IKEA kitchens are known for their affordability, seamless design, and timeless finishes — and when it comes to all things storage essentials, the brand certainly doesn't let us down. For one homeowner, creating her dream kitchen with IKEA was one of the best kitchen renovation design choices for her and her family.
But are IKEA kitchens really worth it? Well, home and lifestyle influencer Aimée Richardson, fondly known as The House of Waffle on Instagram, seems to think so, and with good reason. Transforming her outdated kitchen with a fresher, more appealing, and design-forward look — Aimée takes us through the inspiration behind her kitchen design and why she chose an IKEA kitchen to bring her renovation dreams to life.
From the process to the materials and colors selected by Aimée, here is everything you need to know, especially if you're diving deep into a kitchen renovation come 2026.
Based in the Midlands, Aimée Richardson, fondly known as @thehouseofwaffle, immerses her audience in her journey as a homeowner and experienced renovator. She’s already transformed a beautiful Victorian terrace (her signature pink living room was a follower favourite) and is now in the thick of turning a rundown HMO into a warm, inviting family home with her husband, two children, and frequent special guest: their cat, Rue. Interiors come naturally to Aimée: her eye for design and cohesive styling are evident in beautiful room reveals and practical how-tos. She can impressively turn her hand to most things - whether restoring a fireplace or solo-wallpapering an entire room. Her monthly ‘Reno Diaries’ blend honesty, humour, and vulnerability, resonating with an audience at a similar life stage. Beyond the home, Aimée shares a blend of fashion, lifestyle, and motherhood moments — from outfits on repeat to candid school-run reflections and DIY projects you can try yourself. It’s an endearing mix of real life and creative inspiration that reminds her community to find joy amid the whirlwind of renovation alongside raising a family.
Behind the Design
A kitchen filled with airy textures, colors and materials.
A kitchen makeover with a timeless finish, Aimée Richardson tells me all about her inspiration behind her IKEA kitchen design. From kitchen lighting to the overall style and design, this home and lifestyle influencer was set on creating a space that embraces the old and new.
"The kitchen isn’t overly big and is east-facing facing so we have minimal light," Aimée tells me. "My main inspiration was how I can create something with maximum impact, utilize the space we have, and create as much brightness as we can."
Aimée says she wanted the kitchen to feel stylish, with a hint of Victorian tradition and charm. "It’s really important for us that we bring back as much character as possible," she continues. "I’ve always been interested in mixing old with new, and I found a lot of my Pinterest saves would be traditional style cabinetry or upcycled wooden cabinets paired with a marble top. That perfect blend of traditional modern, as well as giving that luxury chic finish."
"I also wanted to make a kitchen that people would say 'no way, that can’t be IKEA', and it was important to showcase how versatile IKEA can be and that you can most definitely have a luxury style kitchen on a tight budget," she adds.
The Process
From the design process to bringing it to life, this kitchen is what Aimée had envisioned for her home.
Speaking on the process of her modern kitchen idea, Aimée says it was a fun project for her to work on. "I'm terrible at decision making, but I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the team at IKEA could adapt your initial ideas," she explains.
The first step of Aimée's kitchen design process was having a team from IKEA come to her home and take the necessary measurements, which were then sent directly to the in-house kitchen team at our local store.
"To design the space, my husband and I went into the IKEA store and were helped by the lovely Elle," says Aimée. "She guided us through the showroom, and it helped us to filter through what sort of style and finishes we were after.
With that inspiration, Aimee says she then had the chance to head back and sit down with the designer to go through all the final details. "It was extremely useful to see your kitchen in 3D form and to simply drag and drop different cabinets into the space and tweak it until we found the right flow and use of the space we had."
An unforgettable transformation.
But how long did the process take? "From the measuring team to installation, the process took a few months," Aimée tells me. But as for the design process and 3D sketches, it only took IKEA's kitchen team two hours to build.
"So you can literally create your dream kitchen in two hours," she says. "We had a few tweaks along the way, and it was so easy to do. Elle was so wonderful with us, and every time I had a different thought or idea, she would quickly update the 3D model and send it over to us."
A kitchen with hidden storage will grant a more seamless and sophisticated design.
Aside from its seamless finish, monochromatic kitchen flooring, and stunning hardware, Aimée's kitchen has a special feature that makes for the perfect hidden storage idea. From a slide-out appliance garage where Aimée is able to store her toaster as well as other essentials, to utensil and pan drawers for everyday use.
"I love that it feels like it’s always been there, and we’ve really made use of every nook and cranny," explains Aimée, speaking on her IKEA kitchen transformation as a whole. "The pan drawers, the soft-close doors, everything just feels so effortless and smooth."
She continues, "The joy with an IKEA kitchen as well is that we can continue to adapt the space, change things around, or mix things up. After using the kitchen for a few months, we could do with adding a few more in-built drawers for cutlery, etc, and the best bit is we can simply just order one, and install it ourselves. The kitchen can forever adapt to your needs, and with a growing family, those needs are forever changing."
And she's certainly not wrong about that.
The Materials
Bold and contrasting materials create a striking design in this kitchen.
To bring her ideas to life, Aimée says she opted for IKEA’s ENKÖPING cabinets in a walnut effect and paired them with Kasker Quartz Marble worktops. "The perfect blend of balancing traditional with modern," she notes.
As for the flooring, she opted for a checkerboard vinyl in grey and white, which she says harmonizes with IKEA's cabinetry effortlessly. I could not agree more.
This kitchen screams quiet luxury with its golden hardware detailing, deep, rich walnut tones, and contrasting flooring.
The worktop also adds a sense of luxury and further appeal to the space, but it's not so overbearing that it takes away from the overall elegance of the kitchen.
Shop the Look
This stunning piece is part of där Lighting's English Heritage lighting collection and has been inspired by British houses and gardens. Similar to the wall lighting in this IKEA kitchen, this beautiful lamp has a patterned shade, golden hardware, and a metal chain pull cord switch for ease of use.
If you're looking to cook up a meal with the finest spices, then this Marble Mortar and Pestle in white will look perfect up against those dark wooden kitchen ideas and bright quartz kitchen worktops.
The perfect kitchen addition, this brass salt-and-pepper mill from Rebecca Udall screams luxury. Featuring a grinding system designed to maximize flavour and aroma, this piece is sure to gather a few compliments.
So, if you're wondering if an IKEA kitchen is really worth it, then this home is sure to convince you — with its stunning design, colors, materials, and textures, to set you up for a cozy dark wood kitchen atmosphere.
