Aiiiiieeeee I'm losing my sanity to Ikea (kitchens)

[whiskyowl]

So every brochure, every website, every piece of paper that Ikea produces suggest that their base cabinets are 60cm deep.

But apparently they're not, because they sit on a rail. Which means that they are 2cm away from the wall, making the kitchen 62cm deep. (How can a rail take up 2cm??) This is stated precisely nowhere in any of the literature.

This is why their worktops are 63.5 cm deep. I've been literally puzzling over this ALL DAY. (Why would there be a 3.5cm overhang, something is wrong!)

It's a bloody good job I found this out because I want my kitchen worktops to be absolutely flush with the edges of my kitchen window. And had I gone with the 60cm measurement, they'd have been significantly out.

I also spent 2 hours this morning trying to find the kW connection rating for one of their ovens. I webchatted twice, phoned twice, was then out through to the repair service centre, the installation team (mistakenly), Electrolux in Denmark, and finally Electrolux in England.

I feel like I'm trapped in a hellish parallel universe where nothing is clear or straightforward. But I think I'm too far down this road now to pull back - the timbers are literally being laid out for a 63.5cm worktop this afternoon.

My Ikea kitchen is Faktum, so is installed without the rail system that came in with Metod.

The base cabinet on Ikea's website says
Depth 61.8cm
Frame depth 60cm

So that is your 2cm well, 1.8cm depth issue.

Unless you are fitting the kitchen yourself I don't know why you are worrying about the electrical connection for the oven. I thought it was regulated to current electrical code. My electrician connected mine. The only thing he needed to know was whether it was a direct connection or if it plugged in.

Are you upgrading the electrics? Is it an old house?

Oven power rating is important as some will plug in on a standard plug, others will need hard-wiring and a dedicated circuit.. So - depending on what power is already available where the oven is to be located, some will connect straight in, others may need a potentially expensive rewire.

Jungle - the electrician asked me to find out earlier today. No idea why it's important, electrickery is not my thing at all. I suspect parkview has nailed the reason, however. The kitchen is all in a completely new part of the building, so it's a question of putting in a brand new circuit.

The extra depth to the worktop should not be an issue. It will give you a little bit more work surface to play with. The only issue you may have is the lack of service void at the back of the units, so you may find yourself cutting a few channels/holes in plasterboard to get pipes/wires into position.

The kitchen is in a new space, so I'm hoping most of the pipework/cabling will be located exactly where I need it!

I'm confused by the 2cm for the rail, however - it's almost like a void for services but not quite!

Are you sure the 2cm doesn't include an allowance for the cupboard doors? I've just measured mine and they are 2cm exactly.

reallybad - I'm going to Ikea tomorrow, armed with a tape measure, to check!!

I think, however, the base cabinets are 60cm including doors. That's what the installation team told me yesterday: 2 cm for the rail, 60cm for cabinet including doors, 1.5cm worktop overhang making a total of 63.5cm.

I know it sounds ridiculous and a bit mad, but this all massively affects the positioning of a window in my extension!! I don't want cupboards, worktops, doors etc overlapping the frame. I'm so cross that they don't make the precise measurements absolutely clear in their literature.

Maybe it's changed then, because I've just measured the cupboards (old style) and they're 58cm and 60cm including the doors. I'm actually going to IKEA today and am happy to check if it would save you a trip?

Awww, reallybad - thanks so much, that's a really sweet offer! I actually have a kitchen planning appointment tomorrow, so I'm definitely going, BUT I would appreciate any confirmation anyone can give. I feel like I've sort of lost my confidence and need a bit of hand-holding, so very appreciative of all of you helping me!

No problem, I like a bit of vicarious IKEA kitchen-planning!

Careful or I'll post my design tomorrow!!

Seriously, I'm very grateful for your help!