Magnet vs IKEA kitchen?

[lisbapalea]

We're having a kitchen renovation in the spring/summer and are looking into kitchens. The whole project is costing a fair bit so I want to be thrifty but clever if possible with the kitchen plan.

I have always been a big fan of ikea kitchens and think they can look a lot better than their price tag suggests! Especially if you maybe use handles and poss work surfaces sourced independently.

A friend told me that magnet can actually be comparable so I went there today for my first go at kitchen planning and budgeting.

But I am confused whether I looked at the range that is most comparable to ikea.

Magnet seem to have three ranges - "uniquely" magnet (taste the difference range, rigid units and framed, whatever that means); "purely" magnet (standard range, rigid units); "simply" magnet (basics range, flat pack units).

I got the quote for the midrange but think I should have gone for the basic one - it's c.24% cheaper and presumably being flat pack is the best like for like comparison with IKEA.

Anyone have experience of "purely" magnet kitchens? And would a design based on the middle range still work with the basics, "simply" range?

Any other thoughts on IKEA vs magnet? Or other budget kitchens - Howdens or Wren?

I got today's quote based on getting appliances through magnet but am sure these can be sourced more cheaply if we do that ourselves - is that right? And would that be the case for integrated stuff?

Basically I am clueless and any advice would be appreciated!

[lisbapalea]

Shit that was long, sorry.

[dulcefarniente]

Very happy with my Ikea kitchen. Fitted 6 years ago and still looking really good. One of the things that swung it for me was that I wanted a base unit with a pull out carousel and Ikea sold that as a complete item whereas every other supplier I looked at sold the carousel as an add-on which increased the cost significantly.

Do you have specific appliances (brand and models) that you want or are you happy with what Magnet/Ikea have available? I would check out prices online so that you can see whether or not they are offering a reasonable deal.

[2pandasandapig]

My old neighbours had an ikea kitchen, they moved out and new neighbours moved in - they kept the kitchen, we are now onto the third set of new neighbours but the ikea kitchen is still there and still looks good (or it did last time I saw it!).

[lisbapalea]

Thanks - good to hear the support for Ikea kitchens as that's where I am hoping we end up! I like the idea that some of their clever ideas come included rather than as optional extras. It's the clever Ikea shit that really excites me about getting a new kitchen!

Now, can anyone tell me what the standard height is for a full height kitchen unit - e.g. an integrated fridge? Our house is a 300yr old cottage with very low ceilings and I am now worrying we can't actually fit the plan I want into our kitchen space without lowering our floor.....

[poppet131]

DIY kitchens?...

[otherstories]

I've never looked into magnet but have heard good things about IKEA. We are hoping to get IKEA shells and then have some simple doors made by a carpenter as I don't like any of the current range. Hopefully that will be the best of both worlds and midrange cost. There's an IKEA specific guy next to the Edmonton store in case you're London based

[ledgeoffseason]

Ooh otherstories who is the guy beside Edmonton? Had an Ikea kitchen fitted in Ireland, really great, but knew the fitter well. Now looking at doing a renovation in London but tempted by John Lewis as they fit themselves...

[otherstories]

Images of JL kitchen being self fitting a little like beauty and the beast and 'be our guest'.

It was bespokea.london/what/ I found, just via Google I have no experience of them. I'm after a v simple handle-less design similar to their malm drawers I think. Love the JL kitchens though.

[Bunbaker]

We had a Magnet kitchen two houses ago. It was brilliant. They fitted it as well and sorted out the electrics and plumbing. A work colleague was a cabinet maker by trade and he really rated Magnet's qulaity.

[lisbapalea]

Balls - just called Magnet and it turns out their full height units are more than 20cm too high for our poky little cottage and its low ceilings!

So I am now putting my faith into a local kitchen designer to see if he can come up with some clever but thrifty ideas on how to make my rabbit warren kitchen feel palatial....

[VeryPunny]

We had an IKEA kitchen fitted last year and it's fabulous. Their units come in a vast array of different heights and sizes - we nearly had a similar problem wrt: full height units being too tall, but we could have just subbed the shorter units, and lost a drawer. They also have about 5 different widths, and two different depths.

We used the IKEA kitchen fitters - they were contractors who also do the fitting for JL round these parts....

[Brugmansia]

We're in the process of putting in an ikea kitchen. We're then getting or carpenter to make doors.

The full height units come in a range of heights.

All the clever fittings aren't included automatically. Completely the opposite really. When you buy it the whole system is put together from different components which are all bought separately. For example if you want a wide unit with a couple of shallow drawers and a deep drawer you need to buy:

• the carcass
  
• 2 shallow drawer sets and 2 drawer fronts of the right width and depth
  
• 1 deep drawer set and the right drawer front
  
• a set of legs.
  

The pricing though is very transparent and costs reasonable. The total cost for everything we bought was less than £1000 although we don't have any cupboard doors or drawer fronts.

[Moving15]

IKEA changed their kitchen design a few years ago. The old kitchens that have lasted on and on are not the same as the current products. I had the old kitchen and in my opinion the new products are not as sturdy but offer a lot of design flexibility.

[ExtraHotLatteToGo]

Anyone have an updates on their kitchens?

I'm at a total loss about what buy. Such mixed reviews on every option!!

[PigletJohn]

The quality of fitting makes the most difference.

Don't get appliances from a kitchen company

Height is an unusual problem. Almost all kitchen units have adjustable legs now, you can screw them up and down to add or remove height. I suppose you could even cut a bit off the legs if necessary.

The ranges will be split by quality of carcase first, then doors and fronts will be offered according to the range the supplier wants you to buy. So they will tend to put the more expensive doors with the more expensive cabinets.

More expensive ranges may have colour-matched carcases, cheap units may be in white. If necessary, you can buy specially-made carcases in any colour size and shape from places like Benjamin James. I was surprised to realise that it is difficult to see things at the back of a dark walnut cabinet without a torch. Magnet, and possibly others, may supply white carcases to trade but coloured carcases to private buyers.

Don't buy foil-wrapped doors, it will peel off.

Soft-close and self-close are done by adding a small accessory to the hinge or drawer, it is not as expensive as you might think.

[OnePlanOnHouzz]

In addition to PigletJohns excellent advice (as always)... The design is something you have to live with for a loooooong time - so get that right too !

[concertplayer]

Ikea are pretty good quality for what you pay but when you go there to order you
will need very precise measurements and patience as the ordering can take the best part of a day.
You also need to check all the items on the order carefully
Piglet is right- alot of it is in the fitting and nothing really beats a local
independent company However do not buy the appliances from them.
Source yourself using reviews from Which and then follow that with the customer
reviews of the product you are interested in. The January sales are the best time
to buy appliances/white goods

[scaryteacher]

I have had a Magnet kitchen since 2001; the house has been let whilst we are abroad for 10 years, and the kitchen still looks great and functions well. My bil (who does replacement kitchen doors) tells me that Magnet are good and sturdy. He says with the IKEA kitchens that you have to be careful if you need piping behind them as they are quite shallow. He often has to cut bits out of IKEA kitchens to allow for this.

[chicaguapa]

We have bought a house with a 16 year old Ikea kitchen in it. It's looking a bit tired but is still good for it's age. It's only when you look closely at it that you notice.

We're trying to decide whether to replace some of the doors before they close the back catalogue in July or to do the whole lot in a couple of years.

[johndps]

"Don't buy appliances from kitchen supplier" ???
Why not? :)
If you are looking for a specific brand or feature or model, then by all means shop around, but you may well find that when you do, the kitchen supplier is cheaper than buying them elsewhere.
That's the case in just about every kitchen that I have designed and I only use well-known brand names.

[wowfudge]

Because most of them get cheap deals for bulk buying but they are not necessarily decent brands. Plus decent brands sourced online, for example, can work out cheaper than buying retail from a kitchen place. I want to choose the features I want in an appliance then get the best fit for the best price.