How to Design an IKEA Kitchen in Five Steps

Long gone are the days when IKEA furniture was just for dorm rooms and first apartments. The Swedish furniture juggernaut has gone full mainstream, branching out past futons and coffee tables into pet furniture, home electronics, and yes, entire kitchens. Today, your dream kitchen is just a short drive away, past the Swedish meatballs and around the corner from the 79 cent dish towels. And the secret to how to design an IKEA kitchen that looks like it came straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie? Planning, and a bit of imagination.

Designing a kitchen is tough work. Like most major home renovations, you have to be able to think big picture while also honing in on the tiny details. If you’re looking to design an IKEA kitchen the process is no different, but there’s a bright side: like all things they do, IKEA has streamlined the entire kitchen design experience to make it easier—and maybe even more enjoyable—than it might be otherwise.

So where do you start when you’re designing an IKEA kitchen? Here’s your step-by-step guide into turning a blah kitchen into a Nordic-inspired masterpiece.

Set Your Budget

  • IKEA cabinets: $899 to $2,999 for a 10×10 kitchen
  • IKEA counter tops: $39 to $69 per square foot

Other costs that you may need to factor in depending on the scope of your project include appliances, flooring, lighting, window treatments, and kitchen islands, among other things.

IKEA appliance costs:

  • Stoves: $349 to $899
  • Ovens: $799 to $1,499
  • Ranges: $495 to $1,299
  • Fridges and freezers: $549 to $1,799
  • Dishwashers: $269 to $849

Get Inspired

Measure Your Kitchen

  • Measure the distance from wall to wall, making sure to include measurements for the spaces in between doors or hallways and corners
  • Measure the distance from floor to ceiling
  • Measure the height and width of each window and door and then the distance from the top, bottom, and sides of each window and door to the floor/ceiling/corner Make sure when you’re measuring for your IKEA kitchen that you note the placement of things like outlet, drains, and pipes, since these will play a role in determining what goes where.

Start Designing

Make a Plan for Delivery, Assembly, and Installation

Caring For Your IKEA Kitchen

To make sure that your new IKEA kitchen stays looking its best for years to come you’ll need to take proper care of it. Do research on the care instructions for the particular series of IKEA products that you purchased, since like with all counter tops, cabinets, appliances, etc. using the wrong cleaning product could ruin the finish.

Be sure you’re familiar with the IKEA kitchen warranty as well, which offers 25 year coverage defects in materials and workmanship, 10 year coverage on faucet, and 5 year coverage on appliances.