Honest Opinions on Ikea Cabinets?

amyb_1977

16 years ago

I am really drawn to the Ikea cabinets. They are really my style and they have all the cool upgrades that I like for a really really good price. Does anyone have any opinions on their quality? I am not a brand name girl and have no problem with having Ikea cabinets instead of a fancier brand, I just want to know they aren't going to fall apart in 5 years!

Thanks,

Amy

P.S. I think I found a good contractor and he is even willing to put in the Ikea cabinets for me!!!

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caligirl_cottage

16 years ago

Thanks for this post. I think we're now having to explore IKEA cabinets because our overall budget has gone so far over from unforseen conditions, that we need to trim up in other areas. I'm glad to hear all the positive reviews.

One other interesting fact - IKEA has to meet the more stringent indoor air quality regulations in Europe and so their cabinets do not contain added urea formaldehyde, a big source of offgassing in homes. This is an important factor for me because my home will now be such a tight envelope and we have small kids. If that's an issue, it gives another "plus" to IKEA over other cabinet lines made with plywood.

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Comments (61)

luvnola
16 years ago
If you are lucky enough to have an Ikea within driving distance it would be worth a day trip for you go and see for yourself. I'm about 2 hours away from an Ikea and I took a Saturday to go shop (they even have a play area complete with supervision for the children!). The Ikea in Atlanta has A LOT of kitchen show rooms. There are associates there to help you and answer questions and they encourage you to open/close and give their products a full inspection. I think you will find that the Ikea cabinets can stand up to and function as well as most all high end cabinets.

Personally, I have not heard one complaint from any Ikea owners, only from those who may not understand how a company can make a GREAT product for less!

Of course, I may be a bit bias as I am an Ikea fan:)
downtowner
16 years ago
We have tons of IKEA cabinets in a very upscale Manhattan townhouse kitchen (you can check the gallery, if you like.) NY Times has called IKEA cabinets a "designers' secret." We saved tens of thousands of dollars.

I said to DW last week that maybe it was time to replace the fronts of the Kalsebo cabinets with something more upscale and aspirational. She nearly tore my head off. She loves them.

There is nothing wrong with them, if you like the style. They use excellent construction methods. They use much better designers than most of the competition (after all, who does the average company have designing their cabinets.)

The downside will be dealing with IKEA. Your order will not be complete when it comes. It will have extra parts, and missing parts. You want to go to the store to order, if possible, during a workday afternoon where you might get decent service. But the cabinets themselves are great. Our pullout pantry uses the same Blum hardware that Boffi does.

They are not hard to put together yourself and even to hang up, if your walls are reasonably straight.

My contractor is making custom cabinetry for my new study. He will be using Blum drawer units similar to the ones IKEA uses.

If you like them, you can buy them with confidence.
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Kitchens are usually messy, busy places. The simpler your backdrop is (counter-top, cabinet, flooring, wall covering) the less the mess will bother you. Picture your counter-tops with your toaster, coffee-maker, utensils, etc, etc on them. Now add pancake spatters, bacon grease and toast crumbs. Yikes! I've lived in ten houses. The easiest kitchen to keep clean was one with shiny white cabinets! IMHO, your kitchen will look dirty even when it's spotless. Sorry. The comment above about Ikea cabinets was spot on. I wouldn't put much money into anything I might (will) have to replace periodically. Too bad you can't put all the cabs and appliances on platforms you can jack up when the water rises! Good luck with your remodel. It IS stressful.
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remodelfla
16 years ago
I just wish IKEA had more door styles. I know I've read that you can use Scherrs doors and they will pre-drill for IKEA hinges but I'm having a hard time figuring out the pricing of Scherr's to compare to IKEA. I guess it won't make too big a difference since I'm only planning on adding an island and I want it to be almost all drawers.
brunosonio
16 years ago
Pros--great price, top quality construction on the boxes, good quality on the doors, easy to purchase and install.

Cons--limited door/wood/stain selection, limited sizing (3" increments), need for fillers.
pickles_ca
16 years ago
Our kitchen has been done for 2 1/2 years - I love my cabinets.
I agree that they are better quality than their other merchandise.

I think I managed to blend them into our century farmhouse. I did this kitchen on a budget (well, a budget on this site ;)
I am happy with my kitchen every time I use it - which is 3 times a day - everyday.

There are some pics on 'my page' - they are from a few years ago - I should post new ones with my new stools and fridge - but you will get the idea.

I would absolutely not hesitate to get IKEA cabs. heck - the money you save will certainly be able to be used elsewhere.
twoyur
16 years ago
almost 2 year old kitchen

every cabinet and closet in the kitchen and walk in pantry is IKEA

happy we did it would do it again

no where else could i get the quality and quantity of what we got for the price we paid
Gina_W
16 years ago
I love mine! And I certainly loved the price - I paid to have mine assembled and installed too.

The downside is you are on your own. Their staff is just young clerks. They are not kitchen designers. They have never designed a kitchen and don't know what's what. Don't depend on them. Download their software and design your own layout or have someone help you.

When you are ready to place your order - put your list together. After the items are entered into their system, they will print out a list for you - each cabinet is broken down into all it's components, so it will look like over a hundred separate items. So you will need to take your time and go through their print-out - matching with your own list. Some part numbers will be different. Ask for clarification if you need to. Get extra toekicks and filler just in case. They are cheap. If you need to take a break - go get lunch or some coffee, then check the list again before you leave the store.

I was lucky - all my items arrived in one delivery.
caligirl_cottage
16 years ago
pickles_ca I LOVE your kitchen! It's great and nearly identical to what I'm trying to achieve. I liked how you customized it and made it less IKEA out-of-the-box-y. I assume you also built the hood surround? It looks great. How did you match the color of the woods?

Tx
malhgold
16 years ago
I keep going back and forth with IKEA. I am incredibly impressed when I am in the store. I could easily use their stainless doors and glossy white doors and maybe get a stained brown door from Scherr's to add into the mix. But then I think of how much extra work it must be to go with IKEA...but then I think of all the money saved....then I think of all the work....money...work....money!!! I think I have a pretty good start for a layout(after posting here for about 9 months). Maybe I need to take another trip back there. I only live about 1/2 hour away.
Fori
16 years ago
I like them, when installed well. Problems I have with them is that there are too few sizes and door styles, but if they have what you want....you can assemble a pretty fabulous kitchen with them. You can also assemble an awful one. The Ikeafans website is very good--they have tips right down to what color paint is a good match for which cabinets and how to make the cabs more custom.
mindstorm
16 years ago
Psst, Pharaoh, The reason that the IKEA cabs look similar to the snaidero is that IKEA had contracted with Snaidero to build their cabs :-) Now my information is about 3 years old now so don't know if that is still true, but it was 2-3 years ago.

Oruboris, the IKEA drawer system is Blum's better line. It is the tandembox, not the Metabox. The glides have Tandem stamped right across them and the drawer box part says Tandembox somewhere across it.
kailleanm
16 years ago
I didn't find going with Ikea to be much more work.

We were fortunate in that we found cabinet sizes that worked perfectly in our space, with no modifications or need for filler. We also had a 100% accurate order.

My DH did the install. That, of course, was extra work, but you can hire Ikea-certified installers if you prefer not to DIY. The savings overall is still significant.
marthavila
16 years ago
My cabs are Lidingo (white with raised panels). I've had them installed for several months now and I absolutely love them! Even my new ID who has been called in to help me do a whole new redesign at mid-project agrees with me that at least my choice of Ikea cabinetry was a damn good one.:) Plus, by saving a huge amount of money on my cabs, it has allowed me to be able to splurge a bit in other areas -- like on my countertops, sink and range. I do not regret for one moment that I chose Ikea for my cabinetry and recommend them to anyone. BTW, I used an Ikea-certified installer, which may have something to do with the degree of my satisfaction. I suggest that others do likewise unless they are very skilled and very patient Diyers or have installers who are well familiar with the product. And, of course, become a regular visitor to the Ikeafans website. They are great on that forum!
pharaoh
16 years ago
mindstorm, OMG! OMGGGG!! ikea-snaidero, snaidero-ikea, I think the universe is going to implode. I cannot believe it but i do believe it. I KNEW it , I KNEW it.

The snaidero kitchen i saw was a friends multimillion dollar high rise. They will not be happy if I mention this to them :) They easily spent more than $100,000 on that kitchen ($5000 for cabs had they used ikea).

Wikipedia - IKEA is an acronym comprising the initials of the founder's name (Ingvar Kamprad), farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd) and home village (Agunnaryd).

GO IKEA! I wish I had one more kitchen to redo, my ikea is 15 min away and i would love to create a dream kitchen with ikea everything... well with lapiz counters but ikea rest...
pickles_ca
16 years ago
Hi Cali
I had my neighbour build the hood surround and then I got the cabs colour matched at Benjamin Moore. so i painted the crown molding and extra toe kicks(my counters are higher than most).

the colour match from the store wasn't perfect - I did a test piece and then actually added a bit of the colour from the island (red) to the paint can - and the resulting colour was perfect. Pretty lucky!

I also painted the island. The cabs are fagerland for the island and ADEL cream for the perimeter.

I just wish I had done my master bath and pantry in IKEA too - but at least I found IKEA cabs before doing my kitchen - thank goodness!!! It was all because of this site too. I would never had had the nerve to give it a go otherwise.

My son, 14 at the time, built the cabs in our drive shed and we had a local installer put them in. he also tackled the soapstone - which is OK - but not perfect.

Best of luck!
caligirl_cottage
16 years ago
Thanks pickles_ca. Can I ask if you're in Northern Cal? I think my contractor is going to have kittens if I go with IKEA (GASP! The HORROR of it!) and I'm certain he won't install them. If your installer is in the Bay Area, I'd love a contact name.

Thanks again.
oruboris
16 years ago
Mindstorm: thanks for the information. I was confused, since I saw on the Ikea site that these are fully extending, and the metas are not.

That's a big WOW for me: blums tandem is the best drawer I've ever seen. Gives noticably more interior space than a wood drawer, and the movement is flawless.
pickles_ca
16 years ago
Hey Cali

Sorry - the 'ca' is for CANADA! otherside of the continent!
mahatmacat1
16 years ago
Ours are going on 4 y.o. now (can it be?!) and they're fine...I'm changing out the hinges and glides to accomodate the Ikea blumotion, which makes them even better!

One thing I would recommend if you get a veneer finish door (e.g. one of the Nexus): get an extra coat of conversion varnish applied to them, doors and panels. We did, and it really brought out the color and made them much tougher. $400 for the whole kitchen. Worth it.
snookums
16 years ago
We have Kaselbo in our laundry room. I agree, the best kept secret! Get the Ikea cabs and the Mazda Miata. ;D
livinwell
16 years ago
I bought Ikea cabinets and doors/drawers in the Kalsebo style. I love my cabinets and the fact that I was able to do so many drawers. I went with Ikea after doing a lot of shopping and online research. Ikea had enough of a selection for me (I tend to get into analysis paralysis)and the variety of sizes worked for my arrangement. I don't feel like I compromised on quality at all and I enjoyed assembling the cabinets myself. I am going to buy a counter depth fridge, new range, table and chairs and will end up under 15K. I think you will be very satisfied.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Almost Done
bethesdamom2008
16 years ago
OK IKEA fans, what about the quality of IKEA vs Kraftmaid? MY GC only does Kraftmaid. I DIYed a previous kitchen in IKEA and it was beautiful. The townhouse in question sold for ten grand more than the competition when we moved.

I think the GC will plotz if I suggest IKEA. Is Kraftmaid better? We have specified the midline construction with full extension drawers. It is a shaker drawer with natural cherry.

Hope this isn't a hijack...
tropisol
16 years ago
We are most definately in the "honeymoon" period now. Just finished our kitchen the first of the year....But WOW. Did it mostly ourselves...12 year old DD was right next to me installing(that easy!). We only use lowers, and opted for mostly drawers. It was a no brainer to use IKEA after seeing,feeling,moving the drawers! Blumotion is phenomenal...and yes, soft close everything. Not ONE problem with lost,missing or wrong elements (we put together more than 25)...also went with their faucet and double farm sink....FANTASTIC!

Last kitchen we put in was kraftmaid...I think IKEA surpasses them penny for penny...By Far!
bmorepanic
16 years ago
Ok, I'm going to get killed, but I think Ikea cabinets are just acceptable. I had an unfortunate cabinet event with another manufacturer in my personal history so I'm really tough.

Some of their cabinetry styles, like the big chucky unfitted pieces, are lousy.

Their fitted cabinets use tandembox drawers - which are great, but the rest of the cabinet is just ok. The fitted ones gain a lot of strength and stability from being installed - uninstalled, they are fairly fragile. Some of their cabinet doors and finishes are very soft. The cabinet sides and bottoms are made out of fairly low grade particle board. The cabinet backs are masonite. Not the hallmarks of high quality.

To me, they are much better than the pre-builts in-stock at the big box stores and better than the average to-order cabinet at the box store. Are they better than Kraftmaid? Seems to depend partly on the kind of day they were having at the Kraftmaid factory. Others here have experienced all kinds of troubles with Kraftmaid and their orders. I have seen installed Kraftmaid kitchens start to have issues with breakage in a realtively short time.

I think I would have a difficult time recommending them to anyone; their newer frameless line is a lot like IKEA for at least twice the price and I find that hard to swallow.

Are they better than Scherrs? No. Hagerstown Kitchens, no. Medallion, no. Unfortunately, I do not run around with the snaidero crowd, so I have no commentary to provide.

The IKEA fitted ones are a great value - to me meaning features for the money and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them or to use them.

Ok, kill me now!
rosie
16 years ago
No, you get a gold star right in the middle of your forehead for bringing balance to the discussion. I LOVE Ikea for what it offers for the price. People're just getting one heck of a great kitchen for $3-8K, superior in most respects to its closest higher-priced competition, but--of course--it's not comparable to what they'd get for ten times as much in a line of genuinely fine cabinetry.
westsider40
16 years ago
bmore, I'd just like clarification. I really do appreciate your input, since on Sunday, I had the Ikea installer come to the house and measure.
Am I correct that by 'fitted', you mean the cabs that are installed smack next to each other and/or stacked, as opposed to freestanding, unfitted? TIA You do think that the fitted units are quite satisfactory, no?
Re- using Ikea boxes w/ Scherr's doors, I'd appreciate any input from any of you. I want slab doors. I wasn't too crazy about the current Ikea inventory of door styles. I do want the doors, drawers and cabs to all match. I am a fan of simple, modern, minimalist and icy cold!
So how do you match Ikea boxes with Scherr's doors? Order finish panels from Scherr's SEEMS like the obvious answer but then you have probably voided warranties, labor and skill to laminate the panels to Ikea boxes(tons of measuring, impeccable cutting, etc.) plus what installer would agree to do this much painstaking work?
Can Ikea boxes be ordered without skins? with just plain exposed mdf or particleboard?
BTW, when the fantastic (more about him later)installer/measurer was here, he said that the 24" drawers had +/- 22" of interior space. He said that was inches more than many other cabs. He freely acknowledged that Ikea's limited size choices can present problems. He said that he does retrofit other cabs along with mainly Ikea's. a dream come true, no? Well, we'll see when he sends me his designs.
Being a devoted GWer, and TKO, I thought I had pretty good design ideas, which needed tweaking. This guy turned my idea world upside down-with new, fresh, highly functional and creative ideas. I can't wait to see what he sends me.

And, listen to this, my dh says to me, "can't we get something cheaper than Ikea?" That's justifiable homicide!!! Re-do-ing a 48 yr old kitchen which had a quick cosmetic re-do in 1989. And, fortunately, we can afford it. Just another psychotic who wants to keep the money in the bank!!! LOL
remodelfla
16 years ago
westsider anyone else out there who know... what kind of upcharge does Ikea charge for an installer? I sometimes wonder if I have feasible ideas, great ideas, dumb ideas, or if I'm totally missing something right in front of my face Do the installers help measure and design or do they just assemble the pieces? I think I can guess the answer will be they'll do as much as you want to pay for but I'm curious about how deep the cost goes. I hope it's not too rude to ask.
westsider40
16 years ago
Hi remodelfla, No, I went to the Ikea store midweek with a long list of questions for the kitchen people. The woman I talked to offered to have an installer come to my house and measure, for $100. Not having a kd nor gc, I whipped out my credit card and signed a contract.
The 'measurer' called me. I told him that I needed to recess the frig because of our lousy space and wd need one who could, after demo, re-frame the newly opened wall. I also said we needed to insulate the walls because we have 1960 code insulation and our kitchen is freezing. He said he has a construction co. he often works with and he'd bring that guy along. prayers answered.
So, I gave Ikea $100 to accurately measure, and, it turns out, gives ideas abt which cabs, sizes to put where, etc.Also this $100 can be applied to the kitchen purchase.
The best part was that I actually got started, and now know it can really happen. You can just dream and plan on GW so long, but at some point, I needed to go forward and DO IT! I suspect that a lot of you are in the same boat--kind of paralyzed for fear of making terrible mistakes. But then you get old and die and still no kitchen. lol Bev
biner
16 years ago
Installation is 50% of the linear foot cost. How much they do I'm not sure.
malhgold
16 years ago
Westsider - where are you located? You wouldn't happen to be on the west side of Manhattan, would you?
marthavila
16 years ago
I live in the NYC metro area and I used Traemand.com as my certified Ikea installers. For $175 -- which was applied toward the cost of installation, they came and took measurements and assigned me a designer who worked with me on the design. Once satisfied with the design, I was then given a complete, printed list of each and every part needed for the project. I then simply went to the store with my list, waited forever for a sales assistant to get freed up to deal with me and then spent hours checking, confirming and completing the actual order. Then, it was more time waiting on line to pay for the order and even more time to arrange for delivery. I took time off to do this on a weekday. I can't imagine how stressful it would have been to do it on the weekend when the store would be crowded with masses of other customers seeking attention!

The order came with some mistakes and a damaged piece. I can't tell you at what point in the process that the errors occurred given that there were so many middlemen from designer, to sales assistant, to warehouse people, and the delivery crew. However, the installers told me what I needed to reorder and what to reject. In order to stay within their installation schedule which began on Friday, I had to go back to the store on Saturday and resubmit a partial new order, make a new payment, get credits, rearrange for pick-up of the mistaken/bad pieces and delivery of the new on Monday. More time, more stress.

In the end, though, it came out great. (Until my range died and I found myself having to replace it and completely redesign the entire kitchen, yada yada yada.) I think the biggest downside for me involved the time I spent at the store placing the order and correcting the order -- despite having the parts list which had been prepared for me in advance. Still, I would do it again. And, in fact, I will do it again. My new kitchen design, by an independent and great new ID, requires me to purchase additional Ikea cabinetry!
westsider40
16 years ago
Nahlgold, you made me laugh. I'd rather be in Manhattan but I'm in Chicago north suburbs! Bev
malhgold
16 years ago
marthavila - did you go to the IKEA in Elizabeth? I live in Morristown and that's the one I use. Still searching for an independent KD. Do you know what territory your KD would cover?
Gina_W
16 years ago
It's no more time to get IKEA cabs than any other cabs, You should do your own measurements and analyze your order, no matter who you are ordering cabs from.

Another plus - if you are near an IKEA and you have a missing piece or need anything - you just drive there. If you order cabinets made in North Carolina or wherever, and your cabs arrive with a missing piece or wrong piece, you have to wait, wiat, wait (as we've seen here before).

I had mine professionally assembled and installed and that cost almost as much as the cabs themselves. But even with that the price was under anyone else's pricing. The install company offers other services but I had a GC do the rest of the kitchen.

The money I saved went into remodeling all 3 bathrooms.
kren_pa
16 years ago
love ikea! why?
anything that needs only pictures for instructions can't be that hard
the little feet on the bottom of the cabs prevent water damage to the particle sides
the cost and the value are so much more closely aligned. sure they are particleboard, but plywood sides are not, to me, worth 3-4 times more. plus, you can cover the side with a real door panel fairly cheaply and not ever see the particle/ply...some people care very much about the whole cabinet and for you, ikea wouldn't work.
about the standard sizes, i don't worry about a few extra inches here or there, 3" divisions are fine for me. sometimes, you have to have a spacer anyway (next to a wall).
i love the metal drawers also. if someone at our house had not insisted on cherry cupboards, we would have ikea.

some caveats: it's much easier if you live near the retail store...i open each item at the loading dock and check before taking it home. also...i have no idea how their installation is...i prefer to do things myself. finally, i only liked a few of their styles but those i liked a lot.

a suggestion: go to ikea fans website forum. if you agree with the styles and outlook of the people there, you will probably also like the idea products.

so we didn't get ikea cabinets...went with kraftmaid instead (the cherry issue). like them a lot, they look nice with ikea counters on top of them. ;-)
bmorepanic
16 years ago
westsider40,

They have three styles that are meant to be unfitted (or movable) - BRAVAD, UDDEN and VÃRDE. These styles do not use the same construction methods or hardware that the fitted cabinets use.

Fitted means the ones you attach to the walls or "built-in" kitchens - AKURUM/RATIONELL.

Ikea has "skins" called coverpanels that attach to the outside of the exposed ends. I don't know that I'd be too concerned about the warranty, attaching either one is about the same job and done in similar ways.

From Scherrs, you can get all the door and drawer fronts, toe kick material and coverpanels, wainscotting, moldings or other woodworking pieces or trim. Scherrs doors are beautiful. The have the tools to drill out the doors for the precise hardware that Ikea uses.

If you send Leon a sketch and tell him your cabinet sizes, he'll be able to send you an exact price and that's a lot easier than trying to figure out that price book.

There was somebody here who actually put marble on the outside as coverpanels and used walnut doors. I think the pic is up somewhere in "kitchens we love". It was fabulous.
abd1
16 years ago
We just finished our kitchen with Ikea cabinets. At first we were going to use Ikea, then I didn't love the styles and frameless look. However, after getting estimates on semi-customer cabs, and doing some due diligence on Ikea cabinets we decided to go back and use Ikea. We used the savings to upgrade the appliances to Bluestar and Bosch, get slab granite, and make a bunch of other changes that had been out of the budget -- and we love the cabinets. We literally picked the door style at the last minute, it wasn't our first choice, but we like the casualness of it. Plus, one of the great things about Ikea cabinets is that I can completely change the look of the cabinets by just replacing the door fronts and some cover panels. Plus, we have a 1-year old and want more children in the near future. If someone damages a door, it is simple to just drive to Ikea and get 1 replacement door. I already had to replace 3 cabinet boxes that I screwed up when assembling. I was pissed, but the biggest box, and biggest cabinet in the kitchen, was $50. The others were $12 each. I was relieved. We did put the drawer dampers in and love them. I think they were $6 per drawer -- yes, $6! Make sure and tell the Ikea employee writing up the order to include the dampers. I had to go back and get them and install them after the cabinets were in, but that was as simple as snapping them into the back of the drawer rail. I can't say enough good things about these cabinets. Do some research here and at www.ikeafans.com and definately go to a store, but remember the store displays take a beating. I would say the most frustrating part was that I had to make about 10 return trips to Ikea but that was mostly my fault for changing the plans and screwing up some cabinets in assembly. If you are at all price conscious these are great. If money is no object, then get some customer made cabinets. There's a link to our

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB Pics of our Ikea kitchen
westsider40
16 years ago
abdl
Jami, Thats a beatiful kitchen. It's so functional. I love your windows, too. Are you in a cold climate?
Are the upper and lower corner cabinets customized in any way? Does the lower corner cab btween sink and stove require 12" on each side of the 90 degree corner angle?
Is it easy to access the contents of the upper corner cab? Thanks for sharing, sincerely. enjoy your lovely, warm cuppa coffee, gorgeous stools, kitchen! Bev
abd1
16 years ago
Thanks, weÂre in Portland, OR so its not too cold, but definitely wet and dark in the winter, which is why we tried to make the kitchen light and bright. The only cabinet that was modified in the one on the back of the peninsula between the stools and slider. The depth had to be reduce to 8". None of the others are modified. IÂm not sure if I completely understand your question about the lazy susan cabinet, but from the 90 degree corner in the back, along the wall, it runs 36" on each side. I think each panel of the hinged door is 12", so from the front the cabinet runs 12" on each side. I think its easy to access the corner cabinet, the only problem is when the dishwasher is open since its so close to the corner. It seems like a lot of people donÂt like corner cabinets, but I think its easier than a straight run along the wall, and it holds a ton of dishes. I hope that answers your questions.
westsider40
16 years ago
Thanks bmore, I should have thanked you earlier. You gave me great info. I am glad to hear that Scherr's has panels, skins, so that when you use their doors, drawer fronts, etc, it is easy to match all of the visible cabinets. The ikea guts, esp. drawers, seem like nice quality. They get excellent press, too. Thanks again, Bev
outonalimb_2007
16 years ago
Does anyone have an opinion about how Ikea cabinets compare to Signature or Cabico(both semi-custom or custom), in terms of durability/longevity? I am looking at these brands, all frameless with 3/4" plywood boxes, full extension glides and Blumotion, but the cost is waaaay higher than Ikea, even if I factor in the $2500 deposit we already paid our KD -- there is a net difference of about $12-13,000 (about $21k for the expensive cabs, versus about 8k for Ikea, including the deposit we would have to kiss goodbye). Installation seems to be roughly equivalent, a little higher for the higher-end cabs.

This is our forever house, and we want these cabs to last as long as possible (although it appears that I could replace the Ikea cabs sometime down the road for about what I would pay for the more expensive ones now, factoring in the labor etc). Does anyone have an opinion as to whether the expensive ones really would hold up any longer than the Ikeas? Thanks.
oruboris
16 years ago
I got my estimate from Scherrs, now I'll sit down and figure the costs for Ikea. The Scherr's invoice has a price listed for the drawer fronts and doors, so I hope I can get a pretty accurate idea of what the total would be in that case.

Sadly, using the tandombox from scherrs adds a LOT to the price. They suggest dovetail drawers with blum tandem glides. I know this is very backwards, but I just hate wood drawers! Hate 'em, hate 'em. Hate the wasted space, [realitve] lack of internal fittings, but really it's just an emotional response based on months of anticipating the tandembox. In this era, wood drawers seem about as wise as straw roofs. But not sure I want to pay an extra 30% for metal boxes, either-- 30% of the total, mind you, not 30% of the drawer cost.

I also hate the email I got from Ikea: I asked them to fix the website so that 4 drawer stacks can be ordered [or at least priced] with different fronts-- someone simply forgot to put the 'fronts' menu on that item page. The email was your typical mealy mouthed, one size fits all 'Thanks for writing to us! We must assume you are stupid, and don't have 'cookies' enabled on your computer. Once you figure that out, everything will be fine.' [Not verbatim, but very much the gist of the thing.]

Irritating, but not *quite* enough to keep me from ordering from them if the numbers end up working out.

For those of you that have Ikea cabs, what kind of lead time did they need? I don't need them yesterday, but one of the 'cons' of Scherrs is the 3 month wait.
malhgold
16 years ago
I've never ordered or purchased cabs from IKEA, but I'm assuming if I walked into my local store they'd have the majority of what I would need on hand for the cabinets. Maybe there would be a few items on backorder, but this product is stocked. I guess that's the beauty of having limited sizes and doors offered. And I'm with you on the metal boxes. I love them. I think that's what i like the most about their cabs. Are you considering using the IKEA boxes and drawers and just using the Scherrs doors and drawer fronts.
Yvonne B
16 years ago
I'm sorry to hear about the response from Ikea, though we own a retail store, so I kinda understand the reply - they kept it simple, and sadly, it probably fits in most cases. Our lead time was about 3 weeks. We went to Ikea to order, but picked up everything at a warehouse in another town nearby. Nothing was damaged, and there were two guys who helped us load the Subaru, and checked off everything on the list. It was a really good experience. The kitchen person we got in the store was phenomenal - he made sure we had all the pieces we needed on the order sheet.

I know what you mean regarding the drawers - my intention is for my kitchen to be 75% drawers. I've been storing all my pyrex in the 30" drawer in the pantry. It just amazes me the amount of weight they can handle.
livinwell
16 years ago
Hi Oruboris - I purchased my Ikea cabinets through my local store so I didn't have some of the challenges you may here about dealing with the process online. I used their kitchen planner tool to design my cabinet layout.

You can use the tool online, download it to your computer or use it in the store. Once you create the layout and choose all the cabinets, door fronts and options there will be a parts and price list assembled.

Print that out and take it to the store and they will confirm your layout and enter your parts detail into their system. Generally with the larger stores everything is available.

After paying, I had to wait about 2 hours while they pulled the entire order and then confirmed the parts with me. I then paid for delivery and received my order the next day. The guys who delivered also took time for me to verify all 136 packs.

I stored it all in my empty living room and put my cabinets together by myself over the course of a week. I then hired someone to help with the installation. When I decded to switch a few solid doors for glass doors, I took them back and they had everything in stock.

I don't know if it is typical, but my experience was perfect. For more Ikea specific detail head over to Ikeafans.com. They were an invaluable resource through my kitchen transformation.
jennye
16 years ago
I embarked on a budget kitchen remodel. I had intended to use Brookhaven lower end cabs. The cost was 22k, no island, no pantries. I had decided to go that route, until I happened to be in IKEA one day. I was adamantly AGAINST IKEA and I am not sure why I was even there that day. Then I saw the Abstrakt cabs and I took notice. I realized that I like those MUCH better. For 5400, including tax, I got my whole kitchen done, including pantries and a big island. I love the cabinets. They are easy for the handyman to adjust. They look nice. They are not inordinately expensive to replace part on. They come with soft close drawers, blum, I think, which work wonderfully. I also bought cabs. for the laundry room, and a long linen cab. for the bathroom.

I am really happy with them. I heard somewhere that the abstrakt are mass produced by one of the expensive european cabinet makers. Also, if I ever want a different look, it will not be horribly expensive to change the doors!

Here is a link that might be useful:
oruboris
16 years ago
I'm not usually a fan of white cabs, but I really like the deep gloss of the abstrakts!
sally123
16 years ago
I have a very tall (96" or something) Ikea cabinet (Abstrakt?) in my current laundry room. It is about 3 feet wide and inside I have two Elfa systems that are about 41" high, about 18" wide and 21" deep. Each has three large wire baskets. (These systems can be seen at the Container Store.) I sort my dirty laundry in these baskets, and have more on top to put the clean laundry. I would like to incorporate this system in my new laundry room. The Ikea cabinet fits this Elfa system so perfectly I thought I would use Ikea cabinets in there. I can't seem to install the kitchen planner tool--could that be because I use Vista and not Windows? At any rate, I just tried to look at the individual pieces. Is there really only one sink base, 35" wide? I can't find a narrower one. There seems to be a very limited number of cabinets to choose from. Has this made anyone's kitchen difficult to plan? Have you had to use a lot of filler pieces?
outonalimb_2007
16 years ago
Sally123: check out ikeafans.com. Lots of work-arounds to make things all fit.

Honest Opinions on Ikea Cabinets?

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