Custom Doors for IKEA Cabinets – Q&A 3
We pride ourselves on being as informative as possible for homeowners and aspiring designers. There are many legitimate questions about design trends, manufacturers, and cost effective options for new and remodeled IKEA kitchens. While costs climb and kitchens remain one of the most expensive parts of a home, it pays to be informed. This week we take time to answer another stack of common questions our clients ask during the early stages of their kitchen projects.
How can you make Shaker cabinets look modern?
With the right color and/or laminate finish Shaker doors can actually stand out and deliver more of an ultra-modern look for your home. Painted Shaker doors can deliver bold colors that really brighten up a palette and design. Of course, whether you buy them painted or DIY, painted cabinet doors tend to be far more more expensive than laminate and many veneer options.
We’ve talked a bit about Shaker doors and how traditional or modern they can be depending on their chosen finish. With a wider frame, recessed panel, and relatively plain profile, a Shaker can come off as subdued. Our SmartMatte and SuperMatte finishes are a favorite for a reason: The color options in combination with the texture and contour provided by thermofoil wrap, renders a next-level futuristic look.
Can you put different fronts on IKEA cabinets?
Definitely. One of the upsides of buying IKEA cabinets is that they have standardized sizing. This makes it easy for companies like Dendra Doors (and plenty of others) to produce doors, drawer fronts, panels, and trim that perfectly matches IKEA cabinets. As long as the sizing is standard the cabinet fronts will come pre-drilled and ready to install.
Installing retrofitted doors on IKEA cabinet boxes is a way vastly increase design options. Quality custom doors on the reliable, cleverly designed, and thoroughly warrantied IKEA cabinets, is hard to beat.
Is it possible to replace cabinet doors only?
As long as the cabinet boxes are in good condition replacing doors and drawer fronts is a cost effective and customizable option to consider. You will likely want to include matching panels, filler pieces, and trim to go with your new doors and drawer fronts. If your existing cabinets have face frames, those will be additional surfaces you will need to match. Investing in replacement cabinet fronts also provides an opportunity to upgrade hinges and handles, which can really liven up a new design.
Is it cheaper to reface cabinets?
Refacing cabinets can be between 30% and 50% less expensive than buying new cabinetry. If you budget and/or the scope of your project is limited, cabinet refacing instead of replacing is a great option. Of course, the type and condition of your original cabinets can impact the cost and difficulty of refacing cabinets.
Standardized cabinets like IKEA’s Sektion, Faktum, Akurum, Metod, Pax, Besta, etc. are easy to reface. It’s not unheard of for high-end custom cabinets to be considered for refacing. To effectively reface these all visible surfaces will need to be replaced or matched precisely.
Can you mix Enhet and Sektion cabinets?
As a general rule, IKEA Enhet and Sektion cabinets are not interchangeable. The door and drawer sizes, as well as the finish options between Sektion and Enhet, are not a match. However, the variations in cabinet box sizes can potentially fill out kitchen designs. Cabinet line finish differences can be sidestepped by using aftermarket cabinet fronts or by creating a two-tone design using standard IKEA finishes.
Is it OK to mix cabinet styles?
Absolutely!! In fact, it is encouraged. Two-tone cabinet combos can make for a great look. Whether combining opposing or complimentary colors, subtle colors and veneers, the most common two-tone approach to cabinetry are upper versus lower kitchen cabinets. Though, that’s not the only way to approach it. We recommend using the IKEA 3D Kitchen Planner (see below) or other design software to test these finish combinations until you find what you like.
- 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/
Written by Todd Zimmerman
Producer of the John Webbccast
