The IKEA Dream Kitchen Project: The new kitchen – finished!

Sponsored by IKEA

I am excited to be finally sharing with you the completed kitchen! But first, a recap of the progress so far:

Diane and her family had been wanting to re-do their kitchen with an updated look and to function better for the family with more storage, large benchtops and better organisation. We’ve been working together with IKEA to create a dream kitchen for Diane and her family that fits the brief.

We met with IKEA to plan the layout of the new kitchen using the in-store planning tool. Diane had already used the tool to create a draft design for the existing space and together with IKEA, I worked with her to tweak the design so that it works better both functionally and aesthetically.

Next, the IKEA team demolished the existing kitchen and began the installation of the new kitchen fitting in all the clever storage ideas that you can get with IKEA kitchens – pull out pantry drawers, plate racks, built in corner carousels and adjustable drawer dividers.

And now onto the completed kitchen! I asked my stylist friend Jane Frosh if she would be interested in styling the kitchen for the final photographs. She even brought with her some fresh eggs laid by her chickens for the shoot!

Last time I gave you a sneak peek into the tiles that were selected for the backsplash. They weren’t an easy task for the tiler to fit but the effort is worth it I think to create a wonderful and bright contrast to the all white kitchen cabinets and benchtop. Diane was initially nervous about using colour in the kitchen but I am so happy I could convince her to take the plunge. Not that she needed much convincing because the tiles sparkle beautifully in the daylight and the classic shape suits the style of her home nicely.

An extra deep bench was fitted at the entrance to the kitchen with cabinets on both sides (front and back) for storage and mercury glass pendant lights were chosen and fitted above the benchtop. All the details of the pieces that were sourced for this kitchen can be found at the bottom of this page.

The existing dishwasher was fitted into the ‘U’ shaped kitchen and the new location of the oven under the bench has provided for more bench space.

I love the tap. The caeserstone benchtop was ordered through IKEA and installed as a backsplash on the small wall behind the sink to create a clean overall design.

The display cabinets on either side of the range hood will be used to display Diane’s large collection of milk glass and more of her favourite pieces.

The cabinets were extended to the ceiling with plasterboard by the IKEA team to create a clean look.

“The display windows that light up from within, the range hood canopy and the new kitchen layout are my favourite features of the new kitchen,” says Diane. “They help transform the look and make it more effective as a kitchen. You can see some of my favorite antique or pretty display pieces that come to life under the cabinet lights and the range hood is more powerful than my old oven.”

The Source List

• FAKTUM kitchen cabinets with ÄDEL doors and drawers - IKEA
• PERSONLIG Caeserstone benchtop in Nougat - IKEA
• Vinna cabinet and drawer handles - IKEA
• HJUVIK kitchen mixer tap/handspray - IKEA
• BOHOLMEN Under mounted sink - IKEA
• DÅTID OV8 fan-forced oven – IKEA
• ELDIG HGC4K glass ceramic hob - IKEA
• DÅTID HW570 range hood - IKEA
• Dishwasher: Existing
• Lantern tiles for backsplash - Academy Tiles
• Industrial mercury pendant lights - West Elm
• Wonki ware dinnerware and props sourced by Jane Frosh

I wanted to add a huge thank you to Diane and her family, the IKEA team and Jane Frosh for all your work on this project over the last few weeks and thank you to everyone who has followed along the journey. If you have any questions on any of the items sourced or about the process, please feel free to leave a comment below.