I Swear By This “So Cute” $30 IKEA Find (I Get So Many Compliments!)

When designing a space, sometimes it’s the last-minute touches that turn out to be the real winners. After painting my San Francisco-based secondhand children’s clothing shop in an all-over lavender and pale yellow grid pattern and outfitting the space with finds like an eye-catching tubular Moustache mirror and Lulu & Georgia desk chair, it’s actually the 11th-hour IKEA purchase that seems to get the most attention. 

This pine-topped stool with colorful, powder-coated steel legs has quickly become the most-asked-about item in the space. The DOMSTEN stool retails for $30 and is considered an IKEA icon. It’s a reissue from the original IKEA catalog in 1973 (originally under the name JERRY) and was designed by Karin Mobring. In 2023, the stool was reintroduced as part of the current vintage-inspired Nytillverkad product collection. The stackable stool’s legs come in three new vibrant colors: lavender, orange, and light green. I opted for the lilac to tie into the store’s palette. 

The space is approximately 420 square feet, so I needed a piece that didn’t take up too much room but also offered support, as I would be standing on it (I originally bought it as a way to help with storage in the back, to give me a little boost for the high shelving that lines the stock room walls). Turns out, it’s incredibly sturdy, so it’s great for standing on. 

After a bit, I played around with positioning it around the shop — as a stool for kids to step on to see their cute outfits in the mirror, then as a way to display some of my favorite pairs of shoes, a plant stand, a place for shoppers to take a rest, and sometimes even as a prop for photos. The versatility! 

“Oh, where did you get this?” ask curious customers as they trickle in and out of the shop. “I love this stool — it’s so cute.” I’m always quick to share with them — much to their delight — that it’s an IKEA score that comes in at just $30! I’m so pleased with how the stool complements the other pieces in the shop (and not to mention matches the lavender paint perfectly). I’m a big believer in balancing high and low in design, and people know IKEA always delivers on that front.

With how easy this stool is to store and its affordability, I certainly will be adding a few more of these to the mix — and I think you might like it in your home, too.