Sad kitchen needs a facelift

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Our very outdated kitchen needs life in it badly!!! we have a shoestring budget so was thinking of a flat pack kitchen. Any recommendations for Ikea vs Bunnings? And some floor plan ideas would be really helpful too please. We are hoping to add a desk / working space in the kitchen area. Help / advice / a lottery ticket is most appreciated!

Featured Answer

KK1000

7 years ago

Maybe it would be worth waiting couple of years to save more and do it properly, don't rush, if you know what you're saving for then it's easier to put up with what you have.

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Comments (28)

jmm1837
7 years ago
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.
Jen Osborne
7 years ago
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...)
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girlguides
7 years ago
I wouldn't replace your kitchen but save funds for new place or extension etc. can you incorporate your laundry I hope kitchen do can move fridge into laundry and out fest on fridge wall??? Unless benchtops need replacing or cooking appliances I'd just paint walls white and update cupboard handles
annb1997
7 years ago
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?

One thing that stands out to me is that your fridge may not be in a convenient location. Is that so? Maybe that can be taken into consideration as you plan your updated kitchen. Certainly drawers, lots of drawers, are better for storage, so I can see why you want to update. Another thought I had was that you could replace your table and chairs with a built-in dining bench that fits along the wall, and this could serve double-duty as a study area when not needed for dining. I've attached some photos to give you an idea of what I mean.
MSWLE
7 years ago
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.
bigreader
7 years ago
It's a great little house. I love that the master has room for a little ensuite.

I found 10 or so years ago, that a kitchen from a local cabinet maker (old ute, no showroom) custom fitted and installed wasn't much dearer than a flat pack option.

No design service - we sat on the kitchen floor with mugs of instant coffee and sketched it on a notebook.

I'd sit back with your own cup of coffee and plan your long term view for the house. Match the house long term plan to your long term life plans. Your current kitchen is very liveable no need to hurry.

Good Luck.

For inspiration - Google/Pintrest Magnolia Farm. They do makeovers of a lot of small houses and make them open plan. It's American but pretty to look at.
KK1000
7 years ago
I know you are on a budget but just looking at your house plans it would be nice to join kitchen with laundry, and have a Buttlers pantry at the back you could have washer/dryer stacked in one corner or under the bench and still have heaps of room for pantry and storage and you would not have to go outside to the laundry.
PRO
User
7 years ago
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
PRO
GoLights
7 years ago
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?

Good Luck, if you need lights let us know! We are in Sydney Pagewood and are always happy to help with any lighting needs :) Can't wait to see the final result
Jen Osborne
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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.
Alyssa Alban
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks go lights. this property is in maroubra. where is pagewood are you?
Jen Osborne
7 years ago
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,
PRO
GoLights
7 years ago
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!
Alyssa Alban
Original Author
7 years ago
Go lights. what does a lighting plan involve? a visit to the home? or pictures and consult in your centre?
PRO
2 FIND and DESIGN
7 years ago
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/
PRO
GoLights
7 years ago
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 :)
User
7 years ago
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.
strawberry47
7 years ago
Could you remove the top cupboards and have an open shelf running either side of the rangehood? It would open the room up. Does your oven & cooktop still work ok? If not buy a free standing oven and place in the cooktop area then then walloven area can be used for your fridge. I know someone who installed an Ikea kitchen 15 years ago and is still delighted with it.
PRO
Cordony Group
7 years ago
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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Fiona Anastasia Whitefoot
7 years ago
If you are short of money, then you can always look around for secondhand kitchen cupboards/drawers. The Trading Post and Gumtree are very good in that sort of thing. Of course, you can also go to IKEA, but they're not cheap (depending on what you actually want). Bunnings may be a better option if your on a very small budget. Last option: sand back all cupboard doors, etc, and either paint them over or use a really good wood varnish. Replace bench top with a good granite or Caesar stone top.
PRO
Annabel Sullivan
7 years ago
My cousin did a flat pack from Ikea and her kitchen is absolutely beautiful!
PRO
GoLights
7 years ago
Wow @cordony Designs - Hard to believe that's even the same kitchen
Jen Osborne
7 years ago
The better home and garden youtube channel is full of those kitchen 's revamps:

https://www.youtube.com/user/BetterHomesAus/search?query=kitchen
annb1997
7 years ago
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.
Alyssa Alban
Original Author
7 years ago
thanks for everyones ideas and inspiration so far. they have been great! the existing cabinets are a wood veneer type product and they are damaged in some areas. i dont know if they are salvageable in some areas. the internal cupboards are pretty old and quite 'nanna' smelling hence the reason we were considering a new flat pack style kitchen. there is also no dishawasher so we wanted a place for it to go. any further suggestions are greatly appreciated x
ton12h
7 years ago
Refacing might be an option for you, companies such as Granite Transformations can replace doors and put a thin veneer of granite on the benchtops if the carcasses are in good condition. If you keep the current layout , no moving the plumbing etc and just reface everything that should be reasonably cost effective
Carmen Q
7 years ago
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. .....