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

By Jen Bishop • 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 ‘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 we’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. We’ve got a Scandi-style home and it’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

IKEA’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 DOMSJÖ double bowl sink completed the relaxed Scandi-style look, which tied in with the rest of our house. We’d like a black kitchen tap but for now we’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 IKEA’S white RANARP pendant lights black, and hung them over the working area of the benchtop. 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 wasn’t going to be the exception, so we painted the poles white and turned them into mini vertical gardens with Little Urban Farmers’ hanging gardens planters.

Worst thing we did

We orginally went with IKEA’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 Blackmore’s top 3 IKEA timber benchtop tips

  1. If you’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. It’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.

More kitchens and bathrooms

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August 10, 2017

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Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I fir Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I first came to Australia in my 20s, it's where I headed to buy everything I needed for my first apartment at an incredible price! And I've loved watching the range get more and more impressive over the years as my knowledge of furniture has increased. I had no idea how extensive their Aussie Made sofa range was though. I'd love you to check out the options via link in bio as I think you'll be impressed! I think we have a renewed appreciation for Aussie Made and supporting local manufacturing and jobs and this is a great success story. We love a bit of high low decorating, and turns out Fantastic Furniture is a great place to find your family lounge, a special accent chair, an extra ottoman for occasional seating and so much more. 

#fantasticfurniture #aussiemade #australianfurniture #FindyourFantastic #FantasticFamily #affordablehomewares #affordablefurniture #custommadesofa #custommadelounges #australianhomes #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsdaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Please don't show my boys this room or they'll wan Please don't show my boys this room or they'll want one like it!

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@brittwhitestudio worked closely with the boys (aged 7 and 9) to understand their needs with a bespoke bunk bed solution crafted by BRC Cabinets, featuring ample storage as well as an under-stair hidey-hole, a useful reading nook for books and a built-in charger for electronics. Local craftsmen Emmett’s Ropes designed and hand-tied the ropework on the top bunk and the supporting pillar beneath.

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see and read more!

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Pix by @joebrosnan.photo
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#duluxcolour #duluxpaint #duluxaus #duluxcolourawards #duluxcolourawards2023 #moodykitchen #allwhitekitchen #designerkitchen #sagekitchen #boldkitchen #colourfulkitchen #colouredkitchen #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount
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Read all about it via link in bio now.

Love your work @twin_palms_lennox

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Head over to the blog to see how @grafico_walls transformed this blank canvas Melbourne townhouse with their products, which you've probably seen on The Block over the years. And read how Damian Corney has grown this Melbourne business with wife Adele and a growing team. There's also a look inside the very cool Motley Hotel which has used a whopping 4km of their wallpaper throughout!

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Via link in bio now.

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We have all the finer details on the blog today via link in bio. Particularly love the kitchen refresh using the existing blue cupboards which really weren't doing anything for me before 😂

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Our friends at @mintdesignau have done it again!

Homeowner Briony Marsh says: It’s totally changed our home lifestyle now we can sit outside on the lounge in the sun or shade, be in the pool, spa, sauna or cooking pizzas and hanging out with friends. It sounds cliched but it really feels like we are on holiday at home!”

Head over to the blog to see the finer details, including a sauna and a seriously good looking copper pizza oven. There's a lot packed into this space!

#backyards #smallpools #smallpool #homesauna #pizzaovens #outdoorpizzaoven #landscapedesigner #mintdesign #holidayathome #resortstylehomes #landscapeartist #backyard #exteriorinspiration #exteriormakeover #exteriordesigns #pergoladesign #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
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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 10 years. She is mum to two young boys and lives in Sydney.

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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 🙂

      Reply

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