Ikea Kitchens
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Ikea Kitchens
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
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
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@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@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
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@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@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
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
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
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@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
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.
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