I have wanted to redo our kitchen pretty much since we moved into our house 5 years ago. Our house was built in 1982-ish and the kitchen has been updated since, and it doesn’t look bad, but geez, the layout stinks and the interiors are falling apart. And don’t even get me started on the peeling laminate counter tops. 
So over the summer I decided that I’m finally going to make it happen. I can totally DIY a kitchen on the cheap. I designed and installed a KraftMaid kitchen at our last house (post HERE) and I designed, purchased and assembled my mom’s IKEA kitchen cabinets after that. I’m thinking of spending no more than $12,000 on cabinets and appliances, but I also need flooring and a new patio door. I am still in the very early stages of my design, and my number one question is whether or not I should go with IKEA cabinets. My mom L.O.V.E.S. hers. I think the kitchen looks great, except for the random trim her contractor used everywhere, but I still have my reservations. I don’t plan on staying in this house forever. Heck, if the right offer came along we’d be out of here in a heart beat, so I need to think about resale value. And I just think the gray interiors on the IKEA AKURUM cabinets looks cheap. People want dovetail joints. *For the record: My totally crappy kitchen cabinets have dovetail joints that have all but disintegrated. A person can only “fix” a drawer so many times before she wants to throw it in the trash. So I definitely don’t think dovetail is essential, as there are obviously completely cheap versions of it out there. My other concern is the limited sizes and configurations. I loved my 6″ KraftMaid base cabinet spice jar pullout. There just isn’t anything remotely like it at IKEA. I have very limited space to put base cabinets and IKEA only has two options for corner cabinets, neither of which is ideal. Boo.
So I’m plugging along, taking all my measurements, designing my layout with the IKEA Kitchen Planner, doing hours of research online, and adding to my Kitchens Pinterest Board. I see that Home Depot now has their own My Kitchen Planner, which didn’t exist when I did my last kitchen through them. I had to go to the store several times and describe what I wanted while the dude tried to make it happen on the computer. It was frustrating. Several times I wanted to grab the mouse out of his hand. If you know me at all, that won’t surprise you. My online research revealed some awesome IKEA kitchens that have custom upgrades. Here are some favorites…
Love the full height doors on the sink cabinet. Source: Involving Color (one of my new favorite blogs!)
Source: Little House Blog
Source: BHG
Notice ugly gray interiors! Source: Remodelista
Then I became enthralled by the idea of buying the AKURUM cabinets (the interior stuff) and getting custom doors made. I love the DIY Shaker style from SemiHandmade. The doors are slightly wider, thicker and better quality than IKEA’s. This DIY style comes unfinished, which is fine by me. I’m thinking I want a combo of white cabinets + either gray/turquoise/teal. This should give you an idea of SemiHandmade’s prices.
So I’m feeling good. Making progress. Planned a trip to IKEA Philadelphia with two girlfriends next Wednesday (now that the kids are in school all day, this mama is living large!). I even chose some of the appliances. I’d like this range (we have an electric cook top now and I don’t want the hassle of switching to gas) and this fridge, although it’s super tempting to get this fridge, which hubby and I had too much fun playing with at Home Depot when we were supposed to be getting supplies to build my mom a bike shed.
But then everything came crashing down. Nothing like discovering at 1am that IKEA is going to do away with the AKURUM cabinet line (and all the current door styles) as early as the end of 2014. Apparently IKEA doesn’t like to be too forthcoming with such information, so who knows exactly when the change will take place here. The new kitchen line is called METOD and it’s already available in several other countries. And guess what? It doesn’t have the ugly gray interiors, they are WHITE! And the new system is supposed to have a lot more versatility. So now I’m totally in a freak out about whether or not to proceed.Check out these pictures from other IKEA websites around the world. I think I’m going to wait for METOD to come out. But when???
Update: The new U.S. line is called SEKTION, not METOD. Read my post about SEKTION here.
Here is a video about METOD:
These pictures are from IKEA Egypt. Nice, right!?!
I love the interiors, but I don’t really feel like waiting forever for all the pieces to be released. And I guess I’ll be stuck using IKEA doors and drawer fronts, which will be all new with the METOD line, because I’m sure places like SemiHandmade won’t be able to change their door configurations in a hot second. Maybe if they get out their magic wands. What’s a girl to do? Maybe I can have my super talented friend at Rella Works make me custom doors. Hmm…
The other thing I discovered last night is that I’m kinda pissed at IKEA. I had no idea “they” have started harassing and threatening two of their most supportive fan websites, Ikeafans.com and Ikeahackers.net. This post explains some of what the Ikea Fans owners are going through. Jules from IKEA Hackers explains her situation HERE, but it seems like she has worked out a deal with IKEA at this point. It’s total BS, and as one commenter points out, IKEA should continue to embrace the site, just as all these auto makers: audifans.com; BMWenthusiast.com; chevytalk.com; VWvortex.com; dodgeforum.com, toyotanation.com, nissanclub.com. Sheesh!
So for now, I am giving up (yeah right) and will resume work on the 25 other projects I’ve started and not finished. But it would be more fun to tear out the kitchen. lol
I can tell you that after 6 years of three kids+ eating every meal home cooked our Ikea kitchen cabinets are holding up just fine. No issues to report. We did not use custom doors but we did get custom counter tops (mostly) and backsplash plus custom fit a big sink in. A lot of work but the end result is not bad.
I like your kitchen! But do you think I should wait for the new stuff? It seems silly to spend the time/money to install something that will be instantly dated.
Liz, so many options. What does your gut say? How soon do you want this remodel to happen? Maybe wait till Jan 2015 and have the be your new year project and the new Ikea cabinets should be out by then?
As far as Ikea and their behavior lately, I am not impressed and highly disappointed. My goodness, I get excited and honored when someone mentions my blog or gets inspired by it. Take this times millions (as in the case of Ikea), they should be humbled and want to support the sites that give them traffic and business. I guess they want to bully and be control freaks and not recognize the amount of people who are actually supporters of them.
Your old kitchen was looking awesome also. But after renovation it is looking fabulous. I can’t stop myself to watching at your kitchen. Few days I have also written an article “50 Best Modern Kitchen Designs For 2016”. I really enjoyed your post.
Thanks Lindsey! You liked the old kitchen?!? It drove me crazy! I guess looking at pictures and living in it are two different things though. I hope to have more posts about the kitchen finished soon!!
Great and informative post. I am also thinking of renovating my kitchen and i am surely gonna apply some of your tips. Thanks for sharing such an interesting information.