IKEA kitchens have been very popular for years. They are, of course, especially notable for the attractive price. But the possibilities with an IKEA kitchen are also quite extensive. So you have a lot to choose from and you will have to do a few things yourself. This is easier for some people than for others. How exactly does buying an IKEA kitchen work? What can you expect?
An important point to be aware of with an IKEA kitchen is the amount of work involved. Unlike more regular kitchen stores where the seller takes you in tow, IKEA has to actively manage your kitchen project itself. For example, you will have to measure your departure yourself, choose a layout and make a choice for cabinets, styles, appliances, sink and counter top. IKEA has everything for sale, but you will have to decide for yourself what is right for you.
Design your own IKEA kitchen
But having to do the design yourself is not necessarily a negative point. It does mean that you are in control. And that you have to consciously think about many things and make choices, so that you come up with the best kitchen for your situation. A new kitchen involves a lot of work and there are many options and choices. And what the best choice is often depends on your own preferences and the way you are going to use your kitchen. A tip here is to view the IKEA kitchen brochure. Here you can see what is possible within the IKEA METOD kitchen system. The brochure is no less than 80 pages in size and can be viewed online.
The IKEA Kitchen Planner
To design your new kitchen, you can use the 3D Kitchen Planner online on the IKEA website. In the Kitchen Planner you can enter the dimensions of your room and indicate things such as windows, doors and walls. You can then build your kitchen, with all types of cabinets and elements from the IKEA range at your disposal. You can try out and vary endlessly with this. For some people this is a disadvantage, for others a plus. In this way you are able to try all the interesting possibilities in a casual way, in order to arrive at your ideal layout. In the Kitchen Planner you can see both a 2D and 3D view. In addition, you can rotate and zoom in your entire kitchen design in 3D, in order to have a good look at everything.
All details can choose
You can choose anything, including door jambs, baseboards, decor moldings, handles, side panels and shims. But also the built-in appliances such as a hob, dishwasher, oven, microwave, extractor hood and refrigerators and freezers. Finally, you can also select a sink and tap. In addition, you can also choose a color or style for the walls and floors, in order to decorate the whole. This gives a much better idea of what the end result will look like.
Multiple designs in the IKEA Kitchen Planner
Your design is stored on the IKEA server, so you can access your design from anywhere. The design will be kept for a year, so you have plenty of time to develop your design. In addition, you can save multiple designs, so that you can develop and compare different alternatives. You can request a bill of materials of your design in the IKEA Kitchen Planner. This gives you immediate insight into the cost of everything you need to realize your designed kitchen. You can therefore easily find out for yourself what different alternatives will cost.
In the IKEA store
Once you have your kitchen design ready, you can go to an IKEA store to discuss your design with an employee.
There are computers in the store where you can simply log in to the IKEA site and open your design again. Together you walk through your design so that it is clear what the intention is. The employee will check that there are no strange things in the design or that important things are still missing. This may concern certain choices in terms of layout, but it is also checked whether all details are correct. If applicable, some alternatives may be proposed, which will be immediately implemented on the spot. All the time necessary for these conversations is taken and that is very pleasant.
Take everything home
When everything is clear, the employee in the kitchen department makes an end list with all the products needed for the kitchen. This list indicates exactly where everything can be found in the self-service warehouse. You can then use the list to find the self-service warehouse and search everything together. It is advisable to pick up the items in the same order as they are in the warehouse, so that the large boxes are at the bottom of the cart. Then you pay for all the parts at the checkout and you can take it home.
Not everything is in the self-service warehouse
Certain parts are not in the self-service warehouse. These parts are collected and prepared by an IKEA employee. These items are put on a separate list in the kitchen department. You can pick up and pay for these items at a counter close to customer service. This often applies to built-in appliances, but also to many glass doors, for example. What exactly is and is not in the self-service warehouse can differ per IKEA store.
If you buy a complete kitchen, chances are that you cannot keep everything on one or even two carts, so you have to take that into account. IKEA also offers the option to have all of this done for a fee. This is called the ‘collection and transportation service’.
Assemble IKEA kitchen
An IKEA kitchen is more work than a kitchen of most kitchen stores, because all the cabinets still have to be put together. This is not very difficult, but for people with two left hands it is probably a challenge nonetheless. When you have put one or two cabinets together, the rest will simply follow. If you hire someone to do all that for you, the cost of the kitchen will increase again and you will lose some of the benefit of an IKEA kitchen. The amount of time it takes to assemble an IKEA kitchen is highly dependent on the size of the kitchen and the cabinets and appliances it contains. But apart from having to assemble cabinets, assembling an IKEA kitchen will be similar to other kitchens.
More often back to the IKEA store
There is a lot to consider with a complete kitchen. Therefore, there is a good chance that something will not go quite right. For example, it may be that something appears to be missing or damaged. This is also often the case with kitchens from other suppliers. At IKEA, however, you will have to go back to arrange it yourself, while at a reputable kitchen store this is normally part of the service. In addition, it can happen at IKEA that certain parts are no longer in stock when you come to collect everything. In that case you will also have to go back to the store.
Guarantee on an IKEA kitchen
IKEA gives a twenty-five year warranty on its kitchens and that is a lot. Many other kitchen things do not match them. However, there are a number of conditions attached. The 25 year warranty applies to cabinets, hinges, fronts, doors, skirting boards, legs, cover panels and certain worktops and sinks. IKEA provides a standard five-year warranty on all built-in appliances, which is also more than at most kitchen or white goods stores. Finally, a warranty period of ten years applies to all kitchen mixers. You must keep your receipt for the warranty. Because the warranty period lasts so long, it is advisable to make a copy of the receipt, so that everything is still clearly legible after a few years.
IKEA service
In general, the IKEA service is excellent. If there is damage, or if you accidentally picked up the wrong product in the warehouse and took it with you, exchange or money back is normally no problem. In the IKEA store you have to pull a number from the customer service department and wait for your turn. You may have bought products worth thousands of euros, but you are treated the same as someone who bought a twilight lamp for twenty euros. That is of course one of the ways that IKEA can offer the kitchens so cheaply.
Conclusion
Buying a new kitchen is quite an undertaking. Both in terms of the costs and the choices and the work that entails. If you choose an IKEA kitchen, you save money, but there is more work and input from yourself. For some people this is undesirable, but the advantage is that you are actively involved in all steps, so that you can fill in everything as desired. In this way a kitchen is created of which you can rightly say: That is my kitchen.