'This new IKEA is completely different but made me want more'

Walking into the new IKEA store in Stockport’s Merseyway Shopping Centre, I was ready to be greeted by an overwhelming choice of cushion covers, kitchen utensils, and, of course, meatballs.

But I quickly realised that this IKEA store is not like most others. There are no viral donut lamps, no huge brown bear teddies and no self-assembling bits of bathroom furniture on sale.

The Stockport store, like the one in Aintree, is a specific Plan & Order Point for kitchen and bedroom design and a whole other IKEA experience. The premise is simple: You book in for an appointment with IKEA’s interior designers who will help you come up with an interior plan perfect for your needs, lifestyle and budget using 3D design technology.

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Customers can have as many appointments as they need before they go with their ideal design, and you can also pay for everything to be assembled and installed for you too.

For someone like me, who is absolutely pathetic when it comes to DIY, this is already an incredibly tempting offering. Add to the fact that my tiny yet cosy one-bedroom apartment in Old Trafford is limited when it comes to renovation and design, it seems like this could be right up my street - so I booked myself in for one of their kitchen consultations to see what the deal was..

Going into my appointment, I knew space and budget would be key to my new dream kitchen. With the measurements of my kitchen space standing at a puny 3.4m by 1.2m, I knew we’d need to think strategically about how to get all the storage space, appliances and other tidbits in without making it feel too cramped or overwhelming.

Thankfully, Kitchen Planning Specialist Lewis Upton was down for the