Can you relaminate or repaint Ikea Abstrakt kitchen cabinets gray?
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Well, we waited for the new 2006/2007 Ikea catalog to come out, andthey finally came out with a gray cabinet--the Sorbo dark gray/birch. UNFORTUNATELY, it has birch trim around it. I am going for an ultra-modern design, with no woods or Earth-tones in the entire house.All materials will be either shades of gray, black, pure white, metal, or glass. We were desperately hoping Ikea would offer either Abstrakt or Linjar face designs in GRAY this year, and not just red or blue.
In desperation, I researched the Kraftmaid Venicia products which are very similar, but, apparently, much more money. Kraftmaid's Venicia Mirra collection in gray (they call it "Shadow Gloss") is perfect. Kraftmaid's Venicia door styles available for Mirra include: Corressa/Senza, both of which are very similar to Ikea's Abstrakt--(Senza adds aluminum trim on the edging). Kraftmaid's Carina/Alta are both very similar to Ikea's Linjar (Alta adds aluminum trim on the edging).
But some quick Internet price-checking estimated Venicia products to run about three to four times the cost of Ikea cabinets. There's apparently no significant upgrade in build quility with the similarly constructed, MDF-based Kraftmaid Venicia products, there's simply a greater color choice.
Is there any way that you can relaminate or repaint Ikea Abstraktkitchen cabinets gray (specifically, the Abstrakt high gloss red door design)? All I want are inexpensive gray cabinets. Apparently, the much more pricey Kraftmaid Venicia Mirra productsaremy only option. Thanks in advance for ANY suggestions you all may have.
There WAS an Abstrakt Grey. It was discontinued about 2 years ago. There are pictures of an AG kitchen on the Fansite side, under Finished -- click on the Home button at the top right of your screen, then navigate to Finished. I think Abstrakt Grey is one of the first ones listed.
Anyway...that doesn't help you now. One thought is to call down to the
San Diego
store -- because they are owned by a different group than most of the rest of the IKEA's in North
America
(but by the same group as
Houston
and
Seattle
), sometimes they'll have something in stock that other stores don't. Maybe they never completely sold out of it?
Second option would be to buy an Abstrakt door and take it to an auto refinisher. You can pick whatever shade of gray you prefer, but of course that's an added expense....
I would think that relaminating it might be less expensive, but potentially more problematic. I don't know that I've seen a hi-gloss laminate like the Abstrakt anyway. But then, I haven't been looking specifically. Another thought is to use the Sorbo, but relaminate the edgebanding to something more to your liking. Matching the Sorbo might be difficult. Maybe an aluminum edge? Or black?
Sorry if that isn't of much help. Hopefully you will get some good ideas here.
I can't really advise you on the repainting, but I just wanted to make sure you know that the Abstrakt door also comes in white. Another "clinical", ultra-modern style is the new Rubrik opaque glass door, which comes in black and white with aluminum framing.
Another alternative would be to use IKEA boxes and then make your own doors out of MDF, which can be painted to suit in whatever color you like. A few months ago, Domino magazine had a spread on someone who did just that. They bought a couple of IKEA doors (in the lowest-cost style, Arlig) in different sizes to use at templates, and the results were very impressive. MDF is inexpensive enough that the cost differentiation should be neglegable.
Still another option would be to use a combination of Abstrakt white and Numerar stainless doors, which you might find would achieve the same visual effect you're looking for with the gray doors. You could even add IKEA's aluminum-effect countertops to tie the whole thing together...they are essentially gray with white edging.
(Maybe ask at an auto-body shop about painting the doors?)
This might not help you, since Abstrakt White is--duh--not gray, but my kitchen was finished (97%) last week. It's a combination of Leicht cabinets in a lacquered white and black, Ikea cabinets (Abstrakt white). The floors are a gray porcelain, and the appliances are stainless and black, with an Absolute black granite countertop.
These color combinations and the way that light flows into my kitchen (it's northeast facing) actually tone down the intense white of the laquered white cabinets, so that it's muted and soft. Have you tried picking up a sample door and mixing it with your colors and leaving it in the space? Susan's suggestion about using black or SS edge-banding is a great one, and inexpensive, too.
Edited to add that Anna's suggestions about the opaque door and the Domino
DIY
are also great! Very creative, while mine is more along the lines of "maybe AW will work."
Maybe pick up one of the less expensive white doors - Applad or Arlig - and try painting them gray. The Abstrakt doors seem like they would be the hardest to paint, and are also among the most expensive styles.
My only experience with painting an Ikea cabinet was to paint the outside of one of the white cabinet frames/boxes. It actually worked pretty well, even using just an interior eggshell paint. It made me think it could be really effective if I tried harder and used more suitable paint.
I have seen on a few designs shows, most recently Design Inc on HGTV, where they have professionally repainted cabinet doors. I believe they said the cost was about $10 per door to have them professionally sprayed. Not sure if it was laquer or just gloss paint, but they were a warm grey tone and looked really nice.
Thanks a lot you guys! Lots of great suggestions! Had I known I was actually going to be living in a house two years ago, I would've already had my cabinets! Well, we're going to Lowes right now to see if they even know what Kraftmaid Venicias are, and try to get a quote. I think I'll probably end up the Ikea route due to cost, and having the doors painted at an auto body shop or something. Thanks for all of your suggestions.
I put in an IKEA Abstrakt Gray kitchen about ten years. It is probably exactly the gray you want, a pearl gray, not the recent blue-gray Abstrakt. I would love to replace some of the cabinet doors, but, alas, IKEA has not brought back that color. I think it is the best neutral they have had in the high-gloss finish. My IKEA Abstrakt doors still look great and have held up very well. I hope that IKEA will revive that color. It's a winner!
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