1. Store your equipment and ingredients where they are used first. This sounds obvious, but it’s a little more tricky than it might at first appear. Pots and pans, for instance – the obvious place to keep them is by the cooktop or range. But quite often, a saucepan or large pot gets used first at the sink, to add water! Frypans and woks, by contrast, usually go straight onto a burner. You may need to store some by the sink and some by the range instead of all in the same place. So think carefully about where you really do use things for the first time. Any time you find yourself repeatedly carrying something across the room before you can start using it, that’s a great clue that it’s not stored in the most efficient place.
2. If there’s something yo use repeatedly in several different places, it might make sense to store two sets, one in each location. Measuring cups and spoons are a good example of this, being cheap to buy multiples of and small and easy to store. Taken to extremes, this results in kitchens with multiple dishwashers and sinks – but for some situations, they make sense and are worth the extra money and space.
3. Store things together which you use together. Measuring cups, spoons, and jugs go with mixing bowls, cookie sheets, and the mixer, if you’re a baker: flour, sugar, and other common baking ingredients go in the same area. Before you know it, you’ve got a baking center! You can use the same principle to fit the way you use your kitchen, even if you’re not a baker.
4. Take the doors off your upper cabinets and use them as open shelves. Not everyone can tolerate the very “busy” look that this creates, but if you don’t mind it, you’ll save a lot of time not opening and shutting doors to look for stuff or to get it out or put it away. Glass cabinet doors are a halfway house towards this, making it easier to find things but you still have to open and shut the doors for access.
5. Use wall space for storing frequently-used equipment and ingredients. From a spice rack to cup hooks to utensil racks to a full-fledged pegboard wall, this is a great way to store things you just want to grab and use instantly. Rarely used items, which will just collect dust,  or things which need to be stored in the dark, obviously aren’t good candidates for this kind of storage.
6. Keep a running shopping list with a pen right by it so that you can add things as soon as you realize you’re running low. Buy the next package before you completely finish the current one!
7. Cook double quantities of any freezable dish, and freeze the extra for next time you need a quick meal right now. You might be surprised by what is freezable: not just stews and soups but pre-baked potatoes (stuffed or not), quiche, bread and cakes, sauces of many kinds, pesto, hummus and much more. If you’re not sure, try freezing a small quantity and test later to see how it worked out.
8. Do certain kinds of prep in bulk. For example,wash, cull and drain salad leaves, then store in a slightly ventilated container: don’t tear or cut them up till you need them. Generally, pre-cutting or peeling vegetables saves time but reduces their nutritional value. Pre-cutting or dividing large buys of meat into portion or meal sizes saves much time when you come to use it.
9. Make your own baking mixes for cookies, biscuits, pancakes etc. This saves money over store-bought mixes and gives you complete control over ingredients and quality, but gives you the same time-saving convenience when it comes time to use the mixes. A great reference for this is Make-A-Mix Cooking by Karine Eliason - my 1980’s edition of this book is covered in splotches and falling apart, but still doing sterling service in the kitchen.
10. Plan for leftovers. Either cook just enough for your family so there aren’t any leftovers, or plan to use the leftovers for lunch the next day, in a meal later in the week, or to freeze. Leftovers, well managed, are a wonderful thing!
11. If you’re a plan-ahead person, plan out your menus for the week or month ahead, and shop accordingly so you never have to run out to pick up just a few ingredients to make dinner.
12. Keep a full pantry – including all the basics, plus foods you use frequently, and those little extras that make it easy to quickly pull together a meal.
13. Invest in time-saving equipment that you will actually use, not just clutter up your counters and cupboards. Knives, graters, chopping boards, and plenty of containers are basic for almost everyone: some people love and use their food processor, blender, breadmaker, or stand mixer. If you use it, take a moment to pick the best place for it: if you don’t use it, get rid of it and use teh space for something else.
14. Make space to work before you start, and clean up as you go. I know, your mother always told you that, but it’s true: who wants to end up with the entire kitchen to clean up when you’ve finished cooking? There’s often a lull when you’ve finished one stage or one dish and don’t need to start the next just yet – do some cleanup in between and you’ll be happy you did later on! Having a sink full of hot soapy water all ready for dirty dishes helps too, as long as you’re not wasting loads of hot water doing multiple sinkfulls.
15. Another thing mothers (and cooking teachers) tell us is to get all the ingredients out at the beginning of the recipe. This makes sure you have everything before you start, and means you’re not stopping at some time-critical stage to run to the pantry for the next ingredient. Hey, mothers know a thing or two!
16. Does your family like boiled eggs? Especially in the summer, when you’re using them for salads, pre-cooking a pile of eggs and storing in the fridge is a good time-saver. I pencil a “B” on the shells of the boiled ones so I can tell which are cooked and which are raw. Don’t use a marker to do this – the ink can go right through the porous eggshell and stain the white inside!
17. Thaw dishes from the freezer in the fridge before you need them. This saves time when you come to cook, energy for the fridge (because the frozen foods help to keep the fridge cool) and energy to thaw things by other methods such as the microwave.
18. Use the microwave for things it does well, in quantities it does well. Depending on the power and size of your microwave, there will be a crossover point where it becomes quicker to reheat a larger quantity of food on the stovetop than in the microwave.
19. Learn how to use your tools and utensils really well. Knife skills are basic but most of us never learn them. Your small appliances may be able to do all kinds of things but if you don’t read the manual, you probably aren’t aware of all of them. Cast iron is great if you know how to take care of it, a pain if you don’t. Knowledge is power in the kitchen too!
20. Use “lazy susan” turntables in more places than corner base cabinets. Any time you have a group of items to store together where you want quick access to any one of them, a lazy susan is a great way to keep them all together while making access easy. You can use a small lazy susan on the countertop, the dining table, on a shelf, or in a wall cabinet.
21. Use the backs of cabinet doors for storage. There are many racks available which can be attached to door backs to store light objects where you can reach them super-easily.

When you are embarking on a kitchen design layout for easy cooking there are a few important things to consider. The first being appliance placement. Most designers will tell you that you want to achieve a cooking triangle. With the stove, sink and refrigerator being placed to form a triangle in your kitchen. In fact they will go as far to say that if you achieve that you will cut down on your cooking time drastically. By placing your appliances in strategic locations it will reduce the amount of time you spend walking back and forth between major appliances and allow you to have the most important things at your finger tips at all times. Placing your appliances in a triangle pattern can be done in even small kitchen layouts.

The second thing to consider when redesigning your kitchen for the ease of cooking is who will will be in the kitchen with you. If you are one that often cooks with children, friends or family close by then you will want to ensure that you design your kitchen in a manner that allows them to be around as you cook. Kitchen island designs can be very good for this – have an island with your stove or sink built into it. If you like to entertain as you cook it may be better suited to have your stove on the island as you will be able to talk and visit as you cook. In addition to considering placing the stove and or sink on the island you will want to have an area opposite you that is suitable for friends and family sitting at bar stools. Consider a large enough island to accommodate at least three people to sit at. This would allow your children to have breakfast at the island and to visit when company is present.

Third in your kitchen design layout would be to consider your cabinet placement and size. Many homes are going toward taller cabinets with pull out shelves and even deep drawers to hold pots and pans instead of placing them in cabinets. Remember when you are designing your cabinets to consider how you will be using them and to for example take into consideration that if you use a lot of spices you will need a spice drawer or cabinet designed especially for spices.

Not only can your new kitchen be a functional kitchen, one in which that you are allowed to cook, entertain and do so with ease, it can also be a work of art. With the new finishes provided to select from there is no reason that you should not be allowed to express yourself with your selections. Today’s most popular counter top is granite, granite is a hard surface that is designed to last a lifetime. It also comes in so many different color choices and grades that you should be able to find something to suit your needs with ease.

A small kitchen remodel can often be handled by the homeowner, so it’s important to plan carefully.  Things like standard size (or smaller) appliances and sinks instead of oversized “professional style” can increase cabinet room (and therefore storage areas), and additions like pullout shelving or a lazy susan can:

• maximize space that’s often wasted in deep corners or on high shelves
• increase efficiency by letting you store similar items together, solving the hunt for misplaced items when you’re ready to use them.

If you’re considering a major remodel (where you essentially start with a bare room), kitchen layout is an essential consideration for efficiency.  Where you place appliances and sinks will vary in a single walled kitchen versus a U-shaped or L-shaped space.  As one-wall kitchens are so small, there isn’t much play in layout; placement of appliances won’t matter much since everything is close together anyway.  However, in other layouts, efficiency will be affected.

In U-shaped kitchens, the “classic kitchen triangle” matters; the three points include the stove, refrigerator, and sink.  If you’re a big cook, these small kitchen designs allow you to move easily between points.  The closed end of the U allows you to put one point there, providing extra cabinet or storage space elsewhere.

In L-shaped kitchens you should also follow the triangle, and you’ll also enjoy more open space as you’re not crowded between two sides, although the distance between points may be further.  Here’s where pullout shelving may help in the deep corner cabinets.  For efficiency sake when you furnish the kitchen, use this space for items you don’t frequently use like the fondue pot or the ice cream makers.

L-shaped kitchens can also provide a place for small table, especially if a dining room isn’t available.  If possible, increase the size of the open area by stealing a bit from an adjoining room when remodeling.  Kitchens typically recover their remodeling costs when sold, so it won’t be a wasted effort.

For other shaped kitchens (like the galley or corridor) and in remodels where changing the room’s shape isn’t part of the budget, consider additional space-saving, storage-providing options.

Where possible, install taller kitchen cabinets.  Often, older kitchens have cabinets that are hung lower, whether left open above or with walls that further impede storage space.  Consider replacing old cabinets with extra tall cabinets which provide extra shelf space and take advantage of otherwise wasted space (other than a few decorations).

Where possible, build-in smaller appliances instead of setting them on the countertop.  Many microwaves today mount above the range and act as a range hood with fans and lighting, and providing extra efficiency when cooking.  When used frequently, you can also mount toaster ovens, can openers, televisions and coffee makers under the cabinets, keeping counters free.

Other small kitchen ideas for improving efficiency are:

• Adjust cabinet shelving.  Look in your cabinets; how much space is wasted where shelving is too far apart and additional shelves could be added or your arrangements could better utilize space?
• Add items like hooks or drying racks to under sink cabinet doors for storing wet towels, dish rags, and cleaning brushes or sponges.
• Racks for wine glasses and other stemware can often be hung below upper shelves, allowing usage on both side of the shelf.
• Place the dishwasher near the sink for easy loading of dirty dishes after meals.
• Consider placing dishes in cabinets and silverware in drawers near the dishwasher for easy unloading.  You’ll save time and steps not walking to other cabinets, even in smaller kitchens.

With some simple planning, both small and large undertakings will make your small kitchen remodel a success.  Remember storage spaces as you plan cabinet types and choose large appliances, and efficiency as place them both and later stock them with your kitchen belongings.

Here’s a selection of pictures with some commentary to get you started…

A variety of lighting in this picture: tradition ceiling-mounted light for looks, recessed can lighting for good general coverage (though personally I don’t like these), natural light from the window over the sink, counter lighting under the upper cabinets. The tiled counter and backsplash are a great color but I would never have a tiled counter because I hate keeping grout clean, and I don’t like the uneven surface. The center island is very narrow because of the size limitation of the kitchen itself. Not such a bad thing, as it’s still big enough to eat at or to use as prep surface. However, it looks quite long and it might turn out to be a “barrier island”, blocking movement from one side of the kitchen to the other. The main range and sink are protected by the island from through traffic to and from that far door, but it looks like the microwave door may stick out into the traffic flow, which may be a problem.

Here’s a floor plan for a fairly small L-shaped kitchen with an island. The fridge and range are on the two legs of the L, with a double-bowl sink and a dishwasher on the island. The island also has room for some seating.

Good things about this kitchen floor plan:

The triangle formed by the fridge, range and sink is compact (to save steps) but not too cramped, and there’s nothing blocking the paths between the three points.

There are two good-sized stretches of counter, neither of which are likely to be encumbered by piles of dirty dishes.

The range is in a protected area where passing family won’t bother the cook, and its oven door can open without interference

Not so good things:

Sink has work space on only one side, making washing up by hand and other cleanup work more difficult

Having the island eating area by the sink is not pleasant if the sink area has dirty dishes

Dishwasher and fridge doors will block the aisle if they are both open at once

Aisle at the end of the island near the stove is quite narrow

Countertop left of the fridge is isolated and so not as useful as it could be

I’m sure you can think of more pros and cons – how could they be applied to your own current or projected kitchen layout?

This tiny kitchen is less than 8ft square, with the sink and two counter sections on one side (shown here) with the range and fridge on the other side, with a small section of counter between them. Given the small space available, the counters here are relatively uncluttered. Knives live on a magnetic rack on the wall, away from small fingers; sink necessities have their own wire basket shelf so they can air-dry; spices are at the far end (rather a long way from their most-frequent-use point at the range, but in a kitchen this small nothing is ever really far away); and at the right hand end, on the very edge of the picture, tall glass canisters hold pasta and other dry ingredients. The bright red doors with fruit and veggie handles make for a cheerful space, though they might be rather overwhelming when the space is so small. The downside of this kitchen is across the aisle, where the range is butted up to the wall on one side, making for banged elbows when stirring pots, and there’s very little counter between it and the fridge. I had a previous kitchen this size where the fridge and sink shared one side and the range was on the middle of the other side, with counters on left and right. I found that worked better, with more space for actual cooking.

Here are some more kitchen design pictures for you to compare with your own needs and wants…

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In a small space the most important thing that you can possibly consider is storage.  There are a certain number of things a kitchen needs and that number doesn’t change when you’ve got a small kitchen.  As you embark on your small kitchen remodel ask yourself if you’re including enough cabinetry.  Don’t even consider skimping here.  Well designed cabinets can multiply your storage space by several times.  Slide out drawers and cupboards can store all your stuff very densely while still letting you get to all of it easily.

That brings us to the next most important thing, efficiency.  If you design your kitchen and later find that you always have to walk all the way across it  every time you need to do something you’ll quickly find that you never cook in there again.  Plan out where to put the major appliances to minimize walking. Also make sure that you organize the cabinets to make sure that things you use together are stored together.  There’s nothing more annoying then having to open every cabinet in your kitchen to do a simple task.

So if you’ve throught through your design and planned to have enough storage and planned to use your kitchen efficiently then you’re most of the way there.  The finishing things that most people spend inordinate amounts of time and money on are really very secondary.   As you use your kitchen you’re unlikely to think, “Man, that granite counter top really makes it easy and quick to cook my dinner and clean up afterwards.”.  A super premium fridge may look nice, but if you blew your budget on that and had to get poorly laid out cabinetry then you will curse that fridge every time you can’t find that pot you needed.

The other thing to remember is that fashions change.  There was a time that a tile counter top and avocado appliances were all the rage.  Be careful about following the latest trends, what hip’s this year might be declasse in a few years.  Nothing looks as dated as those orange refrigerators and it seems likely that some of the stranger trends we see today will turn out to be the shag carpets of this generation.  It’s best to design things as well as you can, make sure your choices are simple and as much as possible timeless and leave the trend chasing to the people with unlimited budgets and people to impress.

Finally I’d say that the most important thing about small kitchen design is that you love it.  This is a room that you’re going to live in, probably for years.  Ask yourself what you like about other small kitchen designs.  For your small kitchen design pick out all the pieces that made you happy about every other kitchen you’ve been in, then make sure it’s laid out as efficiently as possible and that you’ve got room for all the tools you might need.   If you get it right you’ll have a little gem that will bring you happiness for years, not to mention something that will support the value of your home.  If you get it wrong you’ll be itching to try again right away and crying about all the money you spent chasing that latest trend in kitchens.

When dealing with small kitchen designs, it is critical to remember that, although you may only have eight linear feet of counter top, it is vital to place it where it can be most useful.  An eight foot long island may look great, but if you have no counter space next to your sink or your stove, you will have to do a lot more work.  Having counter space to prep your food between your sink and stove allows for minimal mess and maximum accessibility.  Even if your stove is on one wall and your sink is on an adjacent wall, four feet of corner counter top can be just as efficient as eight.   The cornering of the counter also allows you to place items such as a bread maker or toaster out of your “everyday” space and into an area that is still easy to reach.  This still allows for additional counter space on the outsides of your stove and sink, which can be used to cover the dishwasher or additional under-counter cabinets.

Using appliances that mount under your top cabinets, such as coffee makers and toaster ovens, can free up what little counter space you have for better use.

Whether you are designing a small kitchen from scratch or simply doing a small kitchen remodel, cabinet space is the other major factor in your kitchen’s functionality.  If you can not reach a shelf in the cabinet, what good does it do?  If you have to pull out six things to get to the one thing you need at the back of a cabinet, you are wasting your time.  Cabinets that are designed for specific use are the best.  If every shelf is at the same level, but you only stack dishes on three of them, the shelf you put your canned goods on wastes the top eight to ten inches of your space.

If you do not have the money for custom designed cabinets, a simple solution is stackable pull-out wire baskets or drawers from The Container Store or even Wal-Mart.  This can be especially important when dealing with your under-counter cabinets.  Being able to pull a drawer out to access the items at the back of the cabinet saves time and effort, and these cabinets will be deeper than your top cabinets, often without any shelves in them at all.

Often, cabinets that meet each other at a corner simply have blank space between them.  Make use of that space by building a corner cabinet instead.  A corner cabinet can be fitted with a lazy susan so that you don’t have to take everything out to get to the items at the back of the cabinet.  These can also be the best cabinets in your kitchen for your “storage items,” such as the china or crystal.  If you rarely use something, but don’t want to search through a box to find it, a corner cabinet gives you extra depth and space that would otherwise be wasted.

In small kitchen design, the most important thing is function.  No matter how good it looks, if you can’t use it, it’s wasted.  If you can’t reach it, it’s pointless.  If you have to spend more time and effort getting to it or doing it, you’ve probably just let your chicken burn.

The main drawback occurs if, as in the example layout above, you have a door at each end of the space (or even more doors in the sides!). A door at each end makes the galley into a through traffic route. How much of a problem that is depends on your family and what’s at each end of the kitchen. Sometimes it’s possible to block off one of the doors and use an alternative traffic route, leaving the kitchen to the cook.

Another possible gotcha to watch for is appliance doors opening into each other across the center aisle. If possible, offset your appliances so that the doors can’t interfere with each other.

Width of the aisle between counters should be about 4 feet. More will give you more room for traffic, but more walking back and forth: less can be OK if it’s a dead-end galley with only one cook, but can feel a bit cramped.

IKEA makes one of the best-known ranges of RTA (ready-to-assemble) kitchen cabinets ever. Get answers to your questions about IKEA kitchens here – and if you have a question that I haven’t answered, check the Links List below for more places to find information, or ask your question on the contact page and I’ll do my best to find the answer for you.

What’s the quality of IKEA kitchen cabinets like?

IKEA cabinets are better quality than most others in their price range, but you’re not going to be getting hardwood drawers with dovetail joints. What you will get is 3/4″ thick materials, solid bolt connections, metal drawers, full-extension drawer slides with silent closing, and generally good customer service.

One good way to check the quality is to go to IKEA and look carefully at the demonstration kitchens in the showroom. Not only can you check the actual materials used, but you can see how they hold up to abuse from the thousands of visitors who go through opening and closing the drawers, banging the doors, swinging on them and otherwise treating them far worse than you would your kitchen at home!

Finally, try posting a request on one of several forums and get feedback from people who actually own IKEA kitchens. See the list below for links.

How much does installation cost?

This is a bit like asking “how long is a piece of string”, but let’s give it a try.

Installation can be done for free by you (or a handy family member or friend), or for money by an IKEA-approved installer or by someone local you hire to do it for you.

Free installation is likely to come with a cost in time rather than $$. You may be able to save time and money with a compromise solution where you assemble the cabinets yourself and then have an installer actually install them for you.

If you are going to hire someone, an IKEA-approved installer may cost you less even if the per-hour rate is higher than the local handyman, as IKEA cabinets are slightly non-standard in their installation methods and the experienced installer will be quicker to do the job.

One “rule of thumb” I’ve seen is that you should expect to pay the same amount for installation as you did for the cabinets.

How hard are they to install myself?

There are two different jobs involved in installing your IKEA cabinets: assembling the cabinets, and then installing them. Assembling is easier than installing.

If you can use simple tools and follow instructions, you can assemble the cabinets yourself. You can also expect that you’ll get better at it as you go along, so start with a nice simple wall cabinet and work up to things like pull-out pantries! However, this is not a small time commitment: if you have a fairly small kitchen with 20 or so cabinets and you average 40 minutes per cabinet, that’s over 13 hours – and you have to find somewhere to store those cabinets until they are installed, too.

Installation of the cabinets is not rocket science, but it requires attention to detail, planning ahead, and ideally some help. Again, if you are a reasonably experienced handy-person you can do it, but it may take longer than you expect. Just installing and adjusting doors and drawer fronts on 20 cabinets once you have them fixed in place is a long project.

Can I buy doors separately?

Yes, you can. IKEA customer service states that kitchen parts are sold individually, therefore you will be able to purchase the doors and drawer fronts separately.

Can I buy cabinets without doors?

Yes, the price lists in the kitchen catalog list prices for “frame only” for all the different types of cabinet. The catch here is that the frame only price, as well as excluding doors, drawer fronts and hinges, doesn’t include shelves or drawers either so you’d have to buy those separately.

As an example, in the 2008 Canadian catalog a 1 door, 1 drawer 15″ wide base cabinet costs $103 for the cheapest door type (Arlig white) but only $40 for the frame only. You’d need to add Rationell drawer(s) and shelves, or other interior fittings such as pull-out racks or shelves. Of course, you can also make your own shelves or buy interior fittings elsewhere as long as the size is correct.

How do I re-create a specific look from the catalog?

The catalog pages often include items which are not stock items for sale. Sometimes they are made from customized stock items, sometimes completely non-IKEA, but there’s usually a way to re-create them.

As an example, consider the backsplashes shown in several catalog and IKEA home page pictures (such as the backsplash shown on the cover of the 2008 kitchen catalog and inside on page 10.) These seem to be made with fabric or wallpaper (sometimes IKEA, sometimes not) behind a clear cover. There are several possible ways to create a look like this for more or less cash:

• Stick the wallpaper or fabric to the wall, and cover with multiple coats of polyurethane to protect it
• Get glass cut to size at a local glass store, with the edges rounded for safety, mount the paper or fabric on the wall, and mount the glass over the top.
• Get plastic panels cut, or buy plastic panels and cut them to size yourself, mount the paper or fabric on the wall, and mount the plastic over the top.
• Get hold of windows or sliding glass cupboard doors (new or recycled) of an appropriate size and make your backsplash to fit them, then mount them over the wallpaper or fabric.
• Use multiple sliding glass doors and mount the paper or fabric to the back of the doors, so you can move the doors around and have different backsplash arrangements as your mood changes, or change the paper or fabric out completely.

There’s no need to restrict yourself to IKEA products when trying to recreate a look. Often you may have to make compromises based on the money, skill or materials you have available, but you may come up with a solution that you like even better than the original catalog picture!

IKEA kitchen remodeling secrets

Downloadable eBook tells you what you need to know!

Building one IKEA cabinet is simple. Designing, ordering, assembling and installing a whole kitchen full is do-able but there are many more opportunities to make mistakes. It takes more planning – and more knowledge. Knowledge is what IKEA kitchen remodeling secrets by Brett Spotke gives you. There are LOTS of pictures, but you get words too, unlike the basic IKEA instructions that come with your cabinets. How to avoid the traps and gotchas so you save time, money and aggravation.

Here’s what Brett says:

“I’ll teach you all the tips and tricks I learned building my own kitchen – and show you how to save time, save money and give you step-by-step “plain english” instructions with over 300 detailed pictures to help you build your dream Ikea kitchen project on a shoestring budget.”

This is an ebook so you can download it and view it right away on your computer screen, no waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Check it out now!

There’s a piece missing from the cabinet I ordered! What can I do?

If you bought your cabinets at an IKEA store, you can go back to the store with your receipt and get a replacement for the missing part. Calling ahead to see if they have the part you need is a good idea, especially if you have far to go to visit the store.

If you ordered at a store and your cabinets were delivered, you still need to contact the store where you ordered the cabinets. Call them and describe exactly what’s missing (you should be able to get exact part numbers off the instructions).

If you ordered online, you need to call or email IKEA. There should be a contact number or address on your invoice to call with problems. Alternatively, you can try 1-866-866-IKEA or email them (use the form at:

http://info.ikea-usa.com/IKEAContactUs/Contact.aspx if you’re in the US).

How do I use IKEA cabinets to make an island?

Let me count the ways

There are several IKEA products which make great islands just as they are. Take a look at the free-standing kitchen units such as Varde, Bravad or Udden, the Utby island shelf unit, or even the various sizes of kitchen cart. Some of these can accept sinks or cooktops.

If you want your island to match the rest of your cabinets, you can buy several regular cabinets and attach them together. You can use base or wall cabinets to create an island of a specific size, and there are also 12″ deep base cabinets if you need a shallow depth but you want drawers.

You may need to go for a custom countertop on top of your cabinets if you need it deeper than the standard 25″. If that means it won’t match your perimeter counters, don’t worry – it’s both fashionable and functional to use more than one counter material in your kitchen.

How can I make a plan of my IKEA kitchen?

First, you can do it the old-fashioned way, by hand, using IKEA’s own paper planner (built into the back of the 2008 kitchen catalog, but also available separately in stores). This involves measuring your space, drawing it out on the supplied squared paper, and using supplied cardbaord pop-outs of cabinets and appliances to lay out alternative plans.

You can also use your computer. The most direct option for planning a specifically IKEA kitchen if you have a PC is IKEA’s own Kitchen Planning software, downloadable from the IKEA website (see the links list). If you have a Mac the IKEA software won’t work – many Mac users use Google’s free Sketchup software instead.

If you have money to spend there are a variety of kitchen planning software packages which allow to use any kind of cabinets, not just IKEA’s, but are a bit more complex to use.

Can I get discontinued doors?

IKEA keeps discontinued door styles available for 2 years after they have been discontinued as part of the after sales service.

If you’re trying to find matches for an older door style, there are several places to try: eBay, Craigslist, and the IKEAFans forums.

Can I cut down an IKEA cabinet to a different size?

Sure you can, though you’ll probably void any warranty by doing so. Easiest to modify is a plain cabinet with shelves, as drawers are more difficult to modify. You’ll also need to watch out for changes in door sizes as, depending on the style of the door, this may end up looking very odd!

For plenty of information on modifying and hacking all things IKEA, check the IKEA Hacker link in the links list.

What kind of interior fittings can I use in a corner base cabinet?

IKEA itself provides two corner base cabinets in the main Akurum range, which come with lazy susans as part of the package. These are both “blind corner” rectangular cabinets and come 37″ or 49″ long.

The freestanding ranges, Varde and Bravad, each contain a corner base cabinet which fits diagonally across the corner and contains shelves or drawers.

If your corner backs onto another room – perhaps as part of a peninsula – you can dispense with an official corner cabinet and use a standard cabinet facing away from the kitchen and accessed from the other side. This solution wastes no space at all and is very convenient if you can fit it into your plans.

Another possibility for a blind corner cabinet is a fold-out shelf fitting from Lee valley Tools: one half of this fitting attaches to the corner cabinet door and when you open the door, folds out with it, bringing along behind it another set of shelves which occupy the blind corner space. This allows you to access all the corner space without wasting as much of it as a lazy susan does.

Links to information about IKEA kitchens

IKEA guarantee
PDF document with details of the guarantee on IKEA kitchen components, construction standards, care instructions and testing.
IKEA installation
Full details of the installation services offered by IKEA. It’s a long list and gives you some idea of what you’ll need to do if you do the installation yourself.
IKEA kitchen planner tool
Free, PC-only kitchen planning software to download from IKEA.
Google Sketchup
Free 3D modeling tool which can be used for kitchen planning on Mac or PC
IKEAFans forum
Forums and information archives on everything IKEA, including plenty of kitchen information.
Kitchens forum on Gardenweb/THS
A general kitchen design and renovation forum, frequently includes IKEA kitchen discussions.
IKEA hacker
Modifications and hacks to all kinds of IKEA products, including kitchen cabinets.
Lee valley blind corner unit
Interior fold-out shelving hardware for blind corner cabinets.

IKEA cabinets are versatile, tough, and good value, and they can be used in many kitchen floor plans. One limitation if you have very tight clearances in your plan is that the range of widths available is not as fine-grained as some more expensive cabinet ranges, so you might have to use filler strips more often.

Many of us have a number of things hanging out in our kitchens which could be got rid of with no great loss. How about food? Foods you experimented with and hated, foods that you thought you would eat, but never did, foods long past their expiry date, can all be got rid of and never be missed. Sometimes we keep worn-out equipment or supplies long after they have ceased being usable – worn towels and dishcloths, and cleaning supplies which are dried up or no longer usable are good examples. Pots and pans with wobbly handles, burned-out areas, or cracked enamel are also good candidates for the junk heap.

Other stuff just doesn’t belong in the kitchen, especially if we’re tight on space there. Cleaning supplies you use elsewhere, stuff belonging to other people or other rooms, and things used only at the holidays could all be stored elsewhere to free up kitchen space. Special-purpose equipment you haven’t used for more than a year also comes under this heading: if you really will use it again some time, store it somewhere else, otherwise: get rid of it!

Then there’s the stuff that just seems to breed when our backs are turned. Gadgets and small appliances are a classic problem here. Do you own small appliances you’ve never used, or used once and then never again? Or that don’t work and probably never will be fixed? How about “As seen on TV” gadgets that never worked as you’d expected? Many of us also have many duplicates of things such as can openers, utensils, china and flatware: pick the ones you love the most to keep, get rid of the ones you will really never use, and stash the “just in case” or “guest” pieces outside the kitchen. Oh, and how can we forget the plastic tubs (and their lids, which somehow never match up) and glass bottles that we hold on to because they are SO USEFUL! Of course, they are, but how many dozen do you really have room for? More are arriving all the time!

Sadly, lots of us also have shelves full of cookbooks and recipes we never look at. The photos were – and still are! – so alluring, but we just never got around to making the dishes. Will you – ever? No? Then probably someone else should have the chance to enjoy them.

With all that gone, perhaps you now have room to breathe and move in your kitchen. Going forward, try not to let the clutter collect again, as it wants to do. It’s much quicker to organize the stuff you really need and use, once the unwanted clutter is out of the way.

What if you don’t have room to move, even after you’ve cleared out everything that you can? What if the kitchen really is too small, or has too few cabinets, or too little counter space? In that case, maybe it’s time for kitchen makeover or even a complete remodel. Check the other articles on this site for lots of help with kitchen floor plans, decorating ideas, design concepts, and more.

Your small kitchen plan should emphasize space over anything else since it is a working area. There are so many items stored in the room which is why you have to strategically arrange everything to fit and match perfectly. Several plans are available which will provide you with the space you need without compromising functionality and great design.

Storage Solutions

It is important to come up with effective storage spaces to free up more floor space. There are many ways to achieve this which can be included in your small kitchen plan. One basic approach would be to place an island in the middle of the kitchen. It serves two purposes: one as freestanding storage that can hold relatively large items depending on the height and two as a functional countertop space where you can work, install a burner or range to cook or store a small appliance like a blender.

A galley kitchen design will effectively store all items in your small kitchen. The plan basically involves arranging cabinets, closets and appliances on either side creating a corridor where you can work easily. Cabinets are very important and you may want to have these in hanging style to save more floor space. Hanging and wall cabinets can be custom-made according to your needed dimensions. You may have the open-face design or solid closed doors. A large sink is very useful since it can hold more things instead of putting extra on countertops which can become an eyesore. A drop table with one or two chairs is preferred for eating space. Choose built-in designs when it comes to counters and furniture since these are specially made to save space.

Design Plan

Glass, mirrors and stainless steel are three materials that can help create the illusion of space by bringing in more light into the small kitchen. You may choose to use one or more of these in your kitchen plan. Glass doors, windows, cabinet doors and even dishes are ideal. You may want to place cut mirror with a design on one side of the room which can serve as a décor at the same time making the area seem wider. Provide enough light into the room by using under-the-counter or under-the-cabinet lighting. Overhead lights are also better than standalone lamps.

For more small kitchen design ideas, visit http://www.smallkitchenideas101.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Lee
http://EzineArticles.com/?Small-Kitchen-Plans—Your-Ultimate-Guide&id=1128363

More information on kitchen layouts.