IKEA Kitchen: One Year Later (Regrets, Quality + Costs)

Have you ever wondered how an IKEA kitchen holds up after a year of daily use? Having added a secondary kitchen to our home due to space constraints, I share the realities of living with it – covering everything from durability and design to a transparent breakdown of the costs involved. Expect honest insights on what worked, what didn't, and key takeaways that could help you in your kitchen renovation journey.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 intro
0:36 installation + costs
2:29 the good
4:45 the bad
7:12 conclusion

ABOUT ME
Hey! :) I'm BaiXu, a Cambridge University graduate and architect based in Munich. I make videos, design spaces and share them online.
On this channel, I share information about architecture, design, home renovation and vlogs about my creator life in Germany.

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[baixu]

Have you ever wondered how an IKEA kitchen holds up after a year of daily use? Having added a secondary kitchen to our home due to space constraints, I share the realities of living with it – covering everything from durability and design to a transparent breakdown of the costs involved. Expect honest insights on what worked, what didn't, and key takeaways that could help you in your kitchen renovation journey.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 intro
0:36 installation + costs
2:29 the good
4:45 the bad
7:12 conclusion

[bettyboo]

I love your kitchen style. I’ve had my ikea kitchen since 2008, still looking good and going strong. Highly recommend an ikea kitchen to anyone thinking about getting one.

[SakakiHiroshi]

As someone with black or darker kitchen counter top and a coffee station as well, I can tell you the darker version is just as bad as the lighter one. We spill drops of coffee or coffee grounds on it, don't see it, and end up dirtying way more stuff by putting them on the counter top thinking it is clean! Guess the best solution remains to simply clean it as soon as we're done making coffee😅

[medickaisu]

Great job on your kitchen. I agree 100% with the drawers. All my lowers and the kitchen island are drawers and they are terrific. Great idea about the toe push bins. I will see if I can retrofit that. Using countertop for backsplash is all the rage on this side of the pond. I did choose a tile backsplash, but only because I broke the bank with quartz countertops and custom cabinets. I do love my kitchen and am grateful because I do know of people that spend a fortune and still get questionable quality. I believe my kitchen will outlive me and look great for decades. That was my goal.

[fineartlifestyling]

Lovely project, looks chic and elegant. I just wanted to add that IKEA does make a backsplash that matches the EKBACKEN counter, it is much cheaper than using the countertop material and is thinner so you have more space on your counter. So you can look into using the backsplash instead to save even more. It is called LYSEKIL wall panel.

[befaffled]

I love how your accent is a mix of so many. And I love how pragmatic you are about everything and how you get right to the point. Thanks!

[TheStanfordKid]

You WANT TO SEE coffee grinds and clean them, so yes white was a good choice for the countertop!

[gloglos]

IKEA frames and drawers are excellent value, well made.

[gloglos]

I love the likes black kitchen sinks, it makes colours pop. Fruit and vegetables look wondeful.

[gloglos]

Thanks re the splashback idea. I chose the golden solid wood countertop for the warmth with existing warm white drawer fronts

[MirunaVasi]

Love your kitchen! Still changes thsi corner so much, and adds life to the space :) Keep it up!

[jazzyanky]

Very practical. Appreciate your inputs. Keep up the good work

[betulg.a.]

I think IKEA should also offer a gold drain strainer for the gold sink tap. Unfortunately, gold on stainless steel doesn't look nice.

[Pseudonym-No]

Completely agree with the countertop. Wood can be very forgiving if not overly polished and perfect. However, water can quickly become an issue so it needs to be sealed well. Maybe you could just place a black batten (Leiste) in front of your task light to camouflage it?

[travisstorms]

You owned the cons with grace. Great job on the kitchen!

[mrsbryant]

We have got an ikea kitchen 6 years ago and will do it again now that we’re moving. I’ve noticed the beautiful doors of your cabinets. Would you recommend it for an open kitchen where the floor is a dark grey stone color? I can’t decide if we should take the black doors, the white counterparts or the askersund doors from ikea. The room has also the same walls with low ceilings as in your video but large windows facing south on the opposite side of the kitchen. I want it to feel warm and cozy but still elegant with depth and a focal point.

[BeeNænçëy]

Thank you for the super great review.
May you please tell us what you did for the inside panels of your cabinets to be black?🙏🏽 😊

[onepotmakesplenty]

I think a lot of people use the worktop as splashback these days...

[euneeci]

Your kitchen looks lovely. What did you use to secure the countertop material as a backsplash? Thanks

[SF-rulp]

I'm liking your practical content, Baixu.
Re the strip tasklight that is visible on the underside of the shelf - I might consider attaching a wider strip of black wood (cut from another shelf purchase). This would make the shelf look chunkier and mask the light fitting but it not the light itself. G Ire