7 Budget-friendly Ways to Ace an Ikea Kitchen
Keep your budget on track without compromising on style by combining Ikea units with some creative thinking
Amanda Pollard
24 January 2019
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
Revamping your kitchen can be a balancing act between design and cost, so how do you get a stylish cookspace that doesn’t blow the budget? The owners of these beautiful kitchens have cleverly combined cost-effective Ikea cabinetry with some smart upgrades – and the results are pretty stunning.
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
Save in order to spend elsewhere
The redesign of this contemporary house was pretty extensive, so the owners wanted the kitchen to be simple and, most importantly, on budget.
The designers achieved this by fitting Ikea carcasses into the corner of the open-plan space. This allowed them to spend more on the polished concrete worktop and bespoke doors, which are made of birch plywood with an olive ash veneer.
See more of this modern London home that got a radical rethink.
The redesign of this contemporary house was pretty extensive, so the owners wanted the kitchen to be simple and, most importantly, on budget.
The designers achieved this by fitting Ikea carcasses into the corner of the open-plan space. This allowed them to spend more on the polished concrete worktop and bespoke doors, which are made of birch plywood with an olive ash veneer.
See more of this modern London home that got a radical rethink.
Give it some oomph
This kitchen has bags of character thanks to some creative personal touches.
The Ikea Shaker-style kitchen units have been painted an airy shade of blue and pepped up with interesting handles. There’s also a bespoke concrete sink and steel extractor hood, as well as a floor of gorgeous encaustic tiles.
By saving on the kitchen units, the owners have been able to spend their budget on interesting pieces that give their space personality.
Shop kitchen and dining products on Houzz.
This kitchen has bags of character thanks to some creative personal touches.
The Ikea Shaker-style kitchen units have been painted an airy shade of blue and pepped up with interesting handles. There’s also a bespoke concrete sink and steel extractor hood, as well as a floor of gorgeous encaustic tiles.
By saving on the kitchen units, the owners have been able to spend their budget on interesting pieces that give their space personality.
Shop kitchen and dining products on Houzz.
Think outside the box
How about this for a clever idea? The Ikea kitchen units have been extended through to the dining area to form some very handy bench seating.
The designers have used wall cabinets for the bench base, positioning them on a shallow plinth to allow the doors to be opened easily. Then the iroko worktop has been shaped to fit on top.
The look is streamlined and simple, and the owners have gained bags of seating and storage space.
Read reviews of kitchen designers and fitters in your area.
How about this for a clever idea? The Ikea kitchen units have been extended through to the dining area to form some very handy bench seating.
The designers have used wall cabinets for the bench base, positioning them on a shallow plinth to allow the doors to be opened easily. Then the iroko worktop has been shaped to fit on top.
The look is streamlined and simple, and the owners have gained bags of seating and storage space.
Read reviews of kitchen designers and fitters in your area.
Go up and over
While the previous idea used wall cabinets on the floor, this designer has cleverly done the opposite. To gain extra storage, Ikea base units have been slotted above the wall cabinets.
They fit perfectly in the gap between the units and ceiling, and the fact that they’re deeper doesn’t matter at this height. In fact, the protruding edge has become a feature that frames the white units, and provides a great spot for recessed lighting.
While the previous idea used wall cabinets on the floor, this designer has cleverly done the opposite. To gain extra storage, Ikea base units have been slotted above the wall cabinets.
They fit perfectly in the gap between the units and ceiling, and the fact that they’re deeper doesn’t matter at this height. In fact, the protruding edge has become a feature that frames the white units, and provides a great spot for recessed lighting.
Make it fit
Even if you’re not having a bespoke kitchen made, you can still tailor your cabinets to fit your space. These simple Ikea Voxtorp and Veddinge units were all a standard size, but the designers managed to fit them into the awkward space.
They worked out the layout using an online tool to make sure they ended up with the right distribution of cabinets. The sloped ceiling was the tricky bit, but the designers got around it by cutting the units on site.
If you’re going to do something like this, it’s best to call in an experienced joiner, who can ensure the units fit properly and look beautifully finished.
Even if you’re not having a bespoke kitchen made, you can still tailor your cabinets to fit your space. These simple Ikea Voxtorp and Veddinge units were all a standard size, but the designers managed to fit them into the awkward space.
They worked out the layout using an online tool to make sure they ended up with the right distribution of cabinets. The sloped ceiling was the tricky bit, but the designers got around it by cutting the units on site.
If you’re going to do something like this, it’s best to call in an experienced joiner, who can ensure the units fit properly and look beautifully finished.
Keep it simple
Everything about this streamlined cookspace is elegant and chic, which gives the whole room a quality feel. The carcasses are Ikea, and have been fitted with bespoke MDF doors – cost-effective yet super-stylish.
By keeping the look of the units very plain, the designers have been able to add elements to upgrade the look, including the Farrow & Ball Purbeck Stone paint colour, the black-framed window and the on-trend pendant lights.
Everything about this streamlined cookspace is elegant and chic, which gives the whole room a quality feel. The carcasses are Ikea, and have been fitted with bespoke MDF doors – cost-effective yet super-stylish.
By keeping the look of the units very plain, the designers have been able to add elements to upgrade the look, including the Farrow & Ball Purbeck Stone paint colour, the black-framed window and the on-trend pendant lights.
Opt for made-to-measure
The owners of this kitchen have the best of both worlds – they’ve used Ikea carcasses and finished them with doors from a firm that specialises in providing replacement fronts. With this approach, you can request samples to choose your finish, send over your measurements, and then receive the doors ready-made.
The marble and antique glass behind the sink and cooker, as well as the interesting light fittings, give the whole space a designer feel.
Tell us…
Do you have any great tips for keeping a kitchen on budget while ensuring it’s stylish and practical? Share your ideas in the Comments section.
The owners of this kitchen have the best of both worlds – they’ve used Ikea carcasses and finished them with doors from a firm that specialises in providing replacement fronts. With this approach, you can request samples to choose your finish, send over your measurements, and then receive the doors ready-made.
The marble and antique glass behind the sink and cooker, as well as the interesting light fittings, give the whole space a designer feel.
Tell us…
Do you have any great tips for keeping a kitchen on budget while ensuring it’s stylish and practical? Share your ideas in the Comments section.
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We sourced the handles and worktop separately and love, love our kitchen.
My Ikea kitchen is over 15 years old with Walnut veneer doors. I have added coloured backboards, created a microwave “garage” and bookshelves from old “press cupboard” (shallow shelves in original recess) and separately sourced worktops. It is standing the test of time well.