Discuss IKEA kitchen in new construction on IKEAFANS.com. We're Personalizing the IKEA Experience. IKEA kitchen in new construction - Need help with planning your remodel? Want a kitchen planner to review your ideas? This is the happenin' spot!.
I have tons of questions that I've been planning to ask, but have been taking my time reading through all of the old posts for the past few weeks. Thought I had plenty of time to make sure I read everything so as to not ask redundant questions. Well, wouldn't you know, GC said today that we are WAY ahead of schedule (who has ever heard a GC say that... ) and I need to order the cabinets today. Needless to say, I have no intention of ordering them today...
So, where to begin...
1) We have our "choice" of stores: Boston area (3.5 hour drive), Montreal (2.5 hour drive) and Boucherville (2 hour drive). Wondering if there is any wisdom out there on the "best" store. Driving time is not a consideration. We have had good service in the past at the Montreal store. When we went to the Boston store, there was no kitchen planner and we were told that there won't be one. Have never been to Boucherville store. Any feedback, advice, info, insider knowledge on the above mentioned stores?
2) I keep reading posts about needing filler between cabinets, specifically the corner cabinets. Why? Aren't the cabinets designed to butt up against each other? This is new construction, so, theoretically, the walls should be straight.
3) Design check. Unfortunately, I'm a mac user and can't use the kitchen planner tool, but am hoping for some feedback on my floorplan. I'll describe layout and list individual cabinets as well as I can...
Overall description: L shaped kitchen with 8' x4' island (side of island facing family room is raised). No upper cabinets. Exterior walls of L are almost all windows except above ridiculously huge (but coveted ) 48" range. Hood above range. Wall parallel to short length of L is all glass sliders. Overall dimensions of room are 14' x 20'. Large walk-in pantry next to fridge.
More detailed description: Begin at short length of L: 30-36" fridge (not chosen yet), BPO12, DW, SBD36, BPO12, BPO12, CB37WB (now begin long length of L), B15, B4D36, 48" range with hood above, B4D36, B4D36, B3D18
Island: Parallel with long length of L: B18, B4D18, SBD24, DW, BPO12. Other side to create raised bar area: 4 units of W2439
Planning on Nexus Birch door. Counters on island = Numerar birch.
Counters on L = granite (to right of range may be birch depending on $'s)
Any and all help is much appreciated (as is long-distance CPR)
As a fellow Mac user and Nexus birch lover, I hope I can be of some small assistance.
I live on the left coast, so I'll leave 1) to someone else.
2) I can answer: The filler pieces are necessary in order to let the doors and drawers open properly and the handles clear the adjacent cabinets. Ikea cabinets have their doors/drawers running all the way to the edge of the cabinet box. So if they were installed tightly in a 90-degree angle, the drawers/doors couldn't open. Hence the filler, usually at corners or where cabinets meet walls and doors/drawers need clearance to open, usually around 2". Does that make sense? If not, I'll draw a sketch.
Others here are design wizards and can use the software, so I'll leave 3) to them.
yep, that makes sense. So, in my case, I should plan filler on both ends of the corner cabinet and at both ends of the L? Do I need filler next to a fridge?
I hadn't read your list of cabinets before I replied. Oops. The corner cabinet you're using is an exception -- it has a hinged door that fits into the corner and thus requires no filler.
I don't think filler is usually needed next to a BPO12 because the door pulls out, rather than on hinges. But I see yours is next to a fridge, which will be deeper than the cabinets. To me, that raises the risk of pinched fingers (picture pulling the unit out and then pushing it back in, carelessly grasping the front from the left) -- esp if there are children. So a few inches of filler might be a good idea there, enough to provide space for your fingers. Or maybe you're less careless than I am!
Next to a fridge? Depends on the width of the fridge and whether you put an over-fridge cabinet above it. They're 30 and 36 inches wide, so if your fridge is 32" there will be a few inches of empty space if you use cover panels to the floor on the sides of the fridge cabinet, as many people do. Some people fill that in various ways, others leave it open. Me, I'm getting a 36" fridge.
Pam
P.S. I hope someone else will double-check my advice. I'm still fairly new at this! Thanks.
CindyLou -- If you can post the exact measurements of your room (i.e. length/height of walls, size of doors and windows, height off floor, distance from walls, any firm utilities), I'm sure someone here can put it into the planner for you. Won't be me because 1.) that thing hates me and 2.) my right eye is swollen up like a balloon (yeah MayDay and spring rituals and all).
Pam -- You did well, my dear. (To quote my 3 year old. Where does she get this stuff? Not TV!)
Susan
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I'll be happy to help you out, Cindy. Don't worry, you've got time...I am sure your GC is expecting an 8 week wait which is the norm for OTHER cabinets LOL
Post the dimensions, locations of doors and windows from the nearest wall, and where the utilities will go. If you've got a blueprint or floorplan, post it as an attachment!
I'm no expert, but you need filler at the ends of the Lonly if the cabinet run ends against a wall. It's not actually required, but will just depend on how far you want the door to open - a wall at a right angle will get in the way, for obvious reasons. If it's just the end of a run with nothing to bump into, no filler needed.
My understanding is the cabinets in straight runs generally can butt right up against each other and everything will still open, because the doors swing slightly inward from the hinge as they open. So they won't bump into the adjacent door or drawer fronts. I think filler is usually there to fill gaps left because of cabinet sizing not being exactly right, or toaccomodate odd situations.
Kitchen has sloped ceiling. At lowest point = 8 feet (at East wall)
North wall:
approx 4' to window. 2 - 3ft double hungs (= 6 feet) at 42" sill height. 4' from end of window to interior wall
east Wall:
wall to beginning of matching window (ie 6 feet) = 6inches.
from wall, 7'6" to beginning of range (range = 48") 7'6" from end of range to South wall (another 6 ft window between range and south wall placed 6" from south wall).
South wall:
2'6" wall, 10 foot glass doors, 1'6"
corner cabinet in NE corner, SBD36 on North wall (not centered on windows--I'm not worried about it), Range on East wall.
Island parallel with East wall.
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