I’ve owned four Malm dressers across three apartments and a first house, and for years I treated it exactly the way IKEA photographed it — plain, white, parked against a wall, done.
It wasn’t until a friend showed me her Malm with new hardware and a painted top that I realized the actual piece underneath is a genuinely solid, well-proportioned base that just happens to ship looking like the most generic furniture on earth.
This list is sorted roughly from “takes twenty minutes and a screwdriver” to “this is basically a weekend project,” because not every hack needs to be a full transformation.
Sometimes swapping the knobs really is enough, and sometimes you want the kind of hack that makes a houseguest ask where you bought it.
A few of these are hacks I’ve actually done to my own Malm, a couple came from my friend Renata who’s genuinely never met a piece of flat-pack furniture she didn’t improve, and the rest are things I’ve bookmarked after way too much time on Pinterest typing “malm hack” into the search bar.
1. Swap the Hardware First, Before Anything Else
This is the cheapest, fastest change that makes the biggest visual difference, and it’s where I’d start if I were only doing one thing on this list. The stock Malm knobs are plain and a little flimsy-looking; brass, matte black, or leather pulls instantly read as a more expensive piece.
Pro tip: Measure the existing hole spacing before ordering new hardware — Malm uses a standard spacing on most models, but double-checking saves you from drilling new holes if you can avoid it.
2. Paint Just the Top Surface a Contrast Color
Rather than repainting the whole dresser, paint only the top surface — a deep green, black, or terracotta against the original white or oak-effect body. It reads as a far more deliberate design choice than it actually is to execute.
| Hack Difficulty | Time Required | Tools Needed | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware swap | Low | Screwdriver | Yes |
| Contrast top paint | Medium | Sandpaper, primer, paint | Mostly (needs repainting to reverse) |
| Full repaint | Medium-high | Sandpaper, primer, paint, several hours drying time | Mostly |
| Added trim/molding | High | Trim, wood glue, paint, saw | No, without removing trim |
3. Add Picture-Frame Molding to the Drawer Fronts
Thin strips of trim applied in a rectangle pattern to each drawer front, then painted over, gives the flat Malm drawers a paneled, almost Shaker-style look. This is the single hack that gets the most “wait, that’s an IKEA dresser?” reaction from people who see it.
4. Full Repaint in a Bold Color
Sometimes the plain white or oak finish is genuinely just not your style, and a full repaint in forest green, navy, or even a soft clay pink changes the entire feel of the piece. Use a bonding primer made for laminate surfaces — Malm’s finish won’t hold regular paint well without it.
Pro tip: Sand lightly with fine-grit sandpaper before priming, even though it feels unnecessary on a smooth laminate surface — it gives the primer something to actually grip, which is the difference between paint that lasts and paint that chips within a month.
5. Add a Marble or Butcher-Block Contact Paper Top
A much faster alternative to #2’s painted top: high-quality marble-look or wood-grain contact paper applied to just the top surface. It’s fully removable, which makes it a great option for renters who still want the visual upgrade.
6. Mount It and Remove the Legs for a Built-In Look
Removing the legs and mounting the dresser flush to the floor, sometimes with a small kickboard added underneath, makes a Malm read like built-in cabinetry rather than a standalone piece of furniture. This works especially well in a nursery or bedroom where you want a more custom, architectural feel.
7. Add Rope or Leather Pulls Instead of Standard Knobs
A step beyond a standard hardware swap — thick rope loops or leather tabs threaded through the drawer holes instead of metal knobs. This gives the dresser a warmer, more organic feel that pairs especially well with a boho or Scandinavian-coastal aesthetic.
8. Stack Two Malm 2-Drawer Chests for a Taller Dresser
Two of the shorter 2-drawer Malm chests, securely stacked and anchored to the wall, create a taller dresser with more storage than the standard 6-drawer version, and it’s often cheaper than buying one large piece. Great for a narrow bedroom where floor space matters more than width.
| Configuration | Storage Capacity | Approximate Footprint | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single 6-drawer Malm | High | Wide, moderate height | Standard bedroom dresser |
| Two 2-drawer chests stacked | Highest | Narrow, tall | Small bedrooms, narrow walls |
| Single 3-drawer chest | Low-medium | Narrow, low | Entryway, nursery, small spaces |
| 2-drawer chest as nightstand pair | Low (x2 units) | Minimal per unit | Flanking a bed |
Pro tip: Anchoring the top chest to the wall and to the bottom chest isn’t optional here — this is a genuine tip-over risk with kids or pets in the house, so use the IKEA anti-tip kit or appropriate wall anchors every time you stack.
9. Add Wallpaper to the Drawer Fronts
Peel-and-stick wallpaper applied to just the drawer fronts, left as white or oak everywhere else, gives a patterned, custom look without committing to paint. A botanical or geometric print here can completely change the personality of the piece.
10. Turn a 2-Drawer Chest Into a Nightstand with an Added Shelf
Attach a small floating shelf above a 2-drawer Malm chest used as a nightstand — it adds display space for a lamp or books without needing a taller piece of furniture, and it visually “finishes” what can otherwise look like a slightly plain, low nightstand.
11. Use Two 3-Drawer Chests as a TV Console
Two 3-drawer Malm chests placed side by side, with a shared top surface added across both (a cut piece of wood or a thick butcher-block slab), make a genuinely good TV console with far more storage than most pieces sold as media consoles.
12. Add Caster Wheels for a Mobile Dresser
Replacing the standard legs with locking caster wheels turns the Malm into a mobile piece — useful in a studio apartment, a craft room, or anywhere you want to be able to move storage around without wrestling a fully loaded dresser across the floor.
13. Line the Drawers with Patterned Paper
A completely hidden hack that still makes a real difference: lining each drawer interior with patterned or colored shelf liner. It’s the kind of thing only you ever see, but it makes opening the dresser feel more considered every single time.
14. Add a Mirror to the Top as a Built-In Vanity Surface
Mounting a mirror above a Malm dresser, with a small tray or dish on top for jewelry, turns it into a functional vanity setup without buying a separate vanity piece. This works especially well with the 6-drawer version, which has enough surface width to actually use.
15. Swap Standard Legs for Turned Wood or Hairpin Legs
Replacing Malm’s plain tapered legs with turned wood legs (more traditional) or thin hairpin legs (more modern-industrial) changes the entire stance of the piece. It’s a bigger project than a hardware swap but smaller than a full repaint, and it has an outsized effect on how expensive the dresser looks.
16. Add Decorative Appliqués or Onlays to Drawer Fronts
Smaller and simpler than full picture-frame molding, decorative wood appliqués (often sold specifically for furniture upcycling) can be glued directly onto drawer fronts for a detailed, carved-looking effect once painted over.
17. Use a 2-Drawer Chest as a Bathroom Vanity Base
With a cut-out for plumbing and a vessel sink added on top, a Malm 2-drawer chest becomes a genuinely stylish bathroom vanity base at a fraction of what a dedicated vanity cabinet costs. This one’s a bigger project and typically needs someone comfortable with basic plumbing, but the payoff is real.
Pro tip: Treat the wood with a waterproofing sealant before installing it in a bathroom — Malm isn’t designed for a humid environment out of the box, and skipping this step is how you end up with swelling or warping within a year.
18. Add a Fabric Skirt Instead of Exposing the Legs
For a softer, more traditional bedroom look, a fitted fabric skirt attached around the base (below the drawers, hiding the legs entirely) gives the dresser a completely different silhouette — more cottagecore or classic than the standard Scandinavian-minimal stance.
19. Combine Two Different Malm Sizes for an Asymmetrical Console
Placing a taller 6-drawer chest next to a shorter 3-drawer chest, pushed together as one console unit, creates visual interest through the height difference alone — useful in an entryway or living room where a single uniform block of storage would feel too heavy.
20. Add LED Strip Lighting Under the Top Edge
A thin LED strip mounted under the lip of the top surface, hidden from direct view, adds a soft glow effect either for ambient bedroom lighting or as a subtle highlight if the dresser is being used as a display console for books or decor.
21. The “Didn’t Have a Weekend to Spare” Hack: New Knobs and Felt Drawer Liners
If every other hack on this list feels like more of a project than you have time for right now, this combination — new hardware from hack #1 plus simple felt liners in the drawers — takes under an hour total and genuinely changes how the piece feels to use every day, even though almost nothing about its appearance from across the room has changed.
What I’d Actually Do First
If I were starting from a brand-new, stock Malm today, I’d do #1 and #2 together — new hardware and a contrast-painted top — because between them they take a single weekend, cost relatively little, and change the entire read of the piece more than almost anything further down this list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sand the Malm before painting it? Yes — a light sand with fine-grit sandpaper, followed by a bonding primer made for laminate or melamine surfaces, is what makes paint actually adhere and last on Malm’s factory finish instead of chipping within weeks.
Can I stack Malm dressers safely? Yes, but only with proper anchoring — secure the top unit to the bottom unit and the combined piece to the wall using an anti-tip kit, especially important if there are kids or pets in the home.
Is it cheaper to hack a Malm or buy a similar-looking piece new? Usually hacking — hardware, paint, or trim additions typically run well under the cost of a comparable solid-wood or designer dresser, even accounting for the price of the original Malm itself.
Will painting or modifying my Malm void any kind of warranty? IKEA furniture generally doesn’t come with a traditional warranty covering cosmetic modifications like paint or hardware changes, so this isn’t usually a concern, though it’s worth checking current IKEA policy if you’re unsure.
What’s the easiest Malm hack for someone who’s never done a furniture project before? A hardware swap (#1) is the best starting point — it requires only a screwdriver, takes under thirty minutes, and makes a genuinely noticeable difference without any risk of a project going wrong.
Hi, I’m Ashley Miller, a wife, a busy mom, and someone who loves to share all the things that make life a little more fun and beautiful.
From easy DIY projects, delicious recipes, and chic hairstyles to nail ideas and home decor tips, I share everything I’ve learned and love.
My goal is to inspire other women to explore their creativity and make their homes even more special.
