Unsplash | Troy Mortier

9+ Genius Ways People Hacked Ikea Furniture

It's time for another round of stunning Ikea hacks, everyone!

Ikea's draw is undoubtedly is affordability, but true DIY enthusiasts know that their products also make great bases for even bigger, better projects.

From upcycled shoe cabinets to hacked desks, these are the best Ikea projects out there!

This entryway unit is my dream.

Reddit | Riri_Maruchan

"For our narrow entryway, we combined two Ikea Hemnes Shoe Cabinets and replaced the original tops with a stained wood top. I am so happy with how this hack turned out!" Redditor Riri_Maruchan wrote.

This hack made use of some existing talent.

Reddit | Black-Lining

To engrave the doors of a Kallax, Redditor and tattoo artist Black-Lining turned to a wood cutter. The designs came out incredible, especially that skull — it's so intricate!

The simplest hacks can lead to the coolest pieces.

Reddit | Huweii

This Kallax had two pretty minor changes: legs were added to give it height, and a butcher block slab was added to the top for some style. Now, it's an amazing coffee station!

A Besta was destined for something... betta.

Reddit | fluktuationacht

You're welcome for that A+, not-at-all cringe-y joke!

Anyway, this amazing record stand and vinyl storage cabinet was done with a Besta and some hairpin legs. It looks amazing!

This home bar is all Ikea.

Reddit | trowway1112

It's made entirely of Besta units, including those honeycomb drawer fronts — yeah, Ikea sells honeycomb drawer fronts! I have them, and they're so chic.

I think we'd all utilize this hack.

Reddit | chcarraway

"Upside down Billsbro = Tiny shelf for holding your phone while doing paperwork," Redditor chcarraway wrote.

Let's not all pretend we don't take our phones to the pot. We do.

The Rast is meant for hacking.

Reddit | u/FallVIIStandUpVIII

This was captioned "My improved version of the ikea rast," and I could not agree more. It's actually more than improved — it's a masterpiece! Those honeycomb shapes look incredible and so sharp!

Time to DIY the perfect desk.

Reddit | u/Chimuel

I have a desk exactly like this, and it's a dream to share! This one was made as a his-and-hers gaming station. Mine is a hers-and-hers arts 'n crafts station, but to each their own.

ANYWAY, this was done entirely with Alex drawers and an extra long tabletop from Ikea!

This has big West Elm energy.

Reddit | u/supertempo

The trick here was to recess the drawer! There's a detailed process on how that was done here, and it seems very achievable for amateur DIY-ers.

These Lack tables got a serious upgrade.

Reddit | HollyMacXx

Lack is Ikea's cheapest furniture, and one of the most hackable items. These two were stacked together to house a 3D printer, and attached using parts printed from it! That's so dope.

I can't believe this is a Malm.

Reddit | r/ikeahacks

It's a mid-century piece of art now! It's completely unrecognizable as the basic Malm, that's for sure. It was actually found in the garbage, can you believe it?

And now for something completely different.

Reddit | u/mishimooo

"I collaged this popular piece of IKEA art with flowers to give it a unique twist🌻," Redditor mishimooo said.

I love how creative this is! Ikea's art truly is meant to be expanded upon, in my opinion.

This looks so expensive.

Reddit | u/teknorpi

Doesn't this look like something you'd find at Article? A custom wood surround was added to a Besta, and it truly made all the difference. The lack of knobs gives it a very sleek look.

What can't the Kallax become?

Reddit | matterlee

This one was purchased in black, then clad in black limba wood. There's something about black that just looks so effortlessly stylish, you know? And the waterfall-type wood over the edges is incredibly beautiful.

Adding cane totally changes the vibe of a piece.

Reddit | u/ckim82

This went from Ikea basic to a boho dream with some simple changes. Here's how the cane was added:

"I got a couple sheets of cane webbing, soaked them so that they were easier to work with, cut them to size for each of the fronts, applied glue (similar to liquid nails) and let it set with some heavy books on top."

There aren't words to describe how cool this is.

Reddit | u/TBNecksnapper

It took me a minute to actually see the hack — not because it's not obvious, but because it's just so perfectly integrated into the space. Using this process, Redditor TBNecksnapper created "lamps" out of their nightstands!

Gotta love the Tarva.

Reddit | limi4am

You gotta love the pieces Ikea sells in their raw wood state. They're just meant to be hacked, you know? The Tarva and the Moppe came together to create a great entryway unit.

This Besta has been made over 4 times.

Reddit | u/debodebodebo

Here's the process for the latest one: "I found a very nice [varnish] in the hardware store designed to paint plastic lamination like the surface of many IKEA pieces (25€) and very simple wooden feet (4,50€ a piece times 8 is 36€ + 6€ for brown stain). The diagonal decoration is done with a door insulation tape (2,50€)."

I never thought to use insulation tape for texture!

A little contact paper goes a long way.

Amazon

The marbled texture of that contact paper totally changed this Brimnes cabinet. Here's the contact paper that was used, in case you want to try some for yourself!

This is an unbelievable DIY.

Reddit | u/sorensigne

"Low on cash but our entertainment unit needed to go. Made this with Hyllis shelf and some wood!" Redditor sorensigne wrote. Holy crap! That looks like an incredibly expensive unit!

The Havsta cabinets hide a whole TV.

Reddit | makjes

I mean, what? This is so cool! The cabinet along the wall has a pull on it that allows for the TV to be pulled, used, and then tucked away again!

The Bekvam spice rack is one of Ikea's most hackable products.

Reddit | NyanCat82

Using two spice racks, NyanCat82 created a planter and a sunglasses rack. The planters each had magnets placed under them to also create a space for hanging keys!

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