The word “bespoke” might not be something you normally associate with Ikea kitchen design, but with a little insider knowledge, your dream kitchen might not be quite as far-fetched as you first thought.
Ikea kitchens are undoubtedly affordable compared to their custom counterparts, and although you may have to invest more of your time creating something that really works for you, the savings are well worth the effort.
The most effective way to create a bespoke look is to look for doors elsewhere, and there are a number of companies that offer doors designed to Ikea’s specifications. Custom fronts are a great example; Based in the Sussex countryside, they design and manufacture sustainable and elegant door fronts to suit IKEA kitchens. “Not everyone realizes, but Ikea kitchen cabinets can be bought without doors,” says co-founder and director Rachel Thorby. “This, along with its high quality and low cost, makes it the ideal building block for creating a custom, bespoke kitchen at an affordable price.”
We’ve enlisted expert help from interior designers and Ikea kitchen professionals to reveal the tips, tricks, and kitchen hacks they use to turn an Ikea kitchen into something truly special.
What is the best IKEA kitchen?
Ikea offers a few different ideas and systems for the kitchen, and it is crucial to choose the ones that will give you the most opportunity for customization. The resounding answer from all of our experts was to use the Metod kit.
“The Metod Kitchen is best to use if you want to create a bespoke look,” says Beth Dadswill, founder of interior design studio Imperfect Interiors. Carcasses come in a wide range of sizes and there are several third-party companies that can provide custom designed door fronts for the Metod system.
Custom Fronts, Husk, Superfront, Naked Doors, and Plykea are all great places to experiment with beautiful door fronts that fit perfectly in Metod cabinets – and Sheena Murphy, founder of None interior design studio, stresses the importance of choosing an experienced and experienced company in IKEA kitchens. “The most important thing here is to make sure the company that makes the cabinets and drawer fronts is familiar with IKEA dead bodies and has experience making fronts specifically for them. We don’t necessarily recommend trying this for the first time with a carpenter, she says.” In addition to custom fronts and mummies, I can I would recommend semi-handmade, repair and Holt too.”
When buying Metod carcasses from Ikea you can choose between white or black indoor units, Millie Teden of Husk offers the following tips; We always suggest to our customers that when choosing between the color of their indoor units, they should take it into account in relation to the facade color of their choice. For example, if you are going for a dark green facade, then the black interior will look really sophisticated. But for a light blue kitchen, white will work beautifully.
Becky Martin, Head of Interior Design at IKEA also talks about the strengths of the Metod range if you’re looking to create the kitchen of your dreams. “It’s very versatile, allowing you to create many combinations and designs,” she says. “With modular sizes, you can combine cabinets in such a way that your kitchen looks like a unique piece of furniture, designed just for you.”
What parts should you buy from IKEA?
Its modular nature means that the sheer range of options available as part of the Metod range can be very confusing – from the type of kitchen cabinet to choose, right down to the smallest fixtures – and it can be overwhelming to decide exactly what you need.
“Ikea cabinets are excellent these days, and the hinge systems they use come from world-leading Austrian company Blum, so you can rest assured that they’re a great foundation for creating a quality kitchen,” says Monica Born, co-founder of Superfront.
In addition to the bodies and hinges, the consensus among our experts was also to use Ikea drawer runners, plinth feet, and any interior storage systems you need. Everything else can be obtained elsewhere.
How to get the most out of the planning process with IKEA?
Even if you decide to purchase items from your kitchen only from Ikea, you can still make the most of their great planning service. “Ikea has a team of experts on hand to help you plan your kitchen,” says Rachel of Custom Fronts. “This is a free service and they will plan your kitchen for you, as well as advise on the amazing, innovative and space-saving interior storage systems they offer.”
To really simplify the design process, Ikea’s Becky recommends attending the prepared appointment. “It’s good to come with some visual references to use as inspiration,” she says. The Metod system is very versatile, and can be used in many unconventional ways. Because there are so many beautiful possibilities, it’s hard to represent them all in stores or on the Ikea website, but if you have a visual reference for the custom features you like, it’s easy to achieve with Metod.
Crucially, Rachel from Custom Fronts advises what you need to take away from your planning session. “Have them design the kitchen by adding doors and panels—that way you can easily see what you need to source elsewhere,” she says. “It’s also essential to make sure that Ikea also gives you a version of the finished design without the doors and panels.”
The next step is to take these designs to a company like Custom Fronts, Superfront, or Husk, and they’ll be able to suggest different versions of doors, handles, and countertops on the spot to elevate the look.
If you’d rather avoid the planning process altogether, Husk has you covered. “If you don’t want to work with Ikea directly, we offer a full design service with 3D renderings,” says Millie. “We compile your Ikea shopping list for you, and suggest the best appliances for your kitchen’s practical needs.”
When designing your IKEA kitchen, what should you consider?
Even with the help of a planning service, approaching a kitchen design can be daunting – not least the huge amount of practical demands on the space. Andrew Griffiths, founder of interior design studio A New Day, offers some great advice.
Create a kitchen storage plan. List everything in the space, and determine exactly what he needs for a home in the kitchen. “How much, and what kind of glassware do you have? What small appliances do you want to be able to throw away? Do you have large utility tools that need to be stored? Be realistic, then plan and configure your cupboard space accordingly so that everything has a place.”
From a visual perspective, there are also some planning tricks to create a space that looks high quality. “Try to create symmetry,” says Beth of Imperfect Interiors. Put the oven and stove in the middle, and get taller units at both ends if possible. Don’t cram too many wall cabinets – open shelves to display artwork, plants, and ceramics will look more unique and modern than endless door fronts.
Millie from Husk agrees, “Apply tall units where possible, not only because they look great, but they will also improve storage space,” she says. “Custom-made shelves will instantly make the kitchen completely personalized to you.”
What should you look for elsewhere?
“Think of an Ikea cabinet as the foundation of your kitchen, then cover it up with the details to upgrade it into something really special,” says Andrew of A New Day. With your bodies and your chosen design, the fun can begin!
In addition to doors, providing kitchen worktops, faucets, sinks and handles separately will all contribute to a more detailed design. Building your kitchen piece by piece also means you can be really creative in sourcing each item and finding the ones you really love, rather than being restricted to one company and choosing from their limited selection.
Beth of Imperfect Interiors suggests that it’s “worth considering getting your worktop from a professional supplier.” “Rowen & Wren and Corston both sell quality hardware at reasonable prices, and Mandarin Stone is a great place to go for interesting tile.”
Sheena of interior design studio None also appreciates the beauty of high-quality hardware. “Adding beautiful knobs and knobs will make doors and drawers feel special and unique,” she says. “We love Pruskin Hardware, Studio Henry Wilson, and Swarf Hardware.”
In addition to doors, Superfront also offers handles with a design. “We strive to create timeless pieces with a twist,” says Monica. “We also use authentic materials that will age beautifully over time and last forever, such as vegetable tanned leather, solid, untreated time-worn copper and real Carrara marble.”
Get creative to design something truly unique
Ultimately, the more adjustments and changes you make, the higher the individual score. Choosing your choice of fronts, knobs, and countertops will elevate your Ikea kitchen, but you can also get creative with your choice of colors and finishes across the doors, too.
Rachel from Custom Fronts suggests using a mix of materials. “For example, mix oak doors with colored ones for a calm yet interesting look.”
Monica at Superfront also encourages a more artistic approach. “Combining patterned doors with plain doors is another great example of how to make a kitchen look more detailed and designed,” she says. “For those who dare – doors in different colors are an option that creates an expression that is far from ordinary.”
Whatever you choose, try not to alter the integrity of Metod’s corpses. Becky at Ikea explains, ‘Metod is a great system for customization, but whatever you decide to add as custom items, try not to modify the bodies, it will be easier in the future to adapt the kitchen to a new style or layout if you want to make changes.