13 IKEA EKET Hacks to Style up a Basic Cabinet
What home doesn’t need more space to store items, ensuring unsightly clutter stays out of the way? We can’t think of one! And when cabinet space comes at a super affordable price tag, it’s a total win-win. Enter the EKET cabinet from IKEA. Like many IKEA pieces, for example, the KALLAX, HEMNES and the PAX, this simple piece of furniture may not look like much out of the box, but in reality, it offers an ideal base for hacks.
The EKET cabinet boasts a simple boxy shape, flat cabinet fronts, and a versatile under-30-inch height. And since these storage cabinets can be stacked or wall-mounted, the options for customization are many! The best part? With plenty of space behind those doors, these cabinets are ultra functional, too.
Tons of DIYers have turned the humble EKET cabinet into a custom masterpiece—and with a little creativity, you can, too. Need some inspiration? Here are 13 smart IKEA EKET hacks that can suit nearly every room of your home.
1. A Funky Corner of Cube Shelves
The IKEA BRYGGJA chest that doubles as a changing table may be stealing the show in this Los Angeles nursery. But don’t sleep on the corner of cube shelving created from EKET shelves. “Playing with color and depths of the shelves was the best part and brought her room together,” says mom and designer Rydhima Shah Brar of her daughter’s room.
2. DIY Dressing Table
The wall-mounted vanity is a piece we’d all like to cop. And it might be easier than you think. After mounting two sets of EKET cabinets, Ashley Rose of Sugar and Cloth added a new table top of solid wood cut to size for a sleek and modern look. To finish, she attached gold half-moon drawer pulls.
3. Credenza-Style Cabinet
Inspired by a cane-front cabinet she saw on Pinterest, Gaby of @casa.de.hollis and her husband created a sideboard with two EKET cabinets. They kept the cabinet frames but replaced the doors with ones made of plywood with cane detail.
4. Tall Multi-Use Cabinet
If you’re short on floor space for storage, consider going vertical. DIYer Gemma did just that with the space in her playroom. Using a combination of cabinet doors and compartments from the EKET dark gray line, she built a storage unit perfect for her space. Doors on the bottom hold bigger items, while the baskets in the top part can corral smaller toys.
5. Washi Tape Cabinet
Sarah of @home2style took the white EKET cabinet from plain and hardly noticeable to true artwork. To complement the black-and-white color scheme of her office, she used washi tape to create geometric shapes on the doors.
6. Embellished Cabinet Doors
Small changes often make a big difference. After sensing something was missing from her EKET cabinets, Cajsa decided to give them a makeover with traditional picture-frame molding.
7. Mid-Century-Style Tapered Legs
Kids’ rooms can never have enough storage. To punch up the EKET cabinets her daughters use as storage for books and toys, Sara of @greynestdesign added mid-century-style tapered wood legs in a pale yellow color.
8. Rustic TV Stand
To create a TV stand for her living space, Agnès of @princesse_in_versailles used wood cut to size and placed between rows of EKET boxes to create multiple levels. Then, she propped it all up on white hairpin legs.
9. DIY Sideboard
Gloribell of Know How She Does It needed an area to store all her seasonal decor, but the sideboards she liked weren’t budget-friendly. To make three side-by-side EKET cabinets look like one unit, she and her husband cut a board to size to make the top; hollowing out half an inch from the inside helps it sit snugly on top of the cabinets’ existing frames.
10. Pretty Pop of Color
We can’t get enough of this pretty, flirty coffee bar by Francisco @ciscosews. This chic coffee bar features an EKET cabinet painted bright pink, accompanied by a countertop and matching wooden feet. It’s an instant burst of happiness for the room.
11. Rolling Bar Cart
A couple of cube-shaped EKETS stacked on top of each other are the perfect height for a bedside table or bar cart. Add wheels for extra mobility—and pattern and color for extra charm.
12. Romantic Bedside Table
By replacing the EKET cabinet’s basic front and adding a front with romantic, raised detailing, @frontcover.se has created the perfect bedside table. This piece is beautiful as a single color, or for a bit of a pop, consider using a contrasting color for the detailing.
13. Navy Cabinet
Sometimes a simple DIY yields the best results. And that’s just what Sofia (@1894home) has done: a small piece of molding and a coat of attractive navy paint were all it took to create a sleek, modern cabinet that’s perfect for any space.