kitchen crush

I saw this beautiful kitchen on Houzz and thought I'd share it with you here. Take a look!

traditional kitchen design by burlington architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

I'm really liking the off-white cabinets, the marble countertops and the backsplash. I also love that open shelf showing a collection of books and mixing bowls. 

traditional kitchen design by burlington architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

 The kitchen has a great view to a green garden. The windows open up like french doors. Check out the huge farmhouse sink. 

traditional kitchen design by burlington architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

And lets look at the details a little bit closer, shall we? 

traditional kitchen design by burlington architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

traditional kitchen design by burlington architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

I love the glass pendant lamps, the simple cabinetry and a mix of hardware used. And a kitchen can never have enough drawers!

Have a great Tuesday! 

Pendant Lamps

I am a fan of pendant lamps – to me they are pieces of artwork in itself. I love 'em simple and timeless. I found these pictures of pendant lamps which I think are beautiful. 

atelierjoya.blogspot.com

Check out these steel tubs transformed into lamps for a beautiful wedding dinner setting. I think they look gorgeous. 

zeospot.com

I've been seeing these glass pendant lights in a few shops and restaurants around town. I think they are simple and beautiful. I couldn't find a full picture online though. 

Ottava pendant lamp. IKEA

I really like this industrial lamp from Ikea. I'm thinking of getting one for my next home. 

decorpad.com

I love this room and how the glass pendant lamps make a bold statement in the living room and the hallway. 

decorpad.com

I love this entryway and how they used the same pendant lamps in each adjacent hallway to create consistency. Loving the framed blue artwork too. 

allaboutyou.com

I'm totally digging this room. How everything is mismatched but looks great together with similar colours and textures. I'm a fan of that wooden table. The whole room looks charming. 


I will be continuously looking for inspiration for lighting - particularly pendant lamps - as we need to get cracking on getting our new home ready for moving in. 


Have a great day! 

ikea kitchens

I'm a fan of the Giuliana & Bill show - I especially love the episodes featuring the home renovations. And to my delight, 2 seasons ago, they ran an episode where the couple gave a makeover to Giuliana's parents' kitchen with Ikea cabinets! 

I couldn't find photos of the new kitchen on the internet - so if you missed that episode, here's a short clip showing the finished kitchen.

I love the cabinets, the door handles, the white counter tops. Dreamy! Have I mentioned that I'm in love with white kitchens? Yeah, I think I have.

With the cost of custom cabinets running sky-high these days, I've been contemplating on getting Ikea kitchen cabinets - they have great prices and a good number of kitchen door cabinet choices.

So I've been scouring the internet, looking for reviews on Ikea kitchens - whether they are any good, what kind of quality to expect. And the outlook is pretty good. 

Some notes I've gathered on Ikea cabinets from decorating and designing blogs:

1. The Blum soft-close drawers - custom-made cabinets will not come with these soft-close drawers, adding these on would require extra cost. Ikea cabinets are not only cheap, they come together with these soft-close features. Note: I love drawers as they're convenient and great space-savers. I'm thinking of investing in drawers for my whole kitchen. With maybe about 2 base cabinets max.

2. If you're looking for quality, the Tidaholm series is great. The door frames are made of solid oak whilst the panels are melamine. Solid oak frames would be ideal  as particle board frames have the risk of warping due to moisture. This is evident in my mum's kitchen that has melamine cabinet doors.

3. The Tidaholm (or just about any of the other series) cabinets can be furnished with paint to get a lovely custom look.

4. Custom kitchens have melamine cabinet frames and this is exactly what Ikea uses. So why pay more when you get it for less with Ikea?

5. To avoid your kitchen from looking like an Ikea showroom, with cost saved from their cabinets, you can indulge in higher quality countertops (though their wood countertops are a great bargain), hardware (such as knobs and handles) and appliances (sinks etc).

I've been collecting photos of my favourite Ikea kitchens. Some are straight off their online catalogue, some are photos from design blogs.
 

decorpad.com

I love this kitchen. So cool and classy. I love the marble countertop on the island. I think these are Ikea Tidaholm doors custom-painted in white. I'm loving the tiles of the backsplash too. The lovely blue-grey curtains on the side matches those chairs.

IKEA

This one is straight from the web catalogue. I've got my sights set on that freestanding island. I love how sunny this kitchen is.

IKEA

Another lovely white kitchen - this time looking more contemporary and modern with the sleek stainless steel handles. I really like the subway tile backsplash.

ikeafamilylive.com

This one goes even more modern with sleek, glossy white cabinets and modern stools. I love this kind of modern look, but not so sure if I would go for this style. It's too white and would be a hassle to maintain.

Jonathan Adler

Even Jonathan Adler goes Ikea! I love how he has paired the white cabinets with beautiful marble countertops and walls. And he adds in punches of colour from the lime green upholstered stools and matching pendant lamp.

IKEA

The Tidaholm cabinets in its original state. I'm liking the texture. Seriously considering of getting these doors.

delightfullyrandom.blogspot.com

I'm totally in love with this kitchen. One would not guess that those are actually Ikea cabinets painted a rich dark brown for a traditional country kitchen. Looks lovely.

IKEA

The Ikea kitchen goes industrial in this photo with their range of stainless steel cabinets paired with the wooden countertops.

installikeacabinets.com

A modern Ikea kitchen with stainless steel countertops and farmhouse sink! I love how the wooden beam ceilings bring character and architectural interest to this modern kitchen.

aroomforeveryone.blogspot.com

Ikea shelves. Contemplating whether I should go for open shelving or upper cabinets. I could save money by opting for the former.

I do hope you enjoyed these Ikea kitchen photos! Would love to know what others think of Ikea kitchens!

Have a great day!