14 Tips for Using the IKEA Kitchen Planner | Dendra Doors

3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Rendering - JHNS2 001

Update: Check out our newer post: How to Use the IKEA Kitchen Planner 2023. In it we cover how to use the new 3D IKEA Kitchen Planner tool. Spoilers!! It’s new and way easier to use.

The IKEA kitchen planner is a popular online tool that allows you to design your own kitchen. It’s easy to use, and there are a number of features that can help you create the perfect space for your needs. In this post, we will share 14 tips for using the IKEA kitchen planner tool. Keep reading to learn more.

2023 IKEA Kitchen Planner - Upper Cabinets Apartment Design.
2023 IKEA Kitchen Planner - Wide View Apartment Design.

If you aren’t inclined to Do It Yourself you can have IKEA help you to design your new IKEA kitchen. Though, learning these tips can still be helpful in the event of any mistakes or extra charges.

However, if you’re looking to fully customize your IKEA Kitchen, maybe by having an Interior Designer or Design/Build Firm work to get the most out of your IKEA Sektion Kitchen, it’s best to work with them from the onset. Bringing them into the design process later mid-way makes things unnecessarily complicated and can cost you more in the end.

3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Rendering - GLRD1 002
3D IKEA Kitchen Planner 2019 - GLRD1

Using the 3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Tool

Make sure to accurately measure your existing space, which means taking measurements at east twice. Once you’ve measured your kitchen you will need to locate the correct 3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Tool for your region:

IKEA 3D Kitchen Planner USA: https://kitchen.planner.ikea.com/us/en/

IKEA 3D Kitchen Planner Canada: https://kitchen.planner.ikea.com/ca/en/

IKEA 3D Kitchen Planner Mexico: https://kitchen.planner.ikea.com/mx/es/planner/

The first time you use the 3D IKEA Home Planner you’ll need to create a user profile so you can save your design so you can come back and make edits and corrections. If you’re asked to install a browser plugin, click yes and go through the prompts. You may need to restart your browser.

Important Tips for Using the IKEA Kitchen Planner

– Save Your Work!! After every change you make to your design, click save.

– Since you are working on 3D kitchen design renderings online, you will likely experience a bit of lag time. Meaning, you will perform a function like moving a door or window, or placing an IKEA Sektion base cabinet, and it can take a few seconds for your computer and the IKEA system to process the instructions.

– It’s recommended that you do most of your design work using the 3D Line View. It’s not as pretty as the Front 3D View, but you will find that the system operates a lot smoother. Use the Front 3D View when you want to verify how everything looks.

– Keep in mind that you are working out important design details for your new IKEA kitchen, so patience will help ensure your IKEA Kitchen design turns out right.

3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Rendering - ALG2 003
3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Rendering - JHNS3 002

Room Layout Tips for the IKEA Kitchen Planner

– When setting up your Room Layout, start by setting your ceiling height. For some unknown reason it defaults to 100 inches.

– Just like when measuring your actual available space remember that Door & Window dimensions are measured from the outside of the trim to the outside of the trim.

– The IKEA 3D Planner is configured using all IKEA products, including appliances. If you’re not buying IKEA appliances, for reference you will want to use whichever IKEA appliances match the dimensions of what you will be installing.

Custom Fronts and the IKEA Kitchen Planner

IKEA Sektion Kitchens are great, but their door profiles and finish options are rather limited. If you are planning on getting custom doors, drawer fronts, and panels for your IKEA cabinets, you will need to go through and remove the original fronts from the IKEA Home Planner Item List as described below.

Pay attention to your inner drawer and door fronts. Usually clients stick with the original white IKEA fronts for their inners, but that all depends on your overall design. If you include the occasional clear glass insert for the outer doors you might want custom finishes that match for your inners.

3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Rendering - JHNS3 001
3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Rendering - ALG2 004

Verify Your IKEA Planner Item List

– Make Sure to remove any appliances, sinks, lighting accessories, countertops, and other items from your Item List that you don’t plan to buy.

– To remove items that you’ve added for reference or IKEA has added automatically click on the item, go to the list of parts in the Options column on the right, and remove each unneeded item.

– IKEA Toe Kick panels are 84” X 4 1/2”. The IKEA Planner will add a Toe Kick Panel for each base cabinet. It’s good to have an extra piece of Toe Kick, but you will end up removing quite a few from your IKEA Planner Item List.

Once You Have Placed Your IKEA Cabinet Order

These days with all the Supply Chain issues it’s recommended that if you are planning to order custom fronts for IKEA cabinets, you should order them as soon as you have your final IKEA Planner Item List. If you have installers to schedule, you want to plan ahead and limit complications.

3D IKEA Kitchen Planner Rendering - GLRD1 003
3D IKEA Kitchen Planner 2019 - FRND1

Verify Your IKEA Planner Item List

– As soon as your IKEA cabinet delivery arrives you will need to count your parts, especially hardware. Even before supply chain issues were so common, this had been an important piece of advice we provided all our remodel clients.

– Of course you will want to check for any defects and potential damage from your kitchen’s journey from the factory to your home. However, one of the most common mistakes even contractors make is to not count all of your hardware pieces. Make sure you don’t have to run to your local IKEA store on the day of the installation over hinges and handles.

Written by Todd Zimmerman

Producer of the John Webbccast