This Ingenious IKEA BESTA Hack Is Like Nothing You’ve Ever Seen Before
Designers and DIYers alike are getting more and more creative with IKEA hacks every single day. I’ve seen people turn BILLY bookcases into floor-to-ceiling libraries and use RIBBA frames to hide WiFi routers. But one renter in Brooklyn has maybe the coolest IKEA BESTA hack in her dining area, and you’re going to want to add it to your Pinterest board immediately.
A fashion consultant and merchandiser by day, Jasmine Hart lives in a super-chic two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. “When I walked into this apartment, I just knew in my heart it was the one and jumped to sign the lease,” Harts says. “I honestly felt like I hit the jackpot and still feel that way a year later.”
Hart considers her design style to be colorfulful and feminine with a hint of glam, and she worked with interior designer and set decorator Kendra Cusic to distill those elements of her personality into her decor. “Jasmine was my muse along with the photography of Nadine Ijewere,” says Cusic of the project. “Jasmine has an incredible style, and her style gave me the freedom to have fun with color and pattern, while Nadine’s work inspired me to inject a timeless elegance yet not take myself too seriously.”
If Hart’s home is sounding a little high-concept, don’t let the lofty inspiration deceive you. She, too, shops at IKEA. In fact, when I saw the bold breakfast nook in her kitchen, I couldn’t believe the custom seating was born of an IKEA BESTA cabinet hack.
“Like any fashion lover, I have a ton of stuff, which means I need storage, which isn’t easy to come by in NY,” Hart explains. So she and Cusic put their heads together to find discreet ways to “hide” accessories throughout her open living area. That’s where this BESTA hack comes in. “Under my breakfast nook, there are three compartments where I store my boots, shoe boxes, and blankets,” says Hart. “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.”
There are plenty of smart and stylish IKEA hacks out there, but this has to be one for the books. You hardly can tell that a full TV cabinet with three roomy compartments is sitting just under all that hot pink fabric. That’s thanks, in part, to the skirted design, which conceals the cabinet while allowing easy access to its contents. You don’t even have to buy the BESTA doors, as the material will do all of the necessary hiding of your stuff. Of course, the design duo had the back support (which resembles a headboard and is made of foam) and the piped seat cushion created to further conceal the cabinet’s appearance. My guess is that they also did something to shore up the piece’s stability as well, as media consoles aren’t typically intended for sitting on, and you’d want to make sure safety comes first with any IKEA hack.
Because her actual sofa is on the smaller side, Hart wanted additional seating options for company in this large multipurpose room. Cusic took that request and ran with it, coming up with this perfect solution that incorporates much-needed storage for her fashionista client as well as a spot to sit and enjoy a meal. “Being able to create this nook seating was a game-changer for me,” Hart says, and there’s a full breakdown of the furniture piece on her TikTok.