The Best Home Hacks

IKEA hacks are always fun, but this one resulted in a piece that looks more like a high-end mid-century modern credenza that would cost at least 10 times more than it actually did. This BESTÅ is about to truly live its best life. First, a little bit about how Alex Mcclain, the mastermind behind this hack, was inspired by: I really liked a mid-century style credenza I saw from a company called Rove Concepts but couldn’t justify spending the $1,000+ dollars so I had to get creative.

For every item IKEA brings into this world, there’s at least 10 ways to improve upon it, or make it your own. Some hacks are laboriously complicated and too involved for most humans, other projects are easy for just about anyone to pull off. If you’re looking for some super simple ways to tweak, alter, improve, or upgrade your shelving, here are nine ways to hack those BILLYs, EKBYs, EVETs, and LACKs.

What can you turn a headboard into? Here’s a hint: this decadent blush velvet, channel-seam headboard is leaving the boudoir for the cuisine… I love everything about this: the fantastic floor, the black-and-white base palette, the luscious green, mustard, and blush accents, the enviable bistro vibe, the elegant storage in the benches, and the visionary decision to use a headboard to create a comfy yet glam breakfast nook.

This basement guest bedroom was nicer than a lot of master bedrooms, but its owner knew it could be even better—on a budget. Let’s see how $100 totally changed this room’s look. This makeover is all-around fantastic, but my favorite aspect is that many of the elements have been kept the same, but the overall effect is completely fresh.

We’ve seen a few IKEA KALLAX hacks before— the room divider, the terrarium, the amazing craft credenza—and they’re all inspiring, and this one is no exception. The secret, magical ingredient? Plywood. Reddit user thehomestud scored some free IKEA KALLAX units with drawers and decided to make the most of this windfall.

Zip ties are just one of those things that seem to have an infinite amount of uses. Obviously, they’re good for tying groups of things together, but that can mean so many things. Once you read these 11 uses for zip ties, you’re probably going to want to buy a huge stash to have on hand. You know how your shower drain only gets clogged on Monday mornings when you’re already running late for a meeting and didn’t shower all weekend?

It’s that time of year, when days get shorter and shorter, and sunlight noticeably diminishes. Soon, many of us will be trudging to and from school and work in near darkness, and—I’ll venture a guess here—we will not be happy about it. Once we’re home, we’ll also have to turn our indoor lamps and overheads on sooner in the evening. These IKEA hacks help us do it in style, and on the cheap.

Are you addicted to single-serve coffee? We can’t blame you. It’s fast, convenient, and of course, delicious, but unfortunately, also super wasteful. (Even the inventor of the Keurig K-Cup has expressed regret over inventing the technology in the first place.

This dining room is so graceful and elegant—that delicate molding and beautiful hardwood floor, but its new owner found it lackluster and hollow. IKEA’s BILLY bookcase to the rescue! Well, more like eight BILLYs to the rescue… Reader Oriane Szekelyhidi-Williams kindly shares a wealth of details about the inspiration behind this project and the challenges faced: We purchased our condo knowing we would be doing a BIG overhaul on the space.

Another way to personalize your kitchen.

This sad chair—IKEA’s ubiquitous POANG—was languishing on a curb, doomed to rot away, dreaming of those good old days when it was useful. Fortunately, someone with a vision (and 20 meters of rope) happened to walk by and oops-a-daisy! Britt Winter of Regroovinator on Etsy describes happening upon this chair, and the makeover time crunch: This sorry-looking IKEA POANG was a curbside find: bare bones and a ripped-up seat. However, those bones were good.

IKEA’s KALLAX is perfect for holding boxes, bins, baskets, and books, but one DIYer saw its potential as an understated entertainment unit—and the results are inspiring. This looks so great. Nicole Witney of Meraki came up with and completed this smart hack, which has so much going for it. Its central position means it is viewable from the kitchen—essential for tedious food prep/cleaning tasks—and yet it doesn’t dominate the space.

Some of us only get our exercise in when it involves paying a gym membership fee and actually trekking to a space that’s dedicated to nothing but exercise. For others, that exact thing—having to drive to the gym—is a huge hurdle and working out from home is the only way it’ll happen. But what about the workout stuff? Here are a few small-space hacks that will keep your exercise gear in-sight and in-mind but definitely not in the way.

Most homes have random, awkward areas that aren’t serving much purpose—either they’re a weird shape or size, or just too small for most furniture. Enter IKEA hacks: The cheap way to bend furniture to your will and make it work for your particular home. Here are six times clever people not only filled a space, but filled it with useful storage made from IKEA products. Sherry and John of Young House Love used a MALM dresser at the top of their stairwell.

Here we have a perfectly nice entryway console, adaptable to nearly any style with the right knobs. But its owner had something a bit more special and a lot more specific in mind… This is absolutely delightful and I wish it were available in a dress, or perhaps a dress/shoe combo. Pink and green go so well together, and they both pair wonderfully with gold, so the trio is totally fabulous.

You probably already own this.

A lot of small appliances are ugly and need to be hidden away in a cabinet. But if you are among the lucky ones who have a beautiful KitchenAid stand mixer, you know that baby’s meant for display! The color! The sculptural feel! Plus, if you keep it out, you’re just that much more likely to start spontaneously baking cupcakes, right? While the stand mixer is great-looking, the long electrical cord, however, is not.

Here we have two perfectly fine IKEA MALM dressers: They’re pleasingly minimal, they have a cool presence and graphic appeal, and they offer a generous amount of storage as well acting as a TV stand. Their owner, however, was ready for something lighter and brighter—and a lot more fun. Here’s how this DIY makeover came about: The two dark IKEA MALM dressers that we purchased a few years ago were right at the time, but not so much anymore.

Look past all the stylish and affordable furniture and accessories in the new 2019 IKEA catalog, and you’ll also see some pretty smart and awesomely affordable decorating ideas as well. Get inspired by these design-savvy home hacks hiding in those glossy pages, all of which are very doable on a very small budget. Since this is most definitely a catalog shoot, chances are very, very good that you’re not looking at actual board and batten on the walls.

We’re no stranger to IKEA hacks at Apartment Therapy, though usually, we’re the ones (or you!) that are doing the hacking. But with the release of its latest limited edition collection, IKEA is fully embracing that creative spirit. IKEA asked Dutch designers Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings to hack two of the company’s most popular products—the KLIPPAN sofa and the POÄNG chair.

One of the greatest gifts the internet ever gave us was fellowship. Your fingertips impulsively tap out a random thought, hit send, and seconds later the entirety of Twitter is liking it and retweeting it in solidarity. Like they’re saying through emoji hearts I know the feeling, too.

While it’s fun to shop for planters on Etsy and West Elm (there are sooooo many good ones out there), those suckers can really add up, especially if you’ve got an entire jungle growing in your living room. Here’s an idea: Supplement your pricier buys with cheaper items from dollar stores, which are chock full of items that can be transformed into nontraditional, but great-looking, homes for your plant friends.

The magic of IKEA pieces is not only in their well-thought-out, small-space-maximizing design, but in the numerous ways each versatile piece can be repurposed and hacked. Here are four ways to transform one of our very favorite IKEA staples, the VARIERA bag dispenser, into more than meets the eye.

Unless you live on another planet (in which case, we’re so glad you stumbled upon us!), chances are good that you’ve experienced the 2018 heatwave firsthand. If the high temps and humidity are driving you indoors, these easy summer-worthy IKEA hacks will leave you feeling more refreshed than watching 17 straight episodes of Breaking Bad.

Ah, the ever-reliable IKEA KALLAX: a timeless, affordable shelving unit that’s available in a variety of sizes and colors and is useful for holding books, records, storage bins, objets d’art, snakes, and so much more. Yes, of course, snakes… I have to say, the wood of the KALLAX looks pretty beautiful with all the organic matter, and the plants and rocks inside are all well chosen and arranged.

You might never guess that these furniture and decor projects all began their humble little lives wedged tightly into a cardboard box and stacked on metal industrial shelves deep in the bowels of an IKEA store. Here are a handful of recent hacks that began as budget basics, and ended up looking like a million bucks. Leaning ladders are such a great and practical addition to bedrooms and living rooms. Not only to they look beautiful and sculptural against walls, but the vertical storage is A+.

They aren't just for closets.

It’s great when you can make an IKEA item look even better than it does in the store, but when you also give it another purpose? Pure gold. VT Wonen demonstrates how to transform basic cabinets into multi-purpose furniture. They added legs, a wood top and a cushion to a trio of $15 EKET units that creates either surface or storage. You decide. It’s hard to believe this piece of furniture from DIY Candy started out as two LACK tables.

Here's to a larger-looking, brighter, and cozier space.

Although dollar stores are known for their cheap and handy things, they don’t spring to mind as a source for stylish decor. But should they? See how a quick trip, and an even quicker DIY project, can improve the look of your home. Katie of Little House of Four made this farmhouse mirror from a… wait for it… $1 stove burner from Dollar Tree and an inexpensive beveled round mirror from a craft store. She has a series of dollar store DIYs that are worth checking out.

It pays to be resourceful. And for one blushing bride, that price tag was only $1.29. A Facebook post by user Djsweeby shared an Ikea hack that made her wedding day a whole lot easier. Via IkeaHackers.com, Djsweeby shared that when she got married just a couple weeks ago, she was concerned about how she was going to go to the bathroom in her beautiful, beaded mermaid wedding gown.

Simple silhouettes, neutral color palettes, sparse layouts. Let’s face it: Minimalism gets a much (muuuuch) better rap than maximalism. While the former is associated with being organized and chic, maximalism often falls into eclectic or hoarder territory. But what’s a person to do when they love prints, colors, and oodles of stuff? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Below, six easy ways maximalists can fake their way to minimalism.

The MELLTORP is one of IKEA’s ubiquitous and affordable tables. It’s minimal and modern, but it also makes a great blank canvas for a DIY. Here’s how Tiphaine of Kraft & Carat transformed it. This is extremely cool, and the way the table now matches the chairs is uncanny; choosing colors that close to each other often leads to awkward almost-matching, but this looks perfect.

The best IKEA hacks are the ones that: a) don’t take too much time; and b) don’t look like IKEA hacks. Here are 13 genius IKEA hacks we found on the interwebs that transform the plain and functional to glamorous, fabulous, and fun. Let’s get hacking… It’s summertime, and that means it’s bar cart season. No bar cart? No worries. Spice up your IKEA RÅSKOG utility cart into a makeshift bar area with a fancy fringe embellishment.

Perfect, temporary solutions for all over your house.

Pillowcases will almost always outlive their fitted and flat companions. It’s a fact of life. Perhaps the sheets get ripped or stained or repurposed as ghost costumes, but whatever the reason, you’re bound to have a few stray pillowcases lying about the place. Whether they’re faded, worn a bit thin, or simply not your style anymore, your old pillowcases are still immensely useful, as these four near-instant, no-sew tricks prove. This maneuver is so simple, and so smart.

Want more kitchen storage, without breaking the bank? Do you dream of organized shelving and a perfectly posh pantry? Well, you’re in luck. Gone are the days when having a dreamy pantry means forking over big bucks to a contractor for from-scratch shelving. Homeowners and renters alike are getting super creative with IKEA basics, transforming everything from bookshelves to cubbies into pantries big and small. Here are five we love—all created without a single kitchen cabinet!

We all love IKEA for its simple, Scandinavian design and reasonable prices, but that versatility and affordability often makes decorating your home painfully ubiquitous. Instead of unearthing a one-of-a-kind piece—and feeling like a total design pro—you end up with the same furniture as your coworker, best friend, old college roommate, and your favorite influencers. Ugh. But just because you (rightfully) love IKEA doesn’t mean your space needs to fall into basic territory.

There’s no shortage of places to purchase art prints that you love, but sometimes you’re on the hunt for something a little more unique—and maybe a little more affordable. If so, this may be the incredibly easy art hack for you. While this art hack is a great way to upgrade a wall in your home, it also solves another common problem: What to do with your favorite tea towels you don’t want to use because you don’t want them getting ruined with food stains.

Some IKEA hacks are small. A little paint here, some new hardware there—they get the job done. And then there are the IKEA hacks that are so big and so dramatic, they make the room. If you have a wall to fill, or a problem to solve, check out some of these genius solutions. This movable art display wall from Sinnen Rausch has so much going for it, starting with that dusty rose paint job.

Use Keurig K cups or Nespresso coffee pods? If yours live in one of those bulky carousels on your counter, or take up an entire drawer, they are using precious kitchen real estate. Here’s a great quick (and temporary) way to up your storage game with an affordable, DIY solution that frees up space, and lets you easily see and grab the flavor you want. Best of all, it only takes minutes and just a couple of bucks.

I’m prepared to say that 85% of U.S. citizens have one of these magnetic knife holders hanging somewhere in their kitchen (that’s a totally made up number btw), and the other 15% should get on board. And then 100% of us should look for other places to mount them in our homes, because these simple little strips are good for so much more than just knives. Here’s a whole bunch of ways they make organizing easy.

Is your kitchen bursting at the seams? If you’re going a little crazy trying to fit all your stuff in your space, this is the hack for you. It’s a great quick (and temporary) way to up your storage game with an affordable, DIY solution that makes better use of your cabinets and shelving. Each of these hacks start with inexpensive PVC strips , which you can buy very cheaply at Home Depot, or for a little bit more on Amazon.

If you’ve ever done the January Cure, you know how much we at Apartment Therapy love flowers. Put simply, cut flowers are beautiful, add life, and help humidify the air. They are a small, healthy gift to give your home, and a great way to instantly refresh your space, for very little money. Here are a few tips for making them last. Flowers really only need a couple of things to stay happy, and clean water is one of the big ones.

We’re back with more good IKEA hacks, this time with a bunch that not only look phenomenal, but also amp up the storage capacity of your space. These projects are triple threats: budget-friendly, functional, and also really stylish. If you’ve got some empty space around a window, consider building an entire daybed with surrounding storage. House Homemade pulled off this project using IKEA BILLY bookcases, and the results speak for themselves.

Flower arranging is lost on me. No matter how much time I spend trying to make bouquets look good, I usually wind up just plopping the flowers in a vase and calling it a day. So I love simple, quick ways to raise my flower game, even a little bit. Learn these five basic hacks and get the best arrangements of your life. Letting leaves rot in water is one of the best ways to bring your flowers down.

In case you don’t remember, last year, there was a fashion frenzy over FRAKTA. In April 2017, Balenciaga released a $2,000 knockoff of the big blue IKEA bag, and almost immediately, the internet exploded with other ways to wear the bag, including hats, Air Jordans, and yes, even thongs. But now, another IKEA staple is poised for its day in the spotlight, thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race.

IKEA’s VITTSJO shelving line boasts clean, modern lines, and an attractively reasonably price, but one DIYer found it to be lacking a bit of flair. The shelf unit is now chic and unique—and hopefully a little bit more kitten-proof! Tonya Sutfin of Happy Go Home Vittsjo created this makeover, and the results are so great!

There’s a big difference between jamming a bunch of flowers in a vase, and creating a gorgeous arrangement that looks like it was done by a pro. Thankfully that difference isn’t necessarily measured in dollars, effort, or even skill. All it takes is something you probably have sitting in your kitchen drawer: clear cellophane tape. Here’s the secret. Use basic clear tape to create a grid over the top of your vase.

Assembling furniture can be frustrating and time consuming, especially when you don’t have all the pieces you need. Thankfully, actor and handy dad James Van Der Beek just shared his MacGyver-esque hacks over on Instagram. Wednesday evening, the What Would Diplo Do? showrunner posted a series of Instagram Stories about assembling furniture. At first, he was short one dowel (who hasn’t been there??) but found the solution in a common office supply.

Ah, the classic, frameless, builder grade mirror. It’s one of your biggest bathroom features, and also one of the least special. Here’s the good news. If you have one of these very common mirrors, there are tons of ways you can upgrade them on a budget. The quintessential budget way is to frame what you already have, using either wooden boards or inexpensive molding, depending on the look you want.

When packing for a trip, you probably include a change of clothes and toiletries in your carry-on — in case your luggage gets lost — along with a travel pillow, moisturizer, good reading material, and a layer if it’s cold on the plane. But there’s one other item that doesn’t take up much space, and can get you to your destination feeling fresh and nimble. A long-haul flight spent cramped in an airplane seat is a recipe for sore muscles and stiff joints.

Is it nice enough where you live to open the windows yet? There’s nothing like warm, fresh spring air flowing through your previously closed-up house. Of course, then the bugs come. Because, no matter how much you enjoy those cross-breezes, insects will eventually, inevitably make their way through any teeny tiny holes in your screens, and there goes all your enjoyment out the window. Here’s some good news!

Nothing speaks to my bookworm heart as much as window seat, but, as a renter, I thought my dreams of a window seat would have to wait. Apparently other renters felt the same. These clever folks DIY-ed their cozy nooks and now we can all have a reading haven! Note that most of the window seat DIYs out there aren’t “from scratch” but start with IKEA products as a base.

At first blush, a humble bar of soap seems almost like a relic from the past. But even if you don’t use bars of soap for hand-washing, there are many reasons to keep them around (or bring them home from hotel stays). Here are 24 of our favorites that may have slipped by you. Unstick a zipper by running a bar of soap over the teeth. Scratch a bar of soap before gardening to prevent dirt from getting under your fingernails. Mark a hemline that needs to be sewn with a sliver of soap.

What a nice bedroom! What will it have that’s new? Fresh bedding and/or wall paint? Or perhaps something a bit more dramatic . . . and even dog-friendly? This is so fun! And incredibly practical: additional storage, a nest-like reading/sleeping spot, a large mirror for outfit-evaluating and space embiggening, and a lovely new home for Deacon the dog. This makeover was created by Erica Massey—be sure to check out her Instagram for lots of puppy pics.

Professional looking projects, at amateur prices.

As if Kmart Australia wasn’t painful enough, we Americans have yet another reason to envy folks in other parts of the world. Europeans have discovered pastel-colored mineral water bottle crates, and are using them at home in all sorts of clever and cute ways. We are completely and utterly jealous that we can’t do it too. Why? Because these crates are light and versatile enough to move around and use as extra storage or seating.

These pieces only look expensive.

Certain tools and equipment are expensive. Like, really expensive. I think it’s safe to say that absolutely no one on the planet wants to actually buy an industrial carpet cleaner for thousands of dollars, for example, let alone find a place to store it when they’re done. Unless you use these types of things all the time, it doesn’t make any sense to own them outright, which is why we’re thankful for temporary rentals.

We can’t get enough of the touching reboot of Queer Eye that debuted in February, courtesy of Netflix. If you’ve already binged all eight episodes of season one, hoping the Fab 5 will magically show up on your doorstep ready to make you over from head to toe while instantly becoming your new BFFs, well, that probably isn’t in the cards. But following the fellows on Instagram is a close second, because they offer up style tips, motivational mantras, and smart hacks all the same.

Few beds are heavy and stable enough to stay in place: most move around, however slightly. When you climb in at bedtime, flop over in the middle of the night, or engage in sexy times, your bed shifts along with you. Maybe it squeaks or makes some noise, or, god forbid, bangs against the wall from time to time. Here are a couple of easy and cheap ways to stop the rocking and the knocking… First off, make sure that, over time, your bolts and screws haven’t loosened.

IKEA might love it when customers hack their products, but I particularly love it when IKEA hacks themselves. I recently dove deep down into their website, and pulled out some of my very favorite decorating and storage projects hiding in there—all of which take their items up a notch or ten. Here’s a way to add a little interest and style to an otherwise functional yet basic IVAR storage system.

If you’ve ever had your eye on a super fancy 60″ stove from companies like Viking or Wolf, you know just how expensive they are. These kitchen ranges are fantastic features for serious cooks, but an extra large one can cost beaucoup de bucks — we are talking over $10,000 for that single appliance alone. So when I saw this genius workaround, which gives you most (if not all) of the features, without the higher price tag, I really wanted to share.

The MOPPE is one of IKEA’s most popular products, and it’s not hard to see why: it offers six storage compartments for $16.99, it’s made of attractive minimal birch plywood, it’s eminently stainable and paintable, and its drawers can be reversed to hide the opening notches. As one featured DIYer put it, it’s a perfect craft victim. Here are 30 ways to make the MOPPE — freshly available after a much-lamented hiatus — your own.

Touring Mona Hamilton’s 650-square-foot Montreal apartment is very inspiring. Not only is it a soothing, lovely space with enviable elements (the removable wallpaper in the kitchen being one of them), but it also features a hack that could be a great space saver for small kitchens or kitchens that need more counterspace. And the source of this hack’s furniture elements is rather surprising. Hacking IKEA components is NOT a new idea. (We have even published one or two or 100s before).

These are all genius.

There are tons of IKEA furniture hacks out there—always fun!—but this is one of the subtler, classier ones we’ve seen. Individualizing the ubiquitous MICKE desk is a totally approachable project—and just as affordable as the desk itself. This linen-wrapped desk (less-costly cotton could also be used, of course) was featured on Lark & Linen, along with extremely thorough step-by-step instructions.

It's one of the easiest way to hack and personalize your favorite basics.

Evygenia from Foxy and Brass has a small desk that’s tucked inside an alcove in her apartment, and it’s surrounded by built-in shelving. To get herself organized, she hacked an IKEA SKADIS pegboard to fit the space. Not only does the spot look ten times better, but the project solved more than one small space problem. First she cut the pegboard exactly to size [note: the SKÅDIS pegboard isn’t currently available in the U.S.

This project is a great example of how a few dollars and a few minutes can make a dramatic change in your home—and your mood. As Anne described her situation, “Cooking and baking make me happy, but seeing my workspace sulking in the shadows was putting a damper on my spirit.” Let’s see her cheap, quick, renter-friendly, and reversible solution to the baking blues! So much better!

In my adult life, I’ve moved almost twenty times. No seriously, I have. It’s not a badge of honor by any means, but, because of this, I’m now awesome at packing everything I own in quick order, and knowing exactly how many and what size boxes I’ll need. It’s a super power. So color me surprised when I saw this tip about a new (to me) method of box packing that makes unpacking even easier.