Top 10 Genius IKEA Hacks

Alright, we’re starting off easy with this first one. Whether you’re looking for an affordable table with extra storage for your apartment entrance, your home office or another area of your home, this will surely fit the bill. Not only will this place you right in the middle of the dipped furniture trend, but it also will let you make something unique to fit your tastes. Get a Norden sideboard, select the paint color (or colors!) you want and get cracking! You’ll probably want to sand in between paint coats, depending on the finish you want, though it’s not necessary – and then voila! You’ll have a table with counter space, shelf space and floor storage space!

Standing desks are becoming more popular as information on the dangers of inactivity is disseminated. IKEA now makes an adjustable desk that can be used at different heights for both sitting and standing, but you can also achieve the same effect for about half the price. There are a few different ways you can go about this, but one of the most popular is using a cheap LACK TV unit paired with GALANT legs that are adjustable. This will take a little bit more construction than putting together your typical IKEA piece, but it’s still easy enough for DIY newbies, and perfectly thrifty for stingy types.

One of the most popular trends in DIY decor in the early 21st century is the “fauxdenza” or “faux credenza”. While buying a nice sideboard can get pretty pricey, you can recreate the look by wall-mounting inexpensive cabinets for a modern and stylish effect. Scoring a few APPLÅD doors and SEKTION cabinets is just the ticket. The look can be more mid-century vintage or all out contemporary and you can use whichever cabinets you like best. Adding a piece of stained wood on top in the style and color of your choice even further personalizes the idea.

Being a vinyl lover can get expensive, and not just because of the price of records. Buying a retro-looking console to hold your records is costly - unless you snag an amazing vintage find. For this project, you’ll need a BESTÅ shelf and height extension unit with some hairpin legs of the right height. You can also replace the top of the unit with a stained piece of wood in whatever style you prefer. The top is the perfect width for a turntable, and you’ll be able to fit a couple dozen records inside.

It doesn’t get much easier than this! This can barely be classified as a DIY project because there isn’t much to be done to transform this lantern into an on-trend terrarium. All you need is some sealant to secure the bottom of the lantern and ensure that no water or earth seeps out. The BORRBY Lantern comes in two different sizes, and this hack works with both models. It also comes in both black and white so you can choose whichever color fits your decor style.

‘50s style furniture has come back into vogue in the early 21st century, but you don’t have to go antiquing to find the mid-century piece of your dreams. IKEA’s furniture is more Scandinavian modern than mid-century modern, but with some contact paper and a little creativity, you can achieve that retro look. Like many IKEA hacks, this one starts with a BESTÅ storage unit. You’ll also need some metal legs, some fibreboard, and some plastic rails. This project is a little trickier than most, but the results are totally worth it.

This hack is perfect for a kids’ room, but can also be used anywhere in the house that you want a cozy nook for reading that also serves as a useful storage unit. You’ll start with a two by four KALLAX shelving unit and some 6mm MDF or comparable plywood for a lid. Cut your wood down to size, then go crazy decorating. You can then use anything you’d like as padding, be it cushions, a quilt or a fluffy blanket. Whenever you need to access the inside storage, just lift the top and you’re good to go.

The LACK side table is known for being one of the most affordable and versatile items available at IKEA - at only $9.99. There are hundreds of ways you can transform this little table, but one of the most fun and original ideas is turning it into a personalized table for family game nights. You can do this for a single game or lots of them - and the best part is you don’t need any furniture building skills to make this work. You’ll need some paint, stickers and stencils and you can create a surface for playing any board game you like - or making one up that’s completely your own.

IKEA’s VITTSJÖ series is fast becoming one of the most popular to hack because of its clean lines and adaptable glass panels. If you need a gorgeous looking piece to display your barware and liquor collection, look no further than this easy trick. The base is the VITTSJÖ Laptop Table, and you’ll need some hardware basics like screws and brackets as well as four iron caster wheels to make your cart portable. You can leave it black, or you can use spray paint to transform it into whatever color best fits your home decor.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.



RASKOG Vanity Cart


Rolling LEGO station

With more and more people working from home, having a workspace in your house is becoming a must-have. The problem is though, you might be stuck in a tiny apartment with no space for a full desk set up. Enter this hack, which uses an EKBYALEX shelf as a compact desk – with drawers! - that is the perfect size for your laptop and can easily fit just about anywhere without taking up too much floor space. You’ll also need some wood that can be stained in any color of your choosing as well as some tapered legs in whatever style you like, and soon you'll have a classy, stylish, and downright posh place to type.