5 Options to Upgrade Your IKEA Kitchen Cabinets

(Photograph by Sarah Sherman Samuel.)
I just got a huge wave of kitchen inspiration recently after seeing the upgrade of Sarah Sherman Samuel of Smitten Studio's IKEA kitchen cabinets (above).  Remodelista featured their recent cabinet fronts upgrade which features LA-based company SemiHandmade. Sarah and her husband Rupert picked up the DIY panels (which are unstained and untreated), and painted them in Farrow and Ball's Pigeon paint color. Aren't they beautiful?




When we bought our IKEA kitchen, at one of those midnight madness sales, we bought cabinet fronts that we weren't super thrilled with but at 75% off, we thought they would be our 5 year kitchen plan cabinet fronts, and we're now on year four. So now after seeing these, I'm thoroughly inspired and it's time to start looking! But of course I thought I'd do a bit more research on other custom options and see if there was anything local or Canadian (which doesn't look like the case unless we go custom custom).  Here's a bit of inspiration and sources of what I found.

1.  CUSTOM

This rustic version of photographer and interior designer Benedikte Ugland's kitchen is something to be inspired by (From 2012). Via Skona Hem. (Photo: Anna Kern)



2.  SUPERFRONT
Superfront, a Swedish brand offers up a wide selection of cabinet fronts, handles, legs and tops that are worth checking out if you're Europe/UK-side or for inspiration. (A few samples below). Via Happy Interior Blog.






3. SEMIHANDMADE
Semihandmade based out of LA - ships across the US and Canada (good to know).  Loving their DIY fronts along with the more rustic Premium collection.

(Photograph by Sarah Sherman Samuel.)


Semihandmade Doors - Photo/Kitchen Design - Veneer Designs

4.  KOKEENA
Based in Portland, Oregon, Kokeena also has a great selection of ready to install doors from modern to traditional English style. (Below). Orders for Washington and Oregon only at this time.




5. IKEA 
And good to know also that IKEA has some new kitchen cabinet front options (hopefully coming soon) as featured recently on Livet Hemma. Note Turquoise, white and grey. Also loving the brass hardware. Love the turquoise with the brass and marble. Click here for more info on each.



See more of Smitten's Studio kitchen cabinets on Remodelista here and on Smitten Studio here.

Jan Halvarson

7 comments:

stream13 said...

Ikea has come up with a new kitchen system (METOD) which is currently available in Europe. There are rumours that the new system is coming to the USA either fall 2014 or spring 2015 (there aren't any rumours yet about Canada but I would guess it would be fairly quick behind the USA).

From what I've read they'll keep the old system around for 2 years after they introduce the new system but supplies are going to be limited. The new system means you'll probably get a great deal on the old system the closer they are to releasing the new one but the new doors don't work with the old system so your options will be limited to custom doors in the future (you may want to upgrade sooner than later)

Debra Norton said...

I too was coveting Sarah's kitchen. I'm happy with my Ikea kitchen which is just over a year old but when we were planning I was looking for a custom door option that wouldn't be too pricy. I see a great business op for a Canadian entrepreneur!

Jan Halvarson said...

stream13 - yes the images at the bottom are metod, but too hadn't seen anything yet in canada or usa. thanks!

debra - my thoughts exactly!

Natalie Marom Myers said...

Hi, can you please credit the photo of the salvaged wood door fronts from Semihandmade as Veneer Designs (www.veneerdesigns.com). This was my photograph and my design work. Thanks you, Natalie Myers

Jan Halvarson said...

Natalie - no problem, it wasn't mentioned on their site.

Natalie Marom Myers said...

Thank you Jan!

Aaron Gray said...

Thank you for covering Kokeena in your post! Very much appreciated. I wanted to let you know that we are now shipping across the US and Canada.

Thanks again!
-Aaron (from Kokeena)