We renovated our dated kitchen for $10,000. The results look incredible, but we have several regrets.

When my husband and I bought our largely untouched 1990s home last year, we knew that every room would eventually need updating. But there was one room we wanted to tackle first: the kitchen.

The original oak cabinets were beautifully constructed, but the honey tones, dated tile countertops and backsplash, and striped wallpaper made the entire room appear to be stuck in place within a decade. Also short upper cabinets which made the room seem smaller than it was, and limited our storage potential.

We wanted a kitchen that felt more modern, functional and better suited to the way we cook and entertain, but we didn’t want to spend too much on a remodel.

After researching our options, we headed to IKEA.

We ordered our cabinets, countertops and most of the basics from IKEA

The Swedish retailer’s kitchen systems and cabinets caught our attention because of their smart design, modular flexibility and affordability.

Before placing our order, we made two appointments with a IKEA kitchen specialist to view cabinet colors, door styles, countertop samples and hardware in person.

The meetings felt overwhelming as we went through the layouts, sizes, and seemingly endless design decisions, but seeing the materials side by side gave us confidence in our choices and allowed us to discover details we might have missed online.

We ultimately went for warm wood-colored IKEA cabinets, off-white glass composite countertops, a deep one Farmhouse style sinkand copper hardware.

To prevent the space from feeling too uniform, we opted for a green scalloped back wall and a beige hexagonal floor tile from other suppliers.

By taking on the work ourselves, we were able to complete the renovation for $10,000

Despite being total renovation novices, we took on most of the work ourselves and learned as we went. IKEA kitchen installations we usually start around $2,500, so this decision helped us save thousands.

Luckily, we also caught IKEA when it had a 10% discount deal, further reducing our overall costs. And since we had already replaced the stove and refrigerator the year before, we didn’t have to budget for this.

We ended up completing our renovation for about $10,000, including the cabinets, countertops, flooring, backsplash, sink, hardware, and other materials.

From demolition to completion, the project took about two months, and the transformation was dramatic.

Taller cabinets provided additional storage and made the room feel larger, while countertops, fixtures and finishes made the kitchen more cohesive.

The finished space exceeded our expectations, but there are a few things we would do differently if we were starting over.

Looking back, I wish we had paid for IKEA’s professional measuring service

We thought we could save money by measuring the kitchen ourselves since we planned to install the cabinets without it hire an IKEA installer.

That decision ultimately cost us more time and caused more frustration than the metering service probably would have done. A few cabinets didn’t fit quite as expected, forcing us to pause the project while we returned pieces and waited for replacements.

Looking back, it would have been well worth the extra cost, which was about a hundred dollars, to have each measurement verified by a professional.

I also wish we had started preparing much earlier… and done more of it

Remove old kitchen, repair walls, repair drywallLeveling surfaces, painting and getting everything ready for installation took much longer than I expected.

I had mentally prepared myself for the fact that assembling the cabinet would be the biggest job, but the preparatory work was by far the most physically demanding time-consuming part of the renovation.

The prep work wasn’t just about space. One big part that we wished we had prepared more for was the logistics of actually hanging the cabinets.

No kitchen wall is perfectly symmetrical or flat, so we had to get creative to line everything up so it still looked seamless once it was hanging on the wall.

There are many good video resources on YouTube that explain exactly how to plan this, and I recommend watching a few of them before you ever get started.

In terms of pre-renovation preparationI also wish we had created a temporary kitchen in our house before the demolition.

For about three weeks, during the heart of the renovation, we had none functional kitchen. It was more disruptive than I expected.

We washed dishes in the bathroom sink, relied heavily on takeout, and quickly realized how much we took simple conveniences—like making coffee or preparing lunch—for granted.

If I could do it again, I would spend an afternoon making a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house before demolition began.

Even something as simple as a folding table with microwave, coffee maker, toaster, paper plates and a few pantry staples would have made everyday life much easier to begin with.

I would also make sure that the temporary kitchen is covered and sealed as much as possible, because renovation dust can get everywhere.

And from now on I will test grout before using it

For our new hexagonal floor tile, we carefully selected something that resembled a beige grout, expecting this to complement the neutral color of the tile.

Instead, the grout looked dramatically lighter, almost white, after drying.

The floor still turned out beautiful and the light grout gives the hexagonal pattern a fresh, finished look. However, it wasn’t the more blended look we had in mind.

Now I would always make a small test area and let it fully cure before grouting an entire floor or backsplash.

The color on the box or sample card doesn’t always match the final dried result, and it’s much easier to make changes before you’ve covered the entire surface.

All in all, we are proud of our results and would absolutely like to renovate with IKEA again

Even with a few mistakes we have one dated kitchen from the 90s in a modern space we really love for around $10,000.

We couldn’t have wished for a better result for two newcomers in the field of total renovation. The new cabinets provide warmth, the marble countertops make the room feel open, and the green backsplash adds just enough color and flair to make the kitchen feel like our own.

Ultimately, our regrets are a useful reminder that thoughtful planning is just as important as the materials you choose.