What are the Differences When Ordering with Howdens vs IKEA?

Ordering from IKEA:
When you download your IKEA plan directly from their web planner, you're provided with clear, front-facing visuals showing the widths and heights of each item. This makes it easy and quick for us to adapt our fronts to match your design as we can clearly see the sizes you require.

You can also make changes to your design, get an updated price from IKEA, and easily remove items ordered from us directly in your IKEA planner. Our clients report that this flexibility makes the buying experience more client-led, which they appreciate.

Ordering from Howdens:
When ordering from Howdens, you'll often receive a render of the design, which looks great but doesn’t provide detailed item sizes. Howdens only provides precise dimensions once you’ve placed a deposit, and they don’t offer front-facing visuals with clear item sizes. As a result, we’ll need a detailed item list from you to proceed with creating your custom fronts. For example, we’ll need specifics like the height and width of doors for each unit (e.g., item 1: tall unit with a top door 1222mm tall and a base door 720mm tall). With Howdens extensive catalogue, certain units, like oven units, can be tricky as there are many variations.

So yes, we can absolutely make fronts for your Howdens design, but we’ll need clear, accurate measurements before moving forward.

Comparing IKEA vs Howdens Units:
We personally love the black IKEA units in our own showroom.

While Howdens offers oak units, our clients often find that when comparing our real wood finishes to Howdens faux wood, the difference is clear. Howdens popular grey finish has been a hit though with many of our clients.

What About Larder Cupboards?
If you prefer Howdens for their larder cupboards, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. We offer several adaptations to make IKEA units work beautifully for larder and coffee station designs.

---