IKEA is a bargain, but things like cabinets take a lot of use. I've not seen any IKEA cabinets perform well beyond about 5 years unless you are extemely gentle with them. If you have kids, forget it. You get what you pay for! Keep your existing cabinets and paint them. Unless it's already too late. Check out closeout constuction companies, there are lots of that, especially in more populated areas. Not sure the size of your kitchen, but you can go to granite boneyards and get nice granite countertops at a savings, you may need to visit seversl times to find enough of what you want, but it will be worth it in the long run. Don't be afeaid to mix finishes granite and butcherblock counters stragecally used througout. Get creative looking through closeouts to save money. Good Luck!

Chris, I could not procure a few boxes for a pantry so I made them and added ikea doors.

@Barbara Almandarz: "I've not seen any IKEA cabinets perform well beyond about 5 years unless you are extemely gentle with them. If you have kids, forget it."

How many failed IKEA cabinet installation have you observed? Over what period of time? How did you know how old the installations were (i.e., "about 5 years")? In what ways were they damaged? Was the damage cosmetic or did the cabinets fail? How many were damaged by children? How? Was any damage from water leakage? Please be specific, particularly as to the quantity of installations you have seen.

My peers with ikea kitchens are all people who have had their kitchens with kids/teens and love them (the cabinets. The kids too.) and their lived experience makes me confident about my choice! I do wonder if people visit a cheap kitchen and assume it's ikea, when really it's an off the rack system from a big box or some other inexpensive option and they assume lower price point = ikea. (I find this same generalization when people say they will never have induction because electric stoves are the worst - not recognizing the difference between induction and glass top radiant, but thinking all glasstops are equal.)

Anyway, OP, this forum definitely trends to bigger budgets and bigger homes than my own (and yours, it sounds like) , but I have gotten great advice here. I also recommend checking out reddit, the kitchenremodel, homeimprovement, and ikea subdreddits are a little more budget friendly and down to earth than the average poster here. I appreciate houzz for convincing me to pursue soapstone, hardwood in the kitchen, and even an air switch for my disposal, and love the site's filter down to look at different kitchens! But definitely take some of the criticisms of your ideas with a grain of salt - it's your house and your money and your style, at the end of the day.

So we went to Home Depot and Lowe’s and got a design put together but i feel like there can be more done. I’ll post measurement pictures later today.
We don’t want to assemble our own cabinets but we will install them.
The budget of 5k does not include flooring, that is already paid for and being installed after the cabinets are in. Yes 5k is unrealistic for both cabinets and countertops, as both lowes and Home Depot quoted us at around $3200.

the problem is we need to get the cabinets installed within the next 2 weeks to have our floor down by May 1st to move in. We’ve accepted by now that the countertop will not be installed by the time we move in as it’s a 4 week minimum lead time so we’ll have to use plywood in the meantime.

As far as design / color scheme I’m also looking for input on. Our Kitchen walls are white - SW cheviot. I wanted white kitchen cabinets with a light , not to busy countertop (so granite might be out of question bc i feel like they are all super busy from what I’ve seen) I don’t want it to look dingy or blah and since we are limited for time we have to go with in stock cabinets which ive found are BRIGHT white. I’m hoping that won’t make it look cheap but also don’t want dark/color cabinets bc the space itself is small. Any suggestions here??

And has anyone used floors 2000 lvp flooring?

Install the floor before (under) the cabinets.

Live with an un-fitted kitchen for awhile rather than the "Ready-Fire-Aim" approach.

https://www.homesandgardens.com/ideas/freestanding-kitchen-ideas. 

In stock box store cabinets are not half the quality of the cabinet that you pulled out of there. (Really awful low end quality!) Reinstall those old cabinets, and put new laminate counters on them. You can then set up to paint them when you have the time. Stone would be a mistake with any of those choices.

Ikea has off white, Bobdyn that’s what we’re doing.

@snappity how do you find those threads? I’m not on Reddit but we are doing an IKEA kitchen and I could use some help/support as we start them due to some customizing.

@Sydney -FLOORS FIRST! Keep the cabinets in the garage until the floors are installed.

Post the layouts you’ve gotten from HD and Lowe’s so the pros can assess for you.

Regarding the perception that all granite is “busy”, if you like the look of soapstone you can get Virginia Mist honed. It’s a beautiful black granite with subtle white veining, Again, remnants and pre-fabs will save you a ton of money on your countertops and you may find something quite upscale for a good price.

@Chris H :

https://www.reddit.com/r/kitchenremodel/

https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/

https://www.reddit.com/r/homeimprovement

Those are the ones I mentioned - but honestly if you have a weird question, googling the question and adding reddit to the search term is a good start.

There are also a few youtube channels that were helpful for us, and for our builder as this was the first time he'd installed an ikea/ french cleat kitchen. These two are actual contractors, vs influencers doing a DIY video, and if you search their channels for ikea you can get some good stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/@HomeRenoVisionDIY 

https://www.youtube.com/@uptokode

What kind of customizing are you doing? The two customizations I've done are to hack a shallow depth cabinet to hold basic microwave under the countertop (NOT a $$$ built in/ drawer/mw) and another is a floor to ceiling office/ arts and crafts hutch, where we have 55" inches of cabinetry on top of a standard base drawer bank. (you can see pics on my kitchen project instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretchens_kitchen/ - kind of at a lull at the moment, but counters come tomorrow! I also plan to make a before and after post for houzz when we are wrapped up, as I found those very valuable.

You really should put the flooring in first, although I am suspecting that you have bought only enough to cover the exposed floor. If that is the case, you may need to get some cheaper but equal in thickness material to fill in under where the cabinets will sit, depending on the construction of the cabinets you choose. Both Ikea and Menard's Klear Vue have adjustable legs, so can probably accommodate a different floor level. You don't want your flooring to sit higher than the bottoms of the cabinets or appliances, acting as a barrier to removal.

Two weeks might be impossible to get anything other than off the shelf cabinets from your local store.

I would recommend that you plan to put the floors in, get plumbing, electrical, light fixtures in place, get the painting done - and use some cheap tables or carts until you can finalize your and receive plans, order, and receive the cabinets. You will just have to function like anyone who is doing a kitchen remodel in their current home - use a temporary sink (your construction crew can set this up), use the appliances that you have (the new ones can be moved out of the way when it is time to install the cabinets) or make do with countertop cooking devices like microwave, toaster oven, instant pot, hotplate, George Foreman grill, etc.

@snappity thanks so much! We have a gap to the right of the stove base the ikea kitchen layout person said we could customize to put a drawer front on as a door to use as a place for cookie sheets vs just a filler. We will have to cut down a 24” cabinet. We are also doing an island smaller than most… a sore spot for me as I don’t want it haha!

FLoating floors shouldn't go under cabinets, regardless of the brand. Sounds like Sydney is doing floating.

@Chris H sounds cool! We don't have an island, but have a toolbench - currently in the living room until later this month after our floors are done and cured (speaking of floors, our NWFA decades old, go-to wood floor company for the region insisted on coming in last too, I didn't get that either, but oh well)

Folks, VINYL floors go in after the cabinets, and butt up to them, with an expansion gap. Only permanently installed wood or tile floors go under cabinets. This is yet another reason to reuse the existing cabinets. They are there. Any good quality cabinet line will be at least 8 weeks out to order and receive.

@Sydney I have never moved into a house with a completed kitchen. That's what folding tables, microwave, and coleslaw and potato salad at the deli counter are for! Use paper plates. Hook up a cheapo laundry sink in the kitchen as a temprorary water supply.

Most especially when you are on a budget, you will end up saving more money the better you plan and the longer you can wait for a finished product. Off the shelf Lowe's and HD cabinets are really poor investments. You will have to spend more money replacing them sooner than you will with Ikea cabinets, which really are quality. You can get much less expensive counters than granite.

Spend your money on Ikea cabinets, pay for assembly, and install them yourself. Get less expensive counters - wood from Ikea or corian. This is an investment that will save you money in the long run. Also, do really consider getting your floors done first and running them all the way to the walls, otherwise you are forever beholden to this layout because there is no floor under the cabinets.

How long do you intend to live in this house? What is a month's time compared to how long you intend to live there? Making fast decisions to be able to have a move in ready kitchen is like throwing money down the drain.

I don't have anything to add for resources. I'm curious how this project is going to develop considering that the demo and flooring is being done before the appliances and cabinets are sourced and purchased. I wonder what the final budget is going to be on this.

Bathroom sinks are often "kitchen sinks" during a remodel.

what product are your new floors?

Following

Ditto what DeWayne said - you are voiding any warranty on the LVP the minute you put cabinets on it.

You are letting the tail wag the dog, and it will cost you in a whole lot of regret.

Set up a temporary kitchen and plan this out properly so you have a chance at doing a great job rather than sloppy one. I would wait on flooring too until you have every kitchen detail defined. Right now you don’t know enough. Trouble ahead if you don’t take your time. Kitchens are the most expensive square footage in your home so please take a deep breath and plan this out in detail. Faucets, hardware, outlets, lighting, appliances with specifications set out, exhaust fan details, countertops etc. Etc. That is best way to come closest to any budget.

Sydney you expressed a concern that granite is too busy, yes many are. If you look around you'll be surprised at the variety,. Thee are quartz counters that look like white marble with gray veins. It comes with varying amounts of veining. That is a clssi look in upscale kitchens you might want to consider. Also check out Silestone. The less veining, the easier to match cut edges.

I am not sure granite will be in your budget - and while I am very much all about your money/your style/you do you I also agree that it sounds like you might need to take a deep breath and think about how you want to do this. If you have appliances already even using your old cabs as temporary while you figure out traffic patterns and how you will actually live in the house will pay off later. You can also take the time to wait for sales, stalk FB marketplace, etc. We are doing this reno after living here for 19 years, so we KNOW how we move through the space, and how we use each room - and function should trump form every time. I have a love/hate with HGTV (and even sites like houzz), I feel like the HGTVification of what we THINK a home should look like based on media means people race for aesthetics and don't place enough value on functions. When I think back on all the homes I've lived in or been a guest in, the decor is never what made me feel comfortable in a home, it was the people and experiences we were sharing. Some of my best memories are in the least TV-ready homes! It's okay to take your time and live in an imperfect space while you figure out what you really want to do with it.

On a 5k budget for cabs and counters, don't get stone counters. It's OK for a kitchen not to have stone counters. I realize they are very on trend, and a lot of people seem to like them. But stone is not budget friendly. There are other viable options that are more budget friendly.

My 2 cents...

I use IKEA kitchens in my rental properties and have for a very long time. They are my go to choice for rental property kitchen cabinets.

If I were doing a $5k kitchen I would choose IKEA every time. Just deal with assembling the cabinets, the village idiot could do it, and it trades a rather small amount of time for a big amount of money. So even if you don't enjoy it... enjoy the benefits of it.

Because of the modular nature of the IKEA system you can do an affordable kitchen today while protecting your ability to upgrade in the future. As long as you pick a door color that is fairly standard and use standard cover panels where needed, you can convert cabinets from doors to drawers later, which can get you a functional kitchen today without sacrificing the upgradeability in the future. If you are comfortable replacing cover panels then you can upgrade to a completely different look later. None of the other off-the-shelf options are going to allow that type of flexibility.

Ahh wow so much great insight here thank you all.!! Super overwhelming!

Ok so…
We are only planning to stay here about 5 years MAX then rent it or sell.

We are NOT installing the floor in the kitchen before the cabinets bc they are lvp click lock/floating. The rest of the flooring in the house will be done then we have them coming back to do the kitchen once the cabinets are in.
Bc of that, we are going to use Home Depot or Lowe’s either in stock cabinets or the thomasville elements from Home Depot which has a 3 week lead time bc we need to have the flooring in since we have a 1 year old and that’s just what we’ve decided.

Our budget has increased to about 9k for cabinets & countertops with the help of some family. We are coming out of pocket / budget for hardware and appliances.

My questions are 1- do we do an L shape? Or a U(with a small peninsula)? I wish we had room to do a small island but that’s unrealistic.
Is the placement of the fridge that you see in the drawing the best placement? Or can we fit it next to the sliding glass door?
For reference- this picture only captures the “kitchen” part not the dining area.
bottoms right of the pic, you are walking in from the garage into the kitchen that’s why the bottom wall is shorter.
The top wall has a window , sink is placed under. To the left of the sink after the cabinets there is an outlet/ light switch before the sliding glass door.

This is the measurements from a draft design

Measurements. Hopefully this will help 😩.. again… these measurements do not include the area where our table will be. Bottom right is entrance through garage however most people will be entering through the left where the table will be - that connects closely with the living room separated by a wall (the same wall that you see the fridge on the bottom of these designs)
Also, too left immediately after the cabinets end, there is a sliding glass door to our deck.
Lastly. This is NOT the current layout, everything is ripped out however it is similar to the layout before. I’m wondering if we can place the fridge elsewhere- and leave that back wall open or with a pantry. Also curious if an L, U or island would look best and make the most for the room we have. Please help!

We have a similar space, though it is wider (13'x10' where yours is 10'x11'), which helps a lot. We have an L with an opposite wall and like that layout a lot. BUT we have a lot more room in the corner between the sink and stove--18" on one side, then the 26" x 26" corner, then 27" on the other side. It's not spacious but it feels adequate. You could get to something similar if you don't center your sink on the window--not ideal but worth it to pick up that space IMO. If you get rid of the peninsula and push the sink to where the dishwasher is, you have a pretty workable prep space between sink and stove, and a short distance to the refrigerator. If you want to move the fridge, the place to put it would be at the end of the sink run, but then that boxes you into the very tight L between sink and stove. I'd leave the fridge where it is (esp. if there is electrical and plumbing there for it already) and instead try to move the sink over.

A last option would be to flip the range and the fridge. That gives you more prep space in the L and there's room for the range there--still not too many steps. I personally like it in the L better but both would work and if you flip them you can push the fridge to the end (whereas for the range, you'll want counter on both sides).

In all of these, I'd lose the peninsula--cabinets will be more useful without it.

In such a small kitchen you are wasting valuable space with a 36" sink base (as shown on the first 2 draft plans shown). You are going to have a dishwasher, so IMO just get a 30" sink base, get a 28-30" sink (yes, depending on the sink, it will fit that size base - use a strap system to secure it). That will give you 6" more prep space between sink and stove, which you need.

I also think Artemis has a good idea to move the sink down. It is traditional to center it under a window, but it doesn't have to be.

I don't see room for an island.

The advantages of sinks under window are two fold …not just light …but the loss of an upper cabinet will be needed above the sink…as well

I have a single sink with drain board we got from Ikea and find it sufficient since we have a dishwasher and it is in a 24" cabinet. This was best so we could fit our dishwasher on the peninsula. Also if they have a 15" deep pantry cabinet you can add that to your fridge wall towards your door opening on the left. If you feel you have space with using a smaller table you can do a full wall of narrow bookcases in your dining room. Makes a great pantry set up. They are great for canned and packaged goods. Lastly NO I would not move the fridge to the sink wall as it would cut into your dining space and really be of no benefit to the design.

Update: Kitchen table size dilemma- moving in next week and need to purchase one asap!
The cabinets were installed this week and they are a bit further out into the dining area than i would of liked (see pics- the tan cabinet is temporary, waiting for replacements and countertops don’t get measured til mid May 🥴)

1st pic is from garage door , other 2 are from the main entrance of the kitchen from the house which is also where the kitchen table will be, directly in front of the sliding glass door. The light fixture is 54” from the sliding glass door, 54” from the back of the cabinets, and 57” from the wall across from the sliding door.

I thought we should remove the peninsula cabinet but my s/o says we need it for counterspace, and i guess i agree but idk…

What do i do? Can i find a table that will fit directly under the light?

Please any suggestions would help

Is the slider the main entrance to the house? Or is there yet another door that you are taking the pic from in photo 3? what is the space of that dining area space? I have a pretty small area for a table and we have a 42” round table that has a butterfly leaf. (IKEA but it’s no longer made.) It has been a great size for us.

It’s coming along so good! It looks great, I think you’ll really enjoy this space once it wraps. I think if you find a smaller sized round table, it’ll fit just fine. Round tables give you a little extra space in the corners of the room. And I wonder if you find an abstract shaped light, you might not notice if it’s not perfectly centered over the table.

This is a video of the space you can see I’m walking in through the front door through the living room which then goes into the kitchen. Hope that helps.

Measurements from slider to center(where ceiling light is) is 55”, back of cabinets to center is 54”, wall parallel to slider to the center is 57” and wall parallel to cabinets to center is 49”

An abstract light is a great idea!!

If anyone has table ideas for this space that’d be super helpful- i was thinking round just don’t know what size.

I just realized maybe the video isn’t accessible on here? So here are two pics the first one is the entrance from the front door after you’ve walked through the living room going into the kitchen and the 2nd pic is a better view from the garage door entrance

That's coming right along! What's you budget looking like?

Budget for the rest like table and lights? Probably $2500

Countertops already paid for they just have to come measure and install

If you have a small table in the house (even a nightstand or end table will do) bring it in and cut out cardboard to test on top of it. Push in chairs and try walking around to see what works best. We used to have a 42" round table that worked well to seat four, but it might be too big for your space with the peninsula there. Is this your primary eating area, or is it just a breakfast area? If the latter, you could also play with seating against the wall (though it won't be centered under the light in that case).

Good idea!!

Yes this is the primary eating area. Also the pantry which is across from the peninsula seems like an inconvenience.

We plan to get bar stools for the peninsula, which I’m not sure will work or not with the space.

I’m not sure if we should do a rectangle , circle or oval shape table.

A floor plan of the whole room would help here, but from what I can see in the photos, you probably need a round table under the light and may not have space for the stools. The peninsula looks like it is going to be your bottleneck if the doorway into the kitchen is opposite the slider. You want people to be able to walk from the living room to the backyard without running into the table, ideally.

So this is the side of the kitchen with cabinets. i don’t have the entire space floor plan and am not at the house right now to measurement, and i don’t know how to use those apps to sketch this but in essence from the back of the cabinets and pantry (left side of picture) it’s 55” to the ceiling light , then 43” from the ceiling light to the wall parallel to the cabinets.
The sliding glass door is on the wall that is the top of this picture but to the left of the cabinets, which is 54” from light then light to opposite wall/entry from living room is 57”
I hope that makes sense 🤦🏼‍♀️

I have a 40" x70" rectangle table that seats 6. The size works well in my 9ft x 9ft dining area.

Sorry, yes, meant of the area outside of the cabinet plan, especially wrt where the doors are in that space. It looks like it's pretty tight once the pathways through the space are accounted for, but hard to tell for sure from the photos without having it drawn out.

im late to this party but where is your recessed lighting? did you put in undercab lighting?