We were so nervous when we did our first IKEA kitchen, and ended up having to make a couple extra trips to IKEA for things we forgot–4 hours away! But the staff has always been super helpful and there’s no need to be intimidated so long as you have a general idea of what you want. What is the Process for Buying IKEA Kitchen Cabinets? We have 3 crazy kids who are about as abusive to our cabinetry as kids could be, and ours work like the day we first installed them 4 years ago. IKEA cabinetry is engineered really well and will hold up to normal use the same way custom-built MDF cabinetry would. But to clarify, we’re not talking about the difference between Fort Knox and the first little pig’s house made of straw. So, is IKEA as sturdy as custom-built plywood cabinetry? Of course not. But it’s an incentive to steer homeowners in that one direction which, granted, is higher quality but is also often double the price.

And I don’t say that to demonize contractors – it’s a completely valid and legitimate cost for the work they do. There’s a lot that goes into this, but one factor is that contractors have relationships with cabinet makers, and they upcharge you on custom cabinetry to add to their own bottom line. That’s almost like asking why your Ford dealer told you to never buy a GMC. “Why do all the contractors I talk to tell me to never use IKEA?” If you have concerns, you can talk with the IKEA team, but we have been so happy with their strength. The legs are engineered to hold the cabinets level and steady, while the majority of the weight hangs on the metal mounting bars secured to the wall (more on that later). Our IKEA cabinets have never so much as creaked. And I’m not talking about the sorta-concrete that also contains a bunch of lightweight materials to reduce bulk. In our kitchen, we poured a 2in thick slab of concrete for our countertops.

IKEA has metal legs, but the adjustable ones (which are the only ones we’ve personally used) are plastic. “Are the legs on those boxes plastic? Is that really strong enough to support stone countertops?” Even most cabinet makers offer an MDF box construction option. The melamine seals against water and MDF is used in a wide variety of cabinetry available through countless retailers. If it’s strong enough and fits into your design, then it’s a great choice! IKEA cabinets are made from MDF (medium density fiberboard) that is wrapped in a layer of hard plastic called melamine. The main consideration is the balance between strength and design. IKEA cabinets not being solid wood isn’t a concern at all. “What are IKEA kitchen cabinets made out of? Are you worried that it isn’t solid wood?” But now that we’ve done 5 IKEA kitchens, my sincere opinion is that most worries of durability are unnecessary. Straight up, IKEA is known more for design and affordability than they are their quality. This is probably the question we received most.

We’ve used their cabinetry on several projects and are answering questions we’ve received through all of that. This post is not in any way sponsored by IKEA.

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