My METOD Makeover: The Reveal

It’s been over two months since the installation of my new IKEA METOD kitchen. And I’m finally ready for the big reveal. Thank you for your patience. I had to delay the reveal for a bit to wait for the video to be finalised. But that’s done and I’m ready to welcome you to my new METOD kitchen.

Here’s a reminder of how things were.

kitchen - before

And tada – my new kitchen…

My IKEA METOD kitchen - after

Again …

BEFORE

kitchen and home office area - before

And AFTER!

My IKEA METOD kitchen and home office area - after

It worked out better than I imagined.

Firstly, the flow. It feels open and free. And my space appears roomier.

The RINGHULT high gloss doors are gorgeous. They reflect a lot of light and have brightened this dark windowless corner of my house. They do attract fingerprints though, but nothing that can’t be easily wiped off with a damp soft cloth.

Moving on to the OMLOPP worktop light and spotlights. At first, I wanted to drop them because, well, they are pricey. The OMLOPP lights need to be completed with the ANSLUTA transformer, ANSLUTA power supply cord and ANSLUTA remote control which all adds up. And I wanted to light up one countertop area and 2 glass cabinets, both in separate areas. I would need two sets of the complementing products. It seemed like a lot of money for a little bit of light. But I’m glad I bit the bullet and got them. I love working under well-lit conditions and not risk chopping my fingers off. And the best thing about them, the OMLOPP lights can be stepped up or down. After eating and washing up, I turn the lights down and the soft glow makes my space wonderfully cozy at night.

Omlopp LED in cabinet lighting

Next, the island. Oh yes! My kitchen fantasy is now a reality. Initially, I was worried that the island would be too narrow and small but now, it’s the perfect fit and I love the waterfall KARLBY walnut countertop.

KARLBY worktop as a kitchen island

Thinking back, I had such a hard time deciding between the KARLBY (pix below, right) or the EKBACKEN dark oak effect (left).

Choosing the worktop

The EKBACKEN dark oak is a laminate and does have a gorgeous faux wood grain — almost like the real thing. It’s reputedly easier to maintain. As for the KARLBY, it’s combined wood (I was iffy about the mesh of rectangles) with a top layer of solid walnut over particleboard. Also I read about the difficulty of maintaining a wood countertop (the bane of the Internet!) But at the end of the day, when all was quiet in my heart, there was KARLBY. Yes, it does require some work, but it’s well worth it. And I tell myself, countertop buffing is good arm workout.

KARLBY worktop - in walnut

If you want a countertop made of solid wood, go for the HAMMARP. I didn’t choose it because I didn’t prefer the beech or birch color. I also did not want to mess with stains to get the right shade. But you could totally do that.

Strangely, I’ve had more issues with my laminate countertop. For the “L” portion, I chose the EKBACKEN black brown. It scuffs easily – like if I accidentally drag a ceramic bowl across it. It does not leave a big horrific scar but in some angles, under certain lighting, I can see marks. In fact, when it was first installed and I was cleaning off the construction debris, I noticed a huge scuff mark on it and wanted to change the whole thing because I won’t be able to live with it. I know, it’s probably just me. None of the visitors to my place noticed it. But I can’t help it. I can’t un-see what I’ve seen.

Scuff marks on the EKBACKEN worktop
Can you see it?

But while I was oiling the KARLBY, I thought, “Heck. Why not BEHANDLA the EKBACKEN too?” And lo and behold the scuff mark disappeared. And I was a happy camper after that. So now whenever I see it looking less than pretty, I give it the spa treatment. (Go lightly. It does not actually absorb the oils like the KARLBY does. And it needs to be buffed up well.) And so far, it has worked.

Another one of my favourite feature is the BOHOLMEN sink I went for the largest single bowl sink I could find. I previously had a double bowl and found the divider always in the way, especially when I needed to wash my big wok. Now I can rinse my entire 15″ wok in the sink! *Grin*

BOHOLMEN sink - fits a wok

I kept my old hardware (though I was quite taken by this.) It is not the prettiest but my local IKEA did not carry double taps or taps with … er … bendy necks. I have no idea what it’s called but seriously, a bendy neck tap is so, so useful. You don’t need to hold it like a handspray. Just position it to where you need it to spray and it stays there while you wash. With both hands.

One of the requirements for my new kitchen was more countertop space. This L shaped kitchen plus kitchen island gives me almost 5m (16”) of space. That’s more than enough for me. Plus a whole lot of storage. Even space to create a kitchen command centre in one of my cabinets.

IKEA Metod kitchen - makeover complete

And I’m thrilled to report, all doors open fully, unlike this one from my old kitchen. What more can I ask. The years of annoyance is finally over.

As a bonus, my work area got an upgrade too. I bought another piece of KARLBY to use as my desk, resting it on LERBERG trestles. I added a row of floating METOD wall cabinets for work storage. I especially love this UTRUSTA pull out shelf for my printer and shredder. I would have loved to use this pull-out shelf in a larder for small appliances but I couldn’t find a space to incorporate it.

Utrusta pull out shelf

And the HERRESTAD doors! They are more than double the price of the RINGHULT high gloss doors but oh-my, every time I’m in IKEA, they make me stop and stare, so I knew I had to have them.

Love these 3D HERRESTAD doors

HERRESTAD doors on floating METOD wall cabinets

Here are more photos, if you aren’t tired of looking at my kitchen yet. I’m not. 🙂

IKEA Metod kitchen - makeover complete

IKEA Metod kitchen

KARLBY worktop with TINGSRYD drawer fronts

EKBY JARPEN open shelving

At the start, IKEA gave me the challenge to create a kitchen under RM20,000 (approx. USD5,000). My total bill came up to almost RM16,000 (not including appliances). Here’s the breakdown.

Cost of my IKEA METOD kitchen:

  • Site measurement: RM65
  • Kitchen (cabinet frames, fronts, drawers, hardware, interior fittings, etc): RM15259.60
  • Lighting: RM436.50
  • Accessories (utensil holders, boxes, drawer mats, etc): RM168.80

Total: RM15,929.90

I may still need to get other things like open shelves, drawer dividers, containers, but there’s no hurry. It’ll be fun to add little tweaks now and then, here and there, to refresh and change things around. But for now — I’m mighty pleased with my METOD kitchen. Now, my cooking skills need to catch up.

You may want to check out:

Post 1: My previous 16-year old kitchen
Post 2: My kitchen planning process and tips on using the IKEA Home Planner
Post 3: My METOD Command Centre

Visit this page for more information on the IKEA METOD kitchen.

Disclosure: IKEA Malaysia is the sponsor of my new METOD kitchen. However, my experience and views on the IKEA METOD range are entirely my own.