I used to feel a little embarrassed admitting most of my apartment’s storage is IKEA, like it somehow didn’t count as “real” furniture, until I actually started looking at how people style these pieces instead of just assembling them straight out of the box.
It turns out the gap between “obviously IKEA” and “wait, where did you get that” is usually one or two small moves, not a full custom build.
This list is organized by piece, because that’s genuinely the easiest way to shop for your own space — if you’ve already got a Kallax or a Billy bookcase sitting there looking plain, skip to that section and start from there instead of reading the whole thing top to bottom.
A few of these are hacks sitting in my own apartment right now, a couple came from my friend Renata who treats flat-pack furniture as a personal challenge, and the rest are things I’ve bookmarked after far too much time scrolling “ikea hack” on Pinterest.
1. Kallax Shelf with Removable Inserts Instead of Bins
Swap the standard fabric storage bins for a mix of woven baskets, a few open cubbies left bare for books, and one or two with a simple door insert added. The mixed texture alone makes a Kallax look curated instead of like a grid of identical boxes.
Pro tip: Leave at least a third of the cubbies open and styled with books or objects rather than filling every single one with a bin — an all-bins Kallax reads as pure storage, while a mix reads as a styled shelf.
2. Billy Bookcase with Crown Molding and a Painted Interior
Add simple crown molding to the top of a Billy bookcase and paint the back interior panel a contrast color (deep green, navy, terracotta) visible between the books. This is one of the most-repeated IKEA hacks for a reason — it genuinely makes the piece look built-in.
| Hack | Approx. Time | Tools Needed | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molding + trim addition | 2–4 hours | Trim, wood glue, paint, saw | No |
| Painted back panel | 1–2 hours | Paint, painter’s tape | Mostly |
| Hardware swap | 15–30 minutes | Screwdriver | Yes |
| Contact paper surface | 30–60 minutes | Contact paper, squeegee/card | Yes |
3. Pax Wardrobe Behind a Curtain Instead of Doors
Skip the Pax system’s standard sliding or hinged doors entirely and hang a simple curtain on a tension rod across the opening instead. It’s softer, cheaper, and gives an open-closet aesthetic that’s having a real moment in bedroom design right now.
4. Raskog Cart Used as a Styled Bar Cart
The humble Raskog utility cart, usually seen in a craft room or kitchen, works surprisingly well as a bar cart when styled with a few nice glasses, a tray, and a small plant. A coat of spray paint in brass or matte black elevates it further from its utility-cart origins.
5. Lack Side Table Stacked for a Pedestal Plant Stand
Two or three Lack side tables, the smallest size, stacked and glued together, make a surprisingly elegant tiered plant stand or pedestal. Add a coat of paint and it stops reading as what it technically is — three of the cheapest tables IKEA sells.
6. Eket Wall Cabinets Arranged in an Asymmetrical Grid
Instead of the straightforward grid layout shown in IKEA’s own catalog, mount Eket cabinets in a staggered, asymmetrical pattern on the wall — some higher, some lower, different widths mixed together. It reads as custom cabinetry rather than a modular system.
7. Trofast Storage System with Labels and a Painted Frame
The Trofast system (usually marketed for kids’ rooms) gets a stylish upgrade with the wood frame painted a solid color and simple fabric or leather labels added to each bin. It becomes genuinely usable for a mudroom, craft space, or pantry, not just a playroom.
8. Hemnes Daybed with Storage Drawers, Styled as a Sofa
The Hemnes daybed’s built-in storage drawers are already practical, but styled with a proper bolster, throw pillows arranged like a real sofa, and a textured throw blanket, it stops looking like “a bed with drawers” and reads as an intentional living-room or guest-room piece.
Pro tip: Use three to five pillows of varying sizes rather than a matched pair — a daybed styled like an actual sofa needs the same pillow layering a sofa would, or it still visually reads as a bed no matter what else you do to it.
9. Ivar Shelving Unpainted, Stained Instead
Most Ivar hacks go straight to white paint, but a wood stain instead — walnut, honey oak, or a grey-wash — keeps the natural wood grain visible while still elevating it past the raw, unfinished pine look it ships with. This suits a more Scandinavian or Japandi aesthetic than painted white ever will.
10. Alex Drawer Unit as a Floating Desk Storage Base
Two Alex drawer units used as the base for a floating desk (with a cut wood top spanning both) gives you a genuinely sturdy, stylish desk with real storage, instead of a flimsy desk with nowhere to put anything. Paint or stain both units to match the desktop for a cohesive, custom-built look.
| Base Unit Combo | Desk Width Needed | Storage Capacity | Visual Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Alex units | Wide | High | Moderate |
| One Alex unit + open leg | Medium | Medium | Light |
| Two Kallax units | Wide | Very high | Heavy |
| Rast chest (single) | Narrow | Low | Light |
11. Rast Chest with New Hardware and a Stained Finish
The Rast chest is IKEA’s rawest, cheapest option — unfinished pine, no paint, no hardware beyond basic pulls — which also makes it the single best canvas on this entire list for a full custom look. Stain or paint plus new hardware takes it from “clearly unfinished furniture” to genuinely striking.
12. Skadis Pegboard Painted and Styled as Open Wall Storage
The Skadis pegboard, usually mounted plain in a craft or garage space, looks considerably more stylish painted a solid color and hung with a curated mix of hooks, small shelves, and containers rather than every single accessory IKEA sells for it at once.
13. Godmorgon Cabinet Used as a Kitchen or Bar Storage Base
Designed as a bathroom vanity, the Godmorgon cabinet’s clean lines and good drawer storage work just as well repurposed in a kitchen or as a bar storage base with a stone or wood top added, especially in a high-gloss finish that photographs beautifully under pendant lighting.
14. Fjällbo Shelving Unit with Added Baskets and Plants
The Fjällbo’s industrial black metal frame already has a good bones — styled with a mix of woven baskets on the lower shelves, books and plants on the upper ones, it becomes one of the better-looking open shelving options IKEA makes without any real modification needed.
15. Bror Shelving Painted a Bold Color
Another industrial-style metal shelving unit that responds really well to a single change: painting the frame a bold color (yellow, red, deep blue) instead of leaving it in galvanized steel. It instantly reads as a more deliberate design choice for a kitchen or home office.
16. Hemnes Shoe Cabinet Used as a Hallway Console
The Hemnes shoe cabinet’s narrow depth and clean lines make it double nicely as an entryway console table when a mirror and a small tray or lamp are added on top — most people would never guess its actual intended purpose.
17. Mackapär Basket Trolley Painted and Used for Linens
Usually used for toys given its playful design, the Mackapär trolley’s removable canvas baskets work just as well holding rolled towels or throw blankets when the frame is given a coat of paint in a more grown-up color.
Pro tip: A matte black or brass spray paint on the Mackapär’s frame specifically (rather than the original colorful plastic-look finish) is what moves it from “kids’ toy storage” to something that could sit in a living room without looking out of place.
18. Tarva Chest Given a Whitewash Finish
The Tarva chest, like the Rast, ships as raw pine — a whitewash technique (diluted white paint wiped back to let grain show through) gives it a soft, coastal-Scandinavian look that’s considerably more expensive-looking than the stock finish.
19. Ivar Side Units Turned Into a Kitchen Pantry
A row of Ivar cabinets, painted to match kitchen cabinetry and fitted with simple wire or wood shelving inside, makes a genuinely good-looking pantry solution for a kitchen that doesn’t have built-in pantry storage — far cheaper than custom cabinetry while still looking intentional.
20. The “Didn’t Modify Anything, Just Styled It Well” Hack: Any Plain Piece, Styled with Restraint
Sometimes the actual hack isn’t a hack at all — it’s resisting the urge to fill every shelf, cube, or drawer front to capacity. A completely stock, unmodified IKEA piece styled with a handful of well-chosen objects and some genuinely empty space looks more expensive than the same piece crammed full, every time.
What I’d Actually Do First
If I only had an afternoon and one piece to start with, I’d go with #2 — the Billy bookcase with molding and a painted back panel — because it’s the single most-tested hack on this entire list, the materials are cheap, and the transformation from “obviously a Billy” to “looks built-in” is about as dramatic as any hack here gets for the effort involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which IKEA pieces are the easiest to hack for beginners? The Lack side table and Rast chest are the most beginner-friendly — both are inexpensive, simply constructed, and forgiving if a paint job or hardware swap doesn’t go perfectly on the first try.
Do IKEA hacks void the furniture’s warranty? IKEA’s standard warranty generally doesn’t cover cosmetic modifications like paint, stain, or hardware changes, so this typically isn’t a major concern, though it’s worth checking current policy if a specific piece matters to you.
What’s the cheapest way to make IKEA furniture look more expensive? A hardware swap is almost always the lowest-cost, fastest option — new knobs or pulls in brass, matte black, or leather change the entire visual impression of a piece for a relatively small amount of money.
Can renters do these hacks without risking their deposit? Yes — hacks like new hardware, contact paper, styled baskets, and curtain-covered openings (as in the Pax hack) are all fully reversible and don’t involve any permanent change to the piece or the space itself.
Do I need special tools for most of these hacks? Most require only basic tools — a screwdriver, sandpaper, and paint or stain cover the majority of this list, with only a few (like the molding addition or desk-building hacks) calling for a saw or more involved woodworking.
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.
