IKEA Kitchen Review – 10 Years Later!

Are you considering installing an IKEA kitchen in your home? Is it good quality and is it expensive? How about customization and how long it will last? We’ve had our IKEA kitchen for 10 years, and today I’m answering all your questions in this IKEA kitchen review.

When we built our home in 2013, we wanted it to be beautiful and functional. We didn’t want to spend a whole lot on the finishes. That’s where an IKEA kitchen came in – it was a great-looking and organized kitchen option for us, and the price was right. IKEA is King when it comes to maximizing storage for small spaces, and they do it on a budget.

(This post was originally published in 2020 as a 7 year update and has since been updated for my kitchen’s 10 year anniversary!)

I designed our kitchen myself using the IKEA Kitchen Planner on their website, which I found relatively user-friendly. Since then, I’ve helped design several other IKEA kitchens for friends and family using the Planner to design the layouts and it’s done the job well. 

We decided to go for a design where the cabinets went all the way to the ceiling. I mixed-and-matched some black wood cupboard fronts with some white ones for a unique look. For countertops, we used IKEA butcher block counters and stained & sealed them. I chose polished chrome hardware, plumbing fixtures and light fixtures and installed the IKEA white farmhouse sink. I still love the look of our vintage industrial styled kitchen, and it’s held up wonderfully for us and our three kids. 

How has our IKEA kitchen held up after 10 years?

Our IKEA kitchen has held up extremely well over ten years and we use it LOTS. It’s the hub of our home where we cook meals, bake treats, and hang out with friends.

Everything still functions perfectly. The drawers slide well, the door hinges are holding, and the shelves are still sturdy. There are only small issues we’ve noticed after 10 years. There’s a little bit of scratching on some of our dark wood lower cabinet doors, and some grease stains on the white upper cabinets. There is also some chipping on our toe kicks, however these were (poorly) painted by me 10 years ago, so that’s my own fault!

As far as cleaning the kitchen goes, the upper white cabinets are easy to wipe and keep clean besides the grease splatters. The base cabinets in the black-brown colour have been a nightmare to keep clean! I find they show every spec of dust or debris, and even after I wipe them down they can still look dusty. If I were to remodel our kitchen one day, I’d go for all white cabinets.

Since we installed our kitchen, the IKEA kitchen system has changed a little, but it’s still very similar to ours. Their new cabinet system are the SEKTION cabinets, and I’ve used these in renovations like our tiny lake house kitchen.

Watch my IKEA kitchen review 10 years later here:

Here are some answers to common questions I receive about an IKEA kitchen:

Are IKEA kitchen cabinets good quality?

We’ve had our cabinets for 10 years, and they still look great and work perfectly. I know quite a few people that have said the same about their IKEA kitchens.

What are the cabinets made of?

IKEA cabinets themselves are made of MDF, but there are several different door options. Some are solid wood and some are laminate. My upper white cabinets are MDF, and my lower black-brown cabinets are solid wood.

Are IKEA kitchen cabinets expensive? How much do they cost?

IKEA kitchen cabinets are a great deal. We didn’t pay more than $10,000 for all of the Ikea cabinets in our house in 2013. We used the IKEA kitchen cabinets not only for our kitchen, but for our laundry room and two bathrooms as well! 10 years later, the cabinets have gone up in price, but they’re still much more affordable than most other options in today’s market. The price will depend on which style of door you choose and how many cabinets you have to buy, but a typical IKEA kitchen costs anywhere from $5000 to $15000 Canadian dollars.

Can the cabinets be painted?

You can paint IKEA cabinets – even the laminate ones – but it’s a lengthy process. All of the door fronts should be painted separately from the cabinet frames. You’ll have to make sure you prep the surface carefully with sanding and priming, and seal the paint with a durable top coat. My mom painted her IKEA cabinet doors before installation, and they look beautiful.

Can you install an IKEA kitchen cabinet yourself? Will IKEA install your kitchen?

If you are even a little handy, you can install an IKEA kitchen cabinet by yourself (with the help of a friend or family member or two!). I don’t think you have to be an experienced DIYer to install these cabinets. Included inside the cabinet boxes are instructions on how to assemble them and how to hang them. The cabinets themselves are simple to put together and can be done before-hand. Hanging the cabinets is a little trickier, but then installing all the door and drawer fronts is easy again! I’ve installed IKEA cabinets myself. If you don’t want to install these yourself, you can hire IKEA to install them for you. However, our experience is that you will have to do most of the finishing or customization work that you want. You can even ask an IKEA kitchen designer to design your kitchen for you if that job makes you nervous, too!

Alternatively, you can hire a kitchen installation contractor to install the cabinets. My husband Sean does this for homeowners, and it’s a great way for them to have a more budget-friendly kitchen and not have to do all of the work.

The IKEA Kitchen Event

If you’re in the market for an IKEA kitchen, wait for their Kitchen Event! They usually seem to have it 2-3 times a year, and you can get money back in gift cards to use on appliances or other home furnishings from IKEA. It’s a great way to potentially save even more money when you purchase your kitchen cabinets.

IKEA’s Warranty

IKEA currently offers a 25-year warranty that covers defects in the material and workmanship on the SEKTION kitchen system along with a 10-year warranty on the ENHET kitchen system.

​​This is helpful if you are seeing any issues with your cabinets. I’ve had good success returning or exchanging any and all IKEA products that I’ve purchased, and kitchen cabinets would be no exception.

Why an IKEA Kitchen?

I’d recommend an IKEA kitchen to anyone that wants to save money on their kitchen and needs something very functional.

One of my favourite things about an IKEA kitchen is all of the interior slide-outs in the cupboards and drawers, and then all of the accessories IKEA has that can be added to the interiors to make them even more organized.

Another reason these kitchens are great is because they have deeper than standard depths for their upper cabinetry. This enables you to store even more in your kitchen, even if you have a smaller space.

Of course, most people’s favourite thing about IKEA kitchens is the price. They’re usually one of the most budget-friendly options you’ll find for your kitchen renovation or for your new kitchen for your build.

I hope you found this IKEA kitchen review helpful! If you have any questions or comments about an IKEA kitchen remodel, please don’t hesitate to comment below.

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