Creative Use of IKEA Cabinets

I thought it might help to explain why it is that, although we are remodeling contractors, we offer an IKEA kitchen design/planning service. We offer this service to ensure that our (potential) remodeling customers have a truly optimal layout. The service also ensures that the remodeling requirements and costs to achieve the finished result the customer wants can be planned out knowledgeably. It's a really worthwhile service I recommend without reservation.

Why do I "sell" this service to people who call? It's simply because we know, after hundreds of IKEA kitchen projects, that having a expert installation contractor AND a pro designer on your team. will get you a much better kitchen. One key is their ability to use IKEA cabinets creatively.

The IKEA software enables you to place cabinets along the walls of a kitchen. A 30 inch cabinet fits in 30 inches of space. It has 3 drawers or two shelves, etc., all the standard IKEA cabinets, as seen in their catalog.

A kitchen designer who is expert with IKEA cabinets, knows how to use these cabinets in many more ways than the software allows you to do. He knows how to avoid installation problems, such as when six feet of cabinets in six feet of space creates a problem (e.g., the oven door won't open) that holds up your installation for days while you re-design and exchange cabinets or appliances. An expert IKEA designer knows how to mix and match component parts and can customize cabinets to elegantly solve design issues in a particular kitchen.

I could not overstate how many more options you have with IKEA cabinets than you might realize, using only the standard cabinet sizes and configurations, and the IKEA planner software or their catalog's cardboard design kit.

Using these cabinets creatively, alterations to cabinets or to the kitchen itself can be proposed. Have a contractor who has years of experience with IKEA kitchen cabinets provides you with the immediate knowledge of what the alterations involve. If you think it'll cost a lot to move your sink to the other side of the kitchen, you may not even consider it. If your designer proposes this and at the same time, an expert installation contractor gives you a price of $200 to run the plumbing lines, well, your dream kitchen may start to come into view. And this is a real-life example.

Here are two more quick examples of recent projects in which the creative design of IKEA cabinets and expert planning service resulted in a much better kitchen remodel than the customer ever expected to achieve:

1) Lovely smaller home in Altadena. Customer wanted kitchen remodel. Designer and contractor went out for planning service appointment. Upon inspection and based on customer budget and their "dream kitchen" ideas, it was worked out that removing a small wall between kitchen and laundry area and moving the kitchen to current dining room location and dining room to kitchen location would result in a much larger and lighter living space that would serve the homeowners needs much more than the small, closed-in rooms they had. The cost of wall removal, electrical and plumbing, new lighting and even moving a large picture window from dining room (view of neighbor's house) to kitchen (backyard view), was well within the customer's $15,000 budget.

2) A customer in Brentwood had gotten a quote of $36,000 to remodel three small bathrooms. Customer wanted a European look. Our designer drafted layouts with IKEA refrigerator cabinets altered to fit into narrow bathroom spaces, and customized with drawers. Minor plumbing alterations were needed. We completed the three bathrooms for under $9,000. Fabulous, European-style bathrooms.

Bottom line: spend a bit on professional design and include an expert installer/contractor on your planning team. In Los Angeles, just call us. Elsewhere, we can do your planning via email, but make sure you bring an expert installer in once you have the design work done, to ensure everything comes together just the way you envision it.

Susan

About IKEA Cabinet Quality

Almost every potential customer that calls our office asks us about the quality of IKEA cabinets. We're in an interesting position in that we don't SELL these cabinets (we don't sell anything for that matter, we only provide service), and we yet promote them in an indirect way.

It could be construed that we promote them because we install them. In other words, you might think that we encourage people to use IKEA kitchen cabinets for their remodels in order to create more business (designing and installing).

I keep this in mind when I recommend that a customer who is undecided at least makes a trip to an IKEA to look at their cabinets. Our purpose never has been to promote any particular product. What we sell are skilled remodeling services performed with integrity. So why do we narrow our focus to IKEA cabinetry?

It's really simple and probably obvious. Over the course of 30 years of remodeling work, and seven years installing kitchen cabinets. we've had to conclude that, for the majority of homeowners on a moderate kitchen remodeling budget (say under $20,000, although half that is common), IKEA cabinets are simply the best choice.

In terms of quality, a hands-on comparison would prove to most homeowners that IKEA cabinets meet or beat cabinets costing 2 to 3 times as much, the big box store offerings. The same is true, as far as we've seen with over 600 projects, with durability.

This is not to say there are no other great cabinets on the market. I love Venicia, Kraftmaid's European-look line. with sizes and options you can't get from IKEA. But the price tag on a kitchen layout priced with Venicia can be three or even four times the cost of IKEA cabinets. Is it better? In terms of quality, we don't think so. Does it look better? Maybe a bit if you're a dedicated student of line and form, but not enough, for a majority of homeowners, to justify spending $28,000 on cabinets when $7,500 would buy the same layout from IKEA.

I don't know how the IKEA corporation manages to sell this quality cabinet at the price they do. I just know that the completed kitchens we've designed and installed look amazing and the homeowners, one for one, are utterly pleased. I know of none who feel they compromised with their choice of IKEA cabinets.

This said, starting with these beautiful, high quality and affordable cabinets, the secret to a beautiful remodeled IKEA kitchen, is to enlist the help of a professional designer to work out the optimal layout, and a professional, expert contractor for installation. These can make all the difference. Those displays at IKEA were designed by pros and installed by pros. It's not just the cabinets.

So, I guess I'm always selling.

Hope this helps you,

Susan

IKEA Cabinets for Bathrooms

I wanted to mention bathrooms. We spend a lot of time on kitchen design and installation using IKEA cabinets, and might forget to discuss IKEA cabinets for bathrooms.

We've installed quite a few cabinets, kitchen cabinets that is, in bathrooms. These cabinets are mostly 24 inches deep (although there is a 12 inch deep option for some). For many bathrooms, this is just too deep, the room is too narrow or small. So the key is to design with knowledge of cabinet alterations. A skilled installer can cut back the depth of the cabinet while keeping it structurally sound. A skilled installer can make cutout for plumbing, and can even make alterations to the drawers so that they work with plumbing fixtures.

With this know-how, you can use the many styles of kitchen cabinets for a bathroom. One of the most elegant we've done utilized refrigerator cabinets for bathroom sinks. These were hung on the wall (no legs). The look was really amazing but it did take a team of designer and contractor to work it out. In Los Angeles, we can do this for you with IKEA cabinets. You can have a European style bathroom at a fraction the cost you'd pay for European style cabinets.

There are also designated IKEA bathroom cabinets. Their quality is similar to the quality of their kitchen cabinets but engineered differently. You have many fewer choices but it's easy to plan with them because of this. Just get the bathroom cabinet 3-page foldout that shows the cabinet styles and sizes and options.

Just wanted to mention bathrooms. Add some tile trim, some nice lighting, and you can have a beautiful bathroom to come home.

Susan

Best Green Kitchen Investment

Along with the many creative choices a homeowner has while kitchen remodeling, there are a few choices that can result in better health for you, for your family and for our planet.

My top suggestion, whether or not you are remodeling your kitchen, is to invest in an under-sink water filtration system. The plastic canister types are also good (Brita, etc,) but not as convenient. A high quality under-sink filter can cost as little as $75 (check out what Sears has to offer). Installation costs vary but expect to pay about $250. Reverse osmosis systems cost upwards of $300 plus installation. Do the research and pick a product that suits your needs.

Here are some benefits:

1) you can use tap water for cooking and drinking again!
2) your water tastes better
3) your coffee tastes better
4) you don't have to carry home plastic water bottles
5) you avoid the health risks associated with plastic water bottles
6) you don't contribute to the problem of plastic water bottles that take 1000 years to begin to decompose. In 2006, 38 billion plastic water bottles ended up in U.S. landfills.
7) you save money. Bottled water costs between $1 and $4 per gallon, (90 percent of the cost is in the bottle, lid and label)

Thanks for reading. We're happy to give you a big discount on filter installation.

Replacing Versus Re-Facing (kitchen cabinets)

Contemplating refacing your kitchen cabinets? Think you might save a bundle by doing so? Here’s my piece on how we see it, but you can always get a quote on refacing anyway, as long as it’s a free, no-obligation and no-pressure, quote, and as long as you get a quote on entirely new cabinets (especially IKEA cabinets) also.
Here are the logical rules:
Done right, it costs less to REPLACE than to REFACE. Often many thousands less.
The results are almost always FAR better if you REPLACE than if you REFACE.
You’ll have NEW cabinets if you replace. You’ll have OLD cabinets if you reface.
A modern, European style kitchen is almost impossible to achieve with refacing, unless you are prepared to spend A LOT of money.
Exceptions: (Just two).
If you have fabulous countertops that cost a lot and that you want to keep, refacing may be your best, or only, option. Although it is possible to install new cabinets under fixed countertop, it is risky and not necessarily the best overall solution for a kitchen upgrade. However, if this is your only option, find a licensed contractor who specializes in exactly this type of project, get references for exactly this type of project and call the references (you should always ask for and call references for any contractor you consider hiring).
If there is some other unique issue or situation that makes refacing a better choice. In our experience, this is pretty rare. It is almost never the case when the homeowner wants a modern, European look.
How we came up with these rules:
We designed and installed hundreds of IKEA kitchens, including small ones and big ones, budget kitchens for small condos, and full remodels of big kitchens (in La Canada and Brentwood and Malibu)
We found out the average price for refacing a typical kitchen.
Hands down, replacing old cabinets with even the most expensive IKEA styles, is the less costly, and far better choice.
As a final note, as I’ve written earlier, most homeowners assume that it is least expensive to keep the existing kitchen footprint. In other words, it is common to assume that moving a sink to a different wall, or putting a cooktop on an island, would be very expensive and/or make their project much more complicated. This is not necessarily true since moving utility lines can be quite simple in many cases. And sometimes, you can have a much, much better kitchen by doing so.

How Much Should a Kitchen Remodel Cost?

According to my sources, the American Kitchen and Bath Association says that the average kitchen remodel in the U.S. costs $47,000.

ARE THEY USING CABINETS MADE OF SOLID GOLD?

Our company regularly completes truly beautiful kitchen remodels that cost the homeowner UNDER $10,000. When a customer chooses a countertop material such as Corian or Caesarstone, their costs can go up to $20,000, including some extras such as cabinet lighting, tilework, flooring.

I really don't know where this $47,000 figure comes from. I cannot figure out how, using IKEA cabinets you could, if you wanted to, spend $47,000. Gold faucets? Marble counters, shipped from Italy? A 5000 square foot kitchen?

Sad to say, we know that homeowners are spending MORE than $47,000 on kitchen remodels and never realizing that there are other ways, other materials, without compromising quality, durability, or beauty, that are available to them. Maybe it's a status thing?

We always hope to have a chance to point out the type of amazing results that can be attained for a much lower cost. Many customers have already decided on IKEA cabinets when they contact us. We provide professional design so that the kitchen, once installed, serves their needs and pleases them aesthetically, and is optimally laid out for function and enjoyment. This is truly a vital part of the process.

It may be that people assume IKEA cabinets will be comparable in quality to some of their other furnishings. This is understandable. It is not factual though. IKEA cabinets are, in fact, higher quality, and carry better warranties, than some brands that cost three times as much.

It is true that if you go to a "big box" store, you'll get design help on the spot. This can be comforting but it comes at a very big price. You will almost never have the option of European styling, and, more to the point, your final price is almost inevitably going to be at least twice what you would pay for IKEA cabinets plus installation. Those big box stores, once they've sold you on their cabinets, assume you will want their installers and you will probably feel they are most qualified. If you go this route, make sure you meet your installer before signing up for his service. Don't assume the big box store is guaranteeing his accountability.

Going the IKEA route, it initially seems that you have to do the design yourself, which makes most people nervous right from the start. Or you have to locate a designer. There are only a few people in the LA area, and likely in any area, truly qualified to design IKEA kitchens. It is a unique system, not like any other, and knowing the products is vital. A kitchen designer who has limited IKEA experience is not the best choice. If you are in LA, give me a call, 626-203-1480, and I can provide more on this point or schedule our $275 planning service for you. It's the best planning service I know of. We ensure you have a great layout, an expert contractor to consult with, and that you have labor and materials costs known before you get started. We've developed this service over years of experience and discovery of what homeowners really need help with in order to confidently move forward. We really want people to be thrilled with their new kitchens. If you have $3000 or $30,000 to spend, treat yourself to professional design. As they say, you'll be glad you did. It is certainly worth $275, no matter your budget. In fact, doing it right the first time is one of the best ways to save money.

This post is meant to simply confirm what most readers already know. IKEA cabinets are very high quality and cost much less than big box and name brands of other types. In any economy and no matter the reason, "Kabinet King"-type companies are NOT recommended. Call to discuss my view on these.

Installation, if the planning is done well, can be very affordable also. Your choices determine your costs to a very great extent.

The bottom line here is that you can spend under $5000 and have a brand new small or condo kitchen. You can have a fabulous big kitchen completed for well under $20,000. We do this all the time.

Susan

How to Begin an IKEA Kitchen Remodeling ProjecT: PART 1

Years ago, we had a Five Steps to an IKEA Kitchen page on our website. It got lost in the shuffle of web redesign but in the past few days I've talked to half a dozen homeowners who would really like to re-do their kitchens with IKEA cabinets and it seems that a basic, step-by-step guide would be really helpful to most.

It is hard not to get excited by the IKEA store displays, the great prices and elegant kitchens. Being able to get a comparable result without wasting money or ending up with half a kitchen for six months, takes some know-how.

As I am writing, a customer who is waiting on some missing parts emailed me to ask if she should paint now, or later. There is a correct (or best) sequence for each project that an experienced contractor can foresee. But without an experienced overview of their project, omeowner can feel uncertain, and thus unable to move forward on a much-desired remodel, for fear of making mistakes that could add cost and, worse, might result in mid-project delays.

As I try to do when a potential customer calls, I would like offer here a simple guideline, a sequence of steps. To be honest, once you've done a kitchen or two, you can guide your friends and family through a basic project, too. But if your project didn't require any electrical or plumbing or flooring, for example, you might want to direct your friend/relative to a contractor for advice on sequence. Or just have them call our office (if they are in the Los Angeles area) or email me (anywhere else) and I can offer some help. No charge!

So here you are, you have just left your local IKEA and you know that those cabinets are for you. You've got the money lined up, the time is right or soon will be, and, when you arrive home, you begin to see hazy shapes of pull-out pantries and six-burner cooktops forming where now exist only some 1950's painted cabinets. It's time to get started.

There are two "lines" that you need to move on. First, you need a kitchen layout plan. Second you need to consult a contractor. Some people overlook one or the other. It is a rare contractor that can help you with kitchen design.

Some of the big box stores, and even some local kitchen places, offer "free kitchen design" when you buy their cabinets (It's never really free). With IKEA cabinets, there is a do-it-yourself requirement that has more to do with IKEA employee efficiency than anything else. You can design your own kitchen. You should get a kitchen designer. Without a doubt.

Our company offers a $275 in-home contractor consultation, including measuring service, and including kitchen planning by a professional kitchen designer. I will be frank. It is by far the best deal, the best service, we have found inthe greater Los Angeles area. My point is, however, that you should find and consult with both a designer and an IKEA kitchen-experienced contractor before you buy cabinets, appliances, or anything. I can hardly overstate the value of professional design help, and having a trusted, expert contractor on your team from the start.

Next article: Buying your cabinets, countertops, and appliances.

-Susan