The only thing that could make us love a modern and neutral kitchen more than we usually do is if it came in an adorable miniature version for kids, which is why we’re head over heels for this modern DIY play kitchen that’s speaking right to our neutral-loving hearts! Every piece was custom created for this kiddo’s room, and the natural wood textures and simplistic neutral tones created an aesthetically pleasing play piece that was, dare we say it, CHIC! The mix of felt and wooden accessories created the perfect finishing touches – who knew a fake turnip could be so cute? Keep reading to see all of the adorable details, and don’t worry: we’ve got you covered with links to buy every item and where to find the full step-by-step process!
Scroll down to hear more details from the photographer about how this project came to life!
I am so thrilled to be sharing more about this Ikea play kitchen makeover with you guys! This was a fun project we did for our daughter Juniper as her Christmas present, and we couldn’t wait to set it up in her room with all the fun kitchen accessories. We’ve been loving watching her imagination grow as she stirs, whisks up and cooks some yummy treats! I foresee so many fun moments with this set up for years to come because I know it’s such a fun toy for many ages!
When going into this kitchen makeover, I knew I wanted it to be an open kitchen concept with open floating shelving, as well as having the microwave made into a whole separate piece to mount to the wall on its own. I wanted to stick with neutral colors that fit in well with her room and accessories that she would love to play with.
We started out by painting all the pieces we needed. We used an heirloom white spray paint for the majority of the kitchen, which created the neutral palette we were looking for. After the paint was dry, we were ready to put it all together! We added wooden handles to the doors, and knobs to the front panel. Once the kitchen was put together, we created a DIY stovetop. I was super inspired by Lindy from Thimble and Cloth and her DIY stovetop – it was the perfect inspiration piece to give us an idea of what we wanted to create for Juniper! After we made the stovetop, we moved on to the floating shelves. I just love how they came out. They are able to act as extra storage while being aesthetically pleasing – it’s a win-win!
The floating microwave was kind of an idea that we knew we’d have to figure out on a whim as we went. We painted the whole outside of the microwave the same heirloom white color as the kitchen and added a matching wooden handle to keep everything consistent. Juniper loves the microwave – she uses it to “reheat” her cup of coffee all the time, and I’m pretty sure it’s because she sees me reheating my coffee a million times a day in the microwave!
Accessories are, of course, one of the most fun parts of any play kitchen. I went on a hunt for all the beautiful wooden goodies, unique pieces that would add a special touch and fun play food with different fabrics for a variety of textures and a range of colors. I especially love the water-based painted wooden fruit set my brother and sis-in-law got for her – she loves to carry around the apple and has been loving learning to say what each fruit is. There are still a few items I can’t wait to add to her accessories, but for now, she loves it all and is having a blast playing and learning.
Doing this kitchen for Christmas was such a perfect idea because the family was able to participate in getting fun stuff to add to it! Juniper received some of these special kitchen accessories as gifts, which has made playtime extra special! We can’t wait to continue to add to her kitchen as she grows and watch her imagination run free.
Is this not the cutest play kitchen you’ve ever seen?! You can find all of the links to shop the items in this post below, and click here to read the entire step-by-step post on how to create everything! If you’re looking for more home decor ideas that are perfect for kids, check out these kid-friendly home decorating tips next!
Shop this DIY Play Kitchen
Paints: White paint for kitchen, sink + microwave, Gold paint for sink fixture
Wooden Hardware Fixtures: Wood handles, Wood stove knobs, Wood knob for apron
Wood for DIY floating shelves: Select pine natural wood from Home Depot advertised as 1×6 (3/4in x 5.5inch) – cut to size, 3/8inch wooden dowel stick – cut to size
Wood for DIY stovetop: Wood slab for stove, Wood circle pieces for stove, Wood pieces for the burner: Home Depot 1/4 inch square dowel strip, Wood dowel for the center of burner: Home Depot 3/4 inch round dowel strip
Floating Microwave: Rattan webbing for microwave
Kitchen Accessories: Kids Apron, Linen napkin (small), Linen napkin (normal), Linen tea towel, Ikea white tin pitcher, Wicker utensil holder, Wooden handmade pot + pan, Wooden handmade stacking bowls, Wooden plate, bowl and utensils set, Wooden bottle and two cups set, Wooden utensil set, Extra wooden cooking utensils set, Ikea farmers market grocery bag, Rattan wicker stroller/shopping cart, Rattan wicker basket with lid, Wooden coffee or should I say “cockee” maker (not pictured)
Pretend Play Food: Egg Set, Wood and felt veggies set, Painted wood fruit set, Felt fruit set of three, Felt strawberries, Ikea fabric cinnamon rolls, Ikea fabric veggies set, Ikea fabric fruit set