How We Designed a North American Kitchen with a Bar Island (Using IKEA’s Planner)
When we first walked into our new Stuttgart apartment, the kitchen space wasn’t a kitchen at all — just a blank wall with a few utility connections. No cabinets. No appliances. No countertops. In North America, we would have been picking out throw pillows before moving day, but here, the first big decision was: what kind of kitchen do we even want to build?
For Duygu, the answer came quickly. She pictured our old kitchen back in Novi, Michigan — the one in our luxury apartment at Encore at Manchester — where a sleek bar island sat at the heart of our open living space. It’s where we brewed morning coffee, shared weeknight dinners, and caught up after work. That island wasn’t just a countertop; it was the centerpiece of our home. And in this new, empty German apartment, she wanted to bring it back.
Our Design Vision
We wanted a space that felt unmistakably us — blending North American openness with the refined, efficient style often found in modern European kitchens. The foundation was clear:
A Bar Island – The functional heart of the kitchen, perfect for casual meals, extra prep space, and making the room feel open and social.
Black Matte Cabinets and Faucet – Minimalist, dramatic, and timeless.
Quartz-like Countertops – Light, polished, and easy to clean, tying the look together without overpowering the dark cabinetry.
The challenge? Making all of this work within a German apartment’s measurements, plumbing layout, and available products — all while sticking to a realistic budget.
Why We Chose IKEA’s Kitchen Planner
Back in the U.S., we’d walk into a store, measure our space ourselves, and often start designing online. In Germany, the process is a bit different (more on that in Part 3), but IKEA’s Kitchen Planner still gave us the flexibility to experiment.
We could visualize different layouts, swap cabinet finishes, and see how our dream bar island would fit. Even though the app was only in German at the time, it gave us enough of a head start to walk into our design consultation with confidence.
What’s Different About Designing a Kitchen in Germany
In many German homes, kitchens are tucked away, compact, and designed for maximum efficiency — not open entertaining. Bar islands are less common, and space planning requires extra precision.
That’s why Duygu’s design was more than just an aesthetic choice; it was a cultural crossover, bringing our North American lifestyle into a European space.
Duygu’s Design on IKEA’s Kitchen Planner
This stage was exciting — full of inspiration, floor plan sketches, and late-night debates about how to bring our Novi home to Stuttgart. We were optimistic, maybe even a little naive, about how smoothly the next steps would go.
Before we dive into the challenges, here’s the 3D rendering from IKEA’s Kitchen Planner that captured Duygu’s vision perfectly:
3D rendering of Duygu’s design on IKEA’s kitchen planner
