IKEA are design masters, no question. Their clever kitchen solutions are stylish, functional, affordable and sustainable. But sometimes you just want something with a stand-out designer finish that's hard to eke out of a standard unit. Fortunately, there are plenty of ideas and products out there to help you give a basic IKEA kitchen a high-end, bespoke look. 

Mixing and matching cabinet doors is a simple way to give your IKEA kitchen a high-end feel. Jenna Sue Design achieved this stunning look by painting the lower row of IKEA cabinetry a glorious shade of deep forest green with paint from Benjamin Moore. Custom-made trims and added carpentry to frame the stainless steel refrigerator complete the timeless scheme.

Luxurious dark wood finishes can add an air of high-quality craftsmanship to basic units. You'd never guess this striking design, complete with graphic herringbone upper units, was a budget-friendly IKEA kitchen. White marble-effect worktops enhance the warming grain to create a contrasting monochrome finish.

Add a personal touch to a classic kitchen by hanging statement artwork above your worktops. Opt for culinary-themed prints that focus on food; these vintage-inspired prints feature artistic drawings of herbs and vegetables – the perfect thing to inspire your next recipe.

Living walls are having a moment right now so why not channel the trend in your kitchen with a custom-made herb planter? Not only is it a stylish design statement, but you'll have ingredients at hand when you cook up a storm. Better still, take inspiration from your plants and opt for a botanical green colour scheme with sage IKEA kitchen units. 

HUSK is a bespoke joinery company that supplies custom-made kitchen fronts and worktops to transform basic IKEA frames. This rich jade hue is the perfect colour choice to create a luxe finish, while gold taps, handles and hardware only add to the opulence.

Swedish brand Superfront supplies stylish cabinet fronts, side panels, worktops, handles, legs and plinths in a variety of styles, all designed to fit IKEA kitchen units. The ‘Big Ball’ feet shown here make for an eccentric alternative to a kickboard.   

A.S. Helsingö is another brand that offers genius products to elevate an ordinary IKEA kitchen carcass. In this pleasingly symmetrical scheme, minimalist doors add a sleek and stylish front to basic units, while a marble-effect splashback imparts an elegant finish. 

Offering a more relaxed feel, this crisp IKEA kitchen has been updated with leather pull handles for an on-trend industrial aesthetic. Paired with rustic whitewashed floorboards and a mismatched dining set, it oozes cool and contemporary. 

IKEA upgrade companies sometimes team up with celebrated designers, as was the case with this colour-blocked creation by New York and Copenhagen-based interior designer Christina Meyer Bengtsson for Danish brand Reform. These collaborations are a fantastic way to get true designer style without the designer price tag. 

Some companies, such as Sussex-based Custom Fronts, specialise in producing only the cupboard doors, which are compatible with IKEA units. Many of these designs come with either cut-out handles or a handleless finish, so no hardware is needed. This streamlined look works particularly well as part of a contemporary scheme.

Other companies, such as A.S. Helsingö, have their own range of taps and sinks, as well as IKEA-compatible cabinet fronts. An easy way to give your kitchen an update, the metal fittings come in a selection of finishes, from stainless steel to brass and copper, giving you even more ways to customise your culinary space.

London-based firm Plykea are leading the trend for using humble materials in high-end settings by supplying plywood fronts, cover panels and worktops to fit IKEA units. You can choose between wood-faced ply – in birch, oak or walnut – and Formica-faced ply in a vast range of colours. 

Of course, you don’t have to replace the entire door to give a cabinet a new on-trend look. Sometimes a striking pull handle or knob is all it takes to elevate a cupboard from standard to stunning – the brass handles on these sleek IKEA units add the perfect luxurious finish.

Introducing opulent materials is another way to give basic IKEA units a high-end upgrade, as this project by @piathornton shows. Here, a marble worktop adds a sense of luxury to an otherwise modest kitchen. Really, who is looking at the units when there's a cooker hood that looks like that? 

If you can’t afford to go completely bespoke, try using IKEA units for the main bulk of your kitchen then add a few custom finishing touches, such as the walnut shelf in this scheme by Kodu Design. Even one or two bespoke details can make your kitchen feel a lot more expensive than it actually is.

Bad spatial planning is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when designing a kitchen. Think carefully about the proportions of your cupboards, exactly what you will store in each unit, and how they will all fit together, both aesthetically and practically. A well-planned kitchen not only functions more efficiently, but it looks more high-end as well. Here, a cupboard space has been split into four square drawers in this kitchen project by @orsipanosinteriors.

An attractive splashback instantly draws the eye, so people will notice your beautiful kitchen tiles rather than the simplicity of your kitchen units. If you have a relatively small area to cover, it may be worth investing in a premium tile that ups the designer credentials of the scheme as a whole. We love this pale grey scheme posted by @abbyorganizes.

You don’t have to spend a fortune on tiles to create an eye-catching splashback. Coloured grouting is an easy and affordable way to add a fun finish to classic white tile and can be just as big a talking point, like this lovely example from @witlof_design. Match your accessories to the grout to create a sense of harmony and coherence in the room. 

Worktops are often overlooked in a culinary space, but there’s no reason not to incorporate enticing designs into your kitchen counters. This herringbone design posted by blogger @emmacecelia lends character to minimal white IKEA kitchen units. 

Kitchen floors are another oft-neglected area, but an arresting design under your feet can add excitement to an otherwise ordinary scheme. Try laying vinyl flooring in unexpected arrangements as a more affordable alternative to tiles. We love this sunny yellow, grey and black pattern by @isaflisa.

Just because you bought your kitchen units from IKEA doesn’t mean you have to buy everything else from there, too. Splashing out on a stand-out appliance, such as a retro fridge or range cooker, can make a real difference to how expensive your kitchen feels overall, as this scheme posted by @katiethirks demonstrates so beautifully.

Well-chosen accessories add personality to even the plainest kitchen and have the added bonus of being easy to swap out if your tastes change. Layered lighting – using LED strips or bulbs underneath, on top of or inside cabinets – adds depth to a simple scheme. 

Dark walls inject drama into any room, and this kitchen by @marielleblindland is no exception. The deep forest green shown here contrasts smartly with the white, handleless IKEA units. A midnight blue or dark teal would work just as well, and there are plenty of beautiful dark kitchen trends to try. Just choose the shade you like and be brave!

If you’re handy with a paintbrush, you can completely transform a kitchen in an afternoon. This rustic, Italian-style kitchen started out as IKEA STAT doors (a forerunner to the current HITTARP range). Shared on IKEA Hackers, they were given a complete makeover using mint green paint with brown detailing to create a distressed look.

You can upcycle other IKEA products to make handy kitchen furniture, too. This glamorous bar cart by Sugar & Cloth began life as a white IKEA KALLAX shelving unit (£25). With the addition of brass castors and pull handles, it's been transformed into a sleek serving unit.

Small-scale upcycling projects can make a big impact. Here, IKEA’s plain white EKBY LERBERG shelf brackets have been spray-painted gold and topped with reclaimed wood to create beautiful open shelving – a fantastically cheap and easy way to add a hint of luxury to your kitchen. 

A bespoke kitchen island can be a big expense, so why not create your own for less? This moveable island/dining table was cunningly constructed from four LACK TV benches and a GERTON tabletop, both from IKEA. 

Mounting a simple IKEA display ledge above your kitchen countertops can make the world of difference when it comes to elevating your culinary scheme. Whether you use it to lean a picture, position a houseplant or showcase glassware, it's a great way to add personality to a functional space.

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