An IKEA kitchen transforms an empty space for $7,000 (the tiles are a must-see!)

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ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER

HOUSE TYPE: Apartment

PROJECT TYPE: Kitchen

STYLE: Scandinavian

SKILL LEVEL: Professional

RENTAL FRIENDLY: No

When you hear that a kitchen is an “empty room,” you probably assume that it is minimally furnished but still has the basic amenities (cabinets, countertops, appliances). But in some areas, “empty space” quite literally means: empty space. In Germany, for example, it is common for rental properties to come without a kitchen, meaning the tenant who will live there will literally have to build their own kitchen from scratch, or pay extra to keep the previous tenant’s kitchen for themselves.

When do-it-yourselfer Hillary and her husband, Pat, moved into their apartment, they found themselves in exactly that scenario. The space where the kitchen would be located was completely empty, which meant they had to create their own kitchen. “Because our apartment is new construction, we had no choice to buy [an existing kitchen]but we were happy that we could fully customize our kitchen to our needs,” says Hillary. That said, she knew she wanted to make sure the project would cost them less than $10,000 total, including the appliances.

With a tough budget in mind, the couple explored the options before finally settling on IKEA, which Hillary said was “the most affordable and we liked the finish options as our style leans towards Scandinavian.”

Planning the design was an important part of the renovation.

Hillary used IKEA’s layout tools to map out her ideas for her dream kitchen before discussing it with a kitchen designer in store. She recommends the same to anyone planning to buy an IKEA kitchen, and says you should come with questions too. The designer helped Hillary and Pat reduce costs for their entire space by forgoing unnecessary upgrades and suggesting that the couple build the island themselves (which didn’t need any plumbing or wiring).

Oak veneer cabinets heat the room.

Hillary and Pat weren’t fans of the gray tile floors, which Hillary said made the room feel cold. To warm it up, the couple opted for oak veneer cabinets topped with marble worktops. The new appliances are also from IKEA; the extractor hood, which has a vintage look, is a favorite statement item.

Pros installed the base cabinets (and countertops and appliances), but Hillary and Pat decided to skip buying upper cabinets. Instead, they installed their own floating shelves – something Hillary says was surprisingly simple and took less than an hour in total. The planks themselves were made by a local woodworker.

A DIY island adds even more storage space.

Another thing Hillary and Pat created themselves? The island, which also came from IKEA. By doing that project themselves, they saved about $1,000 in labor costs. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as simple as the floating shelves. “Building the island was the hardest part,” says Hillary. “We were surprised that there were pieces that we had to cut ourselves and that would not have been possible without an electric saw. The IKEA manual shows that a regular saw is possible, but that it would have literally taken hours to saw manually.”

Peel-and-stick tiles add a bit of color.

Hillary found her removable tiles while visiting family in Singapore, and knew they were the perfect way to bring some color into the kitchen. However, she was hesitant to apply them directly to the wall in case they caused damage if removed – after all, they live in a rental house!

Hillary came up with an ingenious plan that would minimize the repairs the couple would have to make later. “I’m really proud of how I came up with the idea of ​​putting an MDF backing on which the tiles can be stuck,” she says. “The MDF backing installs with a nail gun and is super easy to remove and restore if we ever move.”

Now the kitchen is anything but an empty space. “The oak veneer cabinets, subtle marbled countertop and vertically stacked blue tiles work very well together to create a warm and inviting kitchen!” says Hillary. “We are also pleased with our decision not to add wall units, opting instead for floating shelves as this keeps the space open and light.”

And the best part? Hillary and Pat came in well within their original budget; they spent a total of €6,700 (approximately $7,048 USD). “I’m proud of myself for designing the IKEA kitchen the way I did, from the placement of each cabinet to the choice of when to use drawers or cabinets,” says Hillary. “Everything is easy to organize and logical – which is very important for a kitchen!

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