Ikea Kitchens

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Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Parent Q&A

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  • Seeking advice on companies offering fronts for Ikea cabinets

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    Mar 30, 2024

    We are exploring keeping costs down for our kitchen facelift by using Ikea cabinets with fronts provided by an alternate company, which will provide more color and style options. Does anyone have experience with Semihandmade, Nieu Cabinet Doors, or other such companies? If so, what did you love or dislike about the experience and the final product? Thanks!

    Mar 30, 2024

    I used Semihandmade for two Ikea bathroom vanities. The quality of the drawer fronts is excellent -- I used the Sarah Sherman colored line for one, and a natural wood grain for the others. I had great customer service throughout the process and can recommend. 

    Apr 3, 2024

    We've had a terrible experience with semihandmade. Looked great to start but they are all warped / peeling now after just a few years of very light usage (it's a second home).  I would not recommend them at all. We are going to have to have them all replaced. 

    Apr 3, 2024

    I used Nieu and found the quality to be good and I love the color I selected. I found the customer service to be so-so but am overall very happy with the finished product.

    Apr 4, 2024
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  • Advice on IKEA kitchen + bathroom replacement in San Francisco?

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    Feb 15, 2024

    Anyone with experience replacing their kitchen and bathroom using IKEA products, design services, and installation services?  Are the design and installation services even available in the SF Bay Area?  

    I'm looking to replace the original kitchen and bathroom in a single family house in San Francisco, built in the 1950's.  I am entirely ignorant of the process involved, but need it to be efficient and cost effective. I'd also like the rooms to look nice, but they don't have to be dream rooms.  

    1. Would you need permits if just replacing tile, counters, toilet, sinks, some appliances, cupboards, flooring?  

    2. Does IKEA do measurements in person and help design for a fee?

    3. Are there specific IKEA lines/families of components that work well or that people have used and like?

    4. How long would it take, generally?

    5. What's the cost range?

    6. Would you use a project manager or contractor of some kind to manage/oversee the project to ensure it's done well?

    7. Other advice?

    Thanks so much for any advice/tales of experience!

    Feb 15, 2024

    My family member recently renovated the kitchen in their 1940's house, partially using Ikea. Here's what I remember from helping them make decisions.

    1. Not sure. We did a more involved remodel, which did need permits.

    2. Ikea will send someone around to measure up your space, and this gets sent to your Ikea account. You can then go to Ikea and sit down with a design person, who can access the measurements and help you put things where you want. We did this twice. Got the first design, mulled it over, went back and tweaked it. This was either free or some nominal fee.

    3. I don't know, but while you're with the design person, you can ask. They also give you time to walk around and pick cabinet styles and such, and then you can go back to the design person and ask their advice on what you've chosen. I think mostly the Ikea structures all work together, and the style of cabinet doors or countertop is just slapped on the top, so it's a taste issue at that point.

    4. Our decision making was definitely the rate-limiting step, not Ikea. We asked for stuff that was in stock and they could deliver everything in a couple of days. I think a few small things like matching kick boards or spacers were out of stock and came later. 

    5. Well, that's a "how long is a piece of string" question. The Ikea designer can add everything up right then and there if you have your styles and stuff picked out. If you're also buying your appliances from them, it'll be a more complete price estimate, but you can also just add those numbers in yourself, of course. We bought the appliances from elsewhere, and the designer was perfectly happy to work with standard appliance dimensions in the design.

    6. The entire kitchen renovation was done by a contractor. Ikea can give you names of people who can install, but they don't do it themselves. One note: our contractor charged us extra to put together the Ikea cabinets.

    7. Our Ikea design people were definitely of the "put X here and Y there but you need 5mm clearance for this door" type of helper. They did not go into the more arty, style-y design sphere. We didn't go to them and say, "We want a beachy industrial kitchen with pops or color" or whatever. We said, "We want a cooktop rather than a freestanding stove, and a large sink." Maybe if you did, they can help as well, but I didn't get that feeling from ours.

    Feb 17, 2024

    Hi! I don’t know the rules re SF and permitting, but I remodeled my kitchen, working with a general contractor, using all IKEA cabinets, and a third party IKEA installation specialist—and all in all, very happy with the whole process and the work. I also worked with Inspired Kitchen Design to create the design and figure out exactly what I needed to buy from IKEA. They were the key to making it all work-here’s the before and after: https://inspiredkitchendesign.com/a-tidy-blue-and-white-ikea-kitchen-de….

    Feb 21, 2024

    Hello,

    I am an interior designer and I would not recommend IKEA as their cabinets are not built to last. Here are some answers to your questions:

    1) You will need permitting if you are doing any electrical or plumbing work. And, since you indicated the house was built in the 1950s, I suspect the electrical in your kitchen and bathrooms are probably not up to code. 

    2) The time for a full kitchen and bathroom remodel depends on the plans. Are gutting the kitchen and bathroom and relocating the location of plumbing and appliances? Or are you planning to keep the footprint the same, but replace the existing cabinetry and location of plumbing, electrical etc? If it is a full gut and remodel, a realistic timeline is probably 6 to 8 months. If you are planning to keep the existing footprint, it is probably around 3 to 5 months as long as you have a contractor lined up. 

    3) Kitchen and bathroom projects range depending on the scope of the project and the fixtures, flooring, appliances, tile etc you pick. It is hard to provide a range unless there is a discussion of the scope and materials you want.  

    4) A good contractor is worth it unless you want to be the "general contractor" yourself but that takes time, energy, and knowledge. I can recommend one very good contractor who works in SF and Berkeley. She recently helped me to a complete gut and remodel of a kitchen. I suggest you get at least 3 bids for the work you want done. However, for a contractor to bid accurately, you need floor plans which means hiring an architect or a draftsperson.

    I hope this helps and I am sorry that I cannot recommend IKEA. 

    Feb 21, 2024

    One thing to keep in mind with ikea cabinets or anything that has a hinge is that they aren't made of wood.  What that means is over time if the hinge fails, you're SOL because you can't repair them.  We looked at doing ikea cabinets in our kitchen and this was the feedback we got from our contractor.

    Feb 22, 2024

    Check out florence [at] inspiredkitchendesign.com (inspiredkitchendesign.com). They design spaces using IKEA cabinets and furniture. We used them for a redesign of our garage. They are very economical, worked with us on design and then they generate a complete IKEA order list for simple checkout and delivery. Then you can use craigslist to find someone skilled in installing cabinets or whatever related work is needed.

    Feb 22, 2024

    The big drawback of IKEA kitchens is the labor for installation. It’s just so time intensive with so many fiddly bits.  I went with Mod Cabinetry which comes mostly assembled and it’s been great. Labor is what kills ya in cost. By the way, any of the majors like Home Depot and Mod Cabinetry will come and measure your kitchen, get your appliances accounted for in the design and then visualize it, etc. They do this day in day out. You will want to have a contractor or someone like that overseeing it, I think. But ask them. You don’t need to know all the answers before engaging with them. 

    Feb 25, 2024

    I have to just counter one responder here- I put an IKEA kitchen in my house almost 14 years ago, and they have lasted great. The cabinets look almost new. I am a huge cook - I cook 6-7 nights and mornings a week and host many dinners, so they get loads of use. I’d say that I may replace the fronts only in 5 years (the interiors are perfect including those that have been exposed to water) simply because I want a new design. I don’t know how long kitchen cabinets are supposed to last but I’d say 20 years will be pretty solid for spending about $2500! 

    Feb 28, 2024

  • IKEA KITCHEN INSTALLATION

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    Nov 30, 2022

    We have purchased Ikea kitchen cabinets and we need them installed.   After looking at the BBB reviews on the company IKEA recommends we are not sure if we can go with them. Has any one used the Ikea company Traumen?  If so, how did your experience go? Or, can someone please help with a recommendation for ikea cabinets installation?

    Thanks!

    Nov 30, 2022

    We used traumen, they were great! They were really careful about cleaning up after and not damaging other parts of our home with bringing in the cabinets and they were pretty quick. They even offered to come back to install a few lights that somehow didn't make it in the original shipment which i thought was nice. I'd recommend!

    Dec 7, 2022

    Hello! We've done two kitchen remodels with IKEA. Kiko Livingston installed both (specialistikea [at] gmail.com). He does an excellent job. I will say that the two remodels were quite different: the first was in 2016, we were not yet living in the home, and the installation cost was exactly as the original quote. The second, in 2022, was more complicated. We were living there, and the actual installation ended up costing about $1,500 more than the original quote, and was slightly more disruptive. I would still recommend his installation as I was impressed at how customized the cabinets look-the installation required lots of cutting and customizing; but just wanted to share. Thanks!

    Dec 7, 2022

  • Ikea Kitchen Cabinets & Appliances

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    Feb 15, 2018

    Hi, we're about to update our kitchen and were wondering if anyone has experience and thoughts about Ikea cabinets and appliances.  The 5+ year old BPN reviews of the cabinets indicate some problems with the pressboard boxes falling apart when wet, etc., but Ikea has a warranty that sounds good on paper.  The appliances (dishwasher, refrigerator, range) at Ikea seem a little more expensive than elsewhere, but again, the warranty is attractive.  Any recent experience with these products and their warranties?  I'd really appreciate any thoughts and suggestions from those of you who have recently gone through this decision-making gauntlet!  Thanks in advance.

    Feb 15, 2018

    We redid our kitchen in 2015. We are very pleased with the Ikea cabs we got- SEKTION (METHOD in ex-US).  They'd just been introduced that year.  We used an assembler we found on Yelp who did a great job.  Ikea uses good hardware- I forget what it's called Hom (??). it's what many premium brands use.  We compared these to some Home Depot cabs and these were really cost competitive, esp. when you factor in all the hardware and inside organizing stuff. My sister did a remodel using some custom cabs and for a comparably sized kitchen (in the DC area) she spent almost 3x.  Plywood, but she needed to spend extra for organizing tools (like extra drawers, lighting, etc.).  Any cabinet when exposed to water is subject to warping and damage (for the cab under the sink I applied some Graco deck sealer/primer as a way to capture water if it ever drips- it's like paint that turns into a rubber layer- water proof).  Ikea's particleboard, and it's compliant with some CARB (Ca Air Resources Board) guideline re: formaldehyde emissions.  

    If you want something that's very good value, I would highly recommend Ikea. We decided that what was most important for us were the visible surfaces. So where we saved on cabs, we spent on a marble countertops and backsplash.  We also looked into Semihandmade (https://www.semihandmadedoors.com) which makes cool custom veneers for Ikea boxes.  We chose not to since the stock styles that Ikea has fit our overall design.

    We chose another source for appliances- but they're OEM'd by Whirlpool and others, I think.

    Enjoy! DM me with any questions--

    Feb 21, 2018

    I’ve heard that IKEA took feedback to heart and made improvements in their kitchen cabinet materials and their hardware/hinges etc. We put an IKEA kitchen in (cabinets only) over ten years ago, we put in a LOT of cabinets, they take a LOT of use, and everything still looks good and works great! Our only issue is that they discontinued the cabinet style shortly after we built our kitchen, so should we ever need to replace a cabinet door we’d have to use something else entirely and go for a “patch work” look (ugh). No experience with their appliances, which we bought locally, and we put in a Corian counter through Lowes when they were having a sale on counters. Still looking good, love the integrated sink (though it does stain easily, fortunately it also buffs out pretty easily).

    Feb 21, 2018

    I did a new ikea kitchen for a rental house ten years ago. It stills looks fairly good. On the plus side, it is inexpensive and easy to design your layout on their website. I bought a refrigerator, hood for the range, and farm style sink from Ikea, all of which have been excellent in terms of quality and design. The downside to Ikea is that the cabinets show more wear and tear over time. I'm not sure that the warranty is that great, especially after a year. My sink faucet leaked and water collected under the sink. The particle board bottom is now warped. I'm not sure how to replace just that area. 

    i would look into other shops that sell solid wood pre-fab cabinets (which will be much cheaper than custom.) I have heard that EcoHome in Berkeley does nice pre-fab cabinets. They will be more expensive than ikea, but better quality. It's worth looking into. Good luck!

    Feb 21, 2018

    MY friend just redid her kitchen using Ikea cabinets. There are not too of the line, but it has good prices. Labor is not easy because someone has to assemble them and customized if necessary....but, we look everywhere and it was the better deal, it looks great!

    Appliances check online before, you don’t need to get Ikea ones. If you want to talk, email me! Good luck!

    Feb 21, 2018

    We did an ikea kitchen about ten years ago in Oakland and it was incredibly durable even with three little kids and a busy kitchen. It looked virtually new when we sold. Traveling Europe you come to realize how common they are there and again, how hardy in flats getting lots of use. We just put new ikea cabinets here in our new house. I know people get snooty about ikea and particle board. I get it. But I also know what I’ve seen: well made and long lasting pieces that fit our house and budget. Not everyone will agree.

    Feb 21, 2018

    I can only speak to IKEA cabinets which I wouldn’t recommend unless you only want them temporarily. We got ours about nine years ago when we bought our house and had to replace the kitchen due to water damage. We chose IKEA because we were very concerned about keeping costs low having just spent all our savings on a down payment.  I wish we had figured out a way to spend more and get quality cabinets. The ones from IKEA are thin, have plastic or pressboard inside drawers, doors don’t hang right, hardware is crappy, and overall they look low quality. 

    Also, the customer service was nightmarish. They overcharged us and shipped too many of some pieces and not enough of others.  They wouldn’t ship correct pieces for some reason so we had to go back to the nearest store which was 45 minutes from home. They were very unapologetic about the whole mess too. 

    I recommend looking at the long term picture and spend more on something that will last a long time. 

    Feb 21, 2018

    We have put in a new kitchen (in-law unit) and redid our kitchen in the past year. We purchased Ikea cabinets and are very happy with them. We did the installation ourselves. We had done a kitchen years ago and purchased higher end cabinets at that time. We found that the Ikea cabinets are actually better made and much easier to assemble and install. We're much happier with them. We didn't like the choices with the appliances at Ikea so purchased ours elsewhere. We did get the Ikea countertop for the in-law unit. We went to Home Depot for our kitchen countertop and that was a disaster. We're much happier with the Ikea countertop.

    Feb 21, 2018

    Submitting a late response to this. I redid my kitchen in IKEA almost everything about 5 years ago and it looks brand new to this day, despite much heavy family use. I think all the talk about poor quality is BS from companies who want you to buy more expensive stuff, or folks who need to believe their $50,000 kitchen was worth it. I 100% gutted the space from floor to ceiling, and put in new EVERYTHING including some higher end trinkets like a $1000 faucet and dozens of polished nickel pulls from RH, a $3000 oven and $3000 fridge - and the whole thing cost $23k all in. The counters I bought from IKEA too - during their annual 20% off kitchen sale, usually in about April - they're Caesarstone and dont stain at all. I even put in a $200 IKEA farmhouse sink that was maybe $1000 less than 90% of other options. People told me I was nuts. It looks gorgeous, I get compliments all the time, and it has held up perfectly. My project turned out so fab that my uber successful realtor, who can afford anything she likes, ended up going IKEA when she remodeled her own kitchen. The one thing I will add is - I used a contractor to do it (Hearney Construction, who I recommend) and I also consulted an architect friend. Their design services are poor, IMO. 

    Feb 28, 2018

    When I remodeled my kitchen I looked at cabs from IKEA, Home Depot, three local "semi-custom" stores, and a fully custom shop.  I went with the fully custom shop because I wanted to use every single inch of my kitchen and not have gaps.  Try as I might with the IKEA, Home Depot and the "semi-custom" options, they just didn't give me exactly what I wanted.  Otherwise I'd totally go with the IKEA cabs, with two exceptions, the cabs for the sink and dishwasher.  Get plywood for those because they will get wet and plywood will handle the water much better than MDF. 

    Mar 5, 2018

    We remodeled our kitchen 3 years ago and used IKEA. It's held up amazingly well and we get lots of compliments on it. I used their design tool online and designed it myself but it was a pain. The system froze a lot, saved stuff wrong, etc. I'd probably go w their design services next time to save time, since you get the amount refunded when you purchase your kitchen. 

    We only got the dishwasher from IKEA in terms of appliances so that it could have the integrated door. 

    We also got the Caesarstone countertop from IKEA and have been very pleased with that as well. 

    As long as you have a good eye for design, and find a cabinet front style that you like from IKEA, I'd definitely recommend it. They do have very limited cabinet front styles and colors. Other than the gray Bodbyn, which is what we went with, I didn't like any of them. 

    Mar 14, 2018

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Assembler/Installer or Contractor for IKEA Kitchen

Sept 2012

Hi all - I looked in the archives but the info is quite dated. I have a small, old kitchen that I am remodeling this fall. I'm going to use IKEA cabinets and am looking for a team to 1) help me plan the layout ASAP, 2) possibly assemble and install the cabinets. If the team is able to do general contracting and is inexpensive, I'd consider using them for the whole project.

I already have 2 decent inexpensive contractors bidding on the project, but I am open to another bid or two. And my immediate need is for an IKEA cabinet EXPERT to help me plan the kitchen layout. I have architectural drawings of the basic space, and know roughly what needs to be done, but I'd like someone familiar with all the little IKEA bells and whistles to help me plan perfectly.

Has anyone done this recently? Did you find someone you like? Cost is a major issue for me, but I have some $s finally saved for this and am excited to get going. I'm located in Rockridge. Many thanks!! sw

Ikea cabinets are great looking and inexpensive if selling you home within a couple of years. If you actually plan on living in the home for 5 years plan on replacing them as they fall apart. The particle board will fall apart with the kitchen humidity and hard use. remodeller

Ikea kitchen cabinets - do they last?

June 2011

I read a bunch of positive reviews by BPN folks on their Ikea cabinets. My question is, did they last? Now that you've had them for 5 or 10 years, how do they look? Are you still happy with them? Seeking kitchen cabinets

We LOVE our IKEA cabinets! They were installed right before we moved into our house 9 years ago and they still look great. We always get compliments on our kitchen and everyone is amazed when they hear they're IKEA cabinets. I highly recommend the IKEA butcher block counter tops as well. Shawna

I was happy with my Ikea kitchen when it was installed over 3 years ago, but now the doors and drawers are all sagging and crooked and one of the door hinges pulled away from the cabinet. Even though it was reasonably priced at the time, it seems like I'll have to end up replacing it with the help of a local cabinet shop, which is what I should have done to begin with. Anon

We installed our cabinets in 2007 and we're very happy with them. They have held up well so far. I absolutely love the full-extension, soft-closing drawers. The cabinet doors are easy to clean. I can't say for sure how they'll be in 10 years, but I'm guessing they'll still be in good shape. I should add that our household has 2 adults so thre isn't the same wear and tear on the cabinets that a home with children would have.

We bought IKEA kitchen cabinets about 5 years ago. While the hardware is holding up nicely, within a couple of years, the veneer started bubbling and coming off in places that had experienced any dampness. Given that things do get wet from time to time in the kitchen, it's a problem. If i had it to do over again, I wouldn't have gone with IKEA cabinets. Monika

IKEA kitchen cabinet backs

Feb 2010

We're remodeling our kitchen and don't have a big budget but we want it to last 15+ years. (The Home Depot kitchen that came with the house started falling apart around 10 yrs.) I'm considering IKEA kitchen cabinets and am concerned about the fiberboard backs coming off (as our Home Depot ones have), I guess from pots or items being pushed in too far back? I'm also concerned about the particleboard sides of the frame coming apart, especially around the sink where a lot of water may seep in. Anyone have experience or thoughts about this? Thanks. Kitchen on a small budget

You are right to be concerned about particle board in cabinets - not only because it falls apart if it gets wet (not a good application for a kitchen), but also because of the toxins that offgas from all the binders that hold the ''particles'' together. But don't knock Home Depot. We bought our Kraftmaid kitchen cabinets from them and have been very happy with them. Just ask to upgrade to plywood for the drawers, backs, etc. If you do go with Home Depot, the trick is getting a kitchen designer who knows what they are doing. The other trick with HD is to specify that you want their best installer. happy kraftmaid customer

I understand your frustration. We had a low budget, but didn't want to have to settle for poor quality. We got estimates and researched almost everywhere and Ikea was not at the top of our list. After almost a year of asking everyone we came in contact with, we found this walkerlund cabinets. The price was the same as Ikea, but the quality was great. To be honest,their showroom was not impressive, but the end result was. good luck

For what it is worth, in our last apartment, our landlord redid our kitchen about 8 years ago with IKEA cabinets. I was really impressed with the quality (they are made in europe, not in China - if that makes a difference?). After 8 years, they are completely intact and look as good as the day they were put in. I have been quite impressed with them. They seem far superior in quality to a lot of other Ikea products.

Hi We have done three ikea kitchens now in the last 5 years (three diff houses) and have not had such a problem. The backing on the ikea kitchen cabinet sits flush to the back of the cabinet. If your cabinets are flush to the wall the backing panel really has nowhere to go. I also had to put some small cardoard ferring (sp) strips on the back of one wall and that made the cabinet back pretty flush as well. That worked out fine. They also have lots of nice push in drawers and trays if you want to avoid hitting the back. The particle board seems fairly sturdy and if it gets wet you can just wipe it down. I guess it depends on what kind of counters/sink you have in terms or water getting around it? I would always put silicone/seal in the proper areas and maybe even some clear rubbery type stuff (like contact paper) on the walls under the sink just to be safe. Overall I think for the money they are good. I think even consumer reports about 6 or 7 years ago ranked them like 4th, over even kraftmaid i believe. Feel free to write with any questions if you like. matt

IKEA kitchen cabinet installer needed

May 2009

We purchased IKEA cabinets for our kitchen and are looking for some recommendations for installers. Have you had any one in particular that you could recommend, or has anyone used IKEAs installers? Thanks! IKEA cabinet owner

I highly recommend Joel Devin for installing Ikea cabinets. We had new kitchen cabinets put in just a few months ago, and Joel did a superb job. His work was meticulous, reasonably priced, done on-time and he is also a pleasure to have around! His number is 510-912-2625. Feel free to email me with any specific questions. Christine

I can recommend Esther and Adan Goldberg-Contreras - they are a husband and wife team who specialize in Ikea kitchens and live here in the East bay. Adan is also a licensed electrician. Their contact number is 415-722-6022 (Adan) and 415-722-4257 (Esther). Happy Cabinet Making

Contractor for Ikea Kitchen remodel

March 2009

We are looking for a contractor for our minor kitchen remodel in Oakland. We will be replacing all cabinetry and appliances with Ikea-made cabinets. We are not moving any windows or walls. Some electrical and plumbing changes. Any recommendations? Thanks. Amy

I would highly recommend Matthew Gibbs 415-652-2665. He did a kitchen remodel for us this summer and we absolutely love it! We used IKEA cabinets as well. Matt was honest, hard-working and has a wonderful eye for detail. He worked within our budget and on time. Our kitchen is now the favorite room in our house! Please feel free to contact me for more information or for some pictures of the kitchen. Cara

I highly recommend you call Paul Lashley about kitchen (and/or bath) remodel work - particularly in relation to installing Ikea stuff. Paul and his small crew did a fantastic job with our kitchen (and bath). We went with Ikea cabinets in the kitchen, they look great, and Paul did a really wonderful job customizing them along the way so that they fit into the nuances of our old house. Our 80 house is a bit out of square! And they did a great job. Paul is over the top detail-oriented, which is great for a contractor. He doesn't gloss over stuff - in the work or in describing it to you. We had a very enjoyable experience with them, got a very fair price, and we're very happy with how our kitchen looks and operates. Paul's contact info: Paul Lashley, Complete Home Remodel H/Fax 510-243-6640 C/Mob 510-910-1028 Email Goneraftn [at] aol.com
Jeff

We had a wonderful kitchen remodel done by Haven Builders. The owner, Rick, is very professional and personable--we just liked having him around and that's a reality when having a big job done that many people overlook. Most importantly, he really did an amazing job for us--he listened closely and carefully to our needs and was patient while we made up (or changed!) our minds on different aspects. He is a smaller company and I would guess it takes him a little longer than some of the bigger outfits but, we wanted a contractor who wasn't juggling three jobs at a time, leaving us in the lurch, etc. Rick was there, on site, everyday and that meant a lot. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Vicki Oh, his email is: rixmail1 [at] gmail.com and his phone is 510-665-9777 Vicki

Hi Amy, The contractor that built the addition for me also remodeled my kitchen. I did not have Ikea cabinets but he had to assemble them too. He new what he was doing. He did a very good job, and it is a pleasure for me to recommend him. He was always in time for work, was easy to communicate with him, and he knows to do everything in a house from top to bottom. You will not have any problem whatsoever if you will hire him. His name is Constantin and you can contact him on his cellphone 510-305-5680. Jessica

for an IKEA or other remodel, i cannot recommend jeff roller (415-205-5797) highly enough. he is fabulous. nicola

I highly recommend Bay Area Pacific Construction. We hired them after receiving five bids for our kitchen remodel using Ikea cabinets (the dark Adel birch cabinets), and only the Beres family's company listened and responded to our goals. They made the whole remodeling process seem so easy. They are very professional, well-qualified and very nice to deal with. Our beautiful kitchen turned out better than we expected. You can contact them at 510 484 5765 or through their website www.bayareapacificconstruction.com Jeff

I'd like to recommend Joel Devin for an Ikea kitchen remodel. Joel did our kitchen just last month and did a fantastic job. Not only is he very skilled and knowledgeable about the Ikea system, he was a pleasure to work with. He helped us sketch the layout and created the parts list, as well as doing the actual install of the new cabinets. He did an impeccable job and I can't recommend him highly enough! His phone number is 510-912-2625. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. Christine

Contractor for IKEA kitchen?

Dec 2008

Hi - I am remodeling my small kitchen and plan to use Ikea cabinetry. I would like to find a contractor who has experience putting in these types of kitchens. Also, my design skills are not great...so someone with a good eye who doesn't mind adding a suggestion here and there is most appreciated. I'm in the Albany/El Cerrito area. Thanks! :-) Christine

The builder I've used for many projects, from reroofing to adding a second story over a garage to remodeling kitchens and bathrooms (several using Ikea cabinets), is Andres Jara. I've recommended him before as a tiler, but he does a lot of everything, including electrical and plumbing. He's meticulous and invariably will make suggestions for improvements on your designs. You may or may not appreciate this, but I've found it helpful. He unfortunately still hasn't gotten his contractors' license, and for some that's a deal breaker. He's very friendly and generous, though he nearly always underestimates his time. I've just gotten used to it. Be aware that while Ikea cabinets are initially inexpensive, it's more time and labor for the installer who has to assemble them all. Andres Jara: 510 693-0007
Lisa P

We used Jensen Construction last year to do our kitchen and it came out great. Jeff was very friendly, helped us with planning and design and best of all he didn't try to gouge us like some of the other contractors we talked to. Jeff's contact info is 510-453-9369 or email jeff [at] jensenremodeling.com Thelma

My friend Joel Devin is a wonderful contractor who has been working with IKEA kitchens for many years. I had the opportunity to see a beautiful kitchen he installed in my neighborhood. It was fantastic! Personally, Joel is very creative, friendly and easy to have around. He's a very bright, honest and down-to-earth guy. If I needed this kind of work done, I wouldn't hesitate to call Joel. He can be reached at: 510-653-5892 Anne

My wife and I just wrapped up a construction project in our basement with Sorin Feraru, who we first heard about from a posting on BPN. We are happy to share that we were very satisfied with the work he did for us. Although we didn't have a huge project (we had him convert our empty basement room into a family room / laundry area with shelving, cabinets, a sink and countertop) Sorin gave us his full attention and contributed his valuable professional expertise from start to finish. His bid was competitive relative to others we received and before getting started he helped us make practical, cost-conscious adjustments to our plans. He also made great suggestions about where to go to make project-related purchases such as flooring, cabinetry, and lighting from the local businesses in the area.

When we told Sorin we were prepared to have him start earlier than scheduled, Sorin and his sizeable crew got to work immediately and raced through the project at a remarkable pace--less than two weeks from start to finish! Throughout the project, Sorin communicated with us regularly, helping us problem-solve as unanticipated issues arose. His stated goal was to exceed our expectations with high quality work at an affordable price, and he delivered on all fronts. I would certainly recommend him for your kitchen project (I know he has experience with IKEA cabinets) and for any other projects folks are considering. He can be reached at (510) 228-7366. Josh M.

We couldn't be happier with our contractor, Eric Manou, or with our new IKEA kitchen. We opted for IKEA cabinetry because Eric has had a lot of experience with it and assured us he could install it quickly and well. Now completed, we love how the cabinets look and work (yay, drawers that close themselves). We're even more thrilled with Eric and would recommend him for any type of kitchen remodel. With an Art degree from UC Berkeley, he was able to help us with our design and gently guided us through the overwhelming selection of cabinets, flooring, granite and tile while keeping our budget in mind. He even helped us pick out our wall color (we had no vision). Eric's workmanship was excellent, he was always pleasant (as was his crew), easy to work with, honest, reliable and his rates were extremely reasonable. He has done bigger projects (foundation and larger remodels) for friends of ours that were very impressive and he came highly recommended by them. He can be reached at (510)928-3060 or by email at ericmanou [at] gmail.com. Hope this helps, Andrea

DEFINITELY try George Matthews at Geoconserve.com. He's so reasonable does these kitchens all the time, loves green materials and is VERY reasonable. Have fun! lynda

IKEA kitchen cabinets-- longevity?

June 2008

A while back, I read many positive reviews of IKEA kitchen cabinets in this newsletter-- but all of them seemed to have been posted by people with fairly new cabinets. Does anyone have experience with IKEA cabinets that were put in 5 years ago or more? I would appreciate hearing from any of you that can speak to IKEA kitchen cabinets' longevity. Thanks! New home owner

I seriously looked into Ikea cabinets when I redid my kitchen after a disaster. They look good in the showroom and those prices are SOOOO attractive! Every single contractor I spoke with, however, advised against them -- and without conflict of interest, since I was planning to order my cabinets directly -- because they'd demo'd so many Ikea kitchens and saw how badly they fared over time. The main reason is that the cabinet boxes are almost all made from pressboard, which will fall apart if wet. I ended up buying beautiful cabinets through Catherine & Dan at Custom Spaces (www.customspaces.net), 1603 Solano Ave, Albany, that have formaldehyde-free plywood boxes and very high-end hinges. I spent more money at the front end, to be sure, but I got a beautiful customized kitchen that will work well and look good for decades instead of a couple of years. Good luck. Terry

i'd recommend buying cabinets from sincere hardware in oakland if you're looking for bargain. great choices! we spent under $3000 on a brand new kitchen. even cheaper than buying the unfinished cabinets from home depot. annon

I have installed IKEA before and I agree that the cabinets won't hold up to excessive wear and tear. I never recommend them to folks with kids; they'll never survive! IKEA is good for folks on a budget, people who need to spruce up for a sale, and those who expect to redo the kitchen in 5-7 years. By the way, never use their wood countertops near a sink. As for cabinets from Sincere Hardware, yes they are better made than IKEA, and yes, they are relatively inexpensive, BUT and this is a big caveat, they are made in China and use Chinese plywood and particle board in their construction. These products are made with adhesives and glues that use formaldehyde and are the cause of many health problems. In fact, the infamous FEMA trailers that were recalled were made using the same cheap Chinese products. I've done considerable research on this subject and have found that many manufacturers cannot guarantee a formaldehyde free product. This goes for most low end/inexpensive cabinetry. Oddly enough, the only brand that sells formaldehyde-free cabinets at an affordable price is, as you may have guessed, IKEA. Erich

2004 - 2007 Recommendations

Using Ikea cabinets for a remodel

Nov 2007

We just purchased a house and would like to remodel the kitchen as soon as possible. But of course, having just bought a home, we are not exactly flush with cash. And we have a little one and anticipate having more and I cringe at the thought of all the toy trucks and shopping carts that would inevitably bang up and ding custom cabinetry. So we're thinking more economic options and happened across IKEA. I tend to think of IKEA for more disposable furniture needs, so am a bit hesitant about going this route for the kitchen cabinets (we would probably buy our appliances, and perhaps countertops and sinkware, separately). Would love to hear from anyone who has used IKEA for a kitchen remodel. Are you happy you went with them? Did you find that IKEA was, in fact, good bang for the buck? Did you install yourself, use IKEA to install, or an independent contractor to do it? Any other pieces of wisdom to share? Thanks! Need a fridge and more

I am a designer in Berkeley and I do lots of kitchen/bathroom projects. Occasionally I have used Ikea kitchens and they can be quite economical. With the proper design they can read like custom cabinetry and with the right choice of finishes (counters, backsplash, etc) they can be elevated to look quite nice. I recommend their installers as they are extremely knowledgeable about their products. Bonnee

We installed our Ikea kitchen ourselves about 3 years ago. Having 2 kids, now 5, I was very concerned about the laminate getting messed up quickly. I am totally satisfied with the durability and the cabinets are not marked or chipped or damaged in any way after 3 years of tough wear and tear. I would buy it again in a flash. You can also, of course, get solid wood Ikea cabinet fronts but I don't see the need if you're looking to save some money. Very happy with my cheap cabinets

Check out the latest issue of Fine Homebuilding (available at Barnes & Noble, Builder's Booksource, etc.). They have both an article about kitchen cabinet construction but also one specifically about IKEA kitchens. Architect

Funny that this message was right below my earlier query about raccoons. Anyway, I remodeled my kitchen this summer with IKEA cabinetry and LOVE it. The cabinets were extremely easy to build and they were the least complicated part of the remodel process for my contractor, who I can recommend by the way (George Matthews at http://www.geomatconserve.com/). They look great and not at all cheap. If you want to see what they look like I believe George posted photos on his website in projects section. For my whole kitchen it was less than 3K, which I found very reasonable. Good Luck with your kitchen. Leslie

We are building a new home & decided to go with an IKEA kitchen because we liked how they looked and it seemed like a good value. Consumer Reports rated them very high (much better than Home Depot's cabinets which cost a lot more). We haven't yet moved in or used the kitchen. Therefore, I can't speak to how it will hold up over time, but I'm pleased with how the cabinets look, what we paid, and the process of putting them together. I am not a do-it-yourself but I was able to assemble the cabinets myself. My husband and a friend, both who are very handy and comfortable with tools, installed the cabinets. That took a little more skill but for someone who is handy, apparently it's pretty straightforward. One piece of advice is to make use of the IKEAFans.com website. That is a fantastic resource! The instructions that come with some of the IKEA things (like the lazy susan for the corner cabinet) can be hard to decipher (there are no words, only pictures) and occasionally are wrong. However, the people at IKEAFans.com are just wonderful in helping you through any problems you have - much more useful than calling customer service at IKEA. Good luck! happy with IKEA

We put in an IKEA kitchen in May and so far have been very happy with it. Obviously, I can't speak to long-term durability but my husband (who assembled the cabinets) was impressed with how they were designed and had done a fair amount of research before purchasing. We did some of the work ourselves and some with contractors: they did the demo, plumbing, electrical and my husband his brother built and installed the cabinets and IKEA butcher block countertops. We had granite (not IKEA) installed as well later on. For us, IKEA was perfect; a nice update to a kitchen we will use another year or two and a prospective buyer should be happy with it too. If you want to come and see ours, please let me know. Laura

We installed an IKEA kitchen about 6 months ago and, so far, have been very happy. We felt the cabinet prices were extremely economical AND appealing, which allowed us to spend more money on things like countertop (caesarstone), faucet (hans grohe), etc. Our friends are surprised when we tell them it's a (mostly) IKEA kitchen. We did decide to hire certified IKEA installers who both put together and installed our cabinets, put on pulls, kick, etc. I would HIGHLY recommend going that route unless you've either done it before or are extremely handy.

The initial design phase was a bit frustrating trying to use the IKEA kitchen planner (i'm a mac person and it doesn't work on a mac), but the staff in the kitchen department at IKEA was *usually* willing to help and offer suggestions. You will find yourself there ALOT during the ordering and installation, and you will probably need to return/exchange pieces that were either shipped incorrectly or damaged. You just have to be patient, because in the end, it's really worth it. Oh, and we have two young children who aren't always gentle - but the cabinets are still in great shape. Feel free to contact me if you have further questions. emily

Hope this isn't too late -- we remodeled out house with an IKEA kitchen and we LOVE it. We used the Nexus style in white oak (they don't seem to have it on display but you can order it), looks terrific two years in so far. Their hinges and hardware are supposed to be top notch, and the special cabinets that pull out and the corner lazy susans are really terrific (no more reaching into the far back dark corners or just losing things forever in unreachable areas). We recently went to a friend's house -- they have the same cabinetry and theirs is older and still looks nearly new (they have two small children), so I'm hopeful ours will look good for years to come. Our architect, whose taste I really admire, has an IKEA kitchen too! And you truly can't beat the price -- we fitted out our entire kitchen AND some pantry cabinets for a little over $2K. They have some really nice hardware too -- I know some folks who put in pricey custom cabinets and then bought all their handles at IKEA. They now carry Corian counter tops -- why do you care? Because you can get an integrated sink! No edge or lip anywhere to catch bits of this and that, just smooth, smooth, smooth. We had been planning to build and install them ourselves but by that point in the reno we were exhausted so we had our contractor do it. I remember seeing an IKEA Kitchen Fan site on the web but don't have the URL anymore. We give it two very enthusiastic thumbs up! Proud IKEA kitchen owner

I am renting a house that has an IKEA kitchen in it and it was installed 5 years ago. It is falling apart! One of the cabinet doors fell off and the veneer is starting to peel away from the several of the cabinets. The sink is a strange design where there is a little sink off the the right of the main sink. The faucet when over the little sink flows 1/2 on the counter and 1/2 on the side of the little sink. This house is a second home of a friend of mine and it is empty 1/2 of the year so it doesn't get much use. Everything in this house is made by IKEA and it is crumbling. The couches all have deep grooves in them and the rugs are unraveling. Sorry to use the cliche but you get what you pay for. Not an IKEA fan

Ikea Kitchen Remodel

June 2005

Has anybody gotten a full IKEA kitchen package? We're looking at a kitchen remodel and the price of having a contractor doing it is making our hair stand on end! It seems like the IKEA kitchens are really *really* reasonable -- is there a reason? (Are they going to fall apart in five years? One year?) When we resell our house someday will the kitchen have significantly less value without a fancy contractor kitchen? IKEA can even put in a custom Corian counter (me: ''Wow!''). Would love to hear any positive or negative reviews from anyone who put one in. Thanks! Kitchen Krazy

I do not have an Ikea kitchen myself, but we are planning a remodel, and I have been spending a lot of time on the Gardenweb kitchen forums. I have gotten a ton of valuable advice and ideas from this site, and I know they have an ongoing thread for Ikea topics. Do a search on IKEA and see what you find. The site is: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/ Claire

To the person who was inquiring about the Ikea kitchen. We moved into a home in February of this year that has a full Ikea kitchen. I think it's a few years old. I love it. It's white with beech wood counter tops. But, it's Ikea, so the whole kitchen comes in small boxes and you either have to hire someone to put it together or do it yourself. The people who owned the house before us put it together on the side of the house and had a contractor install it.

It's got all these great little gadgets, turn around shelf thingies for your pots and pans, sliding out shelves, nice handles, looks clean and to me quite expensive.

If you want to come look at it email me, I am happy to show you how an Ikea kitchen will look in a few years. Not sure how it will look in 20 though. ( : jamilie

We did not put in a whole kitchen, but about three years ago we bought a freestanding pantry to add to our kitchen. We LOVE it! The door is the only wood on it and the base is the white laminate (I believe), but it is very sturdy and the hinges are great......much better than some of the more expensive cabinets. Some friends did their whole kitchen (and they are VERY style conscious) and I understand they really like it. Good luck! Monika

To the person wondering about Ikea kitchens: we installed a full Ikea kitchen in 2001. People seem to really like it and are always surprised when I tell them it's from Ikea. I dressed up the cabinets with really nice pulls from Restoration Hardware and that helped a lot and was well worth the $. I have no idea re: the resale value, but I simply wasn't able to do a designer kitchen. It's functional and looks good. If I were doing this again, I would go with an undermount sink (darn!) and some sort of funky countertop (I did basic ol' formica). I bought this kitchen back when Ikea staff helped design the kitchen, which was quite helpful. Overall, we're happy with it. Nothing has fallen apart (yet) and the drawers are sturdy. I really love the deep drawers for pots and things. And the installers were amazing. Bad: some pieces were back ordered by Ikea for months so the installation went on and on, but the installers stuck to their quoted price. Good luck! Nicole

We used Ikea in Emeryville about five years ago for a complete kitchen remodel. Their in-store designer helped us measure out and figure out what cabinetry we needed, and ordered everything, including the Corian countertop subcontractor. The two cabinet installers they sent us did an excellent job: efficient, helpful attitudes, good at executing little adjustments we asked for. The only trouble was a few cabinet parts that did not arrive correctly and had to be re-ordered. The Corian installation was also terrific. The end result is quite attractive -- everyone comments on how great our kitchen looks, and we are very happy with our choices (despite a few minor imperfections). Throw in Ikea's low low prices, and it was an amazingly good deal for us. The only rub I know of is we got in ahead of the curve before Ikea's kitchen design services were really 'discovered' and since then we've heard that their services are always backlogged - so you'd do well to press hard to u! Understand their delivery commitments. But if you like what you see in their showrooms in terms of style and amenities, and can budget the necessary timetable, I think you'll end up satisfied customers. As the saying goes, why pay more? Budget-conscious

April 2004

We are looking for a kitchen designer/architect to help us plan a remodel using IKEA cabinets. We need someone who can use the IKEA catalogue and then create a drawing that we can take to IKEA. Thanks!

We have an Ikea kitchen, but when we started the Ikea process (2002), they did the drawings for us. However, I know the whole kitchen dept has since revamped, so I guess that's not available anymore. When we finally got going on our kitchen (2003), our contractors re-did the drawings anyway, which made sense in the end, since they were the ones doing the job. I've recommended them before here, but don't see them in the archive. They're Bradbury-Luce and can be reached at 510 816- 0647 or worldbluce [at] yahoo.com I highly recommend them for several reasons: They've done several Ikea kitchens, they were right on target both in $$ and time, they dealt with unexpected structural problems expertly, they have good subs (though we had a bit of a problem with the floor), and are experienced, professional, and really nice guys (important when they're in your home every day!). Caveat on Ikea though - Although we're happy with the end result, Ikea was a pain to deal with. My husband had to spend literally hours going back and forth with irritating little issues - missing hardware, damaged pieces, lost orders, incomplete orders, incorrectly labeled packages, and very, very poor customer service. Be prepared. Stacey

2003 & Earlier

IKEA cabinets

October 2002

I am remodeling soon and would like opinions of IKEA kitchen cabinets from anyone who has used them. Thanks! remodeling soon

We purchases IKEA cabinets in '99 and are very happy with them . So far they have with stood the wear and tear of our family. They wipe up easily and look beautiful. My only complaint is we used IKEA wood counter tops and several of the counters have cracked and split. Hope this helps! mhpoole

This is a response to the person interested in IKEA kitchen cabinets. My husband is an architect and designed a complete kitechen remodel with IKEA cabinets. We are extremely pleased with the results. The cabinets are well made, have nice design features and were easy to install. It has been three years since our remodel, and the cabinets still look like new and are easy to maintain. If you have more questions or are interested in a referral to a great architect, you can email me. Carol

We remodeled our kitchen a year ago with IKEA cabinets. They look great and they have great practical organizing things for the insides. Our medium size kitchen cost about $7000 for the cabinets and all the pull-out baskets/pantry.

The only caveat is that I ended up ordering everything from the Burbank IKEA because the Emeryville kitchen dept had a backlog of 2 months for design. Even though IKEA does not design the kitchen for you, their kitchen planners have to plug in everything you want into their CAD system, thus the waiting list. We gave our architect the cabinet catalog and he drew very simple plans. Then, I typed up a list of all the parts and faxed it to Burbank. You'll have some hassle with missing/back-ordered parts that require getting on the phone a bit. But, it wasn't terrible. Also, it was VERY easy to return extra parts/shelves/etc. to the Emeryville store for full refunds. Drop me an email if you want to see our kitchen.