The 7 Best IKEA Hacks We’ve Seen So Far This Year
You know that moment in “Cinderella” when the fairy godmother waves her magic wand, transforming her charge into a fairytale princess? That’s how it feels when you stumble upon a particularly genius IKEA hack.
There are plenty of ways to gussy up the offerings from the Swedish retailer, of course, and there’s no hack too small. But sometimes, we’re so blown away by a particular hack that we think it deserves its own special shoutout—and this year has been full of lots of great ones to choose from. So from eye-catching paint jobs to hardware swaps to totally unexpected storage solutions, here are the 7 best IKEA hacks we’ve seen so far this year.
A Bold $70 IKEA Hack Is Just What This Entryway Needed
Melissa Rodgers thought outside the box when redoing her entryway stairs, and turned IKEA’s 2019 Art Event Birds rug by Craig Green—which she snapped up on clearance for just $50—in art that she mounted onto the wall. The graphic parrot print not only makes the space feel larger, but immediately sets the tone for arriving guests.
This IKEA Hack Turns a Plain Wood Cabinet Into a Retro-Inspired Party
Interior designer Melissa Lissack looked at the simple pine IVAR cabinet and saw its future as a chic, retro bar cabinet. Then, she made it happen, adding decorative panels of MDF on the doors, mirrored tiles for the back, gold hardware and legs, and a coat of seafoam green paint.
Just $50 In Materials Helps This IKEA Dresser Mimic a Thousand-Dollar Piece
Cane webbing is one of the hottest materials of the moment, and blogger Kourtni, of House on Longwood Lane, knew she wanted to implement it in her son’s nursery. Using a $1,100 piece for inspiration, she swapped out the front of each drawer of her TARVA dresser with cane webbing, made her own custom drawer pulls, then stained and sanded for a finished piece with breezy bungalow vibes.
A Dreamy IKEA Hack-Filled Laundry Room Redo for Just $500
Tight spaces are prime locations for IKEA hacks. Take this teeny laundry room redo by Caitlin Kelley, which utilizes shallow BILLY bookcases to create floor-space-friendly storage. Outfitted with doors and painted a soft gray, the BILLY bookcases have the look of high-end custom cabinets, without the bulk.
This DIYer Turned a Plain IKEA Stool into Something Much More Luxe for Under $50
Sometimes the best hacks are the simplest. In Apartment Therapy’s Mystery Makeover series, DIYer Ashley Basnight of Handmade Haven turned a plain wood IKEA stool into a leather-accented beauty.
A Grown-Up Bedroom Chock Full of Stylish DIYs
Meg Lowry’s bedroom redo features a lot of clever DIYs, but a standout is the nightstand. This once-plain RAST chest got a natural cane treatment on its drawers, but for a little extra drama, Meg painted the frame black.
IKEA Cabinets Are the Secret to This High-End (but Low-Cost) Mudroom
The best way to get a built-in mudroom? Fake it with affordable IKEA wardrobes. Marly Dice and her husband used a pair of PAX wardrobes to frame out their mudroom area; trimming everything out with crown molding and baseboards makes the whole assembly look super high-end. While the exact PAX wardrobe Marly used has been discontinued, there are still plenty of similar frames to pick from.