Things I learned doing my Ikea kitchen install:
+ Ikea is about the only choice for an "affordable" contemporary kitchen. However, I did notice recently that Martha Stewart has modern cabs for a reasonable price and they looked okay.
+ The Ikea hardware is actually pretty good, but the doors vary in quality probably commensurate with price. I did do a standing water test on the cabinet floor and it did well. (Note: I have not had much luck in most of the flat pack Ikea furniture. You definitely get no more than what you pay for there.)
+ Very important to hire a contractor who is very experienced with kitchen installs. Kitchens are actually very complicated systems and a lot can go wrong so you want someone who has seen it all before.
+ Forget about having across-the-board price brackets for materials and instead "splurge and save." E.G. countertops were not that important to me, but I had very specific choices for other items and spent more on them.
+ If you live in an older non-HOA neighborhood where uniformity is spurned go for what you like instead of the latest trends that will look dated by the time you come to sell.
+ On that note reconsider standard answers to routine kitchen design questions. E.G. I despise over-the-range, right-at-your-face microwaves so found my own solution.
+ Don't feel that you have to use every square foot of space, especially if you don't like that claustrophobic feeling. For remodels ask yourself how much extra space do you really need.
+ Budget an extra 20% for unknowns and overages, e.g. plumbing issues, electrical issues, gas leaks, vent replacement, etc., especially if you are in an older house.
+ If a city code calls for something unwanted, consider in advance how it might easily be undone once the final inspection is done.
+ Be flexible where you can for space and for things you don't use often, e.g. consider putting the pantry just around the corner instead of in the main cabinet line.
+ Try to time the tear out and beginning of the install with a one or two week vacation.
+ Consider going to dimmable LED lighting throughout the kitchen in your preferred color temperature.
+ Ikea-related: Use Ikea's software to make your initial design and the many iterations that will follow as you change your mind and encounter design/monetary limitations.
+ Modern kitchens can come off as cold and distant, so consider incorporating an element or two to breath some vitality and soul into them. Still one of the rules to follow with modern kitchens is that less is more.
+ If your current dimensions are too limiting, bite the bullet and pay extra to push out a wall.
+ Appliances don't have to be of the same brand and finish. Mixing and matching gives you more flexibility.
+ Appliances and countertops do not have to be the focal points of a kitchen, as a matter of fact some of the best kitchens have appliances that are hidden and countertops that are thin and uniform in color:
Alno Kitchens - Customer Gallery
Notes:
The corner microwave with the rounded back is made by Whirlpool
The upright metal cylinder in the corner above the microwave is for carbonating water (like a Sodastream but cheaper).
The integrated vent hood is from Faber.
The hidden Ikea dishwasher is actually a rebadged Whirlpool.
The paneling is 1/4" Walnut sealed with an outdoor poly. Above the sink is matching Walnut trim.
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