The 7 Best IKEA Hacks We’ve Seen So Far This Year

You know that moment in “Cinderella” when the fairy godmother waves her magic wand, transforming her charge into a fairytale princess? That’s how it feels when you stumble upon a particularly geniusIKEA hack.

There are plenty of ways to gussy up the offerings from the Swedish retailer, of course, and there’sno hack too small.But sometimes, we’re so blown away by a particular hack that we think it deserves its own special shoutout—and this year has been full oflotsof great ones to choose from. So from eye-catching paint jobs to hardware swaps to totally unexpected storage solutions, here are the 7 best IKEA hacks we’ve seen so far this year.

Melissa Rodgers thought outside the box when redoing herentryway stairs, and turnedIKEA’s 2019 Art Event Birds rug by Craig Green—which she snapped up on clearance for just $50—in art that she mounted onto the wall. The graphic parrot print not only makes the space feel larger, but immediately sets the tone for arriving guests.

Interior designerMelissa Lissacklooked at the simple pineIVAR cabinetand saw its future as a chic,retro bar cabinet. Then, she made it happen, adding decorative panels of MDF on the doors, mirrored tiles for the back, gold hardware and legs, and a coat of seafoam green paint.

Cane webbing is one of the hottest materials of the moment, and blogger Kourtni, ofHouse on Longwood Lane, knew she wanted to implement it in her son’s nursery. Using a $1,100 piece for inspiration, she swapped out the front of each drawer of herTARVA dresserwith cane webbing, made her own custom drawer pulls, then stained and sanded for a finished piece with breezy bungalow vibes.

Tight spaces are prime locations for IKEA hacks. Take thisteeny laundry room redo by Caitlin Kelley, which utilizes shallowBILLY bookcasesto create floor-space-friendly storage. Outfitted with doors and painted a soft gray, the BILLY bookcases have the look of high-end custom cabinets, without the bulk.

Sometimes the best hacks are the simplest. In Apartment Therapy’s Mystery Makeover series, DIYerAshley Basnightof Handmade Haventurned a plain wood IKEA stool into a leather-accented beauty.

Meg Lowry’s bedroom redofeatures a lot of clever DIYs, but a standout is the nightstand. This once-plainRAST chestgot a natural cane treatment on its drawers, but for a little extra drama, Meg painted the frame black.

The best way to get a built-in mudroom? Fake it withaffordable IKEA wardrobes.Marly Dice and her husband used a pair of PAX wardrobes to frame out their mudroom area; trimming everything out with crown molding and baseboards makes the whole assembly look super high-end. While the exact PAX wardrobe Marly used has been discontinued, there are still plenty of similar frames to pick from.