Article by Michelle Heslop. Photos courtesy of IKEA.
Say goodbye to overflowing junk drawers and oversized cabinets full of dead space; IKEA has launched its new modular kitchen system, SEKTION. For over twenty years, IKEA’s former kitchen cabinet system, AKURUM, offered great value with an impressive 25-year warranty and a sleek, modern design at an affordable price. After selling over 7.7 million AKURUM cabinets, IKEA made the bold leap to the SEKTION line in Februrary 2015. Now busier than ever, Kyler Davalovsky from IKAN Installations sat down with MHV to give us the inside scoop on the SEKTION line, which celebrities have used the new line in their kitchens and why it might be the best change IKEA has made.
An iteration of the former AKURUM line, Davalovsky reports that, “SEKTION retains all the advantages of AKURUM, like the line’s ease of planning, 25-year warranty, modern design, and budget-friendly price point but the new line has added some major bells and whistles, making it the best return on investment.” SEKTION aims to balance both design and functionality with a greater range of cabinet heights and depths, drawers within drawers, new frames, hinges, lighting, styles and interior options.
“Change is a good thing and SEKTION has generated a lot of excitement in Victoria for us,” Davalovsky adds. Even though the AKURUM line is not compatible with SEKTION, IKEA will continue to maintain the warranty on AKURUM and will still be manufacturing the line until October, 2015. The major change that has IKAN singing is SEKTION’s sizing and dimensions, making every kitchen completely customizable. “SEKTION has a whole new set of measurements that are now available in 4 even heights: 15, 20, 30 and 40 inches which gives us the flexibility to customize kitchens to suit any space. The sizing options help streamline the design so cabinets can interconnect with ease,” Davalovsky says. Unlike AKURUM, SEKTION is now available in two depths: 15 inches and 24 inches to provide more storage space. “The possibilities of SEKTION really are infinite,” states Davalovsky.
SEKTION maintains the most popular cabinet styles from the AKURUM line and brings sleeker, more modern options with the welcomed addition of bright colours to create kitchens that are stylish and personal. Imagine the spectrum of design styles from Scandinavian minimalism to hutch-like cabinets for a cozy traditional cottage; SEKTION has you covered. “The new line offers drawers from 5 inches and door fronts up to 60 inches, allowing you to cover several drawers of varying sizes with one larger front to create a more streamlined, minimalist aesthetic with plenty of powerful storage options hidden inside,” states Davalovsky.
“All the internal components of SEKTION 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,” adds Davalovsky. But SEKTION’s real masterpiece comes in the form of its lower profile hinge plates allowing more components into a cabinet than ever before. A unique drawers within drawers system maximizes storage and organization while keeping the cabinet facades minimal and consistent. Crucial to any efficient kitchen, particularly small-space design, hidden stacked drawers have the capability to double kitchen storage. If the stacking drawer system doesn’t have you flocking to IKEA, SEKTION also allows you to light these storage systems with integrated lighting. LED strip lights and puck lighting can light your base cabinets and cutlery drawer adding to the functionality of your modular space.
Davalovsky adds that, “SEKTION is proving to be a superior product for customizing and maximizing spaces and creating a better value for our clients, but it really is the design plan that is integral to creating a beautiful and functional kitchen. IKAN provides an economical way of bringing an interior designer into your home. I always advise clients that design is not the place to try to save money. A few hours invested with a designer is the best return on investment; it is critical to get it right the first time with no regrets. Creating a kitchen is incredibly personal so it is important that our designers work closely with clients to bring ideas together, to integrate the client’s personal features, but also create the most efficient use of space. SEKTION is giving us the opportunity to customize unique kitchens for each client.”
“We like to think of IKAN as, ‘design on a dime’ which allows more breathing room within budgets. If clients can save on the design and materials, they can splurge on accents like countertops, fixtures, or lighting that can make your kitchen unique to you. Clients often tell us they got more than what they expected because they had a little more room in the budget than anticipated,” says Davalovsky.
If IKAN’s full schedule is any indication of what Victorians think of SEKTION, I think it’s safe to say, it has our approval. “During the transition from AKURUM to SEKTION, people waited patiently for SEKTION and now it is full steam ahead; people are learning about it and jumping on board,” Davalovsky states. IKEA generated excitement for the line by aligning themselves with some of Canada’s biggest name designers and chefs, like interior designer,Jillian Harris and world class chef, Lynn Crawford. “Seeing SEKTION backed by world class chefs and represented on HDTV adds to client confidence and the warranties are incredible; 25-years is unheard of in kitchen cabinetry,” says Davalovsky.
