IKEA vs. Home Depot: Which should you choose for a NYC kitchen renovation?

[ad_1] I am considering of renovating my NYC kitchen and I'm hoping to remain inside a price range through the use of IKEA or Dwelling Depot for cupboards. Any ideas on which retailer affords one of the best worth?

In case you're making an attempt to maintain to a price range together with your New York Metropolis kitchen renovation, you in all probability already know that utilizing Dwelling Depot or IKEA for brand new cupboards will prevent cash. What you could not know is that quite a lot of designers go this route with high-end initiatives—after which (normally) add their very own {custom} touches.

Jeff Streich, founding father of Prime Renovations, has used IKEA cupboards in initiatives starting from $500,000 to $5 million, together with one he simply accomplished on Park Avenue. "It was not cheap, however the consumer didn't have an infinite price range, so it was determined that an Ikea kitchen was an awesome place to economize to spend on different desires," he stated.

This is how he and different consultants rank IKEA and Dwelling Depot on worth, sturdiness, model, service, and set up.

[Editor’s note: A previous version of this article was published in March 2023. We are presenting it here with updated information for January 2026.]

How do costs evaluate for IKEA vs. Dwelling Depot? Based on Dan DiClerico, house enchancment and out of doors director for the Good Housekeeping Institute, most Dwelling Depot kitchen cupboard initiatives (supplies and set up) usually vary from about $5,000 to $20,000 or extra, relying on the scale, model, and stage of customization of your cabinetry.

In the meantime, a full IKEA kitchen—together with cupboard supplies {and professional} set up—will usually value about $3,000 to $6,500 for an average-sized structure.

At Dwelling Depot, ready-to-assemble (RTA) or inventory cupboard choices are inclined to run roughly $100–$300 per linear foot put in, with higher-end or semi-custom configurations costing extra. IKEA cupboards themselves now typically value round $200 to $1,200 per cupboard (supplies alone), with most falling within the mid-range.

Observe: These figures are for cupboards and set up solely and don't embrace flooring, counter tops, home equipment, or different renovation prices.

Caption

A kitchen that includes IKEA's core SEKTION kitchen base and high-gloss RINGHULT cupboard and drawer fronts—one in all many mix-and-match choices.

Which one has extra choice? Dwelling Depot positively has extra choices. "That’s as a result of IKEA primarily sells its personal branded merchandise, whereas Dwelling Depot carries a bunch of various manufacturers," DiClerico stated.

Having fewer selections can actually ease the decision-making course of, particularly because the SEKTION line remains to be the core cupboard system—frames, drawers, inner organizers, brackets and rails that kind the construction of your kitchen. SEKTION fronts are available in Shaker, fashionable flat-panel, and extra conventional beveled choices and 7 colorways.

That stated, IKEA has vastly expanded its choices to incorporate greater than 60 suitable fronts in varied finishes and sizes throughout 15 households—from the SINORP oak veneer to the high-gloss white RINGHULT collection. These are offered as separate parts that connect to the SEKTION frames, and you may combine and match kinds so long as they match the cupboard dimensions.

IKEA additionally launched two new base kitchens: the KNOXHULT modular system and the versatile EHNET system, each accessible with white, oak, and darkish grey fronts.

With Dwelling Depot, it's a must to consider every model. That may be a plus or minus relying in your endurance and perseverance. Having plenty of choices is not all the time the end-all, be-all both. Yaiza Armbruster, founding father of Atelier Armbruster, as soon as inquired a few Martha Stewart kitchen at Dwelling Depot and determined in opposition to it as a result of the elements would not arrive in time for a small mission's schedule.

However, she finds IKEA to be way more customizable since corporations like Semihandmade and Reform make IKEA-compatible fronts in a spread of finishes and kinds—and you may paint them any colour you need, Armbruster stated. Semihandmade, for one, affords over 50 choices, a lot of which ship inside 5 to 6 weeks.

Lenzlinger has used fronts from Dunsmuir Cupboards (accessible in wooden, prefinished wooden, and ultra-matte laminates ) and The Cupboard Face (which makes flat-panel or Shaker-style melamine in addition to glass fronts). She did report points with warped doorways in one in all two latest jobs utilizing Cupboard Face doorways, although the corporate despatched replacements with out a fuss.

Even when utilizing IKEA fronts, you'll be able to store elsewhere for exterior {hardware}. Armbruster added brass pulls from Schoolhouse Electrical. (Rejuvenation is one other favourite supply) and repurposed a brushed-brass nook guard that will usually be used on a wall to cover under-cabinet strip LED lighting.

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A graphic backsplash and black countertop had been paired with white IKEA cupboards on this East Third Road Manhattan renovation by Atelier Armbruster.

All consultants right here opted to supply the countertop and backsplash elsewhere, as IKEA affords solely two choices—wooden veneer and laminate. The identical goes for Dwelling Depot cupboards. Right here, Armbruster used a high-tech matte black countertop from FENIX (it's scratch- and fingerprint-resistant); the backsplash was designed with tiles from City and Nation Surfaces.

Streich emphasised that "not everybody can do an IKEA kitchen" just like the one proven at prime (and under) as a result of a lot of it was custom-made by his crew.

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One other angle exhibiting the kitchen renovation on Park Avenue (see prime) by Prime Renovations, with {custom} shelving to match the IKEA fronts.

One remaining model level: Dwelling Depot affords a "cupboard makeover" service that refinishes the present fronts, and a few are simple sufficient to repaint by yourself. IKEA cupboards can't be simply repainted with out main stripping, ideally by taking them to a millworker. In fact, you'll be able to all the time purchase new fronts, however that may not be one thing you wish to do.

What do the consultants say about sturdiness? Regardless that the standard of inventory cupboards from IKEA and Dwelling Depot is not on par with {custom} work, DiClerico stated they’re surprisingly sturdy and sturdy.

All IKEA cupboards are made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), as are many Dwelling Depot RTA merchandise, whereas others are product of plywood.

Solely a few the consultants interviewed had sufficient (or any) expertise with Dwelling Depot merchandise to talk to how properly they maintain up over time, although you'll be able to learn critiques on the web site to get a way of what prospects need to say.

However, all consultants agreed that IKEA kitchens are constructed to final, at the least in relation to the "field" or core elements and the hinges and inside {hardware}. Having put in some 60 to 80 IKEA kitchens over the previous seven years, Streich stated his purchasers have by no means had a difficulty, not like with different varieties of cupboards. That is saying one thing.

IKEA fronts—which Armbruster described as "a little bit flimsy"—are the exception to the rule.

For starters, they're five-eighths of an inch thick in comparison with the usual three-quarters of an inch you may discover with most Dwelling Depot manufacturers (and the trade customary). They're additionally vulnerable to dings and scratches.

That is why most consultants typically go along with different choices for IKEA fronts. "Simply remember to account for that additional thickness in your countertop," suggested Meret Lenzlinger, founding father of Lenzlinger Structure. (Extra on fronts under.)

For her, the largest downside is that, since 2014 (when SEKTION changed the AKURIUM system), IKEA's higher cupboards have a 15-inch depth moderately than the usual 12-inch depth. Dwelling Depot's cupboards, then again, vary from 12 to 18 inches.

And purchaser beware: IKEA cupboards and fronts have completely different warranties: 5 years for KNOXHULT, 10 years for EHNET, and 25 years for SEKTION. Dwelling Depot affords a restricted lifetime guarantee—remember to learn the nice print.

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An architect-designed IKEA kitchen in Manhattan by Streich Renovations.

Which retailer will get higher supply rankings? Streich, for one, stated, "you'll be able to't beat the short supply" for IKEA.

Certain sufficient, IKEA's supply has historically been faster—lower than seven weeks, in contrast with so long as 12 weeks for Dwelling Depot.

Lenzlinger stated she by no means willingly makes use of Dwelling Depot kitchens, not due to the merchandise, however due to the supply course of. "They modified my designs so that when put in, the cupboards can not open with out banging into the vary," she stated.

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Lenzlinger Structure used semi-custom fronts by Cupboard Face on among the IKEA cupboards in an Higher West Aspect kitchen renovation.

How does IKEA's set up evaluate to Dwelling Depot's? Dwelling Depot cupboards are comparatively simple to put in, particularly the pre-assembled ones—however even their RTA fashions have far fewer items and extra standardized directions.

Not so with IKEA, as anybody who has tried to assemble one in all their easy desks or bunk beds is aware of, way more so a complete kitchen system.

"IKEA's largest challenge is that there are such a lot of bits and items and you could not know what to search for when it comes to what could be overlooked," stated Man Kohn, founding father of Kohn Structure. A typical situation means your contractor has to cope with 100-plus flat-pack bins and may not even know what has been ordered. "However after I used an IKEA-recommended installer, the method went pretty easily," he stated.

Streich, too, employed somebody who was very aware of them (and has now put in greater than 60 methods).

These days, corporations additionally assist New Yorkers with their IKEA installations, and a few even deal with pickup and supply.

What are different good kitchen cupboard manufacturers? In case you do not discover what you need at IKEA or Dwelling Depot, the consultants recommend turning to different corporations that supply high-quality, moderately priced cupboards in each customary and {custom} sizes.

Kohn significantly likes Pennsylvania-based Wolf Dwelling Merchandise (particularly the Wolf Basic line) which you could see of their Brooklyn showroom. "You wouldn’t know the distinction between these and a really fancy model, even should you open them up," he stated.

Armbruster labored with NYC-based Clever Kitchen on a few initiatives. "It’s barely extra upscale and extra customizable, and their product is actually good," she stated.

For essentially the most half, Jorge Fontan, founding father of Fontan Structure, finds that semi-custom cupboards really feel low-cost given their steep worth tags. "Numerous contractors will say they're simply dearer variations of IKEA," he stated. So he would recommend {custom} (or actually high-end corporations like Henry Constructed) over costly semi-custom.

If RTA is extra according to your price range, Lenzlinger used Conestoga methods on two initiatives with only one quibble: These cupboards (and Dwelling Depot manufacturers) use the American cabinetry system, which eats up a little bit area due to a small body contained in the door. That is not like IKEA merchandise, the place the hinge attaches on to the door. On the plus facet, you will have better flexibility in designing the structure and may get what you want delivered with a painted manufacturing facility end in both their very own colour vary or your personal shade, she added.

Lenzlinger additionally fortunately found Cupboards.com, "the primary price range firm to promote a frameless (‘full entry’) cupboard, which thrills me. And it’s very cheap." She used these cupboards in a kitchen renovation, placing them within the L-shaped foremost half, after which had Conestoga make an island "as a result of we needed a {custom} colour!"

The ultimate verdict on IKEA vs. Dwelling Depot There are many good causes to get kitchen cupboards from IKEA or Dwelling Depot, regardless of their service hiccups.

Whichever you find yourself utilizing, remember to go to the shops to see, contact, and take a look at the cupboards in particular person—ideally avoiding weekends and different high-traffic occasions (normally proper after work).