IKEA are design masters, no question. Their clever kitchen solutions are stylish, functional, affordable and sustainable. But sometimes you just want something with a stand-out designer finish that's hard to eke out of a standard unit. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of ideas and products out there to help you give a basic IKEA kitchen a high-end, bespoke look. Click or scroll to learn more...

Who doesn’t love IKEA? The affordability, the flatpack furniture, the meatballs! But with 464 stores worldwide (according to Statista February 2023) what comes with mainstream popularity is a little less originality; almost everyone we know has a piece of IKEA furniture and an allen key in their home.

The IKEA kitchen department provides affordable, flatpack and even returnable (if unopened) products that are left up to us to customise. But, in our opinion, that's where the fun begins...

Replacing the original FAKTUM range in 2014, IKEA's most popular kitchen design today is the METOD kitchen range. One of IKEA's three kitchen ranges along with ENHET and KNOXHULT, it's designed with a modular approach (that you can even take with you if you move). METOD allows for individual solutions, practical use of space and increased functionality.

Such affordable practicalities mean IKEA METOD kitchens are the foundation of millions of custom kitchen cabinet systems and (if not customised) warrantied for 25 years. What's more, planning your kitchen is another way IKEA has cornered the market...

Another bonus when it comes to owning an IKEA kitchen is the fact that there is no need to fork out on a kitchen designer. Online kitchen planner tools on the IKEA website allow users to input room measurements to then click and drag digital versions of METOD cabinets, appliances and accessories onto a digital kitchen design layout for a new kitchen.

Although the free tool is not yet available for smartphones, it’s super easy to use with no downloads required.

Planning an IKEA kitchen is a simpler and less expensive process than hiring a professional kitchen designer. First, measure the room in millimetres for an accurate design. Note the locations of electrical sockets, water connections and intrusions such as fireplaces or pipes.

Use the IKEA kitchen planner to design your kitchen and experiment with colours, styles and fittings. Save the plan and set up a unique username and password. Place your order online or book a kitchen design appointment at your most local IKEA store. Before your appointment, print out the plan or remember your login details. IKEA staff can make sure the plan is correct when ordering. 

An IKEA kitchen is delivered in boxes...lots of boxes! IKEA recommends, and we agree, that if installing a METOD modular kitchen yourself, it's important to research what's involved from start to finish.

Visit 'How to Install your IKEA kitchen' on the IKEA YouTube channel before assembly. Once unpacked, read the instructions, sort components and take your time. There are many assembly videos also available on the @IKEA YouTube channel to help you. 

A clever part of an IKEA METOD kitchen is its modular versatility and ambiguity to become, aesthetically, anything 'but' a standard IKEA kitchen. Kitchen designers and manufacturers, like FRØPT, have discovered that it's possible to move the IKEA kitchen into new domains by creating IKEA-compatible kitchen features that are high-end, bespoke and unique.

It's a great way to save money on the parts of the cabinet that you don’t see (the cabinet and cupboard bases for example) while making the most of the parts that are on show. But that's just the beginning, with plenty of options for getting a unique finish...

It's not just the kitchen design professionals who know how to renovate an IKEA kitchen. Thanks to the social media boom, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok are bursting with beautiful IKEA kitchen makeovers and updates created by social-media-savvy, interior-obsessed renovators whose only qualifications are natural style, individuality and the courage to have a go.

Blogger Meg Monde installed her IKEA kitchen, then primed and painted the cupboard fronts Green 04 from Lick Paint to give it a unique touch.

One of the easiest ways to give your IKEA kitchen a personalised makeover is to speak to a company that offers designer fronts and hardware that fit into IKEA’s basic METOD units.

Most of these companies are based in Scandinavian countries, with international delivery options, but there are more popping up elsewhere in the UK and US.

Swedish brand Superfront supplies stylish cabinet fronts, side panels, worktops, handles, legs and plinths in a variety of styles, all designed to fit IKEA kitchen units.

The use of real wood here makes for a luxurious and natural alternative to standard IKEA cupboard fronts. 

London-based firm, cleverly named, Plykea is leading the trend for using humble materials in high-end settings by supplying plywood fronts, cover panels and worktops to fit IKEA units.

You can choose between wood-faced ply in birch, oak or walnut and Formica-faced ply in a vast range of colours.

Bristol-based Kitchen design company HUSK transforms IKEA kitchens with both stylish fronts and worktops.

HUSK offer a free service to check your IKEA order and then deliver your chosen HUSK fronts for DIY fitting, making the installation even more cost-effective. 

If you’re handy with a paintbrush, you can completely transform a kitchen in a DIY weekend project. This kitchen started out a standard IKEA cabinet colour, but @blues_barn has transformed the feel of the room entirely using a soothing sage green and updated handles on the doors.

If painting yourself seems daunting, there are specialist companies such as Spraykea who spray paint a smooth and consistent colour of your choice onto your kitchen cabinets. 

This modern open-plan kitchen has been spray painted in Farrow & Ball paint colours. What's extra handy about this option is you can simply re-spray whenever you're ready for a change.

Mixing and matching cabinet doors is a simple way to give your IKEA kitchen a high-end feel. This stunning look has been achieved by choosing on-trend wood-grooved cupboards along one wall, then adding more protected painted door fronts around the cooking area in a glorious shade of petrol blue.

Even glossy IKEA kitchen cupboards can get a colour makeover. A little more prep is required to remove any deep-set grease, but the same method works on gloss laminate as it does matt.

Take a look at the video via Frenchic Paint TV on YouTube to see how to achieve professional and long-lasting results.

Some companies, such as Sussex-based Custom Fronts, specialise in producing cupboard doors which are compatible with IKEA units. Many of the designs come with either cut-out handles or a handleless finish with no hardware needed.

This leaves lots of time to complete the scheme. Colour-drenched walls inject drama into any room and this kitchen is no exception. Whether it's bright and beautiful or a moody tone idea for the dark kitchen trend, just choose the shade you like to complement your IKEA cupboards.

Whether cupboard fronts are standard or re-installed, a pared-back kitchen will benefit from a statement splashback or kitchen wall tiles. 

Here, a fun starburst patterned splashback picks out the natural wood tone of plywood cupboard fronts and a plate rack with a striking effect, creating an eclectic, retro vibe. 

You don’t have to spend a fortune on tiles to create an eye-catching splashback. Coloured grout is an easy and affordable way to add a fun finish to classic white tiles and can be just as big a talking point as an elaborate design.

Match your lighting and accessories to the grout to create a sense of harmony and coherence in the room. 

Whether you want to jazz up an existing IKEA kitchen or pick out a custom colour, a statement splashback will bring an IKEA design utterly out from behind the clouds.

These indigo-coloured cupboards make an ideal night sky backdrop for silhouetted white stars to shine out from the splashback.

This IKEA kitchen has been planned to run along the length of one wall to give a sense of space. Modern METOD IKEA cabinets with seamless glossy fronts are customised with a heavy-duty cement worktop and open shelves.

The sense of openness paired with industrial-style additions creates a loft-living atmosphere that is ultra-minimalist chic. 

Introducing high-end materials is another way to give basic IKEA units a surrounding opulent upgrade. This smooth and chic Dolomite worktop adds a sense of luxurious character to Brittney Hanks', owner of Home and Kind, minimalistic white IKEA kitchen.

Terrazzo is a beautiful and incredibly modern pattern to add to an otherwise commonplace kitchen. Choose the dappled effect in a pretty colourway to make a style statement on both splashbacks and worktops.

This kitchenette looks ultra luxe with smooth bespoke cabinets and classic brass fixtures. The golden and coral tones are an instant match. 

Speaking of golden tones, why not glow up an IKEA oak kitchen with shiny scallop edge pull handles? The eye-catching and rather luxurious design adds a high-end feel when placed against an organic wood grain finish.

In this simple yet effective space, @littlemcrhouse collaborated with Plank Hardware to make a play on the scallop edge trend and we love it. 

Of course, you don’t have to replace the entire door to give a cabinet a new on-trend look. Sometimes a striking pull handle or knob is all it takes to elevate a cupboard from standard to stunning.

Offering a more relaxed feel, this crisp IKEA kitchen has been updated with leather pull handles for an on-trend industrial aesthetic. Paired with rustic whitewashed floorboards and a mismatched dining set it oozes cool and contemporary.

Smart fittings and hardware are another great way to elevate a basic scheme. The rose gold tap is the star of the show in this kitchen and stands out all the more for being paired with unfussy worktops and minimalist, muted kitchen colour-scheme.

You can also opt for 'smart' taps that filter water, provide instant boiling water, or are touch-activated with smart features. Your IKEA kitchen is instantly upgraded.

Other companies, such as A.S. Helsingö, has its own range of taps and sinks, as well as IKEA-compatible cabinet fronts. So you can accessorise to your heart's content to get a kitchen that's 100% your style.

An easy way to give your kitchen an update, A.S. Helsingö metal fittings come in a selection of finishes, from stainless steel to brass and copper, giving you even more ways to customise your culinary space.

Most modern kitchen ceilings sport recess lighting these days, which puts your kitchen in the spotlight, but doesn't have much impact design-wise. Pendant lighting, however, creates a stylish focal point in an IKEA kitchen.

When chosen well, it can add the perfect unexpected statement to a standard kitchen scene. Remember. a pendant light cluster or set is best positioned over an island or peninsula where they are less likely to be a hazard.

Bright kitchen lighting shines personality onto standard IKEA kitchens or finesse to those customised with bespoke fronts. However, layered lighting, using statement pendant lights or glamorous wall and task lights, injects depth into a minimalist scheme.

In this space, you can illuminate different sections of the room at a time and add little touches with your choice of finish on the shades or fixtures and fittings. You could also choose various colour bulbs to amp up the ambience.

Perhaps the largest pieces in most kitchens, appliances present plenty of opportunity for customisation. But choosing a budget-friendly IKEA kitchen means you can afford to invest more in appliances, creating even more of a quality finish.

This stainless-steel dishwasher and retro toaster add luxe attention to detail and create a visual break in the crisp white kitchen. 

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