Beds, again. High end custom or IKEA?
sochi
9 years ago
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sochi
9 years agofinallyhome
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Is it OK to mix 'high end' with 'low end' in a kitchen?
Comments (56)To me, there's nothing wrong with mixing "high end" and lower cost, functional good-quality kitchen components. More important to me is to avoid the waste implied in buying things that will not last or that will certainly become unfashionable. I live in a working class neighborhood, mostly little 1950s houses with lots of retirees, including myself. Although our lot is on a lake, this property will NEVER command top dollar because of the settlement pattern of the community. The recession has really hurt home values here; I thought our house was $275,000 to $300,000 because of previous improvements, but I believe that it's now $220,000 and that was before we launched a major addition, geothermal, and new siding, etc. No matter what we sink into the house, it's for us, not for resale or peer pressure. We have decided to retain the 30 inch refrigerator we bought last year (an emergency purchase) but to put it in a position where a larger unit could some day fit. No wooden housing around it. We are keeping our old electric range, but are adding a portable induction burner that can be set out on the countertop to increase functionality. There is room for another oven on a wall outside our new G shaped kitchen, but I don't think I will be the one to buy it (unless my grown children move back to live nearby); a portable roaster oven will suffice to augment the baking and roasting for large gatherings. We use our outdoor gas grill in all seasons for grilling. My husband enjoys the ritual of being the griller and he shovels the access space before dinner parties. The broiler in the old range suffices if he doesn't want to venture outdoors. We are retaining our existing dishwasher. Our big innovation is to add a second sink to the kitchen. All sinks and appliances are white. My muse is the idea of a "workshop kitchen." I am not trying to reproduce any particular theme, unless it is a farm kitchen that processes a lot of food in season. I do hope to make the kitchen work as a functional, welcoming space for myself and husband now that we're empty nesters and for events when we have visitors, whether large or small groups. Laminate for countertops is sufficient and my ego does not require anything more dazzling on the countertops, although there will be slabs of butcherblock on either side of the stove. Hubby decided to go with hardwood floor and install it and finish it himself, although I was ready to order the vinyl. We have found a local cabinetmaker who said he would meet the price of a sample plan of readymade cabinets from the Big Box home stores. Now, we're adding custom touches to the cabinetry plans, not in decorative features but real utility features, such as tapping the space that was wasted in "spacers" between boxes. All materials are American made, or American harvested. Except for the old siding and walls and flooring, very little is going to the landfill. Furnace went to the scrap metal guy. My own eccentricities will add all the "pop" and pizzaz that this kitchen will need. Fabric, color, laminate choice, color of stain, art, displays of collections-- a creative outlet without a high end price tag. We have splurged on a bank of windows and a few light fixtures (No, we're not putting in "cans" because the ceiling feeds to an attic where we're fighting heat loss.) We are working very hard to live within our means, following the requirements of good sense and ignoring consumer manias. When I get myself too fired up about making a more upscale purchase, I remind myself that the photos, the ad copy, the home shows and the open houses, are all there to facilitate SELLING, not living. Here in Minnesota, where granite is quarried, I know that some of the rock countertops are fairly reasonable, but as I have declared elsewhere on this forum, I refuse to purchase anything that is sold with a "how to care for it" bottle of something and some warnings about how to protect the finish. In many ways, by definition, I am free from the pressures that other posters feel in order to keep up with the neighborhood, to make a kitchen that defines a house value, or to prepare for the brutal house market. I don't envy the young and broke. But I was there once and I not only survived but thrived on it. The original kitchen in this house was painted baby blue without concern for the cathair? gobs in the paint and the kitchen 'table' had a hinge so we could access the refrigerator. My hubby and my carpenter father and a different local cabinetmaker came up with a sufficient re-do that we have appreciated since right before the Bicentennial. I raised two sensible daughters in that modest kitchen. This doesn't mean I'm not agonizing over choices today, though. "Leave me alone, I'm thinking!" is a common mantra right now. Today's musing: Do I want to order fancier cupboard doors? It's always something. Enjoy your day. Florantha...See MoreCustom IKEA Kitchen with custom Scherrs Walnut fronts!
Comments (28)Wow! I was so impressed with my cubby idea in my soon to be revealed kitchen. Think I'll slink back down to my bsmt lair. You win. Seriously, I am going to send this to my gc and "see if it is not too late to do this" in my kitchen. If he has a heart attack, do I still owe the last payment? I'd love to see the serious pix of your kitchen as well. I am sure I will love those as much as the great big toy! It is a very pretty kitchen from what I could see of the video ;)...See MoreHow To Use Ikea to Get a Custom Kitchen (High Quality)
Comments (77)clg7067 gave a link to let you begin your "hardware store" style purchases. Piece by little piece you get the thingies you need. Here is an example. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/94382010/ cabinet sans anything. "Base cabinet frame". The cost is small. Here is a list of other important parts. Use Google to start, if the Ikea search fnctions poorly. 701-070-69 RATIONELL = shallow drawer 24" 101-070-72 RATIONELL = 30" 901-099-77 RATIONELL = 24" wide drawer of the "deep" kind 001-070-82 RATIONELL = 30" 801-070-83 RATIONELL = 36" Web searching works without the hyphens too. 90109977 RATIONELL 00107082 RATIONELL 80107083 RATIONELL For $25 - $35 you get ALL this: Blum glides, Blum Tandembox drawers sides, Blum metal panel for the drawer back (unique to Ikea in North America) and a chipboard drawer floor, all ready to slip together. Snap and clip. No glue required. Yes, the drawer is fully extendable. Then, you add the front you wish to add, onto the un-fronted drawer. The Blum clips to screw to the Blum drawer side can be ordered anywhere for less than $1 each. These clips hold your chosen drawer front onto the drawer. Any front will do. Buy from anywhere, or make your own....See MoreIKEA custom island using high-gloss panels on ends
Comments (7)FWIW I did a kitchen many years ago with the white ringhult and at that time IKEA carried a white high gloss laminate countertop that I used and I did do a waterfall with it. I also paid to upgrade the counter edges to aluminum but I’m not sure they still carry it but maybe others have a more budget friendly counter top that you could use to create the waterfall if you’re really sold on that design. If not, a traditional quartz top and side panels will look nice too....See MoreLyban zone 4
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