Orange Is The New Knob: Eclectic Kitchen Design – Custom Wood Bar Counter

Other Tangents

Designing a Kitchen on a Budget

Just because you are designing a kitchen on a budget doesn't mean you have to skimp on style! Let us show you how combining IKEA cabinets with a couple of custom details where it shows can make your kitchen look like a completely custom job without breaking the bank.

Ryan Adanalian – Meet a B&V'er – Board & Vellum Team
Ryan Adanalian
September 15, 2015

The cost of a kitchen remodel is all over the place these days, especially here in Seattle. Contractors are incredibly busy, often backlogged and it is hard to get on “the list.” If you dream of having the perfect kitchen with all the bells and whistles, you can easily spend $80,000 -$100,000. The housing market is hot, and prices are soaring, so you need to look at how to get the most out of your remodel budget - as they say, “the most bang for your buck.” The trick is knowing where to spend your money. You may be surprised to learn that we can design kitchens using Ikea cabinets, or other prefabricated cabinets, and once the doors and pulls are on, it looks like a full-blown custom design.

Orange Is The New Knob: Eclectic Kitchen Design – Custom Wood Bar Counter
Orange Is The New Knob

Orange Is The New Knob | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

Take this kitchen for example. Would you guess that this is an Ikea kitchen? We can save the clients a significant amount of their budget by specifying Ikea cabinets. For this project, we added some custom walnut shelves to match the cabinets to help tie it all together. The clients provided vintage orange knobs and pulls as the inspiration and it really made everything pop. With the money that they saved by using stock cabinets rather than all custom cabinetry, they were able to buy high-end appliances. They ended up with a fantastic kitchen!

Orange Is The New Knob: Eclectic Kitchen Design – Pull Out Bar Cart
Orange Is The New Knob

Orange Is The New Knob | Photo by John G Wilbanks.

I used to build custom cabinets and furniture when I lived in Colorado, so believe me when I say that I love designing fully customized kitchens, but sometimes it’s just not feasible. When you think about the whole kitchen, just about 80% of it is hidden away. That’s how a company like Ikea can provide a cost-effective solution. You can get a standard sized, well-built, inexpensive box that's ready to install, and save on the labor it would take to build a full custom set of cabinets. Once you have the cabinet boxes in place, you have lots of options for doors, knobs, pulls, etc. and add your personal style. The important thing is to spend the bulk of your budget where it's going to make an impact. And by mixing standard cabinets with custom features, it can save you a ton of money, without compromising on the overall design. I wouldn't recommend this for everyone, but it is something to consider.

Check out this project in our portfolio for more photos and details about this kitchen remodel.

Would you like to read more from the team?

If you enjoy reading our blog as much as we enjoy writing it, that just makes our day! You might also enjoy a few of the related posts below. And, if there is a topic that you wish we would cover, let us know!

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