If you are using an Ikea 30" base cabinet, you can swap out the two 15" drawers at the top for what is knows as a 30" oven drawer. Lots of folks make this modification. If you have a 36" base cabinet, sorry, you are stuck having two 18" inch drawers on top.

Ikea sells some horizontal wall cabinets with Blum Aventos (lift up) hinges. But, you can install whatever lift up hinges you like to any door and cabinet box, you will just have to buy the hinges separately from a hardware supplier. Personally, I would stick with Blum-- they make several different models.

There are lots more ideas over at Ikeafans.com

Just wanted to agree: we remodeled last year with Ikea 30" base cabinets, and put 30" narrow height drawers in the top for each one. Looks fantastic, much more space, so much more useful. Good luck. I second the ikeafans.com recommendation.

I think I can help you, but depend on many factors :-)
I'm the master of modern ;-)

i apologize for being OT. Giacomo, can you tell me the brand of the faucet? Is is square? TYIA.

it's a Newform faucet model: Moony tech with pull-out shower
see this picture or
the website of the company
www.newform.com
price $543.00 if I remember correctly.

If you have a 36" base cabinet, you can buy a "deep" Ikea drawer and modify the back plate which is a bit too tall at 7". Then you are not stuck having two 18" wide drawers on top. This assumes you're comfortable working with metal. I don't think this is on ikeafans.

Also, shallow drawers can be bought from any Blum distibutor. This is on ikeafans.

Thanks. I am not comfortable working with metal. If one buys a Blum drawer, how does one match the front finish? And can one buy an Ikea cabinet without the top drawers?

Any other non-Ikea alternatives?

We wound up getting ours from Luxor (framless, full overlay, slab, high gloss paint, etc.). They were bit more that ikea but they are a better quality cabinet and we're happy with the decision.

From Ikea you buy the fronts, then the drawers, and then you screw them together yourself.

The reason your choices for high gloss are limited is because it's the most difficult finish to do. And to do it flawlessly is almost impossible unless you really specialize in it like the imported Italian or German kitchens. You really have to know what price range and quality you are looking in. There's Ikea at the bottom as far as price, choices and quality. The well known imports at the top; Boffi, Bulthaup, Pendi ect. And in between the choices are to have them made by a custom shop here in the US (but highly unlikely to get a great finish)or the lesser know(at less in the US)imported lines, mostly Italian, which I believe is something like Giacomo reps. These are going to cost less than the well know brands and better quality than shops in the US can do but still come with a price.

Thank you, Giacomo. I am going to follow uo on this.

The Kraftmaid Venicia line is also something to look at it. The price point is higher than Ikea but less than other Euro companies for sure. It is available to look at at my local Home Depot. CHeck out the website.

I believe the Mirra Collection mentioned in the initial post is Venicia. Giacomo can confirm but not all contemporary European cabinetry looks are achieved with high gloss lacquer. Many use thermofoil (yep, high end European kitchens that use foil wrapped doors) or for a contemporary look minus the gloss many offer melamine options (I think ALNO does this).

Both Impuls and Alno are German, I think.

I know Belanger Laminates just introduced a new line of contemporary doors called the Designer Collection (not sure on cost). My guess is the least expensive way to achieve this look is to buy your cabinet carcasses and doors separately.

jax 1723

Luxor makes a nice product but I don't associate this type of style with them, what is the composition of the doors?

Here is a link that might be useful: Impuls

Hi Jdesign,
you got the point, high gloss cabinetry I didn't find any shop in US that give quality like company from Italy/germany.

actually there is another post where we discuss about glossy doors

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0415215723105.html

caryscott
contemporary looks .. well I have to say that sometimes here in the forum I see title said: finish my contemporary kitchen and then I open and I see wood shaker door style.
:-) .. ok for me shaker is more traditional than contemporary.

The companies in Italy tends to innovate bringing new design, new material or sometimes bring in back old material revised.
High gloss cabinetry still a very strong request to the modern houses but lacquer is expensive so they came with glossy laminates. (some are good quality with a good thickness (see picture below) other is very very thin layer (aka ikea).
Thermofoil is the less expensive doors, is a vinyl-like material (PVC) is applied to the face and edges using pressure and heat.
I don't use them because for my taste they look too "plastic" and also they have temperature problem.. for example if you have a oven that doesn't have a good ventilation soon the doors next the oven will peal-off.
The next step is glossy Laminate and again good laminate with good thick edges.