I’m so excited to properly reveal our IKEA Bodarp kitchen makeover! I couldn’t help sneaking in a few before and after photos in a previous post, but this kitchen transformation really does deserve a post all to itself. As the kitchen is in our rental property (read the backstory here), we needed to create a functional, easy to maintain kitchen that complemented the period property but would also appeal to prospective tenants.
The existing kitchen space had some challenges, but also a lot of positive aspects. The kitchen has large windows on two sides flooding the space with light in the morning and early evening. The kitchen also gets borrows light via a small window and semi-glass door to the boots room. There’s also a small utility room which gave us some additional space to have a table in kitchen. The challenges were typical of working with a 160+ year old house. None of the walls or the floor are level and so we knew we needed an experienced carpenter to fit the kitchen. This was one job that we were not prepared to DIY!
To keep within the (very tight) budget, we worked with what we had rather than make expensive changes. We also decided to apportion more of the budget towards fitting and less on the units themselves – but we ended up pleasantly surprised with our IKEA Bodarp kitchen. However, opting for an IKEA kitchen may not be for everyone, so read on for my full and honest review…
Luckily for me, I have a highly experienced chippy as my brother-in-law who gave me some really good advice before we committed the ££. For a kitchen this size in the South East, you’re looking at around £1,000 – £1,500 for fitting. It’s two guys, 2-3 days work. This all does depend on how much work is involved in actually getting the kitchen lined up however. Our walls were all wonky and so aligning everything took longer than it would in a kitchen with perfect angles. This cost estimate also doesn’t include existing kitchen rip-out, electrics and plumbing… or the fancy new boiler!
To mitigate fitting costs, we put together all the IKEA Bodarp kitchen units ourselves as that saved us a day’s labour. Many kitchens come flat packed – but IKEA come completely unassembled. Calculate double the work to put these together compared to other similar kitchens. We also shopped around to see whether we could get better value elsewhere for the accessories. We bought the oak worktop, kitchen hood, sink and tap elsewhere as they worked out much cheaper and more to the finish we were after. I’ve popped my budget breakdown and sourcebook at the bottom!
A really invaluable piece of advice my chippy brother-in-law gave us, was to order deeper worktops than we needed. Although the units would all be lined up at the front – the back would show the misalignment caused by the old walls. The worktops would be cut at the back to follow the angle of the walls so we wouldn’t end up with gaps. I then used Osmo Oil to finish and seal the worktops. It’s pricier than some alternatives, but I really wanted this finish to the oak worktops.
One thing I loved about buying the IKEA Bodarp kitchen, was the option to design your own kitchen using their web tool. You can make an appointment in store and have the kitchen designed for you, but I really liked playing around with the online tool until I was happy with the layout. IKEA kitchen prices are totally transparent unlike the majority of kitchens. You know exactly where you’re spending your money, and you know you’re not being over-quoted on price. There are no discounts, deadlines to order by – you have complete control.
The online kitchen design tool is super easy to use too. As long as your own measurements are correct then you won’t have any issues in designing your own kitchen. As a fail-safe, an IKEA member of staff does check your final design over before you can order. This is to make sure you haven’t left anything important off! And despite hearing some stories of items missing from the order – we had a perfect delivery with not even one screw missing.
IKEA Bodarp kitchen cost breakdown
| Kitchen units | IKEA | £971.00 |
| Intergrated oven and hob | IKEA | £265.00 |
| Kitchen sink | Benchmarx | £129.99 |
| Kitchen tap | eBay | £20.99 |
| Intergrated dishwasher | IKEA | £200.00 |
| Kitchen worktops | The Chippy Shop | £400.00 |
| Kitchen hood | eBay | £109.99 |
| Kitchen vinyl floor | Flooring Superstore | £159.84 |
| Kitchen fitting | family rates | £1,000.00 |
| £3,256.81 |
When we add on extras such as new pipework, decorator costs, blinds, timber etc. we probably come to a final figure of just under £3,500. Certainly not bad for a beautiful new kitchen! The washing machine and fridge-freezer aren’t on the list as these will ‘live’ in the utility room and the tenant is providing their own.
I was really pleased with our final IKEA Bodarp kitchen. It’s a perfect blend between contemporary design and Victorian cottage vibe. It brings this 160+ year old kitchen right into the present without compromises. Keeping all the units at floor-level, maintains the feeling of light and space – plus we couldn’t detract from those beautiful original windows with wall cupboards!
Natalia xo