Planning an Ikea Kitchen Renovation

via House Tweaking

I knew I wanted to gut a kitchen before we found our new house. I should really use the word we here but that would be a lie. Andrew is one hundred percent (I think) on board for the new kitchen but he could have lived with an existing kitchen. I could not and one of these days I will explain why.

I don't know anyone with an Ikea kitchen but I do know they have a good reputation thanks to the countless blog posts and articles I've read backing up that claim. I also know that kitchen renovations can be costly, and we have to work within the realm of our financial reality. I also don't like paying too much for things (unless you're a pair of Loeffler Randall soft as butter leather boots) and we all know how affordable Ikea can be. But really none of that would have mattered had I not continually discovered that all of the kitchens I liked were in fact Ikea (like the one pictured above). Who knew design magazines were full of Ikea kitchens? Definitely not me.

It took me two trips to the house to decide that I was on board with it. It was one of those love at first sight things for Andrew, and I had already decided I wasn't going to like it before we set foot in the door that first evening. I just spent six years of my life in a house that never felt like home, I didn't want to make that mistake again.

When the deal was done and we went in to meet with our kitchen designer... I cringed when the current homeowner asked what we planned on doing with their kitchen. It's going, all of it, was what I wanted to say, but instead I softly explained how we were intent on having exactly what we wanted this time around and that we were going to take it apart carefully and sell it online.

The verdict is still out on how careful we will be with its removal but the day after we close, that puppy is coming out.

We decided to hire a designer and installer pre new home purchase as well. The last thing I want is for any part of this renovation to scream diy and after having spent one evening playing around on the ikea designer we had an idea of how bad stockholm syndrome could become if we didn't seek professional help. If you're reading this and you did it all yourself and your kitchen looks fantastic, well good for you.

Right now we've made the big decisions, we've purchased appliances, ordered countertops through Emerald Tile here in Ottawa and ordered the faucet and sink. Deciding on the doors for the cabinets was probably the single most difficult decision to date because when we started, we weren't going to use Ikea doors at all, we were going to go with Semi Handmade Doors.

Decisions that still keep me up at night include... deciding on cabinet hardware, backsplash, lighting, floating shelves, nook countertop and a rug (because every kitchen my eyes love is home to a fabulous rug).

I will share more details as they firm up. Hope you're enjoying your Monday!