Often people think of IKEA kitchens as the cheap and cheerful option, but there’s lots of companies out there creating custom cabinet fronts to help you get a bespoke look for less. Last week Danish design company Reform unveiled two new designs to hack your IKEA kitchen with (you might have seen their previous IKEA kitchen hacks on the blog before here and here).
Founded in 2014, Reform collaborates with respected architects and designers, such as Bjarke Ingels and Note Design Studio, to ‘reform’ kitchens with great, timeless design. They offer fronts that fit to IKEA bases and worktops in simple finishes, as well as adjustable designs for IKEA Pax wardrobes and Godmorgon bathroom cupboards. So you can personalise a new renovation project or easily upgrade an existing space.
Surface by Norm Architects
Norm Architects had already designed a rich, burnished tombac style when Reform was first founded – that has now been discontinued and instead we have a new burnished copper front as well as sawn smoked oak and sawn natural oak. The wood has a lovely, rich, luxurious texture and can be left handle-less or finished with a gently patinated tombac, raw tombac or burnished copper handle. Complete the dark, moody look with a solid, smoked oak worktop or create a tactile, industrial finish with a fiber concrete worktop. Add a copper tap and dark sink and you have a smart, stylish kitchen, one where the natural materials will patinate and pick up imperfections, but ultimately get better with age and everyday use.
Degree by Cecilie Manz
If you’re into something a little lighter and more uplifting, Danish designer Cecilie Manz has created Degree, combining a classic style and little graphic details to offer a comfortably modern look. Available in two different finishes – painted light grey MDF and veneered Oregon Pine – this design is a lot more subtle and down to earth. You can probably tell that the grey appealed to me!
The painted version is clean and simple, while the Oregon Pine highlights the fine, straight grain of the wood by placing it diagonally at a 45 degree angle. The wood is finished with a matte lacquer so the surface is easier to clean and maintains the same colour over time. A triangular handle is milled into the corner of the front to create a dynamic display when drawers and doors are combined together. The detail of the grain of the wood continuing into the handle’s groove gives a beautiful touch.
So which would you go for, light or dark? You know which has my vote.
All images courtesy Reform
