Transforming IKEA Kitchens into Perfect Ones: 6 Designer Examples

IKEA is not only about affordability but also about comfort and functionality. Therefore, designers often use furniture from the Swedish brand in their projects. To avoid a store-like appearance, they select interesting finishes and unusual details. Look, remember, and save the ideas in your bookmarks!

Combined with Loft Finish

For this project, the kitchen cabinet was bought at IKEA. It was equipped with a built-in refrigerator, oven with microwave function, and cooktop. They opted for small horizontal wall-mounted drawers instead of classic upper cabinets, which added volume and air to the small space.

Several unconventional solutions helped enhance the IKEA cabinet: a concrete rough ceiling with exposed wiring and a kitchen apron reaching the ceiling. Also, an unconventional choice – a bar table instead of a classical one. It emphasizes a casual atmosphere and serves as a compromise when you want to combine two functions: dining table and bar counter.

Design: Svetlana Pichugina

Enhanced with 60s Style Finish and Furniture

They spent 600 thousand rubles on renovating this tiny studio. IKEA was unavoidable. In the kitchen zone, they installed a standard IKEA METOD cabinet with RINGULUT light gray fronts and UNIS black glass. The built-in refrigerator was hidden behind the fronts, and there's a two-burner stove and an oven.

The kitchen apron was made of white "calf" tiles, and vintage style helped set the right mood. Stylist Irina Bebechina selected 60s chairs to match the black dining table, polished them herself, and changed their upholstery.

Design: Irina Bebechina

Customizing Furniture

In this project, designer Alla Senichyeva implemented a great idea: she bought the kitchen cabinet frame (the most expensive part) from IKEA and customized it by ordering individual color fronts. The hardware was chosen in a silver tone that echoes the plumbing, exhaust hood, and oven.

Design: Alla Senicheva

Mixing Vintage Details

In their Moscow apartment, the client wanted to highlight the history of the house and the spirit of the era, so designers from Muzahouse made a bet on a modern interior with vintage touches. For example, they laid a mosaic tile panel on the kitchen floor and supplemented point lighting with a chandelier made of crystal pendants.

The kitchen cabinet was chosen from IKEA. They picked the METOD collection in a gray shade. Some of the wall cabinets had glass doors, while others had solid fronts with panels. They matched them with porcelain handles HISSGULT in retro style – also IKEA. The countertop was chosen from white granite, which transitions into the bar counter by the window.

Design: Muzahouse Studio

Emphasizing Color + Custom Kitchen Furniture

The budget for renovating this St. Petersburg studio was severely limited, but it was important to create a stylish and interesting interior. Designer Nina Ivanenko chose unconventional colors for the kitchen: brick-red paint for the walls combined with a black-gray IKEA kitchen cabinet.

The designer tried to make the kitchen look more expensive: the countertop and shelves were custom-made, and a box was lowered above the kitchen for a beautiful built-in and ventilation. Despite the light upper part, the cabinet is spacious with many drawers in the lower sections.

Design: Nina Ivanenko

Apron Made of Retro Blocks

Another dark kitchen. Its highlight is a window made of retro blocks instead of a kitchen apron. The bar counter was custom-made, while the kitchen cabinet was chosen from IKEA due to time and budget constraints. They picked KUNGSBACKA fronts and a oak countertop.

The kitchen has all necessary functionality: a large built-in refrigerator with a freezer, an oven with microwave function, an induction cooktop, and a dishwasher. The technical box in the kitchen was visually enhanced with a narrow built-in shelf with outlets for a coffee machine and teapot.

Design: Ekaterina Ulanova

On the cover: Design project of Muzahouse Studio