These 8 IKEA Hacks Create Bedroom Storage Out of Thin Air
Wish you had more square footage in your bedroom, but feeling held back by your budget? IKEA is always the answer. From the go-to BILLY bookcase hacks to the iconic MALM dresser — which can be made over in a trillion different ways — the possibilities are truly endless, with a few affordable IKEA pieces and a little bit of creativity. Depending on your skill level, you could do everything from adding intricate scalloped details, hacking off nightstand legs, or turning a simple dresser into something upscale and stylish.
Need some inspiration before you brave the aisles of IKEA? Here’s how eight DIYers added more storage to their bedrooms using simple IKEA products.
An Alcove Bed With NORDLI
Lindy Whitlock Bickish, an antique dealer and owner of Potomac Collective, gave her daughter’s room a classic look using basic IKEA pieces. She used the NORDLI series storage system, a few gallons of coral-pink paint, and an incredible vision to create an alcove bed with built-in drawers.
“I used NORDLI, along with SEKTION doors and hardware, for the cabinets flanking both sides. I added my own ‘face’ to the drawers to make them look more like the cabinet doors,” Bickish explains. The result is a darling alcove bed that’s traditional and charming — not to mention totally out of the box for your everyday IKEA hack.
A Bedroom Bookcase with BILLY and HÖGADAL
Whether you’re a big reader who needs a place to stash your TBR pile or you have an impressive collection of accessories that need somewhere to live, putting in a bookcase with closed doors will make all the difference in cultivating a relaxing and organized space.
For this IKEA storage hack, Asteria Studio founder Lizzie Campbell used a BILLY bookcase and HÖGADAL doors to create a bold and modern bookcase with closed storage. Behind the cane doors, she could have shoes, books, scarves — you’ll never know! And that’s the beauty of this clever hack.
A Walk-In Closet with PAX System
If you’ve ever gotten a quote for a custom closet, your next step was probably Googling IKEA closet systems. Luckily, you have this stunning IKEA walk-in closet hack from interior photographer and design blogger Erin Kestenbaum as a guide.
In her home, she customized a PAX system by adding trim like baseboards, crown molding, and shoe molding, as well as installing recessed lights and customizing the fronts and sides of the pieces to give them a high-end look. She wallpapered open areas, installed painted rods to blend in, and coated the closet in a deep shade of blue. While this isn’t an inexpensive or quick DIY, it’s still significantly less than installing a custom closet — and the results are absolutely magazine-worthy.
A Stained Dresser With TARVA
Danie Berger, a DIY content creator at @DIYDanie, loved the look of high-end drawers, but not the high-end price tags. So she took one of the most basic IKEA forms, a TARVA dresser, and elevated it.
She added subtle scallop trim at the top, a rich walnut stain, and aged brass hardware for a look that’s light-years away from the original unfinished IKEA model. The result is a striking wood dresser that’s a fraction of the cost you’d pay elsewhere.
A Closet Built-In With MALM
When you don’t need significant hanging space, your closet could end up underutilized — but not if you have the creativity of Fatim Karns, an interior stylist and content creator. Rather than let the closet in her kid’s room go unused, she removed the doors and created a clever (and stylish!) storage hack.
Using the MALM dresser (a favorite of DIYers!), Fatim turned the space into an open-concept storage space. The dresser got an elevated look with green paint, gold knobs, and legs, then chunky wood shelves were added for additional overhead storage. Wallpaper gave the closet a finished look.
A Floating Nightstand with VIKHAMMER
In a home where every inch counts, even the floor space matters. Designer Marcus Merta used an IKEA VIKHAMMER nightstand to take advantage of that low-lying space and create a chic, minimalist floating nightstand — and, yes, this unit has legs when purchased off the shelf!
Like many IKEA pieces, the VIKHAMMER nightstand has a laminate surface, which Marcus sanded before spray-painting it in bubblegum pink. The addition of half-round molding around the face of the nightstand makes it look more tailored than its original industrial style, while a charming gold knob acts as the cherry on top of the finished look.
A Built-In Desk with MICKE
Children’s rooms are one of the most fun places for IKEA hacks because color usually runs the show. Case in point? Designer Kara Lauren Kirchhoff used an IKEA MICKE desk and an open closet to create a built-in desk that’s the stuff of childhood dreams.
She painted the once-dark closet white, then used the desk as the hub for organizing art supplies, trinkets, and more. Because the desk is actually bigger than the closet opening, it looks like it’s built into the closet. A mirror, a bold hand-painted mural, and gauzy drapery give the space even more of a whimsical presence.
A Built-In Closet with PAX
Isn’t more closet space on everyone’s wish list? Rather than spend the money on building a new closet in her room, Yvonne Langen made a DIY closet using an IKEA PAX system scored on Facebook Marketplace.
She created custom doors using MDF sheets, hardboard, cane webbing, and brass hardware, then painted her magazine-worthy look a striking green. The piece ended up being as stylish as it is functional, and it cost her pennies on the dollar compared with a custom storage solution.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)
