3 IKEA Best-Sellers Combine To Create a Desk With So Much Storage

There’s no shortage of desks for today’s buyer to pick from. You can choose from a wide range of small-space tables, vintage writing desks, and even corner workspaces. However, when I think of a dreamy, architect-favorite desk with so much storage and an industrial look, flat files, which are cabinets with several drawers that lean more industrial-looking, come to mind. A quick web search for this type of desk shows results of upwards of $650, but one clever designer hacked a convincing version using IKEA finds. 

Cash Vanbuskirk Designs came up with a solution for creating a flat file using just three IKEA products in his organic modern loft. Keep reading to learn what items came together to make a vintage-looking desk for less. 

Cash’s loft used to be an automotive warehouse, and so it has a storied, industrial feeling. Because he uses the space for both work and living, his home needed to support that intersection of functions. 

“With the open concept, there was no separation from the work and home setup. Because of this, I tried to make them flow seamlessly instead of competing with each other,” Cash said at the time of the House Tour. “It can be hard to have a ‘shut off’ from work with a layout like this, so I leaned into the existing built-in storage the space had and put on display the aspects of my career that provide inspiration instead of stress.”

Below a DIY $71 pegboard that displays inspiration, samples, and drawings from design projects sits a storage-heavy custom flat file he built from individual IKEA pieces. Because his apartment doubles as a workspace and living space (all in 850 square feet), having a sturdy desk with multiple drawers is likely a key way in which he keeps his work life separate from his home life.

To create the custom desk, Cash combined IKEA’s lightweight LAGKAPTEN tabletop with two white ALEX drawer units (a total of 12 drawers for supplies) supported by OLOV desk legs. Another bonus? All three items are considered best-selling IKEA products, so you know they have positive reviews. The oversized tabletop gives Cash ample space to spread out, and the slight overhang creates a subtle cantilever effect over the drawers. All in all, it cost him around $510. 

If you’re looking for an expansive desk setup that combines storage with an industrial feel, consider Cash’s custom IKEA combination. However, this isn’t the only cool element in his loft — visit the full House Tour to see more.