These IKEA Kitchen Cabinets Actually Work Better in My Bedroom

As someone who’s drawn to clean lines, minimal silhouettes, and airy, open spaces, traditional wardrobes and armoires can feel a little too bulky and boxlike to me. So when I needed to create some bedroom storage, instead of settling for an off-the-shelf option, I decided to DIY the open closet I’d always wanted. 

I made two modern, square-shaped hanging clothes rails out of pipes that I mounted to the wall, but I had one lingering problem: Even the most minimalist of wardrobes needs a little hidden storage because pieces like socks, tights, and underwear are always best kept out of sight. 

After ruling out dressers that didn’t fit my aesthetic, budget, or space, a shopping trip to IKEA gave me an unexpected solution. 

While browsing the kitchen section, I spotted a bunch of cabinets that would, with a little hacking, make the perfect drawer units. They happened to be part of IKEA’s SEKTION range, the company’s most basic kitchen collection, which meant they were very budget-friendly too. Win-win!

I bought two wide SEKTION cabinets (30 inches wide, 14 inches tall) and one narrow one (15 inches wide, 14 inches tall). Being base cabinets, they were too high to go under my clothing rail, but that wasn’t a problem as I had intended to cut them down (taking them from 14 inches tall to 12) and wall-mount them for a sleek, floating look. (Besides, tall, floor standing cabinets lined up next to each other would look, well … like a mini kitchen under my clothes rail!) 

Slicing the bottom half of the cabinets off meant that IKEA’s predrilled holes used to attach the cabinet bases were cut off, so I had to drill new holes into each unit’s side pieces to screw the base in. Aside from this, I assembled the cabinets as per IKEA’s instructions, and they were very easy to put together. 

I finished my homemade storage unit with matte white VOXTORP drawer fronts. IKEA sells a SEKTION suspension rail designed for mounting wall cabinets, which was perfect for installing these cabinets safely and securely on my bedroom wall.

I added MAXIMERA drawers inside each cabinet to organize and maximize the storage space, and the drawers, though they may not look it, are big and deep, meaning they hide away so much more than I had thought — sweaters, gym gear, tees, and pajamas to name a few things. 

This system allows me to keep my prettier stuff on full display and tuck away everything else. And tidying up is a breeze because with no doors to open first, all it takes is one pull of a drawer, and I’m done.