This $40 IKEA DIY Is the First Thing I’m Doing in 2025 (It Creates So Much Storage!)

Living in a pre-war apartment comes with equal amounts of charm and challenges. Original moldings; thick, sound-proof walls; and hardwood floors? Charming! Outdated plumbing, a minuscule kitchen, and an even smaller bathroom? Pretty challenging, let me tell you. Although I’m reluctant to do major changes to the bathroom so I can preserve the original tile, I’m anxious to ditch the pedestal sink because of its extreme lack of storage.

So when I saw the (less than $100) IKEA solution The Kitchn’s Social Media Manager, Andrea Kaufman, devised earlier this year, I was immediately sold. Andrea’s sink is really similar to mine: There’s practically no space to store toothpaste or soap on the actual sink, and with just a pedestal on the bottom there’s no handy cabinet to hide away toiletries and keep things looking neat.

Instead of complaining and not doing anything (who, me?), Andrea bought two RÅGRUND sink shelves for $39.99 each from IKEA. The shelf has a triangular shape that perfectly cuddles up to the sink pedestal. With one shelf on either side of the pedestal, there’s now stylish storage for all of Andrea’s toilet paper, tissues, and sleek MUJI baskets. The result was so simple, yet so effective — and I haven’t forgotten about it since.

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but this year I do want to try to work with the limitations of my historic studio apartment, versus focusing on its inconveniences. So in addition to buying a new comforter for my Murphy bed and fixing the peeling wallpaper in my bathroom, the first thing I’m going to do is buy myself some RÅGRUND shelves and instantly create aesthetically pleasing storage in my bathroom. That way, Andrea’s smart DIY will go from living rent-free in my head to living rent-free in my bathroom (see what I did there?).