ᐅ Ikea Metod corner wall cabinet: why are there no 30/50 cm grid sizes?

A friend is planning a new kitchen. It will be the new Metod system. The layout is an L-shape, with one side measuring only 1.60 meters (5 feet 3 inches), which must be fully utilized. They want to install a corner carousel unit 87.5 cm (34.4 inches), a 60 cm (23.6 inches) cabinet, and then what...? A corner wall cabinet 70 cm (27.6 inches), and after that...? On the Austrian side, only 20/40/60/80 cm (7.9/15.7/23.6/31.5 inches) cabinet height increments are offered. The odd 20 cm (7.9 inches) measurement is rather impractical and absolutely out of the question. It is clear that IKEA is streamlining its range. That is good for the company, but worse for the customers. They advertise with the slogan: "...you can make the smallest corner useful..."
I would like to hear from the forum and its experts how this is possible without the 30/50 cm (11.8/19.7 inches) increments.

Hello Napp,

I think many people have been frustrated that 30cm (12 inches) and 50cm (20 inches) cabinets are no longer available. And a 20cm (8 inches) cabinet is only somewhat practical. However, as a pull-out, it can be quite useful for storing standing vinegar, oil, and other bottles.

Personally, I would prefer not to plan a carousel corner cabinet, but rather a blind corner with pull-out cabinets instead.

With a blind corner, you need to keep in mind that you will require a few centimeters of filler strip to allow the pull-outs with their handles to slide past each other.

Regards,
schnecki

Hello everyone,

in my opinion, this is a major weakness of the Metod system.

Even Faktum did not offer an ideal grid layout, as there were no 45 cm (18 inches) or 15 cm (6 inches) cabinets like those available from other kitchen manufacturers. Metod, with its 20 cm (8 inches) increments, is really not optimal. In the worst case, nearly 20 cm (almost 8 inches)—specifically 19.9999... cm—of wall space remains unused. This means you have to improvise with shelves despite having a built-in kitchen.

Is that really beneficial for the uniform design language that Metod promotes? Well, not really! Cover strips might help visually, but storage space is still wasted.

So here’s my somewhat tongue-in-cheek suggestion: if you are building a house, you should first plan the IKEA kitchen and then have your architect design the house around it. That way, the Metod grid will definitely fit.

Best regards

Miss Marple: Ikea will no longer be an option for many who have very limited space and cannot or do not want to lose more than 19.9 cm (8 inches). Experience has shown that it is a big mistake to believe that one (and Metod) is irreplaceable, especially since the issue is only due to reduced inventory management. It is almost laughable that designers and development teams spent 5 whole years working on the Metod construction, only for its success to be more or less inevitably subordinated to accountants. We will see how Metod develops in the long term. As long as there are no more 30/50 sizes, at least two Metod kitchens will not be purchased within my immediate circle. These are just two cases, but I know that these buyers are not alone—there are tens of thousands who, for various reasons, cannot plan their kitchens using the simple 20/40/60/80 cm (8/16/24/32 inch) grid. Incidentally, I also regret that the tall cabinets with a height of 90 cm (35 inches) have been discontinued, but I can somewhat understand this decision.

The only plinth height of 8 cm (3 inches) is another major drawback of METOD.
However, with a 160 cm (63 inches) wide corner cabinet of 90 cm (35 inches), I don’t see any advantage in FAKTUM. The remaining 70 cm (28 inches) could only be filled with 40 cm (16 inches) and 30 cm (12 inches) wide units. This is not a real benefit compared to a 60 cm (24 inches) wide cabinet, especially when the cabinets have drawers.

The rough grid sizing is also the reason why we cannot buy an IKEA kitchen. It just doesn’t fit. Hopefully, some product managers are reading this—I can imagine there have been quite a few internal discussions at IKEA about this issue. Maybe you will reconsider it.

Best regards
batzee