How to build a base for an IKEA kitchen ISLAND - will make a VIDEO too.

Chapter 1 - PLANNING is your BEST tool.

You already know the advantage of doing an IKEA's Sektion for the kitchen re-model - addition of a kitchen island. 

Island additions are an amazing opportunity to increase functionality and flow of your kitchen work - smoother and better. It also offers a great opportunity to make a nice design statement - IKEA offers wide range doors and you can get pretty creative with the island geometry with the availability of the large panels in matching finishes - you can now make large surfaces look professional!

AND! AND! 

I saw London Grey from Cesarstone in the showroom at IKEA Etobicoke! Yea....I got to say - Frosty Carrina and London Grey are my two favourite stones. These are 'premium stones' and if IKEA has them means that they can get you probably the best deal around - and you get an amazing discount [max 20%, with 3 appliances - kitchen event ON NOW].

Chapter 2 - HOW do I build my IKEA SEKTION ISLANDS

*EDIT: Here is the VIDEO LINK!

The advantages of my system are as follows:

A] Flexibility! of where you want to install - over any materials. ALWAYS check the floor if you are going to be drilling into it - cables? wiring? piping? YEA! IMPORTANT!

B] Simplicity! Once built, setting your cabinets is a breeze! And knowing that your levels are already established, you are able to focus your efforts elsewhere - like making things nice. Once the base is installed, the 'leveling portion' is done. Use a laser level on runs more than 4 feet. 

C] Creativity! - with my system you can focus your creative energy on interesting kitchen island geometry - open up any fancy Italian design magazine and using the structure you can copy those!

Win! Win! WIN! - that's all I say!

Chapter 3 - the Drawings

A] I am attaching 3 drawings - they are progressive - I hope that they are clear enough - BUT I will supplement with videos - today or tomorrow. 
Let's start with this - 2 boxes side by side. This is a fairly common combination - PLUS I am partial to the 15/15 split - I just think it looks the cleanest PLUS you save on hardware [hardware can get expensive - as much as a SEKTION box! - $50!]

[please note - I omitted the front piece for clarity]

B] The secret of this system is that - IT IS ALL MADE FROM THE SAME DIMENSION plywood piece. Use 3/4" construction grade ply - try picking a nice flat sheet, but don't sweat it if there is some kinks in it. The way the base is built - ORIENTATION of the pieces IS THE KEY - it is SELF SQUARING! 

C] Here is the detail section - so the top portion is actually 'floating' over 'fixed points' - there is a reason why it is done this way. First reason is that this is super easy to execute - build the base and level the four courners - THEN you further secure it to the subfloor. 

Making BODBYN look NICE - it's all in the details.

Chapter 1 - first a bit of a rant, but it follows with great advice!

[picture shows Karol Kosnik gauging the appropriate height of a charging station]



Chapter 1 - bit of a rant, but great info to follow!


My new found fame - yea I got covered by tons of media - traditional radio, TV, online, blah..blah...blah - has generated quite the attention on my little business. Yes, because it is small business - I run a studio practice.

What does it mean to run a 'studio practice'?

It means that there is great variance in the type of projects that come in - size, scope, curiosity. It means that I have great flexibility in the type of projects that I can pursue. I don't think that there is anything wrong with saying that I have preference for specific projects - things that I like doing - things that I will excel at!

A] I love modernism* as a design movement - all my designs are what I would consider 'modern'. If you are looking for a highly ornate, 'carved angels on bedposts' kind of look, that I am not your guy. I think someone who has passion for that type of woodwork will likely do much better job at it than I would. My philosophy is 'do what you love'. Plus, I don't have those skills.

B] I like creating 'striking interiors'. It is easy to create dramatic, impressive interiors with big budgets. It is significantly more challenging to do so when your budget is small - it requires being creative with materials and clever sourcing [like IKEA!! no-brainer there! everyone builds their boxes the same way!]

C] I have to be the right 'fit for you' - yea, not everyone is totally comfortable with my style. Don't get me wrong - I love what I do, I go above and beyond for all my clients [shhh...wanna know a secret? I design and build for myself....I want to create something that I would personally like to have, something that I would enjoy]. No worries, if I feel that I am not the right person for the project, I will let you know about it. MORE, I will point you in the right direction - 'look at this company', 'consider the services of this individual'. Why would I want to set myself up for an expensive failure, unhappy client, crappy workmanship? Why? It's so counterintuitive.

If I will take on your project you can rest assured that it is a well thought out decision. You will only be presented with best possible options. The resulting product will be of finest craftsmanship. AND those are the only acceptable options. There, I said it. So don't hate on me because I don't post on Instagram every single day, OK?

The other secret - well it's not a secret, I think it is just a good practice - is that I have been doing this for about 20 years now! [That's right! OLD MAN HERE! hahaha! Every time I get ID'ed at the Liquor Store - where I live, it is a government agency that runs the stores that sell booze - yea! I like my beer cold! - I chuckle a bit.

Every time that I encounter a tradesperson that impresses me with their work - quality of workmanship; attention to details; personal aesthetics; good practices; creativity!; there is many criteria! - I take down their personal info, and tell them - 'hey! I want to work with you in the future!'.

I may not have a project that requires a gas fitter right away, and trim-carpenters are a dime-a-dozen, or the plumber is a really young ambitious apprentice - I can see potential that I would like to have in my projects down the line. So I keep this little 'black book' that is filled with names of great craftspeople, that I know I can always turn to for help on my projects.

And I am never disappointed!**


Chapter 2 - Making BODBYN look NICE - I hope this is what the great Google engine brought you here for.


If you show up at IKEA Etobicoke for breakfast before 10AM, you get a FREE coffee!

Score!! I win with that free coffee. Here is a great solution for IKEA kitchens - AND it looks like a million bucks. If you price this out - the cost is marginally higher - given that you can do this yourself - but the solution, I think, is superior. Measure this stuff yourself, go to a fabricator and ask - if you shop around, you will get that stainless backsplash in the price of the tiles+labour2installThem - it's not difficult to self-install -

[picture shows a nice Studio Kosnik design - IKEA Bodbyn kitchen with a stainless steel backplash and side splash - this is a great idea for IKEA kitchens]

I have to say that I am a big fan [on top of being SUPER-practical] stainless steel backsplash options. When I design a SEKTION kitchen I always suggest this - in the long term - it is more durable, it will look better, it is easier to clean and maintain - AND - you will love cooking knowing that you don't have to worry about stuff splashing around. Having your grout lines saturated with cooking fat is just annoying, on top of being 'not hygienic'. Do you not agree? Everyone I know settles for a stainless steel vent hood - all you got do do is add the 'side wings' and the back - that's right 'grease me up'! I.DON'T.CARE!****

There is something impressive about having a giant, heavy, steel cooktop - I used to work at a professional kitchen - nothing serious, but enough to develop a taste for a little cook-up. But 2 things get in the way - money - yea, those things are expensive or very expensive; and space - yea, they are big and don't work well in small spaces.

How do you get over that obstacle? This, up there. You can fit a nice, good quality stove/oven combo in that space - say 30" or even richer! - 32". Put that together with a vent - there is many nice imports coming in, at a very reasonable prices from overseas. And, the way things are going down in the good old USA - I LOVE AMERICA - China might become a larger, more important trading partner - a virgin territory that Canadian firms will have an advantage over their American counterparts [ thanks to the Trump rhetoric]. SORRY that got out, but geo-politics will start playing into the sourcing equation.*** We might be in on some good deals - let's be smart about it Canada!

This here is such a good option - many stoves will feature an overhanging lip - which covers the gap between stove and the side of the cabinet - so it is important to set your cabinet height properly - easy peasy 2 do with my system. Look for that feature when you are purchasing a stove - it will go a long way with you not worrying about stuff spilling between - grimy nightmare.

You know, as I say it - the SEKTION box is amazing. I just love it - it's so flexible to design with. And that's what's on the other side - with distinction. I like it. Success. 

[picture shows a open bar IKEA Hack kitchen - with Frosty Carrina countertops; Lower doors/drawers are IKEA Grey BODBYN, uppers are in White BODBYN]

So what's my other 'Great Bodbyn Tip'?

Well, I was at IKEA Etobicoke, few days back, and they are setting up for another BODBYN display. And as I am listening on the conversation - I know it is wrong to snoop around - the installer tells the IKEA designer that because the wall is 'crooked' - surprise! when isn't it? huh? - they will have the side panels sitting at different depths - if they are not going to cut them down [my addition].
So on the island, the side panel will stick out a different dimension past the doors than on the wall - that's what I call an 'inconsistent look'. So your 'detailing' on the project will vary - introduce dimensional discrepancies. If you are a perfectionist like me - things like that annoy you, on top of looking 'not sharp'. And you know what? There is one thing that sets nice design apart from amateurish ones is exactly this 'consistency' - I want everything to look the same.


*****

FOR BODBYN DOORS - I set my panels the same dimension all around - about 5/8" of an inch past the side gable - do some experiments, see what it looks like. It is a nice designer detail that allows for a smooth, designer, transition from the door/drawer to the panel. Where I think it is a good look if the panels stick out full dimension past doors like Veddinge, I think it is a 'smoother' look if the doors transition nicely to the panels along the radiuses. It's all about the details!

*****

Chapter 3 - They said 'You need Instagram' - OK.

Recently, I installed some really nice marble pulls from Superfront - that Swedish lux-wonder. If you are in DA GAME, you know know them for their really nice - high end, I would say - pulls, as they will ship to Canada. That sacrilegious! holy wafer pull! - if I was a religious conservative I would ban them out of Canada just for that! So back to installing them - when I heard the price paid for those 2 marble balls - which, I don't see a reason why you could not manufacture here in Canada - save on shipping! - I am not going to write the price here just yet. I will hold off because the price was so ridiculously high that I am certain that I misheard - so I will go back and verify that high price. You can see those nice marble pulls on my Instagram account - here is the link -

www.instagram.com/karol.kosnik/

Superfront makes a nice product. Here is a plug - on my blog, but I will also tell them that I am going to look into manufacturing a similar product here in Canada.



Done writing for the day!

Ciao!

* I also love Art Deco and Art Nouveau.


** By the way, I hate HomeStars - I think it is a bit of a scam - personal opinion - the one time I DID use HomeStars turned into a total nightmare. I was so pissed off. Did not leave a review! Suckers - I said I am NOT going to join that circus!

***IKEA already is making America great again by sourcing their BESTA boxes in the USA. Made in America, with pride. But here is the catch - it is a highly automated operation - the jobs there are low-wage manufacturing - we are not thinking the boom of the 1960's economy. I am certain that IKEA offers great benefits package - they are on the EUROPEAN MODEL - you get a very nice vacation, and like a month!; shorter workdays 2.