Article by Michelle Heslop. Photos by Jody Beck.
You don’t have to look far to get the scoop on the latest Ikea kitchens, especially when they’re advertised on HDTV and backed by celebrities like Canada’s own Jillian Harris from Love It or List It Vancouver. Beyond its budget-friendly price point, Ikea Kitchens are always evolving and offer plenty of benefits. So when this professional couple wanted to update their “cramped and crowded” 1980’s kitchen in their three bedroom home, they turned to IKAN Installations to help design and install their Ikea Kitchen. Gladly saying goodbye to their overflowing junk drawers and massive cabinetry full of dead space, the owners are relishing in their 240-square-feet of functional flow where storage and organization take the lead and create a layout ready for entertaining.
IKAN provides an economical way of bringing an interior designer into your home and emphasizes the design plan as integral to creating a beautiful and functional Ikea kitchen. The owners add that “we love Ikea Kitchens and knew we would hire IKAN Installations to design and install our kitchen — we wanted the clean lines of Ikea cabinets with the unparalleled storage and organization options. IKAN’s interior designer really understood our needs and how we wanted to use our existing space.”
IKAN designer, Christine Pitts suggested the couple create more counter workspace and integrate more usable cabinetry and drawer organizers. “Our original kitchen was old and worn and despite the area being 240sqft, there was not much room for maneuvering. There was absolutely no flow and the workspace felt crowded,” add the owners. The BJÖRKET cabinets in birch with ORRNÄS handles offer a light and airy aesthetic that is cohesive with the rest of the home’s feel. The Ikea DOMSJÖ double bowl apron front sink brings a homey farmhouse feel to the kitchen.
Like most Ikea enthusiasts, organization was at the top of the homeowner’s remodel wishlist and included a request for upper cabinets and lower storage drawers. One of the primary advantages of Ikea cabinets is that they are completely modular — they come in many configurations and can adapt to your needs and style. Drawers within drawer systems maximize storage and maintain order while keeping the cabinet facades minimal and consistent. The level of customization you can get for the price really is unbeatable.
All the internal components of Ikea cabinets are made by Blum, an Austrian company, that manufactures some of the best kitchen hardware on the market. Cabinets and drawers are all easy-glide, soft close and full extension. Top of the Ikea line, the stainless steel NUTID convection oven is self-cleaning and comes with a five-year warranty.
Serious costs savings on cabinets means that you can splurge on countertop materials and appliances. Caesarstone Quartz countertops are non-porous and stain resistant while the dark grey backsplash adds a touch of shine to the matte cabinetry. The Ikea NUTID induction cooktop is energy efficient and pairs well with the Ikea GODMODIG hood fan.
