Easy Custom Furniture With 18 Amazing Ikea Hacks

Gorgeous DIY custom furniture with 18 easy IKEA hacks: creative dressers, farmhouse cabinets, bedroom benches, craft room table, desk, kitchen island, etc!

Let’s face it: building custom furniture from scratch often requires special tools, workshop space, and lots of time! One of the reasons we all love Ikea hacks: gorgeous custom furniture made simple for DIY lovers!

Gorgeous DIY custom furniture with 18 easy IKEA hacks: creative dressers, farmhouse cabinets, bedroom benches, craft room tables, desk, kitchen island, etc! -

These creative Ikea hacks will give you many ideas to create custom furniture for your kitchen, bedroom, living room, craft room and garage workshop! You can also transform them into any style you love from modern to vintage to farmhouse!

Video: Smart and Gorgeous Ikea Hacks

*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.

(UPDATE: the video above is from a new article on more IKEA hacks, check out all the details here! )

1. Custom kitchen island DIY with Ikea Bekvam kitchen cart

Custom kitchen island DIY with Ikea Bekvam kitchen cart

This gorgeous modern farmhouse kitchen island is great for a small kitchen. Casters and towel bars are easy to install. They can add lots of charm and function to the piece. ( Source: Oliver and Rust )

Update: we just made a kitchen island, tutorial here, and it is also an IKEA hack! Or come visit our DIY IKEA kitchen here!

Beautiful easy DIY kitchen island (or kitchen cart on wheels) in modern farmhouse & colorful boho kitchen!
DIY kitchen island tutorial

2. Reclaimed wood Ikea hacks

Reclaimed wood Ikea hacks

The easiest way to transform a piece of furniture is to change the finish using wood or paint, like on this DIY bench from an IKEA Kallax unit. Many fabulous IKEA hacks use rustic reclaimed wood or wallpaper to transform IKEA furniture and shelving units. ( Source: Bolig )

Helpful tip: IKEA Alternatives

Sometimes you may not have an IKEA store nearby, or the IKEA item may be discontinued. Luckily, Amazon carries more and more similar products, like these below-

You may also love: 12 Easy Pallet sofas and coffee tables to DIY in a few hours.

12 easyt and great looking DIY pallet sofas and coffee tables

3. Farmhouse Kitchen table Ikea Hack

Farmhouse Kitchen table Ikea Hack

Transform a basic IKEA kitchen table into a big farmhouse table, and give it a warm stained finish. ( Source: East Coast Creative )

If you are thinking about using wood stain, try these easy home-made wood stains: they are all natural, long lasting, and cost almost nothing to make!

7 ways to make wood stain from natural household materials! These quick and easy wood stains are super effective, long lasting, low cost, and non-toxic!
DIY home-made wood stains.

4. Window seat bedroom Ikea hacks

Window seat bedroom Ikea hacks

Take a simple IKEA Besta or Kallax shelving unit, add foam cushion to create a window seat,  and  furniture legs to create a buffet, we have a nice dinning room ready in no time! ( Source: Mommy Vignettes )

5. More easy Ikea hacks using Kallax unit

Ikea hack using Kallax unit

You can even add  furniture legs to IKEA Kallax units to create a buffet table! ( Source: Ikea Hackers )

6. Industrial modern storage unit IKEA hacks

Industrial modern storage unit IKEA hacks

This Ikea hack by Shanon at AKA design is so rustic and gorgeous: I love how she distressed the door fronts by banging tools onto the wood at all angles. You can also use contact paper or wallpaper with wood plank designs.

Pallet wood would be GREAT for this hack. Here’s a guide on working with pallets-

20 most amazing raised bed gardens, from simple wood raised beds to many creative variations. Great tutorials and inspirations! - A Piece Of Rainbow

7. Ikea Rast dresser hack

pink Ikea Rast dresser hack

The colorful glamorous coral chest of drawers is an ingenious Ikea hack by Kariann at Thistlewood Farms. I love how she glued those large metal washers as drawer fronts decorations!

8. Ikea Rast dresser becomes vintage desk

 Ikea Rast dresser becomes vintage desk

Diane at In My Own Style turned the dresser into a vintage style rolling desk for her home office. Don’t you love the vintage inspired label pulls?

9. Ikea dresser transformation: mid-centry modern glam

Ikea dresser becomes mid-centry modern glam

Such a high-end look! Now you may see why the Rast dresser is one of the most popular Ikea hack inspirations. Get creative with paint, fabric, cabinet Pulls, furniture legs, and surface patterns using stencils or overlays. ( Via Bliss-atHome.com However, the tutorial is no longer on this site. Please let me know if you find it! )

10. Farmhouse style Ikea dresser upgrade

Farmhouse style Ikea dresser hack

You can even reuse old chair legs on an IKEA dresser to create a farmhouse style cabinet. ( Source: Bliss Ranch )

11. Ikea hack garage workshop

Ikea hack garage workshop

Ikea dressers and cube shelving units are also great for workshops and craft rooms. (  Source: Polished Habitat )

12. Craft room table IKEA hack

Craft room table or sewing table IKEA hack

Karen’s sewing room cutting table is a great craft room table and storage idea for everyone!

13. Window seats with storage using IKEA modular shelving units

Window seats with storage using IKEA  modular shelving units

It seems like Ikea may have discontinued the 2-cube unit, but you can find other similar units like below. to build this cozy nursery nook with seating bench and side table. ( Project Nursery )

Another modular design to make: Super space-saving and free shoe rack for the closet!

SUPER space saving and surprisingly sturdy DIY shoe rack! | A Piece of Rainbow

14. Billy bookshelf IKEA hacks

Billy bookcase IKEA hacks

Transform IKEA cabinet into a piece full of industrial charm by Medina at Grillo Designs , using retro thumb tack trim, plumbing pipe and flange handle, and stenciled letters in charcoal color. 

15. DIY modern farmhouse cabinet IKEA hack

DIY modern farmhouse cabinet IKEA hack

One of my favorite ikea hacks! The IKEA Hemnes or Kallax unit also include matching door and drawer inserts. If you don’t have an Ikea store near you, Amazon has similar units.

Stylish new hardware such as brass or gold cabinet knobs and tapered legs make this piece look stunning. ( Source )

16. Living room storage unit IKEA hacks

Living room storage unit IKEA hacks

A great example of how to build larger TV media console with storage baskets. ( Source: Honeybear Lane )

17. IKEA Billy bookcase kitchen island

IKEA Billy bookcase kitchen island

This easy kitchen island and storage hack is made with several IKEA Billy bookshelf cabinets joined together. ( Source: Golden Boys and Me )

18 . Ladder shelf made with Ikea Hjalmaren towel holder

Ladder shelf made with Ikea Hjalmaren towel holder

From towel holder to a gorgeous ladder shelf in 30 minutes? Here’s the how-to. You can also add hooks, hanging baskets etc to create a variety of storage options!

You may also love: 16 Simple DIY floating shelves

16 easy tutorials on building beautiful floating shelves and wall shelves for your home! Check out all the gorgeous brackets, supports, finishes and design inspirations! - A Piece Of Rainbow

Stay inspired and happy building! =)

21 Comments

  1. IKEA furniture can be customized in so many ways. The pieces are so easy that you can do endless modifications. Because DIY IKEA hacks have become so popular, the “IKEA Hack” is almost a separate category.

  2. Nice IKEA hacks Amanda! It’s always a big pleasure for me to find an IKEA ferniture and give a little touch of me. The farmhouse style is my favorite!

  3. I love these hacks. I want to do the one for the TV wall. I don’t seem to be able to find the directions to it. Can you link it to me?

  4. What a delicious list of truly chic hacks. Honestly, I rarely look at IKEA hacks, my state doesn’t have one & I just get so aggravated trying to order online. That being said, many of these pieces can be found at Amazon or Big Box stores for very little, so it’s not inclusive to IKEA for those of us who can’t easily get them. I love how chic & unique these pieces end up, because affordable, albeit-not ‘high-quality’ pieces are plentiful, in about 2 shades,…white or black. Sometimes a sketchy looking ‘wood-grain’ brown of ash. Not much fun for the person who is trying to do as much luxe as possible with a little budget, and/or space. Even if they don’t work in one’s look, they are certainly inspiring-and prove that you can take inexpensive materials & make them look bespoke! I was always worried they’d just look like cheap fiberboard with a bad dye job. You are really great at picking out fresh ideas & looks from a sea of projects! Thank you!

  5. I love love the idea of outline the shelve with other wood! I would totally do that! I have been debating on getting a shelve and making it into a bench, but I was always wondering about the structure and if it could handle weight!

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