Editor’s note: This was originally posted on January 27, 2010 on a blog that I annihilated because I despised the software it ran on. Since it was referenced on Paul Anater’s site, and many incoming links are from there, I figured I’d repost here for anyone who might be looking for it from inroads other than Paul’s site.
Just the facts, ma’am.
Paul Anater’s got a post about custom vs. Ikea cabinets over on his blog today. I have to admit that when I first started designing kitchens with Ikea components, I was highly skeptical. I did my own research on it, queried Ikea cabinet owning & using people, talking to the people at the store, checking it out myself.
Of the people who owned & used daily Ikea kitchen cabinets, they overwhelmingly said they would purchase them again, they have had them in place & in use with no breakdowns or visible wear & tear for as long as 22 years. The only negative report I got from the same group was that the countertops faded & scratched unevenly.
Here are some points to compare apples to apples when shopping around for cabinets:
- Hardware: Ikea uses high quality Blum hardware on all kitchen components. Full extension drawer slides & soft closure mechanisms are *standard* on all doors & drawers. (Are you being upcharged on those custom boxes for such bells and whistles?)
- Warranty: Ikea guarantees all cabinetry for 25 years.
- Strength: Every Ikea base cabinet is rated to hold 1,100 pounds.
- Organization: matching drawer dividers & other inserts made for their drawer system make small kitchens run as smoothly as bigger ones.
- Price: The cabinets for an average sized kitchen from Ikea (about 14 boxes – walls and bases) runs about $5,000.
The old standby
As for the argument about particle board, which Ikea uses in all its cabinets, I did some research on that, too. (Following is new info with this repost.) I’m a member of the cabinet group and the kitchen & bath industry group on LinkedIn. I posted the particle board vs plywood question in both forums, & here are some of the results:
- Particle board comes from 100% wood waste; Plywood comes from virgin trees.
- Both plywood and particle board cannot tolerate water.
- Expensive Italian cabinet lines all use particle board and MDF.
- 65lb industrial grade particle board is as strong & enduring as plywood in the same application.
- Predrilling screw holes in particle board results in just as strong a hardware connection as in plywood.
- No formaldehyde & low VOC versions of both plywood and particle board are available on the market.
Don’t take my word for it.
Ikea is not for everyone. And not all things that come from Ikea are fantastic & high quality (some of their furniture comes to mind). They have, however, engineered their cabinet products very well, & stand behind them with a warranty.
If you have the money & want to spend it on extremely high end cabinets (whatever “high end” actually means), go for it. But don’t knock Ikea if you haven’t honestly looked at it. That extra $45k could come in handy as a downpayment for a nice cottage in Naples.
Afterword: Paul & I have since become comrades in the kitchen design industry. He is great fun to follow on twitter an his wonderful blog. I may not always be such a cheerleader of Ikea cabinets. But misinformation prompted me to set the record straight.
