Installing an IKEA "LIXHULT" Kitchen Pantry

One of my customers, a retired kitchen designer, recently bought a house with a kitchen that didn't have enough storage. The main part of the kitchen is on a peninsula overlooking the living room, so there are no upper cabinets over the sink, just a couple of really cool light fixtures.

She came up with a creative idea to install a set of IKEA cabinets from their "LIXHULT" line. These are colorful, modular, metal cabinets which come in various sizes.

On my first visit, I worked with her to install 11 cabinets to her specifications. It looked like an extension of the art collage on the other wall. She was very happy...

...but in a lucky twist of fate, she had ordered a few too many cabinets.

She initially planned to use them in her grandchildren's guest bedroom. However, she started experimenting after I left and soon called me back out to add them to our assemblage in the kitchen.

Despite the small size of the individual boxes, the new pantry holds a surprising amount of stuff. I really like the little rails on the insides of the doors to hold recipe cards and notebooks.

The extra cabinets were a lucky addition, since they make the whole unit look more substantial.

Even though IKEA cabinets are usually very "do it yourself," this was definitely a good time to hire a handyman to install them. The cabinets needed to be mounted into studs, and with such small units, there's not always a stud where you need one! With all of the heavy stuff that could be stored in these cabinets, this becomes a safety issue and needs to be done right.

So if you'd like to try this look in your home, tap the big orange button to call in a pro for the job:

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