Hello again – We’re remodeling our kitchen and debating what to do about cabinets on a budget. The kitchen will only have lower cabinets. We’re going back and forth on three options.
1. IKEA (~$1500, fiberboard boxes with their regular doors (not sure what they’re made of))
2. Home depot cabinets (~$900, fiberboard boxes with oak doors – but we would have to paint them)
3. Buy from an online source (~$3000, birch plywood boxes with solid wood door frames and fiberboard insets)
I’m curious what people would do with these three options considering longevity and the resale value each would add to the home. If we go with a cheaper option we would probably use the savings to replace an appliance….
Thanks!
Replies
If you have existing cabinets in approximately the right places, and they aren't too crappy, consider refacing them.
IKEA gives you good value for your money, and they're designed for DIY, but the choices are somewhat limited and the quality isn't remarkable. With them and HD, though, you at least have the advantage of seeing what you're buying.
Luhar
While you think about new cabs, remember to include thought about the countertop and don't forget the kitchen sink.
electric, lighting and plumbing upgrades go right along with flooring changes in a kitchen remodel. Doing it right would add value. Slapping it in probably is a waste of time and money.
however, if you use and enjoy your efforts for several years this could be a very worthwhile investment.
i just finished a job that changed out just the doors and drawer fronts, along with new hardware. Made a world of difference in the look of the kitchen but did lack the convenience items of new boxes. His plan is to put the condo up for sale. This should help in that sale, but probably won't see a 100% return.
best of luck
Kitchen components
Thanks for your input Calvin - we are certainly doing the full remodel.
the empty kitchen
Thanks again Dan - we have a clean slate in the kitchen as we've already ripped out literally everything. We thought about refacing the cabinets but decided against it due to some water damage in the walls (removing the cabinets gave me access to the drywall to address this issue), antiquated/cheap drawer sliders and inability to change the countertops due to construction method - the cabinets were all solid 1/2 - 3/4 inch plywood built on site and everything was nailed and glued in place. Built like a tank but about 25 years past their asthetic prime.
I've used Ikea cabinets and have lived in many appartments in Europe with Ikea cabinets or Ikea type cabinets. As a matter of fact I'm staying in one now in Valencia. I've never disected the doors, but they seem to be solid wood or quality veneers.The carcasses are MDF or something like it. The hardware and accessories are good quality. The enemies of the carcasses are water and movement (this is why I don't like a lot of Ikea's furniture). With cabinets movement shouldn't be a problem. So if you promise to keep them dry they should be fine. All though the carcass material is cheap, the tollerances would be hard to obtain in custom hand made cabinets. I'm sure they are made on computer controlled machinery. The one thing I don't care for is the toe kicks. I've seen them installed on full tiled floors omitting the kicks, to good effect. But if I were enclosing the bases I'd make custom kicks out of some quality material, because this is likely to get wet.
Thanks Mike - good to know you've had decent experiences with IKEA.
The drawer sides on Ikea cabinets are metal and part of the glides. I'd think about different bottoms, although these can be replaced as needed. Drawers on inexpensive prefabs are the weakest part.
You certainly do have great options. I would go with the Home Depot cabinets though. Make sure that quality of the wood used is high. you can also polish the cabinets to highlight the beauty of wood.