Lily Spindle in DOMINO Magazine

For anyone who’s ever gone through a remodel, is in the midst of a remodel, or simply scrolled through Instagram perusing the countless remodels to be discovered, you know the design devil is in the details. And fewer places unabashedly reveal that inescapable reality than the kitchen, where so many things can go wrong, mismeasurements made, the best of pragmatism and planning potentially falling short. With remodels becoming more constant and price tags becoming more costly, having a trustworthy and clever guide to facilitate the process is muy importante and if you’ve had the luxury of our co-founder Debra Vigna serving that role, you are a seriously lucky human.

DOMINO magazine recognized her infinite wisdom and creative strategies when it comes to kitchen design and included loads of her tips in their piece “A Pro Guide to Choosing IKEA Kitchen Cabinets.” Case in point, among other kernels of tasty wisdom, “When it comes to assembling and installing IKEA kitchen cabinets, the general consensus is: If you consider yourself a handy person and can carry a toolbox with the best of ’em, go for it and more power (tools) to you! If not, chalk up an installation service cost as money well spent—and grief well saved. ‘It’s definitely tricky,’ says Vigna, who recommends working with an installer. Having an expert who can respond in real time to unexpected roadblocks is valuable. ‘Someone with good carpentry skills gives you more options than you’d think,’ she notes.

‘Hiring an installer may add another 5 to 8 percent cost to your project bottom line,’ continues Vigna. ‘But when 50 IKEA boxes arrive and you don’t know what they are or where they go, it’s such a lifesaver to have someone come in and put it all together in a day.’