You Won’t Even Recognize IKEA in These 10 High-End Hacks

1. A Modern Wardrobe with the PAX System

When Nadine Bacchus moved into her 1901 South London house, she loved ​​all of the gorgeous antique details. The one aspect of owning an older home that wasn’t ideal? The lack of closet space. Nadine, along with her partner Jules, remedied the problem with the IKEA PAX wardrobe system. She attached the wardrobe straight to the wall and built around the existing baseboards without removing them.

To stay true to the house’s Victorian roots, she added crown molding to the top of the PAX and installed picture frames to the doors. Modern hardware was the perfect finishing touch. Check out Nadine’s Instagram story highlights to see the process from start to finish, then check out our roundup of smart IKEA PAX wardrobe hacks.

2. Hidden Storage with BESTA

Fashion consultant and merchandiser Jasmine Hart needed more storage in her Brooklyn apartment, so she turned to IKEA (and interior designer ​​Kendra Cusic) for a solution. “Under my breakfast nook, there are three compartments where I store my boots, shoe boxes, and blankets,” Jasmine said. “The base of the breakfast nook is the BESTA storage system from IKEA, and the cushions were custom-created to fit perfectly on top within the wall space I had.”

The hot pink seating features a skirt that fully conceals the cabinet, but the design allows for easy access to its contents. You can read all about the project and watch a full breakdown on Jasmine’s TikTok.

3. Custom Shelving with MOSSLANDA

Chelsea Angelos wanted to re-create a trendy scallop-trimmed book ledge she saw that was out of her price range. Her solution: Adding scalloped wooden molding trim to the IKEA MOSSLANDA picture ledges she already had. 

Chelsea cut and painted the trim to fit and match the ledges, then glued them to the edges with the scallops facing downward. “This DIY has added so much whimsy to our kids’ bedroom,” she said. But this isn’t just a hack for kids’ rooms; the budget-friendly MOSSLANDIA is perfect for use in almost every room of the house.

4. An Elevated BILLY Console

“Although the BILLY is incredibly functional and beautiful as a standing bookcase, I felt like we would get more use out of it as a media unit, especially because we needed something that was longer in width than most on a budget,” DIYer Dalia Aly said.

Instead, Dalia turned three BILLY bookcases on their side, adding OXBERG doors with a DIY linen front and new brass hardware. But the most unexpected part of the project was the DIY dresser feet she created using wooden bowls that she’d paired together to create a sphere and drilled a hole in for a chunky, high-end look. You can check out the full transformation and explore how Dalia completed her DIY for $540.

5. A Brutalist-Inspired IVAR Cabinet Update

Inspired by others creating similar brutalist cabinets, Amanda Harper, a jewelry brand owner and DIYer, and her husband decided to spend a weekend turning an IVAR cabinet into a unique and stylish piece for their home. “The goal was to create a funky and luxe-feeling furniture piece for our home,” Harper said.

Using 84 half-spheres, wood stain, and a semi-gloss finish, the couple completed the new cabinet in just 6 hours for $250 ($50 under budget). Now, this budget-friendly DIY is a showstopper.

6. A Cozy Library Corner Uses BILLY Bookcases

Having always wanted a personal library like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and quickly running out of space to keep her growing book collection, Kelsey Mansingh needed a solution. Enter: seven BILLY bookcases. DIYers Kelsey and her husband used both the 31 1/2-inch version and the 15 3/4-inch version (plus extenders) to create a cozy corner library that would fit her ever-growing number of books.

“We just added a bunch of decorative trim, and it really elevated the look from IKEA to custom,” Kelsey said. Plus, they painted all seven bookcases rich navy blue and added comfy seating to create Kelsey’s favorite space.

7. KALLAX Units Created a Built-In Dining Nook

When DIYer Alexis Nicole bought her home, it didn’t actually have a dining room — just a forgotten corner in the open kitchen and living room. But her family needed an actual place to share meals and host friends.

With $350, Alexis was able to create an L-shaped storage bench using two IKEA KALLAX units. “I opted to turn the bookcases on their backs so the storage is on top, and then I added some trim to the sides and topped it with wood to act as a lid,” Alexis said. Now, Alexis can seat 10 comfortably for meals and games!

8. An IVAR Cabinet Becomes a Bold and Festive Bar Cabinet

The solid pine IVAR cabinet is ideal for hacks because its unfinished solid wood surface is easy to customize with paint. Here, Melanie Lissack of Melanie Lissack Interiors turned the unassuming IVAR into a bar cabinet you’ll want to raise a glass to.

Melanie painted the whole cabinet mint green and utilized a cardboard template to cut MDF curves to add detail. She applied mirror tiles to the back of the interior of the cabinet, as well as champagne hooks (could this get any more glamorous?). To round out this swanky and colorful hack, she added gold legs and modern gold hardware. Now, the once-plain cabinet makes a bold statement.

9. An Upholstered BESTÅ Banquette Has Unexpected Storage

Because makeup artist Kim White lived in a 296-square-foot Brooklyn apartment, every spare inch mattered when it came to storage. When Kim got an IKEA BESTÅ, she “was inspired to build a channeled banquette based on a headboard I’d seen on Emily Henderson’s site (yay, more storage),” Kim said.

Now, those two drawers are home to most of her makeup products, and it’s her proudest DIY. For more storage hacks, check out her full apartment tour!

10. A PAX Closet Has a Custom Feel After Color-Drenching

When Chelsea Young and her husband Jordan bought a new-construction home, everything was beige, and every closet had standard wire racks. “We wanted to transform it into my dream closet using a bold color to give the area some personality and make it functional for storage and organizing my clothing and shoe collection,” Chelsea said.

The couple installed an IKEA PAX wardrobe system — painting everything a bold teal, installing new floor tiles, and adding gold hardware. They also added trim to give a custom feel to the closet built-ins. See how they upgraded their closet in depth.