Like, melamine is going to fly up and hit him in the face or he is going to waste some that he needs?

Check me if I'm going to wreck myself, but I think there is actually a beveled edge that he's pushing against it.

Are you DIYing? Or having a contractor do it? I’m all for an Ikea kitchen... I’ve done three within the last three years. I’m also not afraid to hack... I’ve done plenty of those. But contractors don’t seem nearly as excited about it, particularly when it comes to modifying.

As far as your idea to make them all more shallow: It’s not really very easy. You have to bore holes for cam locks and dowels, and do new holes for all the hinges/shelves. If any of them are off the slightest bit, it will weaken the structure of the cabinet, and make it not assemble correctly. That’s risky for something that hangs on a wall and usually has a lot of of breakable stuff in it. It’s definitely one of the more complicated hacks I’ve done, and I wouldn’t want to do it for *all* of the uppers. Why don’t you want the 15”? They really are fantastic... my first one had 13”, and the extra space is so nice!

Also, the different orientations of the rails/stiles would drive me bonkers, but I know others have done it. You could do custom fronts on IKEA cabinets and avoid that. Check into Barker Doors (who I’m using), Sherr’s, Semihandmade, or Kokeena.

In short, IKEA may not be your best bet if you’re paying for labor and modifying.

I am doing it myself (with a team of engineers). We are all measure 500 times cut once types. But thank you for the input. On the basis of that I'll check out custom uppers because even if it's 20% more it's worth it to avoid the aggravation of the work with the potential of failure.

As for why I don't want the 15" uppers, I'm just going for a lighter look.

In another thread someone had suggested practicing on some of the as is cabinets that they sell cheaply in the store, so there's an option for improving accuracy.

"Like, melamine is going to fly up and hit him in the face or he is going to waste some that he needs?"

Like he'll be lucky to take it in the face. Thirty years or so ago, I let a piece drift from the fence, The table saw blade, spinning at 200 m.p.h., picked up the piece and threw it at me. It hit me just above Mr. Happy and doubled me over.

This also makes a noise that every guy in the shop knows they aren't supposed to hear, so they're all staring. I shut the saw off and played like nothing was wrong then went to the bathroom to make sure I still had everything I arrived with. I'll never forget the purple and yellow bruises down there.

"Check me if I'm going to wreck myself, but I think there is actually a beveled edge that he's pushing against it."

He is not pushing from your arrow. He can't be because he's not standing behind the piece. You push against the fence and forward simultaneously or you're headed for a nasty bind. It kills me to watch videos of people who don't know what they don't know.

I would totally make one of those videos.

Yeah, thanks everyone. The idea of cutting them down personally is dead in the water. It's not worth it, for all the reasons you've named. I think Barker's can solve my problem.

I will ponder the rail and stile problem. It won't bother my husband, but it might bother me.

You’re trying to invent the wheel. That’s already been done. Go buy a good cabinetry line that offers everything you want in the first place, without hacking.

I use Ikea for my design biz all the time and have very rarely had to hack anything but it takes time and understanding the product to get good results. BTW when you hack them the warranty no longer applies .The deeper uppers are what people have been asking for and that is why they are now 15” and I use very few uppers because the drawer storage is so awesome . Get a designer that has actually used Ikea to design your kitchen.. I love Ikea lazy susans and IMO make the best use of corners. Open shelving is very easy to add to Ikea but really a bad place for it above the fridge, hard to reach awaful to clean and like all open shelving ends up looking a mess.BTW I never use the Ikea planner to design a kitchen the program has limitations which I just find irritating.

I looked at IKEA myself, but then purchased fully custom cabinets from the cabinet joint (connestoga). I’m very happy and got everything I wanted with no hacking. I also put in mostly drawer lowers and they cost more, but no more hanging out on the floor trying to find something in the back of a cabinet.

I've altered IKEA several times. Simple.

I would not do 13 inches. We reno'd a kitchen because the cabinets were sub-standard sized and you could barely fit anything inside them. Standard dinner plates would fit but that's it and it was tight -- then smaller plates would have to take up the next shelf which I couldn't reach. Forget serving plates -- too large. That kitchen also didn't have any drawers and had not just one, but two, corner cabinets. Unless you do the Super Susan corner cabinets are really only good for occasional use stuff, not items you need every day. That kitchen also had open shelving above the fridge and on either side of it as well. HATED that! Either you were looking at kitchen stuff getting dusty and greasy and that was better behind a closed door, or you had to fill it with decor, which seemed a waste of space in such a tiny cramped kitchen with barely enough room for plates...

In our new kitchen, we put in drawers and minimal uppers, and no corners. I use the drawers directly across from the dishwasher for plates and bowls. Once you go drawers, you never go back! Love it. The uppers (also across from the DW) are for glasses. Drinking glasses all fit neatly on one shelf, with coffee mugs on the shelf above. But you can also put glasses in drawers and skip the uppers entirely, or use them for other storage.

I highly recommend you assess where you are going to store what, and how much space do you need for plates, glasses, cups, pots & pans, tupperware, etc. Seems logical to me your dishes and glasses are going to go across from the DW as you're not going to want to walk them back to the back wall. Pots & pans would then go -- where? In the drawers next to the stove or in the cabinet on the back wall? If you can fit another set of drawers on that back wall I'd definitely do that. You won't really want them in the corner cabinet -- save that for things like small appliances / occasional use items. Where are you putting the trash can? Where are you putting placemats, oven mitts, kitchen linens? Spices? What's going in the highest cabinets (which may need a step stool to reach -- ours are empty for that reason)?

Maybe it's just your layout program, but it looks like your lower cabs are on legs? How are you going to clean under them?

Is the micro too high to reach without pulling a hot soup down on your head? If you have kids can they reach it?

Simple for someone doing it for themselves. Maybe. To do a whole kitchen of hacked cabinets, you couldn’t charge enough to make it worth your while. No customer would pay that kind of labor. It isn’t cost effective. Because the customer would be well up to the cost of just buying the custom cabinets that they actually want anyway.

IKEA is for DIYers who do the whole remodel themselves. Any other scenario costs way more than starting with something else.

I feel like I need to say something here. The title of my post lays out clearly what I want to discuss. I asked a number of specific questions related to getting input on how I could hack my particular Ikea kitchen. I even prefaced it with "this might not be the design that you would choose but we are happy with it".

I am interested in hearing from people who have hacked Ikea, may be able to suggest some alternatives, or may be able to suggest some ways to improve accuracy.

Joe, would you have any comments on how to improve accuracy when altering cabinet depth?

Don’t drive from Miami to New York via Chicago. It will cost you more, and have a much poorer result. It makes zero sense monetarily, or functionally. It’s a foolish premise to start any project with.

And if your contractor and associated brain trust can’t figure any of this out, you’re working with the wrong people. Those that can, do. They don’t ask how on the internet. This a disaster in the making.

For me, having rails and stiles in two directions would be a deal breaker. Sorry. I'm sure you and your team of engineers are very talented, but surely custom cabinetry can't cost more than IKEA plus your time and effort.

If you want to ensure accuracy, I recommend a drill press to do all of the holes, instead of doing it by hand. Ours was about $500. Add another hundred or so for the various drill bits: you’ll need both fostner and regular. And you’ll probably want an additional fence to stabilize the pieces, which is around $25.

As I said, this is doable, but not cheap or easy. Go with a different cabinet line.

Ha! My team of engineers consists of my dad and husband, so maybe not what people are thinking. We are using our time and effort to save money we want to save. Thanks for weighing in about the rails and stiles.

Ooh! I forgot to mention the table saw, which you will definitely need for ripping the sides, top, and bottom... you won’t want to do this part freehand with a circular saw, especially since you’re doing so many! You will need one with an adjustable blade, so you can add the shallow channels that the back panels recess in to. Ours was around $3K, but you can probably find a portable tabletop version for a few hundred. Don’t forget the blade! You’ll need a sharp one so the melamine doesn’t chip.

You’ll also need room to store these expensive tools. We have a designated workshop, about 300sf, but if you don’t have that, extra room in your garage will work.

Sophie, I think that sometimes people learn how to do things using information they find on the internet. In general, I find that phrase "Those who can..." and all its variations to be lacking in nuance and the evolutionary dynamism of life. C'mon, live a little. We're installing it ourselves, we're excited about doing it, and we're talking about ways and means here. If it turns out to be a bad idea to cut down the cabinets, plan b is Barker's for the upper boxes. For just those specific cabinets, we would pay 200% more for just the boxes. That's still more cost effective than a fully custom kitchen.

Now that I'm over being annoyed by the barrage of off topic, I want to respond to some specific comments.

I analyzed my kitchen and our needs very thoroughly. I'm satisfied that I know what we need in terms of storage and that this design accommodates those needs. I'm just exploring modifications here.

Patricia, I can appreciate the notion of a KD who is extremely experienced with Ikea, but that's not what we found and I'm really happy with our designer, . I think the hybrid approach is really going to work for us. I hear you about the warranty, but surely that just applied to those uppers, which are far from the bulk of our kitchen. I think I can let that go.

We are not going to get a fully custom RTA kitchen. I know my financial situation (short and long range) and how I want to play this. I looked into it, analyzed costs (all sorts), and made my decision.

Jennifer M, we're not actually using the legs.

Digging your heels in on wrongheadedness only hurts you. And causes the costs to go up. Some people can’t learn from others. They have to make their own mistakes. This is a doozie though. 1K worth of tools, and another 1K worth of customization, and another 1K of mistakes will add up quickly.

Hi Hillside, thanks! We actually do have a circular saw. or to be more exact, my dad has one. He's been doing DIY home projects for as long as I've known him, and that's been a long time. I'll check with him about the adjustable blade, but I would be shocked if it wasn't.

He has one of those garage workshop setups. Most recently we used it to make some dining benches, which I turned out to really not like because for dining you just can't beat the autonomous chair. Live and learn. I think the benches have a new purpose elsewhere.

We are in a full-scale reno, and one of my long-term goals is to set up a small woodshop in the garage, just for personal projects, maybe help out a friend if I get good at it kind of thing. For this project we will move my dad's equipment into the garage and see how it fits!

Anything else in particular you think we should have on hand? Would we use a drill press for pinching the new cabinet shelf holes? There is a tool lending library with one close by.

Yes, with as many holes as you’ll be drilling, you’ll want to have a drill press on hand for all of them.

And I just wanted to make sure you saw that I said *not* to use a circular saw. You need a table saw.

"Joe, would you have any comments on how to improve accuracy when altering cabinet depth?"

Set up some horses with some straightedges or plywood on them. Using another clamped straightedge as a fence, make your cuts with your dad's circular saw against it. Much less expense than a table saw, much safer, and every bit as accurate.

This just isn't that tough to do well.

Sorry, what I meant to say was table saw. My dad has a table saw. I do actually know the difference :)

Safer than a table saw though, you say? That catches my attention. Why safer?

Also, let's say I go the route of grabbing a couple Ikea "as is" cabinets and practicing on them. Does anyone have any suggestions for how I might test my work for stability? I think it would be helpful to have some benchmarks so that I can know if I need to keep practicing or if I'm ready to go to the items that I actually plan to install.

There is no kickback with a circular saw and fence.

Well, you know I appreciate your thinking Sophie, but I just want to point out that that's either 1k in customization or 1k in mistakes. We have the equipment. It's actually closer to 2k in customization, btw. Still not a big deal in the bigger picture. But if you're willing to share, why do you think it's such a bad idea to customize the upper boxes and use Ikea doors?

Some added info: Use painters tape for all your cuts, it helps with chips. Get a finish blade, 80 tooth or better and that will minimize the chipped edges. If cutting down a minimum number of wall cabinets wouldn't be bad, but I wouldn't want to do it for our kitchen. Would just need to redrill the mounting brackets and two holes for each added shelf. If using open shelving, either use other finished wood options or will need to use the IKEA cover panels. IKEA shelves themselves are basic white and will not match for an open look.

Have some extra cover panels on hand. You will make a mistake or may not like how the initial brilliant idea wasn't. My wife is back at IKEA again today for the 6th time in 8 weeks because last time they have her a 15x24 base cabinet shelf, not a 24x15 wall cabinet shelf. They only have finished edges on two sides. IKEA is fairly notorious for getting incorrect items. On the whole, wasn't bad, but still.

We opted for one open cabinet next to the fridge. But it will hold basic containers. I'm hoping the addition of our exhaust fan will prevent grease build up, but will still collect dust. Don't forget about spacers and adjust the layout accordingly.

I just finished installing our backsplash, grouting tomorrow on DYI IKEA install. There are a number of "hacks" that we implemented, I could not imagine the costs if not DYI. We compared quotes from custom, custom fronts on IKEA and DYI. If we were going to shell out any of the work, going custom made more sense. For one, a KD will provide input that most will not understand or realize. We did a great job on everything, but it still doesn't compare to a KD, custom cabinets. The custom door fronts on IKEA did not compare well either when priced out. Since DYI, we did save a big chunk. Don't forget about u/c lighting.

I didn't watch any of your videos, maybe after dinner. I used a portable table saw, circular saw with saw horses and guides and miter saw. Found all three very useful. Even my cousins full table saw was still a little gangly for the 96" wall panels.

Stormsearch, thank you. I'm still evaluating, and I appreciate any information about the actual process. What equipment we have will depend on what we already have and what I can source from the local tool lending library, but I'll add everything you mentioned to our working list.

Thanks for clarifying, Sophie. I'm not sure I can agree with 15" deep being better. I can't speak for anyone else of course, but I love shallow storage when it involves lifting my arm. I don't find the extra 2.5" terribly useful. I actually do have a basis for comparison because in the kitchen that was we had our dishes in a deeper cupboard and the layering used to drive me bonkers. The only time I like deeper storage is below countertop height.

But I think I must not have communicated my meaning clearly, because what I meant was, "Why would customized (Barker's) boxes be a bad idea with Ikea fronts (just for those uppers)?

FYI, if I do it I'll call it hacked, if I say customized it means I'm paying someone to do it.

I become an expert after I finish my projects on things I will probably never do again....Sometimes you just want to do it.

Sometimes you just do.

Another thought: above fridge storage for wine is not the best. Heat rises and you really want cooler, not warmer. Have you considered putting trays and baking sheets above the fridge? That works well with vertical dividers.

Jennifer, your drinking glasses fit on one shelf? Maybe I need to rethink things. I have a 42” high, 29” wide cabinet just for glasses, and that’s after I took MIL’s Waterford to the consignment shop!

As for stacking dishes, that is a PITA, but all you need to do is add shelves. Woodmode sent my uppers with two shelves, so I just had them send two more for each upper.

"Much less expense than a table saw, much safer, and every bit as accurate."

Except you have to measure each one separately, and place the guide every time. If she's modifying eight upper cabinets, that means there are 32 pieces that need to be cut down. Plus any shelves. The chances of placing guides exactly the same, not being off by a millimeter, seems pretty unrealistic. Hell, even the difference of a totally sharp pencil versus one that's worn down a bit could affect the placement of your straightedge that much.

With a table saw, you set the guide, and run all of the pieces through. You know that every single piece is the exact same depth. Consistency is key here.

Thanks, latifolia, I'm not married to the open shelving above the refrigerator, and that was an option I had considered. Might return to considering it.

I am not sure what you mean about dish stacking. When I mentioned layering I was talking about cabinet depth, not height. I don't like to reach into deep cabinets and at a certain height it becomes impossible anyway.

I think I am going to take Jennifer M's suggestion to use drawers across from the dishwasher. I was hesitant because one of my goals with this reno is organizing space so that my kids can do chores. They can empty the dishwasher and set the table, but with drawers that's actually tricky, because they will always have to be working in the same drawer.

Folks in this forum have spoken so strongly against open shelving in kitchens so many times that I'm thinking of jettisoning it and just using cabinets.

All this interesting, but not really what I posted about.

Ikea caries a 12 inch Billy bookcase collection. Maybe you can use them somehow. Just a thought.

Thank you, Hillside. It's 4 upper cabinets maximum, but I appreciate the caution, especially with respect to what might make the job easier and give more consistent results. My dad knows how to use the saw safely and I can read about safe use beforehand.

I've used the circular saw quite a bit and accuracy was a consistent issue. Since we were always making our own things, we used sanding to correct our errors, but that won't be an option this time.

I see nobody has commented yet on the corner cabinet. Get the Super Suzan over the Lazy with the double door. For one, they hold weight much better if planning to put any appliances or heavy pots/pans in it. Also, pulling out the shelf gives the same concept as cabinet drawer, very conveneint.

What we have found going to all drawers for the base cabinets is we utilize the wall cabinets much less. They hold basic items like coffee cups and glasses. All dinner plates/bowles goes into a lower cabinet in a drawer. So we have "horizontal stacking" in our upper 15" cabinets, but they are like items to the back like glasses. We had 13" upper before which held our dishware, it did not work well and seemed to take more room than needed. Base cabinet drawers is the best feature on our reno.

Cutting down 4 cabinets would not be an issue. It sounds like your "crew" can likely handle any ideas you throw at them. Most people will figure it out on their own when presented on a plan, really don't need much direction for internet on most tasks. Once they are hung on the wall and screwed to sister cabinets, it is a very solid platform. I'm impressed with the rigidity of the cabinets; though when I tore my builder cabinets they were only hung with (4) drywall screws each at least into studs.

Stormsearch, I'm not sure what you mean by, "Also, pulling out the shelf gives the same concept as cabinet drawer." Can you explain a bit more? One of the things that's a little tricky about this is that the cabinet comes only with a lazy Susan. There is no shelf option. So I would have to make a shelf and mount it.

I think we've solved the problem of the 10" cabinet with the rails and stiles oriented the wrong way. This section of the reno is essentially new construction. So we'll just give ourselves a couple of extra inches in the bathroom, resulting in a slightly longer short arm on the L, and make that a 12" pullout. No hacking needed.

The IKEA corner cabinet has pull out shelves. I didn't realize your fixed on the cabinet you already have. They call it corner cabinet with pull out shelves. It can be seen here:

https://inspiredkitchendesign.com/how-to-take-advantage-of-that-space-at-your-kitchen-corners/

I described it as a Super Susan which really it is not.

Oh, now I understand what you're referring to.

I'm pondering it, Stormsearch. I like the cabinet, but I worry that the doorswings in the corner are going to create a choke point.

We decided we don't want the door to move towards the range and we don't want anything big swinging out near the range.

Annnnd, after careful consideration, the opponents of the idea have convinced me to not cut down the cabinets. Sort of a stream of consciousness thing. It wasn't what they said, really. It was almost like the cabinets came to life and started giving me a hard time. And then I was like, "Wait, are we not doing enough installing the dang thing?"

Also, I went to Ikea. We have one close by. And the cabinets are fine at 15" deep.

Basically, the help me hack my Ikea cabinets thread has become the help me not hack my Ikea cabinets thread. We're still installing them, and that plus trimming them out feels like a big enough job.

Many details have been clarified in this thread. Thank you to everyone who shared opinions and suggestions!

I'm glad you changed your mind. I think you'll appreciate them even more as time goes by!

I saw (no pun intended) this and thought of Joe Corlett. https://www.wwgoa.com/video/unsafe-cross-cutting-avoiding-dangerous-table-saw-kickback-011940/

Once you start "modifying" the cabinets, you may end up spending almost as much as custom cabinets. Standard size cabinets have become "standard" by being the most often- used sizes. IKEA cabinets have come a long way since they first came on the market.

If you are cutting down Ikea cabinets, or any sheet goods I highly recommend a track saw. They are made by Makita, DeWalt, and the creme de la creme, Festool. They can be hooked up to dust collectors so there is very little mess. You can get blades to cut many different materials. They are VERY accurate and much easier and safer to use than a table saw. I really really like mine

I cut 3cm stone with a Festool track saw. It voids the warranty, but the cuts are more valuable than the saw.

I am going to take a carpentry class.