ᐅ Seeking Advice on a New Kitchen (Planning Beginner)

Hello everyone,

I am currently planning my first IKEA kitchen for my new apartment (single household), and sooner or later, anyone who looks into it more deeply will probably come across this forum. 😉 In the meantime, I have done some reading and picked up a few good tips that I have incorporated into my plan. Thanks already for that.

Nevertheless, I would be very happy if someone here could take a look – you surely have a more trained eye. The plan is to have the IKEA kitchen professionally installed, as I don’t feel confident doing it myself. I have read that the prices are comparatively high, but I think the people IKEA contracts know the kitchens best and can probably resolve any problems that might occur most easily?!

3D view:

2D view:

It is an open kitchen, see the apartment floor plan:

My questions / open points:
First, what do you think in general of my current planning?

Due to the connections (water supply and drainage on the left side 50-70cm (20-28 inches) from the wall projection, electrical connection for cooktop and extractor hood on the right side 138cm (54 inches) from the window wall), the room for design is not very big. Or is it still flexible since the IKEA installers can easily relocate connections to other spots?

To the right of the dishwasher, I want to place a Bosch fridge/freezer combination. I would like to have more countertop space to the left of the fridge/above the dishwasher, but I have no idea how to solve this since the sink and drainer take up a lot of space. I could turn the sink around, but then the drainer would “hit” the wall, which would probably be impractical and also not look good.

Also, on the opposite side: I would like more countertop space around the cooktop but have no solution because the extractor hood should be where it currently is. For example, I would like to avoid the 40cm (16 inch) wide base cabinet.

For the fronts/drawers, I tried to achieve a uniform subdivision, which worked quite well except for the oven base cabinet. Unfortunately, due to my lack of experience, I don’t know if the subdivision for some cabinets might be impractical? Below the cooktop, for example, I want first a cutlery drawer and then space for pots and pans. Does that make sense?

Is there anything speaking against white high-gloss fronts?

Is it sensible to buy the kitchen abroad? France, for example, would be easy to reach.

Instead of the IKEA dishwasher, I would like to buy the Siemens XL dishwasher that is mentioned several times in the forum. Does the IKEA team also install third-party appliances? How does the ordering process work in that case: Do I just let them know and the dishwasher is simply removed from my shopping list? Does this also work for a cooktop (Neff would be great 😉 ) and would the countertop then get the correct cutout even if I don’t order a cooktop from IKEA?

I hope this wasn’t too many questions and info. 😉 If you have any tips or ideas regarding my planning in general, I would be very happy about your feedback. Thanks in advance!

I can’t answer all questions, but at least some:

Is there anything wrong with the white high-gloss fronts?

No, it’s a matter of personal taste. I don’t like them as much anymore, but from my own experience, I can say they are durable and low-maintenance.

And would the countertop have the correct cutout if you don’t order a cooktop from Ikea?

You can provide the exact dimensions for cutouts to fit third-party appliances; I asked about this just yesterday. However, the cutout is not fully completed — for transport reasons, you have to finish it yourself with a jigsaw.

But no idea how to solve that, since the sink and drainboard take up a lot of space

I would simply choose a sink without a drainboard. That’s what I do. More countertop space for working is more important.

You’d have more workspace around the cooktop if you use a regular oven/cooktop combination instead of the oven built into a tall cabinet. Then replace the tall cabinet with a regular base cabinet. That way, you gain more space next to the cooktop. But it depends on what you prefer: more countertop space or a higher placed oven. I would probably skip the tall oven cabinet and add an additional base cabinet on the right instead.

I would simply choose a sink without a draining board. That’s what I do as well. Having workspace on the countertop is more important.

I’m considering that too. At least it would be a very simple solution for my problem.

But it’s a matter of personal preference whether countertop space or a higher-placed oven is more important. I would probably skip the tall oven cabinet and instead add another base cabinet on the right.

I thought about that at the beginning as well. Unfortunately, I forgot to mention in my initial post that the kitchen tiles end directly next to the base cabinet on the right and the parquet flooring begins. That means adding another cabinet on the right is not possible. That’s why I chose the single tall cabinet to accommodate the oven. However, this solution is not ideal for the countertop space around the cooktop. :/

Hello,
I also find a drip tray unnecessary. Besides, it often encourages leaving dishes to dry instead of wiping and putting them away immediately. There might be enough space for a 20 cm (8 inches) base cabinet between the dishwasher and the fridge/freezer combo if you don’t want a bulky side-by-side unit. Also, the countertop can’t rest on the dishwasher and needs at least a side support.
Doesn’t the cabinet with the oven protrude too much into the window? As Thomas already mentioned, you gain more countertop space by installing the oven under the cooktop. You can compensate for the lost storage space with wall cabinets. I don’t quite understand the current reluctance toward wall cabinets.
How sensible the cabinet layout is depends on what you plan to store inside. Placing cutlery beneath the cooktop can be convenient but also inconvenient when cooking with others.
If any wiring needs to be installed, you should have an electrician do it in advance. Don’t expect too much from the IKEA assembly service.

Buying from abroad only makes sense if it is significantly cheaper. Whether delivery and assembly through IKEA is possible then should be clarified with them. If you replace “DE” in the planner’s link, you can see the price for the respective country.
You can compare individual items at koettbilligar.de.

I have tried to implement your suggestions

Changes compared to before:
- Removed drip tray area
- Replaced 80cm (31.5 inches) sink base cabinet with a 60cm (24 inches) one
- Added a 40cm (15.7 inches) base cabinet on the sink side
- Added 2 wall cabinets
- Removed tall cabinet and placed oven under the cooktop

Any opinions?

Hello,
if you can move the range hood a little,
you could place an 80cm (31.5 inch) base cabinet, a 60cm (23.6 inch) stove, and another 80cm (31.5 inch) base cabinet on the cooktop side. Or, if moving it is not possible, you could still install two 80cm (31.5 inch) base cabinets and separate the stove from the oven.

Why are there no wall cabinets on the cooktop side? Is the storage space sufficient as it is?
I think that except for glasses and white cups, you can't really store anything behind the glass doors on the sink side.