Two years ago, my wife and I decided it was time to overhaul our almost 50 year-old kitchen. We made plans to remove several walls, add an island, move the sink, under-mount lights and electrical outlets, and install all new cabinetry, including an oversized pantry. We had everything figured out to a t, and then we got the news that our local cabinet builder got “too busy” for our “small” kitchen job. And if that news wasn’t bad enough, we contacted several other carpenters and cabinet builders, and they were all backed up three-to-four months, which was not going to work with our schedule and timelines. (Remember, if a contractor says “three-to-four months,” it’s probably closer to six months).
We started scrambling, trying to figure out what other options were available. Lowes and Home Depot were our first calls, but we were surprised and disappointed with what we found there. Whereas I expected their kitchens to be priced to compete with local carpenters, we found the opposite to be true. Their pricing was actually close to double the price of custom cabinets, and we had some concerns about the quality of their materials. That said, they were able to do what the locals couldn’t – have the kitchen installed within a few weeks.
After a good deal of contemplation, I found myself on IKEA’s website. We have bought a good deal of furniture from IKEA over the years, including large beds, bathroom vanities, and plenty of storage solutions. But was buying an IKEA kitchen a good idea? We weren’t sure, so we did some research and concluded that the IKEA kitchen could deliver what we wanted for a price that was competitive with custom cabinets. It would involve some work on our end – assembling the cabinets for the kitchen took me around 40 hours to complete – but at least that was a variable I could control, as opposed to having to wait half a year for a local carpenter to take our job.
Once the kitchen was complete, we were very happy with the finished product, but now we’re about two years removed from that decision. How do we feel about it now? Here is my two-year IKEA kitchen review:
Durability – The cabinets have, for the most part, proven to be durable. I have two young children (six and two years old), and they have tested these cabinets in multiple ways. My two year old, in particular, likes to climb onto some of the cabinets (to reach for something above her), and she frequently slams open the pantry door, hitting it on our fridge. To this date, there has been no noticeable damage from this abuse, which is impressive. However, there are a few quirks we’ve noticed. Some of the handle hardware has gotten loose and doesn’t stay tight, even after adjusting it. The lower cabinet Lazy Susan door, probably the most poorly-designed door in the entire kitchen, seems like it would easily break if someone put too much weight on it. Additionally, there is a design flaw with the hidden drawers banging up against the handle hardware of the cabinet door that has caused the finish on the drawers to be chipped. Overall, the cabinets have proven to be capable of withstanding a decent amount of abuse but there are enough problems hiding behind the cabinet doors to keep them from getting a perfect score. Score: 7/10
Functionality – Much of IKEA’s appeal is from the functionality of their products. It’s clear that they put a lot of thought into the usability of their kitchen cabinets. From hidden drawers, to special cabinet inserts (such as for cabinets that hold cleaning supplies), to oversized pantries with pull-out drawers, there is plenty of ingenuity to take advantage of. Two years later, I am still happy with the functionality of the IKEA kitchen. Our kitchen is not a “high-end” one, but many of the IKEA features are ones that you would expect to find in a high-end kitchen. That said, if I have one complaint, it’s that they still haven’t figured out a way to make the upper cabinets more functional. For someone below six feet tall (which is my entire family) having to bring a chair over to an upper cabinet to be able to access it is a daily frustration that deserves a solution. That said, I’m not sure anyone else has figured out a great way to solve this problem, so I can’t penalize IKEA too heavily for it. Score: 9/10
Aesthetics – One of the biggest downsides of going with an IKEA kitchen over a custom kitchen is the limitations of styles, colors, etc. IKEA has a handful of cabinet door styles and colors, and it’s up to you to find a combination that fits your needs. We had to compromise on the look of the cabinets that we got, but overall, we were happy with it when we bought it and are still happy to this day. Since the finish on the cabinets is fairly durable (as I discussed above), we haven’t had any major paint chipping, denting, or other issues that would negatively impact the look of the cabinet doors. However, there are still a few aesthetic concerns I have. First, in general, the IKEA cabinets look better on the outside than they do on the inside. Because of their adjustable design, they have a lot of holes and plastic on the inside of the cabinets that makes the cabinet look cheap once it’s opened. Additionally, the large cabinet doors that get the most use (in particular, the pantry doors), tend to get slightly crooked over time. They can be adjusted to straighten back up, but it’s frustrating how quickly and easily they get out of alignment. Lastly, the cabinet baseboards are probably the lowest quality aspect of IKEA kitchens, and if you pay attention to them, they stand out like a sore thumb compared to the polished look of the kitchen cabinets. Score: 7/10
Overall – In general, we are still happy with our IKEA kitchen. The cabinets have some quirks, but given our circumstances (particularly the bad luck we had with carpenters taking our kitchen job), IKEA was the right choice for our kitchen. The fact that the cabinets come with a 25 year warranty is the cherry on top. Obviously, custom cabinets are still the better route, if you can find a great cabinet builder, but that’s a biggg if. After two years, I still believe that IKEA is a great way to get a new kitchen without the headaches of contractors or the price tag of Lowes/Home Depot. Score: 8/10