10 Luxury IKEA BESTÅ Hacks
If you've got a home organisation challenge (and who doesn't?) or want storage furniture that can elevate a space, look no further than IKEA BESTÅ. What do you need? A TV bench? Dining console? Office storage? Sideboard? BESTÅ is your go-to! In this article, we've selected 10 projects that show just how versatile - and luxurious-looking - it can be.
But first things first, we gotta admit that we’re IKEA BESTÅ super-fans. If any piece of furniture can elevate your home organisation and décor game, it’s BESTÅ. Admittedly, it's not the most exciting example of furniture design. Ostensibly, it’s a box that comes in two depths (20 and 40 cm) and three sizes: 60 x 64, 60 x 38 and 60 x 38 cm, but it’s that very simplicity that yields incredible versatility.
So let's get started!
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #1: From Scandi staple to Hamptons hero
Cheryl had been hunting high and low for a Hamptons or Chinoiserie inspired sideboard that needed to be three metres (nine feet) long and offer lots of storage. After nearly giving up, IKEA + STYLKEA came to the rescue. This stunning floating console is made up of five W60 x H64 x D40 BESTÅ units with Lappviken doors onto which Lux Hax Styl-Panel 1121 has been added.
Not sure how to suspend cabinets from the wall? IKEA makes it easy with suspension rails and a notched back on BESTÅ units for easy hanging.
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #2: Legs for days
One way to elevate your BESTÅ cabinet is, well, literally. HappyGreyLucky swapped the standard IKEA legs that come with BESTÅ for these lovely tapered legs. She also added handles for a look that's stylish and refined.
IKEA legs and mounts are metric (size M8), which is fine for folks living in metric countries, such as Australia and most European countries. But for our friends in the United States, the screws on replacement legs from stores such as Home Depot will be 5/16". The fix is simple - buy yourself a set of 5/16" mounting plates.
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #3: Put a new spin on it
While we’re talking legs, how about this Mid Century Modern record player console (care of IKEA Hackers) fashioned out of a W120 x H38 x D40 IKEA BESTÅ storage bench? The addition of hairpin legs and a replacement timber top make it look like a prop from the set of Mad Men.
A lot of IKEA furniture is manufactured from honeycomb cardboard sandwiched between two pieces of particle board. For leg stability, it's best to use the existing mounts or add extra mounts. Screwing legs directly into particle board isn't advisable.
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #4: Bespoke media console + storage
There's an episode of Friends where Joey meets someone who doesn't own a television. Shocked and confused, he asks them “But what does all your furniture point at???” Let’s face it, the TV has usurped the fireplace as the family’s gathering spot, so we might as well make that side of the room look clean and smart and provide loads of storage for your AV equipment, cables and DVDs.
This step-by-step DIY project will cost you a fraction of custom cabinetry and look totally bespoke. It includes wall-suspended IKEA BESTÅ cabinets top and bottom and a back-lit TV mount that hides all the cables.
How does the TV remote work through solid doors? Using an inexpensive piece of AV equipment called an 'infrared repeater.'
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #5: Inspired by West Elm
What if your interior design style is rustic? BESTÅ is too sleek and modern to work, right? Nooooo! BESTÅ is begging for a tree change. Place of My Taste added reclaimed pallet wood to the front of her BESTÅ doors and the look is deliciously textural. West Elm eat your heart out.
It's all in the finishing touches and, lucky for us, IKEA sells perfectly-sized glass panel tops for BESTÅ. They not only provide a professional finish, they protect the surface from marking.
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #6: Woodn't it be nice
The addition of wood into your decor literally brings nature into your home and has an enriching effect in terms of colour and texture. So how about sandwiching a series of BESTÅ H26 x W60 X D40 cabinets between two pieces of timber?
If solid wood is outside your budget, your could consider a wood texture laminate. Another option is high-end vinyl adhesive from a store such as Panyl.
If solid wood is outside your budget, your could consider a wood texture laminate. Another option is high-end vinyl adhesive from a store such as Panyl.
IKEA BESTÅ TV benches allow for cable management with cable outlets at the back of the cabinet.
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #7: Luxury lines
Ok, so we’ve proven that IKEA BESTÅ is happy in the Hamptons and fabulous on the farm, but can it hold its own in a New York luxury apartment? Like a diva! Look at this floating IKEA BESTÅ unit with nothing added except the divine luxury of agate pulls. BESTÅ's clean lines make it indistinguishable from custom cabinetry and these handles elevate it to a level of luxe.
Victoria Solomon's New York apartment
Replacing or adding handles is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to elevate your cabinetry. And because you've saved money by using IKEA as your canvas, you can splurge on beautiful knobs or pulls.
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #8: Bookish tendencies
When you think IKEA + books, the equation normally ends in BILLY bookcases. But BESTÅ is out to topple BILLY’s book-smart reputation with this example of an amazing library wall, perfect for a workspace, home office, a parent's retreat or even a teenager's bedroom.
Photo credit: Boligmagasinet
Jump onto the IKEA website in your country and use the BESTÅ Planner app. You can drag and drop elements into a dimensionalised workspace, look at your project from different perspectives and then print a handy shopping list.
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #9: From books to nooks
We all have at least one them: an odd little corner in the home that's weird or abandoned. How about turning it into a usable space with built-in BESTÅ cabinets? In this example, we have BESTÅ W60 x H64 above for storage, coupled with floor-based cabinets below to create a cute reading nook.
Photo credit: Alvhem
For safety reasons, always anchor free standing cabinets to the wall.
IKEA BESTÅ Hack #10: Modular to the max
A journalist once asked us for our advice for renters on buying furniture and our top tip was to choose furniture that’s flexible. For example, say you need a long sideboard for your living area or a long storage bench for the entryway. If this isn’t your forever home, it’s better to buy two smaller, matching units and position them side-by-side. Then, if you move one day, they can be used in the next house either together or separately. Take a closer look below, and you’ll see that BESTÅ is being used to its modular advantage in this airy London terrace house.
Featured here: STYLKEA Styl-Panel 1118 in mirrored silver to suit IKEA BESTA
STYLKEA Styl-Panels come in three sizes to suit IKEA BESTÅ/LAPPVIKEN doors and three rigid fretwork finishes: 3mm paintable white foamed PVC, mirrored gold/silver Aluminium Composite Panel.
Hungry for more D.I.Y. decor inspiration? Explore more projects below.
