17 Chic-to-Death IKEA Hacks You Have to Try For A Unique Home

written by

Julia Millay Walsh

updated Apr 29, 2021

Dresser — Sarah Sherman Samuel

We love IKEA for its affordable prices, modern design, and cutting-edge product releases. However, given that the Swedish mega-retailer prints more copies of its catalog than there are sales of the Bible each year (yes, really), it's only natural to worry that your new flat-packed furniture won’t look unique when millions of home decorators are buying the same thing.

Enter: The IKEA hack. These simple upgrades instantly elevate your affordable finds into stylish, expensive-looking décor. Whether it's IKEA shelving, cabinets, or desks, you can transform the functional pieces into furniture so chic no one will think you bought it at IKEA. All it takes is a little know-how and an eye for design. Here are 17 IKEA hacks to try for yourself or inspire your own original design.

01 of 17

Tarva 5-Drawer Chest

Dresser — Sarah Sherman Samuel

Designer Sarah Sherman Samuel used a few simple design hacks to turn a standard wooden dresser from IKEA into a clean, fresh-looking piece of furniture. You can use white paint, brass knobs, and metallic gold spray paint to replicate this contemporary look.

IKEA Tarva 5-Drawer Chest

IKEA Tarva 5-Drawer Chest $149

02 of 17

Bestå Burs Desk

Desk — Happy Mundane

Upgrade any IKEA desk with this simple contact paper hack. When the all-white, glossy look feels tired, find some walnut contact paper to give your drawers the illusion of a wood finish. You'll be left with a more refined, dynamic design.

IKEA Bestå Burs Desk

IKEA Bestå Burs Desk $199

03 of 17

Billy Bookcase

Built-In Billy Bookcase — The Makerista

Custom built-ins don't come cheap, so we love The Makerista's genius idea to put three of IKEA's popular Billy bookcases together. A solid baseboard and crown molding were added, so it blends perfectly with the period style of this home. Memorize this IKEA shelving hack for an easy upgrade.

IKEA Billy Bookcase

IKEA Billy Bookcase $40

04 of 17

Tarva 3-Drawer Chest

Rolling Desk — In My Own Style

Rather than simply refining the aesthetics of a regular IKEA dresser, take your DIY skills one step further and upgrade the function as well. Diane of In My Own Style managed to transform a dresser into a rolling desk with some swivel wheels, brakes, hinges, and a few panels of extra wood. The final product looks like a refurbished vintage file cabinet that's full of character.

IKEA Tarva 3-Drawer Chest

IKEA Tarva 3-Drawer Chest $99

05 of 17

Stockholm Mirror

Belted MIrror — Sarah Widman

By attaching some affordable leather belts from H&M to a round mirror from IKEA, Swedish designer Sarah Widman created an insanely stylish accent piece.

IKEA Stockholm Mirror

IKEA Stockholm Mirror $129

06 of 17

Linnmon/Lerberg Table

Marble Desk — Life at Home

One clever DIY-er gave a simple IKEA trestle desk a luxe makeover by simply covering the top with marble-printed contact paper. Fooled us!

IKEA Linnmon/Lerberg Table

IKEA Linnmon/Lerberg Table $60

07 of 17

Aina Fabric

Striped Textile Pots — Life at Home

One area of IKEA you've most likely overlooked is the fabric section. We love this hack that uses IKEA's textured raw cotton, Minna, to make textile pots. Sew the fabric into a simple shape and place it around basic planters, before painting with stripes of varying hues.

Add a pop of color wherever you need one by putting out a plant in a colorful pot.

IKEA Aina Fabric

IKEA Aina Fabric $9

08 of 17

Malm Bed Frame

Reclaimed Wood Stikwood Headboard — Sugar and Cloth

Any furniture hack that doesn't involve a drill is one we definitely want to know about. Blogger Ashley Rose of Sugar & Cloth used a little Stikwood adhesive and some wood panels to spruce up her IKEA Malm bed frame. The end result is a reclaimed wood look with little woodworking involved. It does require a rotary saw to get the length right, but that's nothing you can't handle.

IKEA Malm Bed Frame

IKEA Malm Bed Frame $199

09 of 17

Tarva 6-Drawer Chest

Nursery Dresser — Sarah Sherman Samuel

A coat of soft green paint and a set of brass bar pulls transform IKEA's wooden Tarva dresser from something plain into something photogenic. This adorable dresser looks far from a budget buy and fits right into the nursery décor of this space.

IKEA Tarva 6-Drawer Chest

IKEA Tarva 6-Drawer Chest $179

10 of 17

Sektion Base Cabinet

Kitchen Cabinets — Sarah Sherman Samuels

For those who want the look of custom cabinetry without the cost, Semihandmade doors are the answer. The company produces doors, panels, and drawer faces designed specifically to fit IKEA cabinets, and as you can see by these pretty sage cabinets, they look quite luxurious.

IKEA Sektion Base Cabinet

IKEA Sektion Base Cabinet $58

11 of 17

Bestå Shelf Unit

Floating Credenza — Sugar and Cloth

By hanging IKEA's Bestå shelf unit on the wall and topping it with a stained wood panel, you can create a floating credenza that looks way more costly than it actually is. Look to Ashley of Sugar & Cloth to master this IKEA shelving hack.

IKEA Bestå Shelf Unit

IKEA Bestå Shelf Unit $90

12 of 17

Kallax Shelf Unit

Mid-Century Modern Shelf — The Surznick Common Room

Take a simple IKEA shelving unit and turn it into the midcentury-modern storage item of your dreams. The DIY pros behind The Surznick Common Room used mounting plates and wooden taper legs to create this seriously upgraded vinyl record holder.

IKEA Kallaxx Shelf Unit

IKEA Kallaxx Shelf Unit $35

13 of 17

Lack Coffee Table

Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table — Triple Max Tons

It's amazing what a set of tapered legs can do to a piece of furniture. Kirsten of Triple Max Tons used this simple IKEA hack to create a midcentury-modern look out of a standard white IKEA coffee table. Since IKEA furniture is built to be assembled, all you have to do is remove the original legs and screw in your new set.

IKEA Lack Coffee Table

IKEA Lack Coffee Table $50

14 of 17

Ingo Table

Ikea hack of Ingo table — DigsDigs

Top the Ingo table with a marble slab and add casters for a functional and stylish work table, which is great for small spaces.

Ikea Ingo pine table

IKEA Ingo pine table $79

15 of 17

Fintorp System

Ikea's Fintorp system as a coat rack for the entryway — Cup of Joe

Create a coat rack for the entryway with Ikea's versatile Fintorp bar and hook system.

Ikea's Fintorp kitchen rod

IKEA Fintorp Kitchen Series Black Rail $10

16 of 17

Borby Lantern

Ikea lantern turned terrarium — Thou Swell

Follow Thou Swell's lead and turn Ikea's lantern into an Instagram-ready terrarium.

Ikea Borby lantern

IKEA Borby lantern $15

17 of 17

Ekby Alex Shelf

Ikea Ekby Alex shelf reimagined as modern vanity with tapered legs — New Blooming

Add tapered legs to reimagine the Ekby Alex Shelf as a modern vanity.

Ikea Ekby Alex shelf

IKEA Ekby Alex shelf $50

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