Kitchen planning for a newly built apartment with challenges

Hello dear Ikea kitchen friends

I am new here in the forum and already very excited about the many tips. I registered here because I am planning a complete kitchen for the first time and would like to discuss a few ideas and tips with you. I am moving for the first time "properly" because of my first job. My new place of residence is no longer Heidelberg but a newly built rental apartment in Böblingen. The planned kitchen unit is U-shaped and presents some challenges due to the connection situation for water and drainage.

Here is a first look at the kitchen unit



... and the floor plan with the water connections in front of the windows and the drain pipe in the lower left corner:



The sink and the dishwasher are therefore to be placed on the window side. The drain pipe must be guided once around the corner and then slant down to the drain. For this purpose, I would like to move the cabinets on the left wall about 10-15 cm forward and lay the drain pipe surface-mounted. The gap to the wall should be covered with a wider worktop made by the local carpenter. In the upper left corner, I have planned a corner cabinet with shelves, so that the walls can be cut out accordingly for the drain pipe.



Cabinet 7 = drawer cabinet (37 cm depth) open side should be covered by a panel
Cabinet 8 = small fridge with freezer compartment (large one is in the cellar)
Cabinet 3 = built-in dishwasher
Cabinet 5 = oven with extractor hood
Cabinet 6 = drawer cabinet

I tried to make use of the corners with these special corner cabinets.

The finished construction looks like this. The windows are drawn a bit inaccurately. However, they open despite the cabinet doors because they are "recessed" compared to the wall.





What do you think of my concept? Have I made any major planning mistakes here? As I said, it is my very first kitchen planning and I have no experience. Overall, this would cost about 3500€.
I had a similar kitchen planned at Obi (Wellmann kitchen) for 5300€ (including installation) and at a small kitchen studio for 5600€ (including installation). I am confident that I can assemble it myself since I have already assembled quite a bit from Ikea. Only for the kitchen installation and all the connections and worktops would I consult a craftsman or the local carpenter.

Maybe you can give me some tips on my kitchen planning. I would be glad.

Best regards, Mario

Hi,

oh dear. How did that happen with the connections??? Creepy!

Well, it doesn’t help. The idea of laying the drainpipe with a slope is less a good idea than absolutely necessary. You didn’t write how high the drain actually is on the wall, so I almost worry that you won’t get a proper slope, the siphon is also quite low, then the long way with 90-degree angles. Hmm... There are no 90/90 corner cabinets with shelves, only with inner rotating carousels. Or just completely empty. The fridge in that spot is also rather counterproductive. If it cools inside, warm air comes out outside, to put it simply. Certainly not 50 degrees but enough to provoke odors in the long run with the low wastewater slope. You surely know that the left window sash possibly cannot be opened, only tilted, unless you buy a very flat or removable faucet. I really find it unfortunate that the side has the handle for opening. By the way, how high is the bottom edge of the window? We need a height of 90cm. And how wide is the rest of the wall to the left of the window? That looks very narrow. If you hang wall cabinets there, the window might not open at all anymore, ergo neither the right sash. Did you consider in the planning that the sockets sit exactly above your cooktop or does it just look that way?

In itself, the planning for the given circumstances is not that bad. But I wouldn’t sell it to you like that or you’d have to explicitly explain to me in writing that you insist on buying the kitchen without changes precisely because of the above-mentioned safety aspects.

So, enough nagging. Sorry if I make your work look bad, but it should work. Now my solution.

* Have the faucet connections relocated behind the now planned fridge, then put the sink cabinet there. A small sink like e.g. the Round one or the FYNDIG or Boholmen 70x50. Sink in the cabinet as far to the right as possible, so there is also no problem with the cutout of the countertop and you have space for dish soap, etc. You can also store your garbage there, which was not really possible in the 50cm cabinet.
* I would advise against a dishwasher, it also strongly sounds like a single household. If yes, when and how often do you use the thing? Does it really have to be? Then put the dishwasher in the place of the sink and USE IT! Since the drain hose runs on the floor under the cabinets, water will remain there and eventually smell if it is not flushed.
* So the dishwasher in the place of the sink, fridge next to it. Sockets in the lower area are also scarce. The dishwasher needs a separately fused outlet, the fridge doesn’t necessarily but it would be nice. Please UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES put both on one extension cord.
* Corner cabinet for the stove and drawer cabinet next to it are okay. I am not a fan of the 3 drawers. You have two great carousel cabinets, so why then the 40cm mini drawers? Next to the stove I agree if you want to put Maggi packets and canned goods etc. in there. But on the other side useless. Best a 5-drawer cabinet. You have so much small stuff that needs to be stored. In the 3-drawers you start with boxes and tins or just shelves where dish soap etc. goes. Think about it.
* Wall cabinets on the left wall please don’t go all the way to the window. Think about horizontal wall cabinets. Stylish and modern. Maybe in that high-gloss green or with smoked glass — black by day and illuminated from the inside in the evening. Looks great. Best just one 92cm to the far left and maybe a second above it. Same on the other side. The missing 3.5 cm for a longer cabinet than below as well as the end panel you’ll get out at the bottom between the corner cabinet and stove with a filler piece. Again 2 wall cabinets on top of each other and on top you hide the ugly exhaust pipe of the hood.
* Generally don’t forget end panels and take one more for filler pieces. Cut them out and attach them to the cabinet with brackets and screws from the hardware store.
* If the sockets really are above the cooktop, ideally disable them. Condensation, rust, short circuits, etc. Surely nothing has to happen but if...
* The blanket handles you have chosen are exclusively meant for horizontal installation/use. It has something to do with the way they open and possible damage to neighboring cabinets. Please plan this.

I can’t think of anything else at the moment. I hope I haven’t upset you too much and you can make use of the suggestions. Sometimes I seriously wonder what landlords or even architects think when they plan kitchen connections and sockets etc. They probably all eat out or still live with their mom. Really awful what you get to see. Fact is, if you wanted to have the kitchen installed through Ikea without these prior notices, the fitters would turn around on their feet. I also wonder on what basis kitchen studios plan and then even sell? If you can name prices, there are certainly also plans involved. Has anyone thought about these serious problems? Then the customer comes to Ikea and finds out what all doesn’t work. Bearer of bad news. Great!

Just let me know if and how you replan and put some pressure on the landlord. And don’t worry, you won’t meet me in your EH and I’m not tough in real life either. :cool:

NfU

Na.

PS: If anyone finds typos... it’s late already...

Hey, thank you very much for the great tips. I will work through them step by step and then implement what makes the most sense for me. But I am very grateful for your suggestions, since I am still a beginner in kitchen planning and just at the very beginning. On Tuesday, I will be at the apartment again and will carefully measure everything once more and compare the previous measurements. Then it’s on to the next planning round. I need to get in touch with the landlord again to see if the drain or water connections can be moved somehow, because as it is, it’s really a challenge. The drain is currently located at the very bottom on the floor, so at least the slope can be realized.

I also find the tips about the heat development of the refrigerator and the effects on the drain pipe (=müffeln) good.

Now to another topic. We are considering maybe choosing Nussbraus Sofielund instead of the Abstrakt Hochglanz fronts. A question about that: The carcasses are white. --> The fronts then brown: So I would see white spots through my brown fronts, right!? There are also these cover sides. Do they solve my problem? If yes, a new problem arises because I believe the cover sides are 15mm thick. That would potentially make the kitchen a bit too long on the left wall, so that it would no longer fit up to the corner of the wall. I hope you understand what I mean?

Many thanks in advance

Regards Mario

Hello dear ones,

I have a quick question again: How do I create a blind corner in the Ikea kitchen planner? I arrange the cabinets, but how can I close the gap around the corner with a suitable panel? Does the Ikea kitchen planner offer a solution for that? So far, I have always used the corner cabinets (e.g. the ones with the carousel). I can’t manage the blind corner.

Maybe someone can give me a little help.

Thanks and good night

Mario

Hi,

either use matching strips, for example when you click on base cabinets, the very first point. Or you go to the point countertops and then adjust countertops. Then 60cm wide and you have a blind corner. Basically, leave it open, the employees already know what to do with it. ;)

NfU

Na.

@Nayla: Thanks for the tip. It worked now.