Welcome to the first reveal of the inaugural “Design Coach” series, where we help a family through their remodel (both emotionally and with design advice) and document it here. Chrissy and Peter could not have been better “clients,” what with great taste and incredible DIY skills. But with three kids under the age of 3 and a career that takes Peter out of town a lot, there were some risks and unknowns. But my goodness, we feel so lucky that they were such an incredible fit for this process (and personality-wise, they were a blast to work with, which makes a huge difference to me).

Dining Table | Woven Chairs | Captain Chairs | Pendant Light

We shot their finished DIY IKEA kitchen a couple of weeks ago, and this before-and-after is WILD, especially when you read how much they did on their own with three kids underfoot. They stayed very close to their budget, making compromises where they had to, and while it took a bit longer due to a 3-month stint in Kentucky, I honestly can’t believe how much they did in a year, themselves. They learned a TON along the way and were kind enough to answer all of our burning questions. Without further ado, check out this DIY IKEA kitchen by Chrissy and Peter.

A Total Transformation

The kitchen they started with was dated, and the layout felt cramped. With careful planning and plenty of hard work, they absolutely transformed their space and really brought this new kitchen to life. To dive deeper into the process and see the work unfold along the way, you can revisit their last post here.

Now that their kitchen project is all wrapped up, Chrissy and Peter are sharing all they learned from this great undertaking.

The IKEA Cabinets

The navy blue AXSTAD cabinet fronts (a color IKEA is starting to phase out, so get them while you can!) and the SEKTION cabinet bases served as an excellent foundation for Chrissy and Pete’s DIY design. Starting with IKEA really helped them hone and customize their design.

AXSTAD Cabinet Fronts | SEKTION Base Cabinets | Knobs | Pulls

How happy are you with your IKEA cabinets?
They are fantastic. Truly so happy with them. We feel the matte navy blue really elevates the “IKEA” look. However, the finish is not for the faint of heart, because like anything matte, it’s hard to keep spotless. While we have young children, dogs, and are avid cooks, this doesn’t seem to bother us, but it’s worth mentioning. The warm soap/water combo does the trick!

How long did it take to build the cabinets yourselves?
Peter did it by himself, so a few hours a night, for a week. Once you get into the flow, it’s rinse and repeat.

How long did it take to install them all?
This being his first time, it probably took about 3 full days of doing it solo. So 36 hours. Like all new DIY projects, it just takes a beat to get the hang of it.

Did you follow IKEA’s instructions, or did you rely on YouTube videos?
We found that the instructions that came from IKEA were actually really user-friendly, but YouTube was a saving grace for sure. The panel-ready dishwasher door, for instance, took a bit of figuring out. YouTube is a great resource, and we have learned a ton using it for DIY projects.

Which cabinet types were easiest to install? The hardest?
The sink and the stove (no drawers!). But truly, the drawers are pretty easy, just time-consuming. The fridge and the oven were the hardest from a pure strength standpoint. Just physically difficult, so Pete needed a friend to help put the oven in. Oddly, the spice rack drawer was complicated to build, but we’re happy to have it!

How impressed are you with cabinet quality?
We’ve had three other kitchens from three past houses, and while this is our first IKEA kitchen, it surprised us in durability, features, and yes, quality — fantastic quality (for the price!), and we would definitely recommend it to those who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves.

Are there any IKEA must-haves that you would recommend to someone else?
Panel-ready dishwasher from IKEA was a no-brainer. And it’s totally affordable! Oh, and we really enjoy the “drawers within drawers” add-on feature IKEA offers. Great way to maximize storage space within the drawers. Having soft-close cabinets and drawers was important to us, and with the cabinets we chose, it was standard — IKEA for the win!

IKEA Appliances

Stovetop | Fridge | Oven | Microwave

Did you purchase all of your appliances through IKEA?
Yes! It wasn’t crucial to the design, but it made everything easier when designing and using their kitchen planning tool, so we could just plug in those appliances using exact dimensions. We’re happy with them so far!

Were there any parts you had to troubleshoot or DIY?
So above the refrigerator and the oven, the ceiling height is 9 feet (roughly), and I believe the IKEA panels’ maximum height is 8 feet. We didn’t want the gap between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling, and IKEA didn’t have any matching gap-fillers. When we figured out we were going to do stained wood on the wall with the built-in bookcase, we decided to put a little matching cubby up there. It worked out great and tied in perfectly.

Planning Their Layout

One of the best things Chrissy and Peter did was shift their layout around. While a few readers had concerns that moving their everyday appliances to the old pantry wall would feel too far away, Chrissy and Peter report that this move has been a huge success.

Floating Shelves (made by Pete) | Circular Sconces (vintage)

How do you feel about the new layout? Are you happy with the “appliance wall”?
We absolutely love the layout — walking around to the fridge? Not even a thought in our minds. We like the separation as it alleviated potential bottle necking on one side of the kitchen. Flow is so important, and while the footprint is technically smaller, the way we use the kitchen works well for our family and makes the most sense. The biggest takeaway here is that by moving the pantry opening into the hallway, we were able to utilize a previously underutilized wall. Thus giving us the illusion of more (usable) space. Bingo!

How helpful or accurate was IKEA’s 3D planner tool?
Very accurate and pretty essential to the whole process. Chrissy led the charge on this, and it really helped make sure everything would work perfectly in the space. The interface was pretty reliable; you have to make sure to save the build so you don’t lose it. But a super helpful tool for sure.

How was the ordering and delivery process?
Amazingly, everything came as expected. You just have to make sure to put in the time to verify that the order is right. And definitely making the appointment with the cabinet specialist and going in-store to walk through it with them is a MUST – at least for us. This allows you to double, triple, and quadruple to confirm you got it all right. It will take a few hours, but it’s worth the time.

DIY Drama

Japanese Tansu Storage Chest (antique) | Runner | Stools

What was the most stressful part of this project?
It was the island. We had to move the gas line (one of the things we contracted out to do), and fix the hardwood floor (again, we contracted out for this). The periscoping vent is something I installed myself, and that was a whole thing. To make an island, you have to build a support brace that you can attach the cabinets to, and you have to make a space for the vent. This was incredibly time-consuming, hard, and stressful, because the fabricator was cutting the stone based on the precise measurements of this vent. IE – no mistakes (I did the math probably 5000 times to make sure I got it right) and in the end, it all worked out and fit LIKE A GLOVE. The back panel is also IKEA. Used my table saw to cut it just so, and it worked out perfectly!

The Countertops

Sink | Faucet

Why did you decide to go with this quartz countertop?
IKEA did have a variety of countertop options, including quartz — we just wanted a more specific looking quartz. And yes, true to form, quartz counters are overall durable and affordable* (depending on where you live… in Oregon, for instance, it’s nearly the same price if not more than natural stone). I wouldn’t say staining has been eliminated. You just have to be careful.

How did the waterfall style work out with the IKEA cabinets?
The waterfall is great. We were definitely hesitant about it at first – from a design point of view, they were not our first choice, but we felt it was the best way to deal with making the IKEA island work. Due to the cooktop being on the island and the periscoping vent fan, there would have been a large gap in the end panels, and the waterfall ensured this was covered up seamlessly.

The Tile And The Floating Shelves

Tile | Grout | Switchplate

Was your tile worth the splurge? Would you “Zellige” again?
Yes! It’s worth the splurge 100%, and yes, we would do it again. And again. We prefer the
imperfections and color variations — the depth they give to our space, swoon. Re: soaking the tile (read about that here) — look, for all the folks who blow-dry their hair before curling it, that’s all soaking is. The blow-dry step before curling. It doesn’t have to be perfect, delicate, or precise. Give it a quick soak (faster with two people to assembly-line it) and then tile. No biggie.

Are you happy with your decision to do floating shelves instead of upper cabinets?
For our space, it felt like the right decision — while upper cabinets have a place, here it would have been
too congested, and eliminating the uppers really opened up the space.

The Lighting

Dining Light | Picture Lights

We chose to save the majority of the existing can lighting in the kitchen in an effort to help keep our budget in check. We moved a few lights around the window/sink area, as well as got rid of one. That way, we were able to use that budget towards lighting in the dining room, where we felt it made a bigger impact.

Final Thoughts

Dining Table | Woven Chairs | Captain Chairs

Any tips for the indecisive?
Definitely go into IKEA and look at everything. In the case of the cabinets we chose, they were much
nicer, elevated both in style and quality, than comparable cabinets on the market.

Your biggest takeaways?
The con of this project was that it was lots of work, of course, but the pro is that it is ours, and it has a real story behind it. It is something we made together, and that means something to us. It’s work to get the finished product, and requires design creativity for sure, but for us it was all worth it!

Would you ever tackle another IKEA kitchen?
Totally. We’re proud that it’s IKEA. Using the cabinets as our foundation, we’ve layered in all the rest of the design elements that make it our own.

We are THOROUGHLY impressed with their IKEA kitchen transformation, and hope you are too! A huge thanks to Chrissy and Peter for sharing their beautiful space, words of wisdom, and excellent documentation along the way. Now, you’re probably wondering why we hardly touched on the beautiful built-in bookcase or dining area right next door. More to come on that project next week! Yet another awesome element that they designed and built themselves. Adding all of these custom touches really took this IKEA kitchen to the next level. The incorporated wood tones, thoughtful layout, waterfall countertops, and navy cabinetry – we love it all. DIY for the win!

Kitchen Resources:
Cabinetry: IKEA
Cabinet Hardware: Restoration Hardware
Countertops: Casa Bella Granite
Faucet, Sink: Kohler
Appliances: IKEA
Windows: Milgard
Tile: Zia Tile
Switches/Outlets: Residence Supply
Wall Color: Sherwin Williams, “Aesthetic White”
Counter Stools: Article
Dining Table: Article

*Design and Build by Chrissy Cambor and Pete Cambor
**Styled by Chrissy Cambor and Emily Henderson
***Photos by Kailtin Green