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A Sydney blogger’s light-filled and lovely IKEA kitchen

August 10, 2017 3 Comments

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Photography by Lucas Boyd

We recently checked out blogger Rebecca Lowrey Boyd’s kitchen and loved it so much, we persuaded her to share all the details with us. You can check out more of Rebecca’s writing at Wee Birdy.

I never thought I would renovate our kitchen. When we bought our โ€˜70s modernist pole house on Sydney’s upper North Shore three years ago, I was a staunch defender of its wood-panelled walls and ceiling. While everyone peered around in the gloom, I felt like I was living in a little wooden cabin in the the bush.

Why renovate?

After three months of living with our kitchen, the charm of the timber-lined space wore thin. The darkness of the kitchen was at odds with the rest of the house, which weโ€™d since painted white and was bathed in light. More than anything, the clunkiness of the cabinetry was annoying. The drawers were heavy and frequently got stuck, and everything felt disorganised and messy. The overhead cabinets dividing the kitchen and living room made the room feel dark and closed in.

Why IKEA?

We knew a stone benchtop was out of the question because we have two poles going through the benchtop. The only option was timber so we could cut around the poles like a jigsaw. For a flatpack option, IKEA appealed because of the budget-friendly cabinetry and oak benchtops. Weโ€™ve got a Scandi-style home and itโ€™s easy to get the Scandi look with IKEA. Finally I was drawn to the soft-closing, deep drawers that are so much more expensive in a custom-made kitchen.

Big changes

We removed the overhead cupboards that hung over the benchtop, which opened up the space and allowed the light from the living room to flood the kitchen. We also painted the dark timber panelling white in Dulux Natural White.

Benchtops

IKEAโ€™s AKERBY worktop in oak (no longer available but there are similar).

Cabinetry

White IKEA FAKTUM cabinets (now called METOD).

Splashback

Hand-made ceramic subway tiles with black grout. We loved the organic look and the wavy surface imperfections. It gave our flatpack kitchen a more handcrafted, customised look.

Sink and tapware

The DOMSJร–ย double bowl sink completed the relaxed Scandi-style look, which tied in with the rest of our house. Weโ€™d like a black kitchen tap but for now weโ€™ve got an ELVERDAM tap (we love the pull-out spout for rinsing dishes).

Appliances

IKEA SVAVANDE ceiling-mounted extractor hood.

Lighting

We spray-painted IKEAโ€™S white RANARP pendant lights black, and hung them over the working area of the benchtop.ย We also ran LED strip lighting under the bottom cupboards. It gives the space a soft glow at night, which is great when we have the TV on in the next room.

Mini vertical pole gardens

Our home is filled with plants and the kitchen wasnโ€™t going to be the exception, so we painted the poles white and turned them into mini vertical gardens with Little Urban Farmersโ€™ hanging gardens planters.

Worst thing we did

We orginally went with IKEAโ€™s recommended tradesperson. We ended up having to rip out the benchtop and start again.

Best thing we did

Hire our builder, Matthew Blackmore. He carefully cut around our poles and joined the new IKEA oak benchtops seamlessly with a biscuit-joint, held together with benchtop clamps and wood glue. (The first tradie butt-jointed the benchtop together with Sikaflex and the finish was messy.

Our tradie dream team

Builder: Matthew Blackmore 0499 997 375

Painter: Joey Neukam 0435 162 240

Matt Blackmoreโ€™s top 3 IKEA timber benchtop tips

  1. If youโ€™re joining together IKEA timber benchtops, ask your carpenter to make a biscuit joint and hold it together with benchtop clamps and wood glue.
  2. Use kitchen grade benchtop oil and give your benchtop three generous coats of oil with a second sand.
  3. Itโ€™s worth choosing the IKEA solid timber benchtops instead of the timber veneers, as the woodchip can disintegrate around the cut-outs to the sink and it can get black mould. If you do get a timber veneer, use the end strip to protect around the pieces which are exposed to the sink.

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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarBenny Caldwell says

    August 21, 2017 at 6:04 pm

    Great post. I like the kitchen very much as well as the perfect choice of lighting.

    Reply
  2. AvatarNat says

    July 15, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    Hi Jen, Thanks for the post! Currently planning our own new kitchen and keen to read on the ikea bench tops. I have read reviews about getting mould and not being worth it but can’t help wondering if these people know how to treat wood properly and oiling correctly! How are yours holding up after a year? Also do you wish you inserted a ceramic splash tray on the side of your sink? Or are you happy with the way it is and just put a towel underneath your dish rack while drying? Kitchen looks great anyway!

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      July 15, 2018 at 10:24 pm

      Hi Nat, this isn’t actually my kitchen, it belongs to Bec from Wee Birdy. I’m sure if you contact her via insta or her site she would love to answer your questions ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

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