You know I am the world’s biggest proponent of doing things “the hard way.” But sometimes, I see these Ikea kitchen makeovers, and I think: They look pretty darn good and would be so easy, especially compared to spending five years hunting down vintage steel cabinets. Case in point, above: Jerry has embarked on a new project — buying midcentury homes in Pittsburgh and renovating them, as required and in period-sympathetic style, for rental. I like to show lots of different ways to go after your home remodeling projects. I have never shown an Ikea kitchen before. I think this could be a very practical and relatively affordable solution for many people. Read on for Jerry’s story, for more photos, and for more discussion of The Ikea Option. Do you have experience with these cabinets? Please share!
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Jerry writes:
Hi Pam,I have attached pictures of my first Mid-Century Modest Renovation. The house is a ranch built in 1963 that I renovated to rent to retro appreciators. So far that has been a bit of a tough sell in Pittsburgh, but I am not giving up. In fact, I am looking at a second property to rehab in the same manner. Many of the resources I used to refurbish this ranch came directly from info I obtained through Retro Renovation.Actually, aside from the kitchen not much is new. The kitchen was gutted, everything is new except the doorbell cover (Nutone). The pattern for the floor tile came from Retro Renovation.Ikea cabinets, glass back splash and fixtures (new). Boomerang Formica counter top. The only color still in the line (gray). I have also attached an image of the kitchen (before). The old metal cabinets are still down in the garage, but I am afraid this kitchen endured a bad 70’s makeover.Bathroom does have new sink, toilet and medicine cabinet. The cabinet came from Retro Renovation. The sink in a house brand, but I thought it looked a lot like some of the Crane models you showcased.The black and white tile is original as are the chalk fish above the shower (attached). The floor tile was original. It was hard to believe that the whole first floor was covered in this sherbet green sculpted carpet, even the bathroom. When I pulled up the carpet in the bathroom there was this beautiful white tile with black and grey specks. It took a bunch of stripping and scrubbing to get the old wax and carpet residue off, but it came out really beautiful.The drapes either came from companies you listed on RR (living room) or from cloth purchased at a local thrift store, thanks to my wife Mary Jo. All the furniture is mid-century, mostly purchased from two local stores Mostly Mod (no longer in business) and Retro on 8th both in Homestead, PA right down the street.The Lane bedroom came from Craigslist. The hardwood floors were refinished. Oh, and the house numbers came from Home Depot through information from one of the blogs you link to. All the light fixtures are new except the swags and the side-table lamp in the living room.Jerry
More info and more photos on this rental house in West Mifflin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania can be seen at:
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Thank you, Jerry — what a lovely remodel, and way to go for your love of the midcentury modest and your desire to preserve and restore these homes.
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I really love the way you rearranged the appliances in the kitchen — the refrigerator looks great at the back now. The floor is terrific, and I know that many readers will love how you incorporated the glass tile backsplash. You also finished out the bathroom perfectly, and omg, that original floor! I sure hope you find an appreciative renter for #4201 — and for a long series of fixer-uppers to come. P.S., Go Steelers!!!!
Resources for this remodel:
- Ikea Akurum kitchen cabinets – now discontinued but Ikea usually has similar cabinet systems available see ’em here.
- Patterns for 1950s vinyl tile floors
- Formica boomerang laminate countertop, Charcoal
- Nutone 455FL medicine cabinet with side lights
- Barkcloth for living room curtains from Tonic Living
Let’s talk about the long-term quality
of Ikea and other stock kitchen cabinets today
Okay, peoples, now on to Ikea. It is pretty amazing, the selection of cabinets this company offers, including the many door styles and colors. The basic white sink cabinet I showed above is: $58. My gosh, my family can spend that much on dinner at an inexpensive Italian restaurant.
Glossy red over MDF — sliders in the case of the wall cabinet, above.
Hey, the door above ain’t too far from Avocado, so Ikea gets props from that. There are many colors and woodgrains, glass-fronts, too….
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Honestly, I’ve never written about Ikea cabinets before, for two reasons. (1) Because I always felt like other blogs had that territory well covered, and I wanted to plow new ground. And (2) Because I have these qualms about the longterm quality of these cabinets. Hey: I have my qualms about the longterm quality of Almost All stock cabinets you’d buy today “at low prices” from Big Box stores… and even qualms about “not so low priced” cabinets from a variety of sources.
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I am not an expert on all the different kitchen cabinet manufacturers or even, exactly what to look for to ensure good long-term quality. When I was doing my aquamarine kitchen, I bought a Consumer Reports online subscription to see what they recommended. As I recall, key issues included looking for: Solidity of “the box” that that doors and drawers to screwed on to. Indeed, the doors and drawers on our 1975 cabinets were all falling off their cheap (clearly) particle board boxes.
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I have this expectation, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable: Kitchen cabinets should last virtually forever. Well-made 1950s wood cabinets did. My steel cabinets will. How long will these Ikeas — and other “affordable” kitchen cabinets made today — made today last?
This summer, Dear Husband and I stayed at a place on vacation that had an Ikea Akurum kitchenette — I took photos, of course, there it is, above. I just asked DH what he remembered about the cabinets. I knew he would remember, because I was all interested in them at the time and tortured him to look at them with me. His recollection, verbatim: “They were nice, they were stylish… but they were chintzy… you know… thin.”
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I don’t want to make anyone feel bad if they have these cabinets in their home. I think they could work very well for many people. They may last a long time — much longer than my fears suggest. And oh my gosh, the price for the style sounds fantastic. But will they last long enough and provide the solid “thump” hand-feel that would it would take to satisfy hard-to-satisfy me? I don’t think so, not to live with for the rest of my life. But for a carefully used single-, couple- or family kitchen, a rental, a mother-in-law apartment, a vacation house? Yes, sounds like Ikea is worth checking out.
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Devon says
Well I’ve been a long time lurker here, but first time to comment.
I bought a 1978 foreclosure last June that lets say needed a bit of attention, primarily in the kitchen which was a black mold pitri dish. The original 1978 cabinets were still in place, but had been spray painted white during a horrible early 90s “remodel.” The quality was terrible as the drawer bottoms were collapsing, the doors were falling off their hinges, and there was dirt and grime that would NEVER come out.
I ended up gutting the entire kitchen to studs, and raising the ceiling 12″ as the 1978 cutout for the recessed flourescent lighting had been poorly filled in during the 90s remodel. I went with Akurm cabinets from IKEA, as the budget was small for this project, and will say this:
1. The frames are easy to assemble, it takes much longer to measure and install the pulls and adjust the door gaps (would be easier with one hole knobs vs. two hole handles).
2. The quality is decent for what you pay, nothing more or less. Sadly, they are much higher quality than the original builder-grade 1978 cabinets, for whatever that’s worth.
3. As mentioned earlier in the thread, the star of these cabinets is the hardware. It is manufactured by Blum, and the drawer slides, hinges, and soft close dampers are what give these cabinets that quality feel, not so much the frames themselves.
I’ve only had them in place for five months, so still too early to tell how they’ll hold up over the long term, but so far so good.
I’m a huge fan of this blog, and am on my own mission to undo the horrible “improvements” that have been made to my house over the years. I’ll send along some pictures soon of an upcoming grasscloth installation and room divider project!
pam kueber says
Welcome, Devon. I am really happy you’ve come out of *lurker* status. YES: Send me pics! When you are ready for prime time, reach out to me via the Contact form, that will get us started. Congrats on your new/old house… sounds like it found the “right” owner.
Ann V says
I put an Ikea kitchen in my old house, a 1920s bungalow, in 2004. I was very happy with them. Based on my research at the time, they were the best available besides custom. I installed them myself with some help from family members when I needed extra hands. I didn’t find them to difficult to install, but I’m pretty handy. I saw my old house in a real estate listing recently, and the kitchen still looked just like I left it, so I feel like they’re holding up well. The hardware was really high quality. Very nice hinges, drawers that pulled all the way out and softly closed themselves, etc. That was a great kitchen!
You can see it here:
http://www.annsprojects.com/2011/05/my-old-kitchen-before-and-after.html
chris says
Ann — very cool! I especially love the glass front, built-in display cabinet and the black and white tile backsplash!
Ann V says
Thanks! That glass front cabinet is actually a free standing piece from Ikea. It just happened to fit perfectly in that spot.
Jamie says
Okay, I’ve gotta put my two cents in! I purchased $3000 worth of IKEA cabinets, hardware and dishwasher and are happy with most. Like someone else said, you get what you pay for. The quality of the wood is not good, BUT (and it’s a big but) what are you going to do with cabinets besides open and close them??? I weighted the options and are happy with the results. My husband, who is a general contractor, says that yes the bases are made with cheap materials but that unless our kids deside to hang on them them they’ll stand up to opening and shutting for many years to come. If you are like me and have little $ to work with and want to pay cash then these could be a great bargan. I bought the high gloss shine because I don’t like the fake wood-trying-to-look-like-real wood feel. They turned out great and as soon as everything is finished I’ll post pictures. Just a suggestion though… it is worth traveling to an IKEA just to see the material. The pictures online make the quality look almost too good. Oh, and NEVER return anything without a receipt!
midmodjobs says
I have found the quality of IKEA cabinets to be decent. You have to look at the amount of money and time, and your expectations. I would never expect the quality or longevity from IkEA. In Cabinetry, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. I have built a few bath vanities. Not difficult but labor intensive. I laminate mine, but imagine adding coat after coat of finish, and then the labor intensive process to get a furniture quality shine. My brother used Ikea in his very high end more traditional style kitchen. They seem as good as any. I prefer the look of rich stained woods. I purchased mid grade home depot for my kitchen and was disappointed in many aspects. Details go completely out the window with mass produced wood cabinetry. Also, usually just the face frame and doors are actual solid wood. Were it an option we would have considered Ikea metal cabinets. I do want to address a comment made in these posts. Not all Mid century cabinetry lasts forever. We would have kept ours, as it really defied the period and with stood time in a style sense. However, the original Knockdown, Modular laminate had very heavy melamine edge banding, and for the most part it was crumbling off. The laminated surfaces were flawless. I honestly think bullets would have deflected off of them. Think of it this way though. What is forever? 50-60 years? That is of everyday use, opening closing, slamming, grease, steam, hand oils, and acids, cans, and pots and pans, heavy ceramic dishes, etc. Would wouldn’t ever expect that from a car, or a refrigerator (at least these days). Bottom line. If you can get 20 years out of a set. Or even if they survive one or two children, your are ahead of the curve. I will say this, the next set, I am going to build my self.
pam kueber says
I hear ya. But: My 1963 Genevas are 49 years old… and still look fantastic and operate perfectly. Mind you, the nuns apparently only used them 8 years. Even so, I think that many brands of vintage steel cabinets were built like tanks. You ever seen the St. Charles’? AMAZING. I really believe there is a “forever” option if you are willing to endure the hassle. Also, I think your parenthetical that we don’t expect that level of durability “(at least these days)” is right — and, a sad sad sad sad commentary on our throwaway society. More than sad: Disgusting. Sorry to get all judgmental. I try not to, in general.
stacia schaefer says
I am curious about the sink–what kind of material is that?
Jamie says
Hello. This is the first time I’ve ever commented on anything here, just usually listen. About IKEA sinks… I cannot recomend them. A bathroom might be okay but they are made from virous (sp?) china and scratch easily! My bathroom sink, no problem but the kitchen sink looks BAD after 6 months of regular use!
pam kueber says
Hi Jamie, thanks for your comment — and for coming out of *lurking* status. Now that I have approved your first comment, your comments should show up immediately. 🙂
chris says
Jamie — thanks for this info! I’ve been wondering about an Ikea sink!
pam kueber says
Jamie, I don’t have any knowledge about using vitreous china sinks in the kitchen. Thanks for making this point. The Kohler cast iron hudee-rimmed kitchen sink (also available without hudee) is cast iron with a porcelain enamel finish. Thrifters: Watch for these at Re-Stores, too — they are there! The other option: Good stainless steel, like Elkay, new or vintage.
stacia schaefer says
I asked about the sink because it looks a lot like the one I have–some kind of man made “stone” that is sort of pourous. I loved the look of it and the deep single basin. However, 1.5 years after installation it is heavily stained with minerals from the water, since the kitchen sink is the one place where there is no softener. I am working on replacing it right now since it looks so bad. If I remember the name of that material I’ll post it. It could maybe work in white but the dark color really has problems. Mine came from a box store, so maybe this is not an Ikea sink. Just wanted to warn your readers about this issue.
Jerry Coltin says
The sink is granite.
lynda says
I have lots of experience with Ikea cabinets. If you are DIY person, the cabinets are great. When you pay someone to put them together, the price starts to compare with some of Lowes or HD cabinets. Also, you can be very creative with the cabinets. There are sites online that give you many ideas–like using the 24″ deep wall cabinets (for over the fridge) as a sleek wall hung vanity in the bath. Also, if you are skilled, the cabinets can be cut down and reworked. My husband did that with a base cabinet to make a desk. We have had Ikea kitchen cabinets in our breakfast room for at least 20 years. We have them in a craft room and we used them in a bathroom. If you can use 24″ deep cabinets in the bath, they are great. (most vanities are only 22″ deep) The box frames are inexpensive, it is the door styles that add the cost to to the cabinets. Some doors are solid wood, some laminate, some veneer, etc. We used a solid pine door in our bath about 10 years ago and we are very happy with the quality. Also note that if you want glass, only one glass comes with each door style. So if you only want clear glass, only certain doors have clear glass, frosted glass with others, etc. The store designers will help you figure out the layouts. I think it is much more fun to be very creative and use the cabinets in unexpected ways. I do agree with the commenter that said the cabinets have a Euro look rather than a MCM look. However, in the 70’s contemporary home, the Euro look was very popular in some of the high end houses. (Poggenpohl from Germany) The solid slab wood doors might give a little more of MCM look. However, I think for an update on a kitchen, they look great. Ikea does tend to change door styles most years. If you find the door you love, you may want to buy, because it could be discontinued in a couple of years. Also, the kitchen cabinets are much sturdier than the other types of cabinets in Ikea–like the Billy. Instead of using Billy for bookcases, use the kitchen cabinets. You can also add moldings to the seams and to the top to really make the cabinets look built in. For open cabinets, the laminate can be painted after using a proper primer.
AND lastly, the Pittsburgh house looked fabulous. We have a few flippers in our neighborhoods, but they are not creative. Wood cabinets, stainless appliances, granite counters and new wood floors are the standard recipe to redo the house. They do seem to sell. Sometimes others just want what is latest and greatest and don’t get the whole design for the era of the home concept.
Charlotte says
Jerry’s remodel looks great! I’ve heard differing opinions on IKEA, but I think the key is finding someone who can do the installation properly. That seems to be an issue with all their products – it’s only rickety if you don’t put it together correctly! It’s true that IKEA doesn’t have dovetail joints, so their drawers aren’t going to be as sturdy as something high-end, but for the price, they have a good reputation. Also, i believe they have a lengthy warranty, which beats cabinets from big box stores at the same price point by a mile.
Jocelyn W. says
Hey, Pittsburgh mid-century fans represent! I think Jerry’s re-do looks great. I can understand, though, why it might be a tough sell…most people have their own furniture, and Pittsburgh is not exactly fashion-forward, design-wise. But hopefully there’s a young person or grad student out there for whom this furnished home would be perfect.
We too are majorly mourning the passing of Mostly Mod…Pam, the gold couch and teal chairs you featured from me in your teal story came from there, as did a bunch of our lamps. Now we’re left with just Retro on 8th (mostly collectibles) and Who New? (mostly accessories and $$$).
Kate says
I used Ikea cabinets in my total gut kitchen remodel of my last house (1800s cape cod style) that had suffered a bad 80s kitchen remodel. I used white Ikea cabinets (the extra tall uppers since I had very high ceilings and a very small kitchen) to maximize the storage space in my tiny kitchen. My husband and I did all the planning/hauling/installing ourselves. My list of pros/cons is as followed:
Pros:
Price is great. We got all the cabinets for our kitchen for $1300 including pulls and knobs.
Storage is great. We got a lazy susan for the corner cabinet that stored so much more than we could have before (and we could find everything!) We used pull out baskets in some lower cabinets to aid in ease of food storage, and the extra tall upper cabinets added extra storage to our smallish kitchen.
Hinges/drawer slides are fantastic! They are quiet, strong and easy to operate.
Look is good. If you want something modern without the expensive price, this is your place.
Cons:
When you go to Ikea to buy your cabinets, you get your list of “ingredients” printed out from the kitchen center, pay for it and then wait about an hour for them to bring your parts down for you. Then they give you a checklist to check off each and every part in the carts to make sure it is there (by number) We had a 9×12 kitchen and the parts for our cabinets took us about an hour to check off before we could load them up and bring them home.
Installation: Finding the right part in your mountain of parts is hard! Make sure you have extra room to assemble the cabinets! (we didn’t have much space since our house was tiny and all our kitchen stuff was scattered around the rest of the house taking up available floor space.
My final verdict, Ikea cabinets look great, work great (not sure about the holding up part, as we lived with them for 2.5 years and then moved into our new house-but they looked like new when we left), fit in the budget well but are a NIGHTMARE to install (I can’t imagine if you had a large kitchen!) Would I do it again? Probably not. Do I like the final results? Yes.
For my new house, I am keeping and painting the worn plywood 1960s cabinets.
http://retroranchrevamp.com/2012/01/29/stove-top-stuff-inn/
lynda says
You are absolutely right about the buying process at Ikea. It can be exhausting to figure it all out and just get it home. I feel like you need an Ikea PHD to get it right! But it is a genius system that does save money. Our latest use of Ikea cabinets was to hang refrigerator wall cabinets 24″ deep in our garage . We used some 12″ deep wall cabinets too. We have everything attached to the wall to so nothing is on the floor. We put in a new vinyl roll out floor from Costco. I can’t believe it is our garage! The cost was very reasonable for the garage redo.
Laura A. says
Ooooh, Kate – I just popped over to your site. LOVE.
Kate says
Thanks Laura! 🙂
Laura A. says
I did a kitchen renovation in an apartment several years ago and didn’t even consider going to IKEA. I spent over $4000 on cabinets from Home Depot – they were strictly “mid-range” quality and they never bowled me over in style or structure. Around the same time, a friend did an IKEA renovation on her kitchen. She paid a lot less for a aesthetically gorgeous kitchen of similar quality.
I can’t recommend IKEA fixtures or appliances, but for cabinets, islands, hardware – the price is right. You won’t find better quality in that range no matter where you shop.