This 100-Year-Old Kitchen Got One of the Best IKEA Cabinet Makeovers I’ve Ever Seen

Whenever I make changes to the mid-century house I share with my husband, one of my primary questions for myself is “does this go?” I don’t need my home to be a time capsule of 1956, the year it was built, but I do want to preserve the MCM vibe as much as I can. That means when I’m picking out lighting, I’m going for simple shapes over intricate ones, and when I’m choosing furniture, I’m gravitating toward natural wood finishes.

Updating your home in a way that feels like it goes without drifting into museum exhibit territory can be tricky! Trickier still is getting the aesthetic right while also incorporating all the practical features that make your home both comfortable and usable for you. When I think back on projects that really nail the balance, I think of this kitchen transformation in a more than 100-year-old home that we featured on Apartment Therapy back in 2021. While it’s been years since I first edited this story, it’s been stuck in my head since then because not only is it beautiful — it’s also, shockingly, all IKEA.

I have seen IKEA kitchens enough times to know that the Swedish retailer’s budget-conscious cabinets can look seriously high-end. Even so, this transformation impressed me: Not only do the cabinets look like they were handcrafted, but they also look completely in line with what you’d expect in a late 1800s or early 1900s kitchen (albeit with lots more space!). The secret lies in the Shaker-style doors from Semihandmade in both a crisp white and a deep navy blue, not to mention the aged brass bin pulls on the drawers.

The new kitchen actually looks way more age-appropriate than the old one, which had been previously renovated to feature some very ‘90s-looking cabinets. Now, with the fresh cabinets, penny tile floors, and other vintage-inspired touches, the kitchen is a better match for the home’s historic vibe — but it’s still practical, meeting all the family’s needs for storage, counter space, and more.

Want to see more of the kitchen? Find the story here. If you want to see more spaces featuring IKEA cabinets, check out some of our favorite room transformations that use IKEA products.