"I bet you didn't drop samples of cabinet materials into water for a couple hours and then dry them out to see what happened."

I did my homework but no I didn't, then again I wasn't building my kitchen in the pool, no wonder the GE isn't working. Sometimes I wonder what exactly transpires in some kitchens (war games?) that they require these rather extreme levels of fortification. I just cook in mine and while it is good to be prepared I don't anticipate fending off an insurgence from my peninsula.

Ikea is Ok, there is plenty of more expensive frameless product out there that is better constructed, more versatile and offers more and better finishes but you pay for those advantages and I have certanly seen some very appealing Ikea kitchens here. It wasn't the right choice for my Mom but we did take a look.

I am wondering if there is a difference between the Kraftmaid/Thomasville products we get in Candaa versus the ones that you have in the US. We looked and looked and looked at just about every option available. The quotes we were getting from the "good" cabinetry houses were just insane - $60K or so - the only place we could find that sold Kraftmaid was Home Depot and we never got a firm price from them so after 8 weeks we gave up but I THINK we were around 20K - Ikea ended up being about half that.

The reason we chose the ikea product was because the doors and drawers close softly and the cupboard doors are heavy.
Ikeas was also the only place that we could get off-the-rack stainless steel cabinetry.

By the time you accessorise and fit out and decorate, the doors and boxes are only about thirty percent of the cabinetry budget (if you use Ikea anyway) so we're able to really spend more money on the details, the counters and the things that people really see.

I guess that if you are not planning on doing much detailing, then the Ikea stuff doesn't have the best finish in the world (not the worst either though). But God is in the details and Ikea stuff is as good a tchotchke support system as any other brand ... ;)

Plus - they don't charge you when you change your mind about the doors you want and exchange $5,000.00 worth of merchandise.

:)

sailormann,

We certainly pay more. I'm pretty sure Kraftmaid is the same but Thomasville in Canada is frameless (exclusive to Canada) and as you probably know not all that impressive in terms of build quality. Hard to do better for the price point than Ikea but I don't see why any Canadian would buy from American companies at the box stores when we have so many great cabinetry manufacturers in Canada.

Well, my house vibrates because the road out front isn't made correctly (nobody gonna be fixing that anytime soon - been like that forever). So the drain in the kitchen works loose every once in a while and I check it all the time - but still, it happens. So I wanted to know. Both for the floating floor and for the cabinets.

As it turns out, we had a leak from one of the water lines when the permanent sink was installed and the cabinet was soaking wet for a couple of hours ?maybe upwards of 5 hours? as was the floating floor because the water kept on spraying on it and leaking down from the plumbing cut out. And it was a spray, not millions of gallons but maybe ten or twenty.

They are both made of plywood and we had no lasting damage. Some moisture leaked through the cabinet finish, but there was no damage at all after it dried, not even discoloration.
POC was never soaked. Do you think it would help? I often think it should be helped to its final reward. Then maybe I'd stop dithering about what to replace POC with.

Just as a clarification, when I said I thought IKEA cabs looked and felt cheap I meant in and of themselves - NOT compared to Kraftmaid or anything else.

We are very DIY. Hubby is building us brand new doors, drawer fronts and drawer boxes (out of ash). He's also made modifications to several of the cab boxes. There is also a very, very good change that he will be custom building our master bath cabs from scratch as I want teak cabs (or maybe walnut).

mindstorm, yes, AT, good clean fun for all! Bring the kids! :-)

bmorepanic, OT but that's crazy about your sink drain working loose because of traffic. How close is the road to your house? Can you personally feel the vibrations, or is it just something the house components feel? In Chicago riding the L I noticed it went right by some people's apartment/loft windows (sometimes within 5 feet it seemed!), and I always wondered about the vibrations.

Joanna

we're planning a pool house for phase 2 some time after our build is complete and i'll check prices from my custom cabinet maker (who is doing the kitchen in the main house) and ikea. BUT if we end up with the ikea i have no idea how we'll get them home since both my husband and i refuse to set foot in that store. is it just us? we feel like the life has been sucked out of us by the time we maneuver our way out of there.

HATE THE PLACE. might just spend loads of extra money to avoid it. we'll have to see though!

We are looking into Kitchen Craft cabinets --love their New Haven doors in the darker woods. I think they are comparable to Kraftmaid in structure. We are in Edmonton, Alberta but the cabinets are made in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

We have one of the largest Ikea stores(300,000 sq ft) in Canada 10 min away -but I have always been leery of checking them out --now after all the comments -I think I will take a short trip to the store -worth checking out !

kate - you have to go during the week to avoid the insanity!!! We went a couple of weeks ago with DD and she(12 years old), couldn't wait to get out of there. DH went back another day to actually purchase what we decided on, after 6:00, and breezed right through. Even he commented that he would never go back on a weekend

Kitchen Craft is now owned by MasterBrand (hopefully they won't kill it the way Kohler did Canac). They may be comparable to Kraftmaid in terms of finsh or versatility (not sure) but they are a frameless line (like most Canadian product). I thought it was a good product and fairly priced. If you have DIY skills or are using a contractor they sell the product through DIY Cabinet Wearhouse, I'm not sure what the saving is. DIY Cabinet Wearhouse has a very limited stock but you can special order a lot of the door styles and finishes.

Spongebob has a kitchen that can withstand water. I am liking the surfboard counter-tops!!

One of my nieces was really into spongebob. Of course, now that she has reached the age of 8, reminding her of that earns a withering stare.

KateKouros
dh is convinced Target is a vampire for the same feeling of having the life sucked out of him. I feel that way about the evil orange.

Tradewind_64
House is maybe 30 feet from the sidewalk? What we feel is the school buses, large trucks and heavy equipment. The entire house will vibrate for a second or so. The section I live in is all clay, all the way down to china.

OP Here:

ROFL Robyn!!! My 7 year old son loves Spongebob Squarepants...but his classmates have now turned him on to icarly. Actually a pretty good show and he thinks it's hilarious...esp. the teenager inventor guy.

And about the Ikea subject...obviously lots of opinions here, which is cool. It's a product with a market...and it is what it is. Not for everyone, but great for many.

Kompy

pbrisjar, I'm sure my kitchen will look cheap, metal and plastic to you - I have the nordic ash wood (a very white low-texture wood - whiter so than American ash) doors and the tandembox drawers. That is alright with me as I vastly prefer the thermofused melamine coated interiors to well, almost everything else now. The metal tandembox drawers are sold at the top of the price heap and over the wooden drawers in any of the cabinetry lines that I've ever seen - Scherrs and St. James' included. I find them very functional and more useful than the wooden drawers to be sure (I've been trying to figure out a way to replace the wooden drawers in our custom-made bathroom cabinets with small tandemboxes).

I studiously went out of my way to avoid molding of any and all sort. Even in the customary light rail (used to obscure the undercabinetry lighting and plug-mold) I found a way to minimize it. Lots of trim and molding are simply not for me. My one wish is that I'd reduced the amount of trim around the doorways and windows when we did the room.

By the same token, from all you've said, I suspect, that from your focus on heavy grained wood and molding that your house will probably be one of the ones that make me cry. :-)

I try to steer clear of that visual heft as it is not for me. And I suspect that the absence of that will suggest "cheap, flimsy and plastic" to you. Because qualitatively speaking, those cabs are anything but flimsy or plastic. In contrast, the Kraftmaid cabinets DO seem flimsy and ill-built, to me. There are some clear indicators of that (the hot glue construction is one tell-tale marker that I spoke of; I don't recall the rest). Actually, come to think of it, KM is generally framed, barring the Venecia line, as Kompy's picture above shows - apples and oranges.

Mindstorm, sounds like you have an Askome kitchen? Have you always had Askome? I thought I remembered your kitchen as being a very sleek, glossy white or even glassy (Abstrakt or Rubrik), with a greenish Glasskote backsplash?

We have Askome -- apparently it is one of the best-selling door styles in Europe, and one of the worst-selling over here. I think for me, that underscores the main reason that people choose IKEA or not -- asthetics. As has been said, even the more traditional door styles at IKEA are a fairly modern, clean-lined version of traditional. Its just a style that is more popular in Europe (which fits that we like it, as DH and I are both from Europe -- Germany and UK). Although, judging from how busy the kitchen dept is in our Atlanta IKEA, the Euro-modern look is also appealing to a large number over here as well.

We have been very happy with the quality, for the price (which qualified us for the "under 20K" kitchen thread!).

Oh, and a great reward for getting through a visit to IKEA is being able to buy some "Maribou" chocolate, which is super (although rather over-priced) :)

I love my Ikea kithen. Love the simple clean lines but know that if you want to dress it up you can. Quality IMO is excellent and the system is easily modified if necessary. What I find interesting is that no other topic ever generates as many posts on this forum as does Ikea!!

Oh I wouldn't say that, Biner, I think the "granite and radon" threads are much more "vocal" and while I think some people are feeling a little defensive here...it's positively confrontational sometimes on those granite/radon threads! [Oh, and a year or two ago the "granite vs solid surface" "discussions"!!!!]

kompy, just went through and changed my door style on my IKEA home planner and found a 25% price difference between the Adel door and the Abstrakt door.

So, maybe your design would have run around $1650.00, saving around $1150.00. Not much to some, but a lot to others.

I chose IKEA and we built our cabinets. We really find them to be sturdy and hold a ton of pots, pans, and dishes w/ out door or shelf sag. The one thing I didn't like was the nail on back. It was really flimsy. The rail system is awesome. Hang a rail, make sure it is level and just hang the cabs right on the rail. My friends, in the area, who have used other cabinets for their remodels drool over my fully extending drawers, soft close, pull-outs and adjustable shelves.

Now if I was in a different neighborhood with million dollar homes, I would probably do something custom. If I move to a bigger house in a similar type neighborhood, I will use IKEA in a heartbeat.

Must add, visit IKEA during the week if possible. Oh, and if your not purchasing other items, you can actually pay in the kitchen dept. At least they let us in Covina.

Caryscott, what happened with Canac when it was purchased by Kohler? One of the KD's I spoke to here in NYC sold Canac cabinets. I didn't look that closely at them in terms of quality or anything, but one of the things that struck me was that they only came with a one-year warranty. All I kept thinking was, "One year for cabinets??? What do they think this is, a toaster oven??!" (Come to think of it, the Cuisinart toaster oven I recently bought has a three-year warranty!)

What I have found in general about IKEA Kitchens:

Adds useable space to a kitchen by going frameless.
Sleek full overlay look; Euro-style metabox drawer.
Ikea's $ priority is hardware (hinges, sliders).
Full extension drawers, and soft close doors / drawers.
Dampers ARE available for the 153 degree hinges, not from IKEA, but from a Blum hardware rep.
A flat fluorescent light panel can replace the floor of the 30" and the 39" upper cabinets. (It's an IKEA Rationell lighting product).
Tall wall oven cabinets are the same depth as base cabinets.
Cabinet sides are joined by cam locks and dowels.
Finishing quality is good.
Backs are not solid and that is fine, A-OK.
The Depth of an IKEA cabinet can be cut back to less than 22" deep because the sliders are not longer than 21.5" (Mod not warrantee'd by IKEA).
White face frames can be dealt with pretty easily.
To Use Available Space under the 30"high Base Cabinets, put drawer boxes between the legs and cover the front as you wish.
Drawer fronts come in 6" / 6.25" / 11.25" + 12.75" / 12"+12" heights.
A 15" high ("deep") drawer front can be made from a 15"x30" door turned sideways.
Steep learning curve not friendly for first-timers, to uncover the above info.
Ordering and assembly is easy, even with modifications and customizing orders (deselecting components, adding others).
Regardless of images seen on the web or in store documents, anything can be bought separately.
--- Except for certain drawer fronts which come only in kits of 4 (and not 4 of the same).
--- Except for the drawer front facing which you need for interior drawers: these are specific hardware pieces connected to the remaining portion of the drawer; these must be specified to be included in orders for interior drawers.

... and still learning:

You can make your own Pull-Outs (18"w, 21"w, 24"w, 30"w, 36"w)
--- Also, you can install a wire basket instead of an interior drawer.
--- Also, you can install a Variera "pullout basket" instead of an interior drawer. E.g. under a sink, depending on shape of sink.
A Pull-Out can have 2 Attached drawers instead of just One. The Top one's attachment can be removable, with compatible Blum hardware, not available from IKEA. (See Blum site).

To get a Two-Level Cutlery Drawer, put a shallow interior drawer inside a regular drawer.

Some Finishing Panels are 3/8" thick, some 1/2", some 5/8", some 3/4".

To get a handle-less look
A.) Use Strecket handles, or make your own handles even more discrete than Strecket.
B.) Use no handles and plan for only two high drawers, with a gap above the top drawer.
The gap allows one to reach the top of the drawer front in order to pull from there.
Under the lower drawer one uses a foot to pull that drawer. Not optimal but it works.
C.) Use Solar drawer fronts.

Please confirm or comment if anything above is inaccurate or not true. Thank you for your comments!

--
David

David, I confirm all of the above.
Must add, IKEAFANS website is an awesome place to
get help with design and assembly
and check out neat modifications.

People on that site actually referred me to
this site for appliance and countertop help.

Here is a link that might be useful: IKEAFANS

mindstorm, you're wrong. I can truly appreciate a well-done modern kitchen. (For example, I love seeing giacamo_it posts.) It won't make me cry or make me hate it or anything else. I appreciate the fact that beauty comes in many, many different forms. I believe I've seen pics of your kitchen and have probably even commented on them. I just know it is not anything I would want in my home. I wou't say never because there was a time in my life when I was quite "into" the sleek look.

Yes, if mouldings and details make you cry then my kitchen will have you in tears. It is full of carvings and curves and detail. I'll make sure I warn you so that you can reach for the tissue box.

It is my experience on this forum that most of the people here are rich, and think nothing of spending $60,000 on a kitchen. I say this because of the pictures posted by everyone, and from the thread asking the size of everyone's kitchens, where some people had kitchens bigger than my 800 sq.ft. house! (And maybe it's just my assumption that if you have a 5,000 sq.ft. house and are spending $60,000-$100,000 on a kitchen, you are well off financially)

I think many of the people who buy from Ikea have under $10,000 to spend, and $10,000 at Ikea looks a HECK of a lot nicer than $10,000 at Lowe's or HD. Yes, I would love custom-built, solid wood cabinets, but I have a small budget, plus I like to do things myself. I think those who hire kitchen designers and buy $20,000 in new appliances forget that not everyone has a similar budget! (I was at Sears recently and my jaw dropped at a $6,000 fridge. It would have to also shop and make dinner for me to imagine spending that much on a fridge!!!)

But as others have said, the main thing I like about Ikea is all the cool little "system things" they constantly are inventing. Such as the bottom shelf with a built-in light panel discussed above. And the auto-on drawer lights I posted several months ago. So many cool storage things that I can add on ANY time in the future, when I get more money, or when I have lived with my kitchen for a while and see what would work better.

Go Ikea!

Carla in Sac

Yes, sounds good. Another way for handleless: Do without the drawer dampers and install those bump-the-drawer-to-open latches from, for instance, Lee Valley.

No defensiveness here. I'm an Ikea fan even if not an Ikea Euro-style fan but agree particleboard boxes covered with thin plastic do definitely look cheap; mercifully, hiding them behind doors and the stuff they're holding helps enormously, but they're still plastic-covered particleboard, if nice and sturdy once installed.

But people who say they just can't compare with X are missing the point that, for their own special combination of excellent function, style, and sub-basement price, they are in their own little category of one. Like comparing particleboard boxes to custom-crafted hardwood boxes, any attempt to weigh them as alternative choices has to include a slew of "ifs" and "considerings."

As to the kitchens they go in being unmemorable, that's because so many of them are home-designed and lack the input of a talented designer, not because the cabinets themselves lack style. Superior, elegantly simple style is what the better door lines have always been notable for. After all, the same thing tends to happen in a kitchen crammed with a complete, lavishly trimmed line from another manufacturer, designed by a salesperson intent on selling as many boxes and doors as possible instead of creating a fine design from the space available--like looking at one of the manufacturer's brochures. JUST like.

BTW, a friend and I happened to drop by the Atlanta Ikea on a weekend a while ago and actually found it charming, although I also strongly recommend weekdays. It struck me as a happy place, crammed with lots of young families busy fixing up the family room or the baby's nursery, and children were everywhere in spite of the playroom service Ikea offers. It was like visiting a nursery school on parents day. Something I guess you REALLY have to like to enjoy. :)

Ooooooh, James Bond nudge-to-open, on a regular drawer... Oooh!

I'll go look into Lee Valley and others.

Thank you rosie, and thank you for continuing upon Carla's insight about wealth, quality and "ifs". You are right to mention the lack of comparison--ness.

(makes my day!)

-david

I would definitely confirm all the comments about planning your visit: Mornings are REALLY quiet, and it's worth taking the time off work, if you can spare it.

I worked out my basic plan, then went to the kitchen planning department, where they worked with me on my list of things, were able to remind me about ordering toekick panels, enough end panels, etc, and all the components needed.
They then loaded this into their computers as a "Draft Order". Printed it out. It stays in their system for 2 months I think.
I took it home, went over it with my GC to check we hadn't missed anything (I'd missed off a set of 153 degree hinges I wanted to upgrade to).
You then have the choice of EITHER placing the order by fax and telephone, or going back to the store.
I went back to the store, again on a weekday morning, and did the whole thing in the kitchen department.
I then went, with the order form, and arranged for delivery - I have a small car, and no way could we handle it. There is a charge, but it was really reasonable. Delivery meant everything was carried into the basement, where I could check off the order. You then know everything is there when you need it.
There was one set of shelves missed off: I called Ikea, and they sent FedExed them the same day. Great service.

At the end, if you have ordered more toekicks, end panels, or whatever than you needed (I did, plus decided not to use one cabinet) you can return the whole lot within 90 days for a full refund. We did this and it was handled quickly and easily.

Again: go during the week, ideally in the morning. Then, it's a breeze.

$10,000 at Ikea looks a HECK of a lot nicer than $10,000 at Lowe's or HD

sautesmom, perfect. You just summed it all up. I think that little statement will help people understand Ikea more, because it really puts things into perspective.

Many peeps who think Ikea looks cheap are no doubt comparing them to custom cabs or higher end lines. No, Ikea is not made from virgin timber hand harvested by monks and scraped by the fingernails of orphans. Next to lovely hardwood they will absolutely look cheap. I think my husband's semi custom (tailored) suits are lovely, but if I saw his snazzy suits next to truly custom suits in gorgeous Italian wool, well, suddenly my hubby's suits might seem cheap and ill fitting in comparison :-) Difference was DH paid $1k instead of $4k (or more). He in no way needs/wants a $4k suit. But some people do.

And nobody should think for a second that in 20 years the new owners won't be itching to rip out your kitchen (whether you spent a little or a lot) because they perceive it as dated.

A lot of cabinet brands will get the job done, and done well. How much money (or time -- which is money! -- if you are a DIYer) you want to throw at it is entirely up to you, and intricately intertwined with your aesthetics, lifestyle, values, goals, and budget.

BTW, I just saw a show on the worlds most expensive yachts, and the woman of the boat was showing off her granite, which was --she said -- the rarest and most expensive in the world (I don't recall the name). No other granite would do for her. It was kind of hilarious.

Joanna

mindstorm... I love your kitchen and am now thinking of putting the upper cabs you have above the bakers table I'm refinishing. On one side I have to do something for a MW/2nd oven built in. But I think the steel like that with some metal shelving in between and then a stacked upper like yours on the other side might be a great mix of modern and vintage. I think if the metal is close enough, it would look awesome with my zinc (possumm belly?) drawers. Sorry to get off track but if I didn't put the thought down on paper as soon as I had it... I'd lose it forever.

Charlikin,

Kohler bought Canac in 1996 and closed it this past September. The warranty was odd but the product was very comparable to KitchenCraft. My Mom came close to going with them but I wanted something built in Canada and Kohler had already shuttered all the Canadian production facilities. Significant job loss but they were closed, they didn't go bankrupt, so consumers shouldn't have been directly affected. The cabinetry game is quite fascinating Maax which has some parallels to Kohler also got out of the cabinetry business in 2006 but they were able to sell their assets. Makes me wonder how thing are going at Medallion which is owned by Elkay.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler acquires Canac

I do think some people are getting a little snarky.

Why? Politics are religion are hands-off topics in polite society, is choice of cabinetry next on the list?

Get what you like, don't apologize, don't attack.

I love my Ikea cabinets. They've been in for two years and are still in great shape. My budget was somewhat limited, I could have went with Kraftmaid or similar line, and seriously considered it. My husband was afraid I'd be disappointed with Ikea in a few years and asked, "Are you going to be happy with these cabinets in 15 years?" I realized the likely answer to that question was "No!" regardless of what type of cabinets I picked so I went with the more budget friendly option.

Time was also money for me and I hired an Ikea installer and he ordered, delivered, built, and installed my cabinets for around $3500 (cabinets cost an additional $3500). My carpenter wanted a lot more to install semi-custom cabinets and I did not want to shop around for an installer.

Another consideration was that this house is not my forever house and no matter how much money I spent on this kitchen (short of a $200,000+ near total house remodel/addition), I will never have my dream kitchen.

Those factors made Ikea the perfect choice for me. If I stay here longer than 8 years, I'll probably replace my doors with custom doors as I do covet the richer finishes other cabinet brands offer (I don't really care what the inside of my boxes look like - they are filled to the brim stuff!).

Kompy -- I have the exact KraftMaid cabinets that you selected for your client -- Dalton Shaker. I purchased them through a local kitchen/bath dealer. (I'm not a fan of HD/Lowes) I just want to add that I do love them.

I also want to add here that when I was first planning my reno ($20k or less) I did look into Ikea. I did like most of what I saw including the "system" aspect and certainly the pricing. The draw back for me was the aesthetic -- it is simply not my style nor the style of my 1926 home.

The contractor I hired was willing and able to assemble and install Ikea or any other brand I selected as he has done low end to high end kitchens. I finally chose the KraftMaid -- after enough reading about them, discussion with others and certainly my contractor who has a lot of experience installing KraftMaid cabinets and other lines If my budget was $50k, I might have chosen a different line, but KM was in my budget and as far as I know -- a good quality cabinet and the Dalton Shaker style looks lovely in my kitchen.

I just want to say for others who might be reading this thread -- KraftMaid is not the "poor quality cabinet" that it has been described to be in this thread. I really do LOVE mine -- the look, the feel and the everyday function. And the cost was quite reasonable, I believe.

Though I don't have Ikea, I did consider them and I'm sure they are good as well and the add-ons and system aspect are excellent.

Like everything else, you have to look, research, evaluate and decide what is best for you and your home.

mayland, I have Askerum, Askome's older brother (or is it, "sister"?) - the shaker-style european ash cabinets that they only had out for a couple of years before they went to Askome. My kitchen predates the advent of Rubrik but Abstrakt is just what I'd envisioned all along as going in there. But then, in the last moments, I came over all traditional and American-suburban and went with a less-loft, more traditional style. But Abstrakt and the high gloss cabs are what I'd had in mind all along.
That said, I do have the greenish Glasskote backsplash (regular green-glass backpainted white) though elsewhere in the kitchen, I also have a stretch of rift-cut white-oak as backsplash.

Yes, these are indeed a cleaner cut door styles employing european woods which tend to have a straighter/lighter grain than the woods used here. It is what it is - you either like the european styles or you don't. I guess I'm not surprised that these ash styles aren't more popular here while they are the rage across the pond: indeed these pale woods with these clean lines are generally very popular in Europe across several brand lines. BTW, I too hail from the UK and my sis is still there.

Also, just to put in a general counter-point, while I did watch the bottom line, I didn't choose IKEA for a budget remodel. My remodel for my kitchen and a small bathroom topped $120K - and I was ONLY remodeling, not building *anything* new; not even moving a wall. IKEA gave me the look (and the quality) I wanted without having to go the $45-60K cabinetry routes AND its other big appeal was that it cut out having to work with cabinetry shop via designers and what-not (I was sick to death of talking to cabinetry shops after a while of it).

Remodelfla, thanks for your kind words. I think the horizontal uppers would look spectacular by your gorgeous bakers table. Yes, you do want to check how the metals compare or work together, but it could look absolutely amazing with your fabulous bakers bench.

If you have colleges and universities where you live (we have 2 unversities and a college) don't go when school is starting, it's a horror story.

(Sorry for the mini hijack...maybe it will help someone else by demonstrating the flexibilty of IKEA cabs)
Davidro1:
Above, you said,
"The Depth of an IKEA cabinet can be cut back to less than 22" deep because the sliders are not longer than 21.5" (Mod not warrantee'd by IKEA)."

I don't speak IKEA Mod very well, so can you explain that to me a little...does that mean I can take a standard 24" depth and cut something off the front or back to make it 22" deep? Which end would you cut? And by sliders, do you mean the sliders for installing drawers? So I could have a 22" deep cabinet w/ drawers or a pullout? Would I be able to use such a cabinet as a peninsula - would there be some way to make the back look ok?

I'm assuming you'd have to have a pretty decent saw to do this...

Thanks!

Also, just to put in a general counter-point, while I did watch the bottom line, I didn't choose IKEA for a budget remodel. My remodel for my kitchen and a small bathroom topped $120K - and I was ONLY remodeling, not building *anything* new; not even moving a wall. IKEA gave me the look (and the quality) I wanted without having to go the $45-60K cabinetry routes AND its other big appeal was that it cut out having to work with cabinetry shop via designers and what-not (I was sick to death of talking to cabinetry shops after a while of it).

Yes! This was a big part of it for me. While I didn't spend nearly as much as you - my kitchen is coming in right around 30K - I didn't have to go with a "budget" cabinet line. I just got really tired of dealing with contractors and such who knew what I wanted or needed more than I did.

It was such a delight to sit down with my husband, plan my kitchen and then order it up without being questioned. I know I wouldn't have been as pleased otherwise.

The other thing for me is that I am an exceedingly practical person. I would not have enjoyed $50K worth of cabinets, even though we could have gone that route had we so chosen. It would bother me every time I opened a drawer knowing the other ways I could have used that money.

So DIY spirit and practicality were my reasons for choosing Ikea over another line.

P.S. I really like my Adel Birch cabinets, but I do agree that Ikea is limited in style choices, and if they didn't have the perfect style for me, I wouldn't have used them.

mindstorm, just saw this thread and wanted to say thanks for the point about the Blum Aventos -- I'm just about to hang a horizontal cab in the master WC and I will get an Avento instead of using the Ferrari. I was so looking forward to a Ferrari hinge, though...closest I'll ever get to Ferrari anything :) maybe I'll just keep it out as jewelry :)

amy, one of our friends did an Adel birch kitchen last year. From the money saved on cabs they were able to get granite counters, hardwood floors, all stainless appliances, recessed lighting, and other fancy upgrades.
Looks stunning. and works wonderfully! They could easily pass it for an italian high end kitchen :)

flyleft, almost DEFINITELY get the aventos. If you need help digging through or cross-checking the steps let me know - it is all very fresh as we JUST did this and Blum's hieroglyphics are well, just that - hieroglyphs. The Blum Aventos is vastly better than the Ferrari which I have come to abhor ;-) . Mostly because of three of them amongst our 6 horizontal cabs. Feel free to do a sanity check off me. And keep the lust alive for the Ferrari-true, though! Sweet machines but I hope to high heavens that there is not a Ferrari hinge anywhere in them ;-)

Amy, I hear ya. Re: expenses, frankly, there is a LOT of expense in labour - at least in Boston environs. I realised that from the few jobs we've had done here that any job is simply GOING to be expensive. I'm not happy that it took me a 6-figure sum to do a relatively simple kitchen and bath job but I am tremendously happy in the outcome and if I have any regrets they are in what I didn't do or the choices I didn't make - not one in the choices I did make (well, except for the first idiot contractor that I picked to do the remodel. The second was a god-send).
So far. ;-)

OT, my nearly 13, nearly 11 and 8 year olds all still love Spongebob.

I feel the way Kate does about Ikea about Wal-mart (or Mall of Wart as DH calls it). Love Ikea and Target though. I won't set foot inside a Wal-mart unless absolutely neccessary and since we have a Super Target closer than the Super Wal-mart, it's rarely neccessary...THANK GOD! I even hate their freakin' parking lot.

scootermom, yes you need someone who is comfortable cutting goodlooking straight lines in wood panels. Covering the open back is "simple" in my mind: I would just buy a finishing panel and slap it on. Still lots of questions to ask and answer in my mind... Obviously take no action based on what you have read here.... I not the right person to advise anyone on this as I do not do this kind of woodcutting regularly nor do I buy IKEA stuff regularly, nor do I wish to be seen as an expert in this, not to be flip about it. Due respect to others who have gone before me. Etc.

http://www.ikeafans.com/articles/making-it-work/modifications/223--cutting-a-base-cabinet-to-21-12-inch-depth.html
is where you can read what I have read. Take it from there without me as your reference point: I am happy to be a co-seeker with you.

New topic:
My first thread at ikeafans, opened yesterday: http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/modifications/25294-sink-mod-another-option.html
About getting two 24"h pullouts over a 6"h drawer at the bottom. Under a sink with compact plumbing.

Also new:
I have been looking on blum.com and on ikeafans.com for a while, and have not yet seen (here or there) any overview discussions on the _product_fit_ between the two. What you can buy separately (made by Blum) that fits on the Blum hardware that IKEA has adopted for their products. This seems to me to be the missing link to understanding how much modification one can achieve, or how easily.

-david

Caryscott, thanks for the info on Canac! Wow, I'm so relieved I didn't actually go ahead with this line - wouldn't have even gotten the one-year warranty on them! LOL!

Just to add my two cents to this thread, I ended up getting Kraftmaid cabinets (from an independent dealer, who's given me terrific pricing and service). I considered Ikea, but I'm not really into the "Italian" kitchen look, I needed design help, and I don't think I would have been able to get the size customizations I needed for my tiny galley kitchen. (One side of my kitchen has 19" reduced depth base cabinets.) I had actually wanted frameless in order to maximize usable space, but couldn't find a frameless line with a finish I liked. I finally went with Kraftmaid even though it was framed because their Ginger Glaze finish was the one that attracted me over and over again when I went to look at cabinets. (I was much more inflexible about certain details like finish color than I ever dreamed I'd be - learned a lot about myself in this renovation!)

Anyway, I'm happy with the quality of the Kraftmaid cabinets. I got to inspect them in quite a lot of detail due to the problems and duration of my kitchen renovation, so I have some idea what the quality difference might be between them and a high end cabinet line. But for the money I paid, I think they're quite good.

I'm sure - I *know* - Ikea would have been much less money, but it wouldn't have done what I needed it to. For those for whom it works - that's fantastic. I have a friend at work who did his ultra-modern kitchen using Ikea boxes and custom doors. It looks gorgeous.

There's no single right answer for everyone. :-)

Oh, and I love Target too! Got my bamboo silverware organizer there - they were the only place that had one that would fit my very shallow depth drawers, it was *beautifully* constructed (better than the expensive ones I saw), and it was cheap. Can't ask for more!

Thanks, mindstorm -- I'll hold onto your offer :)

And scootermom, that's what we did with our master bath -- took two 12" pullouts (little mini pantries--one big door joined at the bottom, three pullout drawers inside) and cut them down to be around 22". We then put (with lots of strong support crossbars) a silestone top across the two, with a hole for the large Hollviken sink. I put extra coats of Waterlox on the Hallarum doors and we are putting (not done yet) a cover panel made of Hallarum across the front to hide the front support bar. We *love* it, including having the luxury of the bottom drawers that are entirely usable -- we can fit a lot more than you'd think in those drawers.

I thought I would add to this informative thread rather than start a new one.

Mindstorm, did you stain your stock ikea cabinets? What stain did you use and how did you apply it?

Does anyone (Mindstorm/David) know how to make Ikea cabinets to ceiling height? I want to have a pantry style wall with a small counter space but I want all of the Cabs to extend to the ceiling (less to dust!). Any tips on this?

Can I stack other Ikea boxes on top of their tall cabs?

Thanks in advance!

If you have questions pertaining to modifying IKEA cabinets, I suggest you go to http://www.ikeafans.com. That's where you'll get the most useful information. They're not affiliated with IKEA, but they are "fans" of IKEA and "experts" when it comes to customizing IKEA cabinets to fit your kitchen.

You can stack them. In fact, I was just in IKEA today, as I needed to pick up another cabinet and a pack of shelves, and one of the displays has wall cabinets stacked on top of the base cabinets that could easily go to the ceiling. (BTW, it was very quiet, and I was in and out of there, with a pitstop at the As-is dept and getting a hotdog and PEPSI.;^) )

We have made our cabs go right up to the ceiling. The high cabs are 88" without the legs, so you can raise the height with the adjustable feet and add molding to the top. Our wall cabs are 39" and we added 3 1/2" crown on the top. I am loving the way it looks.

shelayne: how high are your ceilings? Are you doing stock Ikea crown or your own? I want nice crown on top but didn't see much selection at Ikea.

Hi donka, our ceilings are about 8"4" and the crown is not IKEA; we bought it from HD. We added wood cleats on the top of the cabs with liquid nails and brad nails and then nailed the crown to the cleats.

Hi shelayne, thanks! Very helpful info.

I went to Lowes to get a quote on cabinets for a small kitchen renovation. It was around $9,000 for the cabinets, no appliances included. Installation was $10,000-$12,000.

Ikea was around $5,000 including appliances. I met the Ikea contractor last night and I'm waiting on the installation estimate, but I doubt it will be more then Lowes.