they dont carry paintable boxes or framed cabinets. if this is what you want, IKEA doesnt have it

You might like looking through their brochure, linked

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikea Kitchens

IKEA boxes only come in two finishes: the white melamine surface and another that is a light (birch-look) melamine finish. It is probably possible to paint them, but it would take considerable prep work. It would be like painting a laminate countertop.

htracy, the finished kitchens you are seeing are those melamine boxes covered up on all sides by the nice doors and cover panels.

I keep this one fabulous farmhouse kitchen bookmarked because it shows what you can do with a small budget and IKEA cabinets.

Here is a link that might be useful: IKEA Farm Kitchen

it turns out that people don't mind having white melamine boxes inside their cabinets. Spend more money on other things.

Big box hardware stores also sell white melamine boxes. Ikea didn't invent anything new in terms of boxes. Hth, htracey.

htracey, I got the birch interior. Look less cheap to me than the white. That was my biggest hesitation about IKEA--I didn't like the interiors of the cabs that much and I don't really like the looks of metal drawers--admit I am a sucker for the wooden dovetail look. BUT, I decided the functionality--that birch melamine will be easier to clean than the icky plywood interiors we have now--and the metal interiors of the drawers allow for a ton of customization--IKEAs drawer dividers hook on the rails on the front and back of the drawers and so you can really customize your storage.

Mine are all in boxes in the family room, so I can't give you too much realworld advice yet. I love the kitchen someone posted above (Brickman I think is username) and I'll post this one I saw the other day on IKEAfans. Look at what he did with the little drawers by the fridge--too cool. And he used two shades of gray on the cabs and LOTS of custom trim. You can really dress up the plain IKEA cabs with options outside IKEA.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Cool IKEA kitchen with custom look

Over at Ikeanfans, many of them use iron-on edge trim to cover the edges of the cabinets to match whatever their non-Ikea doors are.

Call Ikea and request a catalogue. I agree the website is a little confusing and not user-friendly. The catalogue is more complete. It took a long time for mine to come, so maybe you can request just the kitchen supplement and get it faster.

You really need to plan an over-night getaway that includes an Ikea visit. I was flabergasted at my first visit there - it was like being in a virtual catalogue - like a grown-up Disney World! A purchase this big is important and you really should try to experience an Ikea showroom kitchen! When you walk in you pick up a map and it is so much fun slamming all those drawers in person!!

Here's a link to Redrange's kitchen: http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2007/11/redranges-kitchen.htm
Redrange's cabs are painted Ikea Tidaholm (ok, not white). If you visit her FKB page, she gives a quick explanation of the steps her painter took to paint the cabs. IMHO, her kitchen is wonderful! In fact, it was the prime inspiration for my own. :-)

Meanwhile, an even better, more detailed guide to painting Ikea cabs can be found in the blog link below.

HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Paint Ikea Cabs

In addition to brickmanhouse's amazing kitchen of a couple years ago (linked to above), we have a more recent and less densely populated but equally wonderful kitchen from oldhouse1. It has great but low-key charm, and it amply shows what a lot of creativity and attention can make happen with Ikea's building blocks.

Who would notice the melamine?

Here is a link that might be useful: oldhouse1's kitchen