This IKEA Hack Is Giving Me Major Inspo for My Own Awkward Dining Room Corner

As a self-described interior design obsessive, I firmly believe that inspiration can be found anywhere, from a random coffee shop to a DIY from an inspiring creative. My husband and I recently purchased a new home, so I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for design inspiration more than ever before — especially when it comes to how to design our (much larger) dining room.

We’re not really a “formal” family, so I’ve been toying with ways to make the most of our roomy dining space in a way that makes the most sense for how we live our day-to-day lives. I felt kind of at a standstill — that is until I peeped this stunning IKEA SEKTION bar makeover in the home of Laura Magee.

Laura mentions in her previously published Before & After that she found herself in a similar predicament, looking for a way to make entertaining friends easier in her dining room. “This was a dead space before, and we had an old sideboard sitting here,” Laura explains. “It has a slanted ceiling from the stairwell, so the space itself is a bit tricky to decorate. But … we love to entertain, so with lots of research and color palette testing, I set out to design myself this home bar.”

Using a slim SEKTION cabinet from IKEA and the same dark blue paint hue from her nearby kitchen, Laura crafted a timeless bar space that acts as the perfect spot to mix up cocktails, set out serveware, or show off collectibles. There are even two open shelves where Laura has stashed extra glassware and mixology gear. 

I love how classic the end result looks — and I love even more that Laura found a solution that doesn’t involve building cabinetry from scratch (I’ve been there, and I’ll never go back). She also topped the bar with a faux marble slab she found in a dumpster (!!), which I thought was an ingenious move. I might head to a local stone yard for remnants when I make my own version.

Although Laura’s project was a bit on the pricier side (it clocked in around $1,300), it was still far less than hiring a carpenter to build a similar bar from scratch — and it’s just as stylish. That’s a win in my book!