I'm no expert, but if you read some of the Houzz threads here and on the US site, there seems to be a lot of respect for IKEA cabinetry as good value for what you pay. Some of the professionals use it when budgets are limited. I believe they have a design software you can use.

I don't know whether there'd be room for a desk there, but if you put an overhang on the counter top near the table, you'd at least have some sitting/working space.

I choose ikea versus Bunning because it was marginally cheaper and, to be honest, a lot more inspiring! I would not recommend to buy the cheapest option tho ( white melamine) as it will become yellow quite quickly . ( Think billy bookcase quality...)

Hi Alyssa. You have quite a good-sized kitchen. I have heard good things about IKEA kitchens, but can't speak from personal experience. Do you know if they have a design service to assist you with measurements and deciding how the pieces fit together?

I would leave the kitchen alone for the moment. I'd take out the wall between the dining room and the lounge and move the fridge next to the oven. Then maybe in the corner behind the oven/fridge (in the living room) you could have a nice glass topped desk with a complimentary chair. THEN when you can, knock out the wall between the laundry and kitchen, and include the Laundry into the design so you don't have to walk outside the house to get to it. (which it looks like you have to do) I agree too, simply paint the cupboard doors if you can't live with the brown, in the meantime.

Hi there,

Depending on where you live, the problem might be getting someone to fit the Ikea kitchen properly for you. Ikea do have a service themselves but this is largely restricted to metropolitan areas and many local tradesmen prefer to use local suppliers.

In the past I have also had a problem with Ikea kitchens in that the caressing is different from the standard sizes used by everyone else. The base units are deeper and extend right back to the wall, which can make some of the plumbing more complicated if you have solid walls.

I would ALWAYS avoid Bunnings Kitchens as they are cheap, chinese-made imports and wouldn't last five minutes.

My advice for a shoe-string kitchen, and I have done this myself in my own home, is to paid a little bit of money to get the bench top replaced with something better quality. Keep the existing cupboards and consider replacing, or simply spraying the existing doors. Get new handles, tapware and appliances and you will be amazed at how different your kitchen will look.

I hope this helps

Hi Alyssa!
Kitchens can be so hard with sooo many ideas and inspirations but limited budget (I recently renovated mine) I focused on low budget simple white draws with white subway tiles. It really depends on your budget and your long term investment in your home.

You could add some life by adding downlights for additional lighting to brighten the room or 2 small feature pendants on the bar area.

I have heard great things about both Ikea and Bunnings, even Masters (when it was still around) however they can get your on the pricing by lots of add-ons. Try to stick to your budget and select pieces that are functional and suit your style.

I've added some inspiration below! If you are trying to save some extra dollars why not think of spraying the cupboards white? And adding some new handles and a new tap? Also think about re-laminating the bench top if there is no money for a new bench top, this will give you a cost effective result whilst saving money for perhaps a future reno.

This will lift the face of the kitchen immediately and save you lots of money!!
Add some copper accessories to match the stove top and voila! (Don't forget copper is on trend, so make something amazing with what you have)

Other ideas - open the last cupboard and use it as exposed shelves?

Yes, finding an ikea installer was an issue for me .

After a bit of research and quoting, I ended up going with 'hire a hubby' They did a good job of it, but it was quite unnerving having to sit them down in front of the ikea install video before hand...

They quoted me $900 for the installation but ended up spending more time on the job so they were out of their pocket at the end and told me they would not do an ikea job again!

Plumbing was not an issue even tho I have brick wall.

A big advantage of Ikea also is that you can add on and replace part of your kitchen very easily yourself., like doors or additional shelves. You can even buy the very cheap doors now and replace them in a few years, the carcasses are the same for all model.

They have only recently updated their all system, the previous one lasted 20 years for what I understand.

Also they have this 3d planner that makes it a breeze to plan and you know exactly how much it will cost you, it makes it so easy to stay in your budget,

Hi Alyssa,

We are located at 128 Wentworth Ave, Pagewood (Just opposite Eastgardens Westfield ) Happy to help with any lighting related problems. We also do lighting plans for our customers for FREE! Let me know how you go!

Hi Alyssa

Ikea offer a kitchen design service, I believe they do a small fee for in store meeting and a slightly higher price for at home meeting... This might be worth your while so to get maximum usage out of your space. They will have knowledge of what cabinets are available to solve any issues.

Had you considered opening the living room into the kitchen space and creating more of an open plan space? might be something to think about in your design process. As you have cabinetry along this adjoining wall you could extend more storage high to the ceiling. great for seldom used items.

Also an outdoor living area from the back of the house in the future could be a great asset and therefore another thought to be had in your new kitchen design layout.

http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/

Hi Alyssa,
For the moment we offer two options.
1. Walk in to our office with your floor plans or images of your area
2. Send us your floor plans and we can do it all over phone/email for you

Unfortunately we are only offering on-site visits for commercial/development projects, hopefully in the near future we can do at home consultations :)

It looks very clean and still functional (ahead of it's time with that marble laminex and the copper rangehood or are we witnessing interior design fashion in full cycle here!?). I agree with what some Houzzers have said- don't hurry. This house has a great floor plan with the bedrooms, but I can see how with minimal spend you could reconfigure your living areas or even extend.

I've never had Ikea or Kaboodle kitchen, but my parents have a Kaboodle. It would be +4yr old now and looks brand new still.

If the cabinets are in good condition, no need to completely replace! Revamp them with some fresh paint & new handles for an updated look.

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My cousin did a flat pack from Ikea and her kitchen is absolutely beautiful!

Wow @cordony Designs - Hard to believe that's even the same kitchen

The better home and garden youtube channel is full of those kitchen 's revamps:

https://www.youtube.com/user/BetterHomesAus/search?query=kitchen

Alyssa, your rangehood is unusual and pretty. Is it copper? If the unit is still in good working order, it could be retained as a design feature. Maybe teamed with a copper or rose gold pendant over the dining table? Just a thought.

We got a custom made flat pack kitchen from a company in Queanbeyan, not sure of where you are. Much better quality, Australian made and you can get exactly the dimensions you want, which is important for a kitchen with so many corners.

You might be better off holding on until you get a little bit more money together and put the kitchen in the existing living room and opening up the kitchen dining to the new kitchen for a better flow out to the backyard. The room looks lovely and well lit with high ceilings, paint it and change the handles now and don't miss the chance to do something a bit better later on.

Does not solve the dishwasher question though. .....