Here are 5 Ikea products I used in my 460 Sq. Ft small condo in Downtown Toronto.
Not only did these products help transform my space and add value but they also upgraded my lifestyle!
Welcome to my humble abode!
1. A Custom Built-In IKEA Pantry/Storage/Closet
Originally, this was supposed to be an 8’ft closet.
Lord knows how I feel about North American closet designs. They are pathetically designed.
Simply put, I wanted a more European look. What I needed was a pantry, closet and a bar and counter area.
I opened up the original closet space by removing the doors, frames and header space.
This allowed me to open up the closet space and install 90” tall cabinets. I decided to go with matte black cabinets, smoked glass upper cabinets and a seamless Quartz countertop and backsplash look. The quartz slab colour is called Palladio Moro. I ordered this from Majestic Marble.
I designed this wall cabinet myself. So I took my measurements and did a hand drawing of the bar counter area. I then went shopping around for the quartz slab to get some quotes. In Vaughan, just north of Toronto, along Jane St. there are many marble and tile shops. You walk in with your drawing, or if you have a designer do this for you, you see some samples, hand them a copy of your drawing and ask them for a quote.
Once agreed upon, they send someone in to take site measurements and start fabricating your slab and a few weeks later the fabricator sends out their installers to come install the slab.
I am very happy with this design as this is the number one area I use the most in my home.
3. A Custom Built-In IKEA Bedroom Closet
For the same reason I built a custom built-in front closet/pantry/bar cabinet, I did the same thing in my bedroom closet. Again, the North American standard closet design in common homes is not practical. Storage and closet spaces are necessary for a home but it is poorly designed or designed ineffectively or even worse especially in condos, they are non-existent. Because closet doors are standard 7’ tall that means the inside is framed around to accommodate that. Hence why we have that stupid waste of space a hard-to-reach area on top of the closet shelf. This means you are left with an 8’ or sometimes a 9’ ceiling height inside your closet that becomes hard to reach. What I'm trying to say is: just open up that damn closet space!
If IKEA can do it then so can builders and designers. Either make taller doors or make stand-alone closets. So this is what I had to create on my own.
I went into my space while the condo was still in construction. I asked the construction site crew to remove the header space on top of the closet doors and to not install the doors.
And voila I was left with an open space, and I was able to design a custom closet using the Ikea kitchen cabinets. Yes, you can read the details of that design in this blog post here.
3. A Bathroom Wall Cabinet
This is the MOSSJÖN wall cabinet that I got at Ikea. This is a metal framed cabinet with rigid glass doors.
I was really impressed with this cabinet. I honestly thought the metal was going to be a cheap thin gauge that could easily bend. But it's actually not. It’s heavy and sturdy and holds everything together nicely. This was a beautiful design and it went well inside my bathroom wall.
It took me a while, a few years to be exact, to find this cabinet design. I had the vision in my head but couldn't find it in a store. Until this year, thankfully, at IKEA, go figure!
I didn't want to settle for anything less because I didn't want to have all these different styles and colours of cabinets in my space. The idea was to create a uniform and minimalist look. Because I have a high 10’-5” ceiling height in my home, I'm able to get away with quite a bit of black in such a small space. (Dark colours with low ceilings make your space look smaller. Unless you’re going for the dramatic look, then go for it!)
4. A Floating Wall Shelf
I added the MOSSLANDA wall shelf later on after the full cabinet installation. This was a black wood floating shelf. Originally, I wanted to keep a clean and simple look in this back bar. But at the same time, this was a way for me to add a little bit of colour and texture by adding dry snacks and grains in clear glass mason jars. I think this shelf is used for picture frames because it has an indent inside the shelf. But I didn't care. This was perfect for what I needed it for.
And because at Ikea all these kitchen cabinets and their products are designed and sized so that you can mix and match other Ikea products, this little floating shelf fits perfectly in between the cabinets.
I did have to pre-drill holes into the quartz backsplash. For anyone that knows when drilling into a marble, granite or quartz material you better be damn sure of two things:
Whatever you're installing better be what you want…Permanently!
And to measure 5 times and level 50 more times so that you can pre-drill the hole once! Ha! Also, I used a masonry drill bit to drill into the quartz! Super easy!
5. Kitchen Wall Storage
Here's another example of a display shelf that I used for my kitchen spice rack.
I used the Ikea LINDÅSEN display shelf in the kitchen because I liked the open-concept metal frame. I thought it looked pretty sleek. In addition to the spice rack shelf I also installed a HULTARP towel rack and this amazing matching HULTARP drying rack.
I originally thought there may be too many accessories on my backsplash. But I reconsidered it because these items didn't have to be permanent. I can always remove it or change what I want hanging from it. But as you can see my kitchen counter space and kitchen in general is very small.
Clearly, I utilized the heights in my entire place if you couldn't already tell.
I needed to be efficient and practical in how I was going to lay things out. This is the best solution I could come up with. I maximized not the counter space but the backsplash, which has a 20” clearance from the counter to the underside of the cabinet. This now frees up the space on the right side of my sink for my cutting board to prep my meals.
I think a lot of people would take a look at my kitchen at first glance and think “Wow, this is small, you need more room”. But in actuality, how much do I really need? I grew up in a family home that had so much countertop space plus a kitchen island. Trust me, I only use 2 hands at all times, I use the same amount of space. I’m only one person. And yes, I make and cook my meals ALL THE TIME!! I’m Italian - ayyyy ooooo!
MY RECOMMENDATION WHEN BUYING PRODUCTS FOR A NEW HOME
My favourite advice to give when deciding what furniture or products to use in your home is to not buy everything before you move in. Buy things in stages.
As a Realtor, I see most buyers walk into their empty homes and buy furniture before moving in. Don't do this. Visit the home before closing at least two times. Take some measurements. But don't go out and buy everything at once. Heck, use outdoor furniture if you have to or folding tables and chairs. When you move into a new space, allow yourself to learn how you will be using the space. I would rather start with an empty space and then see where I naturally need items. The bathroom cabinet and the backsplash wall storage were items I purchased 4 years later. As you grow into your space so do your furniture pieces.
So there you have it! These are my top 5 Ikea Products that I used in my small home that made a HUGE difference!
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