that got damaged it’s minimum $200. I don’t have door parts laying around. I don’t and won’t build a door that you can get at IKEA because you can get them for cheaper. I build true custom cabinets. Any size, not a range of sizes. Most “custom” cabinet places install production cabinet lines, in custom configurations and use fillers for the difference. You pick the configuration that works best for your space… whereas, in contrast, (as a true custom builder)I build cabinets in your space. I am very expensive. But every space is optimized and every gap between doors is exactly the same.. The boxes I build, however, do not differ from the boxes IKEA offers in any notable way.

we went with Ikea cabinets too (installed 2017) and perfectly happy with them. note, they have various price points (we went with the middle of the line). not sure if they are running promos still, but back the, they had 2 sales/yr (around Jun/Jul and Oct/Nov...you can ask them). partial list of things we love about ikea cabinets: - affordable and durable. - easy to replace if something is damaged during shipping or gets damaged in use (they are still in business and cabinets don't change every year). - hardware (i.e. hinges/drawer sliders) is by Blum (Austria)...very very good quality. the boxes are made in the US and the door/drawer fronts are from EU. - you can make limited modifications to the cabinets to fit your needs (i.e. combining pieces from different cabinets, cutting/shaving, etc). we modified a base cabinet to accept a SS apron sink and modified the bottom to be a knee pressure activated drawer (instead of simple doors)...it's up to your imagination. you can also find a lot of ikea cabinet hack info on the web to get ideas. - exchange/returns are painless. after assembling our tall pantry cabinet and test fitting it into place, we decided it was too wide (visually). we loaded it up (partially dismantled) and brought it back and got full refund and picked up a more appropriately sized cabinet on the same visit. try doing that with other cabinet suppliers...you either will pay again and/or wait 4-8 weeks for a replacement, holding up your reno. - ikea also offers pretty good pricing on quartz countertops because they're are volume seller. just note, if you buy and install right after their sale, be prepared for possible delay in getting your counter installed...just plan (i.e. make appts) ahead and stay on top of your counter install appt. - cabinets come in a lot of standard US sizes so with careful planning, you can lay them out with minimal fill/trim pieces. - the cabinet boxes are easy to put together yourself. the first ones might take 15 min each but after you can knock them out quickly (suggest you group/assemble like cabinets). - initial installation of railings (to mount the cabinets) can be time consuming, but once installed, everything goes quickly. compared to traditional cabinet install, overall, it is easier and faster. this install method is pretty much the norm around the world except in the US/Canada (we still seem to suffer from the 'not invented here' syndrome'). - you can stay all ikea or customize/accent part of your kitchen (i.e. island or top cabinets) by purchasing door/drawer fronts from 3rd party. there are several in the US/Canada who can customize style and/or color. we went ordered fronts and panels for our island from a Canadian company and also provided them with the color we wanted (i.e. paint brand and color). tips: - lay out your kitchen using ikea's online design portal. their app is a bit of a pain to use, but using this will create your order list. spend the $100 or so (credited when you order your cabinets) to get your design reviewed by someone at ikea to make sure you used the app correctly and there are no glaring issues. - once ordered, it took about a week to get our cabinets (unassembled) via XPO Logistics. take inventory of your order and report to ikea anything missing/damaged during shipping. - use your garage to assemble and lay out the boxes. the drawers/fronts can be done indoors later - cuttings from end panels create a lot of fine dust (much smaller than saw dust). do this outdoors well away from doorways/garage and where a mask. Edit: Don't tell folks you are installing Ikea cabinets. Let them see the finished product, admire them, and then break the news.

reddit.com › r/portmoody › anyone has experience with ikea kitchens?

r/Portmoody on Reddit: Anyone has experience with IKEA Kitchens?

November 24, 2023 -

I have paid to have Ikea come in and measure my kitchen. I believe this is done by a local 3rd party, but I am not sure. Does anyone have any experience with this service and renovating their kitchen with Ikea? Any tips etc. you could share?

I have already chosen the Ikea finishes and know that I want an undermount sink. However, I plan to get the sink and faucet from home depot instead of Ikea. I will also be getting a 3rd party counter vs. ikea counters.

TIA.

I did a full kitchen renovation in Ikea everything. Did everything myself. Brought all the measurements to an ikea kitchen planner in store, so she made sure I had all the spacers, kick plates, island/wall mounts, gables, molding etc. Purchased everything during the kitchen event, so with the gift cards we got in savings on the kitchen, we bought everything to remodel our primary bath. Installation was smooth and easy, and I'm very happy with the results!

Doing an Ikea kitchen install is definitely doable for a person with some basic skills with tools. I installed one several years ago. I took my measurements ( I was working with an empty room) to the kitchen planner as well. Dom't forget to do a diagram showing precise distances of where the windows and range hood exhaust are in relation to doors and windows and corners. It is also a good idea to verify that corners are square (use large carpenters square to verify 90 degrees.

reddit.com › r/homeimprovementideas › review on ikea kitchen/cabinets/countertop

r/homeimprovementideas on Reddit: Review on IKEA kitchen/cabinets/countertop

March 5, 2021 -

Bought our first house and want to upgrade the kitchen. I have started looking for options and ikea kitchen is the one that everyone is raving out. Has anybody got there kitchen done from ikea? How was the experience? Price point? Thanks!

I had a good experience with them when I installed them in my kitchen- just spring to buy some of the more expensive doors and drawer fronts. Don’t have much to compare against, but I would definitely use them again. Only word of note- make sure you can get everything you need door wise, as if you can’t get it all at once and then they discontinue the line you are SOL. Happened to me, but luckily they continued the same doors in a different colour so I was able to paint them quite successfully.

I have done three full kitchens of Ikea, 2002, 2004, 2011 and recently did two other non-kitchen projects with Ikea kitchen cabinets. I did well on those houses, and the kitchens were well received, really helped sell the homes. I had replaced all the drawer clips that used to say Ikea with Blum branded clips so buyers would not know it was Ikea - it was not considered a good thing to use Ikea back in the day. The boxes are now made in USA, they used to made in Europe/Germany. The doors used to made in Europe as well, my second Ikea kitchen had doors made in Italy. The new cabinets - I think in the last 5-6 years are called Sektion and the quality is down from the prior Akrum cabinets I had used initially. For the price point, they are a good value. Depending on the value of your home and where you live you may want to get something better. I am personally looking into using Conestoga for my current kitchen that needs to be gutted from its 1952 glory. I have seen them in Bay Area homes, surprisingly, homes that are in the high 2 million range, and the presence of a nicely done Ikea kitchen did not affect the value of the home negatively. So they are well accepted at all price levels. Here are some issues I had with Sektion with Veddinge doors and panels purchased in the last 6 months: The end panels are essentially denselly pressed cardboard with a high quality paint job that matches the doors. Think half the density of Yuca board. They are meant to be screwed on, but must be tightened by hand because the material bottoms out too easily. Using a small battery nail driver put screws through the face of the material sometimes. I never had this issue with the Akrum panels. The 3/4" cabinet boxes are lower quality pressboard made of wood shavings faced with vinyl. In some places the vinyl was peeling right out the box - poor quality control. I glued down some corners with contact cement and was all fine. Again, things may have to be tightened by hand because this material will bottom out, as well. When screwing one cabinet that was 24" wide to a cabinet box that was 18" wide I could not get them to perfectly align because the dimensions were off by 1-2mm in some places. Not a lot, but enough to require playing with the facing panels, door/drawer fronts and counter top to make the problem disappear. The product engineering is no longer European precision. If you love made in the USA, well, this is now made in the USA. It approximates a Euro look at a McDonald's pricepoint. I'm being brutally honest, but even at that I am not opposed to the product, there is a legit market for it. It is NOT a disposable product when installed carefully with attention to detail - the hardware is budget Blum (not the high end Blum but still good stuff). If you do go Ikea route, look at how Bulthaup (B1 and B3) and Poggenpohl are installed and pay attention to the way the panels are used to make it look custom and high end. You can get a really fantastic look with Ikea for a crazy low price but it takes patience.

reddit.com › r/homeowners › is ikea a pretty reasonable choice for kitchen cabinets?

r/homeowners on Reddit: Is IKEA a pretty reasonable choice for kitchen cabinets?

September 18, 2024 -

Moved to a new place and kitchen is original (very old) so need to buy new cabinets vanity etc.

Is IKEA a budget friendly choice?

Not needing fancy ones as long as they function.. (the ones we have are like ripped here and there and they are 40+ years old so we definitely need to get rid of them and install new ones)

Sister has had ikea cabinets for about 10 years and I’m impressed with how they’ve held up.

The price for the boxes + quality hardware can't be beat. They have a rather limited selection of fronts/colours but if you can't find something you like, you can pay extra just for that part, rather than spending twice as much on fully custom cabinets or the same amount on shitty big box store RTA cabinets.