Ikea Kitchen - Before and After Pics

[Ruby]

oh and another thing dont boil the jug on the join even with the silicone the joint will swell up ,and you will blame the product not the human for this happening

That also includes sitting coffee machines over the join!!!!

But at least I’m taking the blame for it………

 

[K-L]

Yes the kitchen looks great. I've used Ikea kitchens before and found them good value. I'm very impressed with the fact that you installed it (unless you're a builder of course). Did you get a quote to install? Do Ikea recommend installers?
Yours
Not so Handy.

 

[makeovers]

Ikea V Flatpax

I am a cabinet maker and also fit Ikea and Bunnings kitchens for my customers- http://www.makeovers-wa.com

The biggest advantage with Bunnings cabinets is the quality of the particle board that is used. Bunnings use a HMR (high moisture resistant) furniture grade board, that's why it's core has a green tinge to it. The white melamine finish is also a better quality than that used by Ikea who use a much cheaper board. HMR board is usually used by cabinet makers when making purpose made kitchens.

Bunnings cabinets also have a solid back unlike the flimsy Ikea ones. This results in a much stronger cabinet that can be anchored to the wall in many positions.

Whilst the Ikea cabinets are not the best quality the hinges / drawer runners etc they supply are made by 'Blum', probably the best quality fittings currently avaliable! Bunnings fittings are perfectly adequate.

Ikea solid wood benchtops are great value for money if you want wooden tops. Note however that they do require ongoing maintainace with regular coats of oil. There is also a chance of the beech tops going 'orange' over time, this is a problem with Beech timber in general.

If I was fitting a kitchen for myself I would choose Bunnings.

 

[Sheryn]

Love it when a professional gives a comparison

Makeover

Thank you for the comparison as our PPOR needs a new kitchen in the immediate future plus we need to upgrade our bathroom once our grown up daughter moves out (fingers crossed by December 2008)

Bunnings is 15 minutes away and Ikea is 2 hours drive time.


Regards
Sheryn

 

[RumpledElf]

Yes, very useful thread - we need a budget kitchen in the very near future. But in our case, both Ikea and Bunnings are over 2 hours drive away

 

[arms]

I am a cabinet maker and also fit Ikea and Bunnings kitchens for my customers- http://www.makeovers-wa.com

The biggest advantage with Bunnings cabinets is the quality of the particle board that is used. Bunnings use a HMR (high moisture resistant) furniture grade board, that's why it's core has a green tinge to it. The white melamine finish is also a better quality than that used by Ikea who use a much cheaper board. HMR board is usually used by cabinet makers when making purpose made kitchens.

Bunnings cabinets also have a solid back unlike the flimsy Ikea ones. This results in a much stronger cabinet that can be anchored to the wall in many positions.

Whilst the Ikea cabinets are not the best quality the hinges / drawer runners etc they supply are made by 'Blum', probably the best quality fittings currently avaliable! Bunnings fittings are perfectly adequate.

Ikea solid wood benchtops are great value for money if you want wooden tops. Note however that they do require ongoing maintainace with regular coats of oil. There is also a chance of the beech tops going 'orange' over time, this is a problem with Beech timber in general.

If I was fitting a kitchen for myself I would choose Bunnings.

ok great ,but then you are not conversent with the emissions of toxic resins into the air from produced boards ,bunnings are selling chinese products in the shape of flatpax ,but the laws of both countries arnt the same and the method of testing for formaldahyde content is so different that as they meet their obligations in china in regard to the board,but here in australia they dont pass the test which is the lfe e1 ,
this will be a definete cause for compensation law suits in the future as the property /renovator has used products that were not suitable for use and harmful to the end user ,

 

[units4me]

I installed a Bunnings Flatpax kitcen in one of my IPs a couple of years ago.
It was a decent sized U shaped with a high pantry and overhead cupboards and heaps of bench space.

It took me 2 days and i know what i'm doing. Also, factor in that they are very aukward/heavy to deliver and lots of packaging to dispose of.

Cost was (approx from memory),

Cabinets/doors/end panels/handles etc.....$2200
Benchtops laminex (from cabinet maker).... 800
Elec oven/gas HP/DW/sink/taps etc...........1600
plumbing (part of whole job) .....................400
Installation, electrical, tiling etc by me........%#&*

so about 5K, for a good sized classy looking kitchen with appliances.
I'm very happy with it.

 

[chrispy]

Following on this thread, I went ahead and bought an Ikea kitchen for my last reno, cost of the cabinets was $3500 including the bench top, I had a cabinet maker install it for me - I was very pleased with the result.

The Stainless Hood was $495 at Swan Auctions in Swan Street, Richmond

Chris

 

[The Y-man]

I had a cabinet maker install it for me - I was very pleased with the result.


Chris

Hi Chrispy,

How much was the labour component?

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[chrispy]

Y-Man

A bit hard to estimate really as I had him doing so many jobs at once

It took him some time to fit and sand the timber benchtops, so all in all probably 4 days.

Hope that helps

Chris

 

[tuppercub]

Ikea Kitchens!

Well what can I say - I am on the tail end of installing an Ikea Kitchen for my mother in law - lets just say it has been a process.

Firstly after advertising that a Measuring service is $175 - it cost almost $300, and that instalation is supplied and hassle free with a 2 day turn around......

The company that Ikea uses in Victoria is outragously over priced - Demolition is about $80 per cupboard - they then charge you $40 to assemble each new cupboard and then charge you again $48 to install each of the new cupboards - Not to mention the fact they attempt to talk you into changing powerpoint place ments and alot of other unnecessary things.

All of which are not Ikeas fault - and after my complaints the tender is under questoin. At the end of the day Ikea sells a quality product. The whole measure and install yourself is a great option.

The kitchen design and purchase price was $5000 - the compainy Ikea Vic uses for instalatoin quoted $8500 to install!!!!!!! WTF?!?!?!?!?!

I installed myelf and saved $7000!!!!! Dont blame Ikea. It is the company that has the current tender - and unlike myslef - Most people would think it fair!

Know what you are paying for and you cant go wrong! Ikea Is the bomb!

 

[IndexFund]

I like it!!

That old kitchen is revolting... brings back so many memories of old, cold and ugly aussie houses.

Good on you.

 

[Buzz]

We installed a Ikea kitchen in an IP - allworked well and the the person that Ikea referred was excellent and had us purchase an extra end panel to make up for any spaces that needed covering.

Since then I have looked at Ikea for a few more renos and here is the reasons I did not use them":-

- looked at shipping to NZ as the cost of renos over there was 3 times as much, shipping was not too much but timeframes were

- stock, after you have spent hours on 3D planner - fought the weekend crowds to get a simple question answered by the frazzled staff you finally decide on what you want only to be told that some doors will be availabel in 3 weeks, some frames 6 weeks and shipments can go missing.

-also in the last 3 years the width of their cupboard doors has diminished

- also the original recommended installer found a cheaper alternative who had a much better quality fit for size kitchen - which if you are dealing with a older house, with funny angles you will need.

Jane

 

[pete_pumpkin]

We did a Bunnings flatpack with an Ikea bench top. Within a year, the bench top has started to swell along all the joins, even sections that are well away from the sink. Will have to be totaly ripped up in the near future.

Definately do not recommend the IKEA bench tops!

EDit: the swelling is along the edges where the laminate meets the bottom, basically all over the thing. It's as if moisture from the air is getting absorbed. The swelling ranges from a couple of milimiteres to around ten milimeteres closer to the sink.

 

[rav]

Thats really Impressive.

Rav
ThePropertyDomain

 

[Peter 14.7]

We did a Bunnings flatpack with an Ikea bench top. Within a year, the bench top has started to swell along all the joins, even sections that are well away from the sink. Will have to be totaly ripped up in the near future.

Definately do not recommend the IKEA bench tops!

EDit: the swelling is along the edges where the laminate meets the bottom, basically all over the thing. It's as if moisture from the air is getting absorbed. The swelling ranges from a couple of milimiteres to around ten milimeteres closer to the sink.

Did you raie it with Ikea sna dhwat was there response.

In my experience they take back everything with reciept and even credit without. Or did they say you made the water get it.

Peter

 

[pete_pumpkin]

Nah I haven't as it's still installed in a rental. The tennants haven't complained about it yet, but it's getting to the stage where soon one of the cupboard doors won't be able to open.

I've searched the internet and it does appear that a few people have had simmilar problems with the 'Pragel'. I read that the countertops are made from really cheap materials that aren't very moisture resistant.

Anyhow I was doing some maintanace at the place today so I noticed the problem. I spent arount $250 for the bench tops from IKEA, a localy made product cost my dad around $800 for the same sized kitchen. Worth the money I think, especially when I think of all the work I'll probably have to do to replace the current IKEA one ie re-tiling etc

The bunnings flat pack product is reasonably good except a few things that potential buyers should keep an eye out one.
For one, I found that about 50% of the doors etc were warped ie if you put them down on a table, you could get up to 5mm gap in the middle. I've put together two kitchens over the last few years, using the bunnings flatpack and I found this still to be an issue - the only way is to check every door and return it if it's not flat.

Secondly, the hinges in the corner cabinets are very weak at the point where you adjust the units ie the screw will crack the metal that they're supposed to be holding. They seem to have updated some of the latest packs with stronger hinges. Bunnings do replace them for free if the original ones fair.

And one last thing with the corner cabinets, put the 'L' shaped shelf in before you put the bench top on - I strugled for an hour trying to fit it in through the front opening. I ended up having to saw it in half.

 

[s_t]

I've just finished a months work with a local cabinet maker, and the bloke who was training me says that the Ikea/Bunnings stuff is thin cheap junk that isn't water resistant. This wasn't the owner saying this (who obviously would have a vested interest in saying that), just another tradesman with several years experience in kitchens.
Still though, given the price differential, you could replace and modernise the kithchen twice as often and not be too worse off! Or even better, work at a cabinet maker for a while and learn how to make them yourself - it ain't rocket science!