Tips from Our Experts: Functional Elegance

Ideas for maximising the functionality of your cabinetry without compromising on style.

Great design is as much about space planning and precise configuration as it is about combining the right colours and textures.How and where you use cabinetry has the power to transform your home into a space that not only looks and feels elegant but meets all the specific requirements unique to your home and family.

Here are some of our favourite ways to think beyond the obvious and make IKEA frames work harder for you.

1. KITCHEN CABINETS ARE NOT ONLY FOR THE KITCHEN: Streamlined Storage Anywhere you need it.

One of our go-to tricks is taking kitchen cabinets beyond the kitchen. There are many few ways you can use the various tall and short cabinets in the versatile kitchen series.

One of our favourite ways to do this is by mounting IKEA’s kitchen (Metod) wall cabinets at counter height for the perfect sideboard or console. This trick works beautifully for all sorts of storage cabinets around the home or office. Think concealed printers in the study, shoe storage in the hallway, bar areas with integrated appliances, or just an elegant dining console.

We are big fans of using a combination of tall and base cabinets for wardrobes, mudroom set-ups and media rooms.

You can use doors or drawers on any wall, base or tall cabinet - and thanks to IKEA’s customizable interiors, you can also add internal drawers, shelving, and dividers to completely tailor the storage to your unique requirements.

2. STACK CORNER FRAMES FOR A SEAMLESS CORNER TRANSITION: For those who refuse to be limited to the standard options.

While IKEA doesn’t offer tall corner units ready-made, that doesn’t mean you can’t create one. By stacking corner cabinets, and finishing with a single tall Fronteriors corner door pair, you can achieve a seamless vertical look that hides the stacked frames.

This combo creates a clean, elegant vertical unit that’s perfect for pantry corners or appliance garages, giving you a premium look at a fraction of the cost. — Vaishali, Fronteriors Design Expert

3. BREAK A RUN OF TALL CABINETS WITH A FOCAL POINT: A niche makes a space more inviting.

Full-height cabinetry has its place, but breaking up a run of tall units with a pretty and functional niche can transform the style of your kitchen.

By creating a break in a row of tall cabinets and placing a combination of base and wall cabinets instead, you carve out a perfectly scaled nook for a coffee station—or any display moment you’d like.

Keep it minimal with just side panels, or integrate it seamlessly by running the countertop through the niche. Either way, it adds personality and creates a focal point on an otherwise utilitarian-looking wall of only doors.