The 3 Most Underrated IKEA Gems, According to IKEA Hackers

From the infamous meatballs to the modular storage systems, there’s so much to find at your local IKEA. The instantly recognizable store is very often a one-stop shop for everything from dishware to sofas at accessible prices.

But if you’ve ever spent an afternoon at an IKEA showroom, or browsed the Swedish brand’s website for more than five minutes, you’ve likely felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices on offer. More perplexingly, it always seems like content creators and home DIYers are constantly finding the best IKEA products and hacking their way to truly unique results. It’s enough to make you pause in the middle of a TikTok session and say, “Wait, that’s IKEA?!”

In fact, it is — or at least it can be, if you keep an eye out for the right piece and think outside the box when it comes to a product’s versatility. If you’ve already hacked BILLY bookcases and PAX wardrobes, and you’re searching for your next IKEA project, look no further: I asked three intrepid home DIYers to name their favorite underrated IKEA product and share how they’d turn it into a home project.

For Ian Kim, a content creator in Chicago, the understated KYRRE stool is a veritable workhorse. “They are the best value item you can get at IKEA,” he says. “They look phenomenal (especially if you can snag the blue colorway before they sell out) and are at an unbelievable price point.”

At $15.99 apiece, the stools are undeniably popular, but they do so much more than provide seating. They’re stackable, they’re colorful, and they have a small footprint (important if your home is short on square footage). Plus, Kim says, they’re super easy to assemble — no confusing instruction manual required! 

“I use them as plant holders, lamp stands, side tables and extra seating for when guests come over,” Kim says. “I love the idea of using an item NOT for its intended purposes.”

For Tina Le, a DIY and home content creator in Orange County, California, any IKEA piece serves as inspiration — particularly if you’re willing to channel your inner impressionist painter.

“You can turn any of IKEA’s laminate furniture into ‘wood’ with a faux-wood-grain hack,” she explains. “All you need is some paint and gel stain to make this happen!”

Specifically, Le recommends using a shellac-based primer — she’s a fan of Zinsser’s BIN primer — a base paint color, and a gel stain. Paper towels or a chip brush can help you get the wood-grain effect. “It gives a very high-end look, similar to finishes you would find at stores like Pottery Barn,” she adds.

The method helped Le transform a MALM dresser into something reminiscent of an upscale boutique piece she’d been eyeing. She also added a pedestal platform to transform the secondhand dresser into a piece of pride in her bedroom.

“Usually, I will see a piece that is my dream piece from another store and I take inspiration from that and see how I can translate it to an IKEA piece,” Le explains.

The BILLY bookshelves might be iconic, but when project manager Hannah Clark wants to add more storage to her family’s home, she reaches for the HAVSTA line. It’s made out of solid pine rather than medium-density fiberboard or particleboard, which gives the Manchester, UK, resident confidence that she’s investing in a quality piece.

“They look great in alcoves with built-in shelves above, or with other IKEA units on top to create floor-to-ceiling storage,” she explains. Her HAVSTA cabinets live in her family’s dining room — when the pieces didn’t measure up to fit her alcoves exactly, she cut them down to the exact measurements she needed.

“I think IKEA hacks often look easier to do on social media than real life because they are short and sped up,” says Clark. “I therefore try to include lots of detail in my captions so that people know exactly what I did and what I used. The other issue is wonky walls in older houses, so taking the time to level the units with wedges is important!”