About IKEA Cabinet Quality

Almost every potential customer that calls our office asks us about the quality of IKEA cabinets. We're in an interesting position in that we don't SELL these cabinets (we don't sell anything for that matter, we only provide service), and we yet promote them in an indirect way.

It could be construed that we promote them because we install them. In other words, you might think that we encourage people to use IKEA kitchen cabinets for their remodels in order to create more business (designing and installing).

I keep this in mind when I recommend that a customer who is undecided at least makes a trip to an IKEA to look at their cabinets. Our purpose never has been to promote any particular product. What we sell are skilled remodeling services performed with integrity. So why do we narrow our focus to IKEA cabinetry?

It's really simple and probably obvious. Over the course of 30 years of remodeling work, and seven years installing kitchen cabinets. we've had to conclude that, for the majority of homeowners on a moderate kitchen remodeling budget (say under $20,000, although half that is common), IKEA cabinets are simply the best choice.

In terms of quality, a hands-on comparison would prove to most homeowners that IKEA cabinets meet or beat cabinets costing 2 to 3 times as much, the big box store offerings. The same is true, as far as we've seen with over 600 projects, with durability.

This is not to say there are no other great cabinets on the market. I love Venicia, Kraftmaid's European-look line. with sizes and options you can't get from IKEA. But the price tag on a kitchen layout priced with Venicia can be three or even four times the cost of IKEA cabinets. Is it better? In terms of quality, we don't think so. Does it look better? Maybe a bit if you're a dedicated student of line and form, but not enough, for a majority of homeowners, to justify spending $28,000 on cabinets when $7,500 would buy the same layout from IKEA.

I don't know how the IKEA corporation manages to sell this quality cabinet at the price they do. I just know that the completed kitchens we've designed and installed look amazing and the homeowners, one for one, are utterly pleased. I know of none who feel they compromised with their choice of IKEA cabinets.

This said, starting with these beautiful, high quality and affordable cabinets, the secret to a beautiful remodeled IKEA kitchen, is to enlist the help of a professional designer to work out the optimal layout, and a professional, expert contractor for installation. These can make all the difference. Those displays at IKEA were designed by pros and installed by pros. It's not just the cabinets.

So, I guess I'm always selling.

Hope this helps you,

Susan