Wednesday, September 15, 2010

IKEA kitchen in ... Southern Living?


When I think of an Idea House, IKEA is probably the last thing on my mind. Idea Houses tend to be dressed to the nines in custom, well, everything! But this Southern Living house in Senoia, Georgia has a kitchen outfitted with IKEA, and I must say, it looks good. I think the key to making the IKEA countertops, cabinets and hardware and appliances look higher end is to mix them with custom and unique details. For example, the lighting is custom by Sandy Springs Gallery, and the IKEA look of the stainless-steel vent hood is elevated with wood planks, trim, and support brackets.

I also love the way the Caesarstone counters on the island are wrapped over the sides -- a great way to prevent bumps and knicks. Notice also that the planks on the back of the island are repeated on the hood. A simple Windsor chair painted a fresh blue (Smokey Slate 460E-3 by Behr) offers a pop of color. You can find more sources on the products here.


Behind the range (Dåtid Pro H50 An by IKEA) is a carved wood backsplash that coordinates with the wood countertops (Numerär by IKEA). It's a nice change to see IKEA products in a more traditional space.


The scullery is through a pair of pocket doors.


I think the trick is mixing vintage and vintage-looking accessories to keep it from looking "too new." Any of you have IKEA in your kitchen? I'd love hear what you think!

Photos by Tria Giovan for Southern Living.

24 comments:

Unknown said...

Actually working on putting together an Ikea kitchen plan right now! I know I'm going there because of the convenience. I find everything "custom made" requires millions of meetings, which I have no time for. I love the convenience of being able to plan my kitchen online and go to the store to pick it right up.
I love this post, I agree that an Ikea kitchen can be whatever you want it to be, its all depends on your vision and the accessories!

the gardener's cottage said...

my friend bought a house that has an ikea kitchen in it and the quality of cabinets, countertops is amazing. really amazing.

~janet

Southern Lady said...

I don't have an IKEA kitchen, but that one looks fantastic. Carla

The Marden Family said...

I visited this house a few weeks ago and the kitchen was truly phenomenal. I was so impressed with the quality of the cabinetry. They used a ton of Ballard which surprised me, but they did such a nice job of blending everything you didn't even really notice.

Carrie said...

I saw this and was amazed! We actually just finished our ikea kitchen and I am thrilled with the way it turned out. I chose hardware not from Ikea and we also added a tile backsplash that made it feel a little more custom but other than that we used all Ikea products. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the finished product. It flows great with the rest of my traditional home. I live in Homewood so you know it had to look very traditional!

michele said...

sarah richardson uses ikea a lot in kitchens she does for her shows, and they always turn out just beautifully. customization is definitely the key to keeping it from looking "big box," i think.

sevprez said...

built an ikea island in my kitchen, used their cabinets, sink, and countertops (numerar, left it unsealed). love its simplicity, and it was easy and cheap!
http://sevenpresidents.blogspot.com/2010/08/kitchen-reveal.html

Kylie said...

wow! that kitchen is beautiful. I don't ever really love the kitchen setups in the Ikea store, but this looks great. Too bad a cabinet makeover isn't in the cards any time soon...

Julie said...

That's so fascinating! I have been thinking a lot about IKEA kitchen cabinetry and countertops since I was in their store the other day and was struck by how .... nice ... it all looked. I would love to hear more personal stories, because I'm a little loathe to try it out myself.

Mish@BrickandBrack said...

Thanks for posting this! Our kitchen reno is in the far future, but I really believe that you can make an IKEA kitchen look fantastic by adding other elements. Thanks for proving it with this post!

megan @ a life's design said...

I love it and never would have guessed it was IKEA. My friend used the cabinets in her lakehouse. She painted the bottom cabinets a deep navy and the top a light gray. They looked great!

Laura said...

I just installed an IKEA kitchen and could not be more happy with how it looks. It's now my favorite room in my home! The before and after photos speak volumes.

Our counter and appliances are not from IKEA, but everything else is and it looks amazing. My friends were skeptical until they came to see it. If I hadn't told them the cabinets were IKEA, they never would have guessed.

We would not have been able to tear our our kitchen and start from scratch without going that route.

Lonely Wife Project said...

Amazing!

http://thelonelywifeproject.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

I was so surprised about that it was an IKEA kitchen too! They have come a long way. We are redoing a house soon (well when we find it! Ha!) and I had thought about trying IKEA... trying to convince my husband to try it too... I should show him this. Might change his mind! Beautiful.....

Jennifer
http://alittleluxe040708.blogspot.com

The Gentrys said...

Hey Jennifer, I just saw your comment about my chair fabric and wanted to tell you congrats first of all! I haven't had much time to follow blogs lately so I didn't realize ya'll are expecting - that is so exciting! Get ready, it's the best experience in this world! You never realize how much you could love someone until you have a child! Ok, so I searched high and low for this fabric. I wanted a white with black pin dot that was upholstery weight...surprisingly very hard to find. I ended up buying it through an upholstery company in California - sweetpeaofcalifornia.com I believe. The person I dealt with was Esteban. I think they charged me $21 per yard plus freight. Love it though!

Julie Holloway said...

Love it! You know what is so good....that island and the table combo. Probably a new trend, but who cares? So practical and fun. Bring it on SL!

Elizabeth said...

i'm speechless.....i can't believe that is ikea!

Danielle Oakey Interiors said...

i think it looks amazing!

ChicChickadee said...

I have an IKEA kitchen, and I love it. It has held up really well so far. (Have had it for two years.) The cabinets are really great quality!

Aimee@ the Functional Space said...

I had saved this kitchen for the inspiration files specifically because it was ikea. What a fantastic job the contractor did on the hood. It's really all of the details that bring it together.

MB said...

That is amazing! I would have NEVER guessed 'Ikea'! I love the idea of bending the rules when it comes to decorating. Great post:)

Hello Lover... said...

I am unbelievably amazed - surprised - impressed that these are ikea cabinets!

Unknown said...

Thanks for posting this! In an effort to update our 1940's kitchen economically we decided to go with IKEA cabinets and counter tops- they'll be installed this week! Like you suggested, we'll be adding some custom pieces and chose the Lindingo cabinets for a more traditional feel. Glad to see Southern Living deemed it acceptable!

Lisa's Custom Decor Fabrications said...

Jennifer, I love this house as well. Not only for the look but I had the priviledge to be part of the look. I made the fabrications ( Window treatments, Canopies, bedding, pillows, upholstery throughout this house). I am presently planning my own home design and guess what- I keep coming back to this scullery. It was one of the best design elements of a kitchen that I have worked ever.