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| According to the owner these IKEA cabinets cost $1,900.00 |
That said, you have to know how to design with the IKEA system and there are hidden costs. So if you're trying to compare apples to apples with a stock cabinetry program from a home center or a boutique kitchen designer you need to take these costs into consideration. The IKEA cabinets will not be as inexpensive as they seem at first blush but if your creative and play your cards right you can get a high design kitchen for somewhat less than a "designer" kitchen. Here is a rundown of items that need to be thought through if you're thinking about IKEA.
1. Measurements of your existing space: Unless you have totally freestanding plan that does not touch sidewalls, this can be complicated. Measuring means not just width depth and height but also level, plumb, squareness and straightness. Tools needed: Tape measure, longest level and biggest square you can find. I use a laser level, a 6' level, and a 6' collapsible square. If you don't know what I'm talking about get someone to do it who does.
2. Do all your measuring in metric system: IKEA cabinets are sized in centimeters. Don't measure in inches and then convert to inches or even worse, don't try to keep switching back and forth between inches and centimeters. This isn't so scary, we've been metric since 1980 in case you didn't notice.
2. Basic principles of kitchen design: You'll be designing this yourself. Know your work triangle, space needed between counters and obstructions, appliance sizes, space needed to turn a corner, and cabinets heights at a minimum. There are many design issues to consider, I can't possibly go into them here. A knowledgable designer can do a very nice job with IKEA cabinets. There are some excellent blogs about kitchen design. Becky Sue Becker for example.
3. Delivery: If you have a small vehicle and more than a couple of cabinets you need to think about how you're going to get your cabinets to your house and how much it will cost. The good news is that IKEA cabinets are flat packed. The bad news is that they are heavy.
4. Assembly: This is the 800 pound gorilla. Assembly is not trivial if you have more than a few cabinets. We often build kitchens with 50 or more cabinets. It takes time, space, and tools. I have found that not all IKEA cabinets go together accurately. You need to be able to recognize when this is a problem and know how to correct it. Correcting it can be complicated. The alternative is to return items that do not fit together perfectly. This could be very time consuming.
5. Cabinet base: IKEA cabinets do not have a base, that "toe" space below the doors. You or your builder will need to make a structure to support the base cabinets. You need to think about how this space will be finished (same finish as the cabinet doors? Black? metallic? vinyl cove? tile?) and provide material for this. It will need to be perfectly level and the correct height so that the top of the cabinets (not the top of the counter) ends up between 34-1/2 and 35 inches. If it's not the correct height your appliances won't fit right.
6. Installation: Installing frameless cabinets can be more complicated that you think. Especially if your walls are not perfectly straight and plumb. The cabinets do not have much resistance to racking. You can easily pull them out of square while trying to make them conform to the walls. If you do, the doors will never line up correctly and your fashion kitchen will look like a cheap and sloppy dorm room. Agian the issues are too many to go into here. I'll give you an important piece of advice that will help you avoid one big pitfall: Install base cabinets first, start at the dishwasher with the top of the cabinets at 34-1/2", keep everything level from there.
Good luck!
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