Having just completed an IKEA install of my new kitchen I'd thought I'd review my experience for others thinking about using IKEA. The IKEA install was part of a much larger kitchen remodel - removing walls, raising the ceiling, all new wiring, and moving ductwork - but this review is only on my IKEA design and installation experience.

I started playing with the IKEA software way before I was ready to do the final design. For the final design, we eventually used both Inspired Kitchen Design (IKD) and the IKEA in-store designer. Inspired Kitchen Design helped me think about what I really needed/wanted and what some of the tradeoffs were. Paulina, my IKD designer, was very responsive and answered all my questions. By the time I got to IKEA to work with the in-store designer I was just confirming my IKD design with the Ikea staff. My contractor liked working with the plans provided by IKD much more than the IKEA plans as they were more detailed and complete and it was worth the price just to have those plans available.

On my first visit to IKEA to do planning we discovered that the door front that I wanted was being discontinued and we needed to make a decision THAT DAY or risk not getting those doors. Because of some family issues we really couldn't commit to the plan, the delivery, etc. at that time so we risked not getting the door fronts. At our NEXT visit about 6 weeks later, we found that there were not enough of our door fronts available any longer and we quickly picked a new color scheme for the kitchen. (Shiny white Ringhult and shiny dark blue-black Jarsta doors) Making a whole new color/door selection in that visit was stressful but I'm happier with my new selection.

We opened an IKEA VISA card to pay for our cabinets and installation because you get IKEA dollars back. Those IKEA dollars would then pay for our drawer inserts and all the fun kitchen stuff you want when you start putting things into your kitchen. What I didn't realize is those IKEA dollars would expire in just a very few weeks after you got them. I waited a few weeks between my purchase, delivery and installation so I had to use the dollars before my kitchen was actually installed. That was less than optimal since I really hadn't had an opportunity to put things into cabinets and determine what I really needed. (What actually happened was my son and his family were moving into a new house and we made an IKEA trip with him to pick up things for their new house in order to spend my IKEA dollars.)

Delivery was easy. You do need a LOT of space for all the boxes of cabinets, etc. We had cleared out our entire TV room as a staging area for all the kitchen stuff (appliances, Ikea delivery, etc.) and it filled the room. The delivery people quickly stacked it into the room and left. You have time after the delivery (I think it was 48 hours or so) to do the full inventory of items and report anything that is missing. We found that it was best to sort out the piles into like items to do the inventory. Luckily our delivery was perfect and everything was there.

Although we had all of our construction work done by a general contractor they were unwilling to do an IKEA install so I arranged through Traemand, the IKEA installation company, for the actual cabinet install. When the IKEA designer finishes your design they send it to Traemand automatically and they provide you an estimate on the installation costs within a couple of days. You can get this without any commitment to purchasing or installing IKEA cabinets. I wish I had known this early in the process as I kept trying to figure out my approximate install costs to compare my IKEA prices with other kitchen cabinet prices. Don't be afraid to have IKEA do an instore design for you early in the process and get all your initial estimates when you are still in your early design/decision process. I had lots of questions about how things would be installed and how to deal with some special issues regarding plumbing, using upper cabinets as lower cabinets, etc as this was not a straightforward installation. (Is anything as straightforward as we would like?) I was able to email and talk to the estimator to make certain that what I wanted to do I really could do with the IKEA cabinets and we could figure out what my contractor needed to have ready for installers and what the Traemand installers would take care of. Adjustments were made to the installation estimate and then I was ready to figure out an install date. Once you select an install date you sign the Traemand contract and pay 50% of the estimated installation cost. You do get to make one change to the date free of charge if you discover you won't be ready or can't do the date for some reason.

Our installers came on the dot of 9 am on the installation date and got to work. First, they looked at the site and compared the plan and asked questions where it wasn't clear what was happening. They measured everything, checked for level (using a very cool 2-dimensional laser level), made certain all the materials were available. All special requests/needs were discussed (special cabinet cut outs, how to secure my top-as-bottom cabinets to the floor and still have room for the doors to open, etc.) and they priced out these changes and had us approve them. Also, since we were on the second floor of a condo building there was an extra $250 charge, and if we wanted them to haul away the trash that was another $250. I don't recall the second floor and trash charges being mentioned by my Traemand estimator although I was aware that my special installation needs would be priced once they saw the actual site.

Because we were in a condo with strict construction rules all cutting was done on my balcony. They had two table saws that they set up. It created quite a bit of sawdust but they cleaned everything when they were finished both days. We did have good space inside in which to build the cabinets and I think in a smaller space it would have been a more difficult process.

As soon as they were set up and the extra charges approved by us they got right to work. They were absolutely meticulous in assuring everything was level and square. They pointed out small flaws in the walls and suggested the best way to do the install to assure that they wouldn't be noticeable. They were clearly professionals and not just someone who knew how to put a cabinet on a wall.

At one point they pulled out two of the doors and found them to have small flaws in one corner. Instead of trying to pretend no one would notice we discussed whether someone would make the trip to IKEA to replace them or if they would just show me and my husband how to install those to door panels later. They assured us that we could easily install the two doors and showed us how to do it. Although I know I could have put those two doors on my husband decided to go to IKEA (about an 1 hr and 15 minutes drive) and pick up two new doors. Before he left on the trip I ordered the doors on-line and they were waiting for pick-up when he got there.

At the end of day 2 they placed all the appliances in their spaces (and they all fit perfectly), cleaned up everything, made certain I knew how to adjust the push openers, the lighting, and the corner pull-out and left me with beautiful new cabinets. I did have a lot of IKEA random pieces left over when they were finished. They didn't use the brackets for the island and built their own base and I knew I had a few extra doors plus the two damaged ones but there was also random stuff like 5 extra toekick panels and 21 things to attach the counters to the cabinets (my countertop person didn't want to use them) so I have a big return ($1400) to IKEA next week. Now I'm awaiting countertops, and the plumbing and electrical hookups and I'll have a new kitchen.

I found working with IKEA and Traemand to be about as good as it could be, especially since all of it was without anyone except me knowing what the actual space looked like. Good measurements are absolutely crucial, and you need to be prepared to make some decisions during the actual install so don't just go to work and think you can come home to a new kitchen (I once did that.) The cost difference between my IKEA cabinets with Traemand installation and other estimates I had for cabinets and installation from local contractors was about $10,000 which is a major cost savings and I got the modern, sleek look that I wanted for my kitchen.