The IKEA Store Is Silently Pulling Off a Genius Hack for a Cozy Breakfast Nook

I’ve written quite a bit about IKEA showrooms in the past. Although most shoppers might be tempted to breeze through the different room vignettes, I highly recommend taking your time when you’re walking through the store. The showrooms are actually packed full of ingenious ideas and hacks for small-space living. 

You never know what inspiration you might find. On a visit to IKEA back in the spring, I fell in love with a gorgeous green bedroom that used a coat hook rack for over-the-bed storage and decor. So I was thrilled when I recently spotted another even more brilliant (and more surprising) coat hook hack as part of the coziest “upholstered” breakfast nook seating setup — no sewing necessary!

At first glance, I wasn’t even quite sure what I was looking at. In the corner of this tiny, adorable pink IKEA kitchen sits a trendy little breakfast nook, made from simple storage benches and decked out with pillows (and even a DJUNGELSKOG, the Swedish retailer’s iconic teddy bear). But what was with the coat hooks? When I got closer, I finally realized: Instead of using a banquette bench (the armless, high-backed upholstered benches you normally see used in a dining nook like this one), IKEA’s merchandising team had created a cozy backrest using two throw pillows, four drawer pulls, and a wooden coat hook rack. 

To create the perfect foundation for the backrest, three HÖVOLM oak hook racks were installed end-to-end. Next, it looks like two 20” throw pillows with white LAGERPOPPEL covers were used as cushions. But the best part? The cushions are actually attached to the hooks using two sets of these ÖSTERNÄS leather drawer pulls. They simply punched holes through the corners of the $4.99 cushion covers (likely with scissors) and attached the handles just like you would with a cabinet or drawer. Then, you simply hook the leather loops onto the coat hooks, and voilá! A cozy little masterpiece. 

This DIY is pretty ingenious: Who would’ve thought that drawer pulls, a coat hook rack, and two throw pillows could become a custom-looking breakfast nook? All-in-all, this DIY project would cost about $150 by my estimation. It’s a great budget-friendly option for those who’d rather not invest in a full banquette setup right away. Or, if you don’t currently have a breakfast nook but are considering adding one, this is a cheap, easy, and low-commitment way to test one out to see how much you or your family will actually use it. If you love it, you could always invest in a more official-looking (and perhaps more comfortable) upholstered piece later down the line, and repurpose your hook racks elsewhere. 

With this setup, however, I love that you’re able to easily move the pillows around, or add a third cushion if you intend to have three seated along the bench. Plus, it’s easy to swap the covers out for different colored or patterned designs as your tastes change. I could even see this hack being used to create a DIY upholstered headboard, too. The possibilities are endless with IKEA pieces — even the brand’s in-house creatives are constantly coming up with new ways to use the simplest of products. So don’t be afraid to think outside the blue-and-yellow box. And once again: Definitely don’t skip the IKEA showrooms!