by Furnishly | Jan 23, 2023 | Design Inspiration, Furniture, Style
Sarah EverettStaff Writer
Sarah is a staff writer at Apartment Therapy. She completed her MA in journalism at the University of Missouri and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Belmont University. Past writing and editing stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and several outlets local to her hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
by Furnishly | Jan 17, 2023 | Design Inspiration, DIY, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
IKEA has produced enough tried-and-true furniture staples since its founding that some hacks just feel like classics (think: BILLY bookshelf revamps and HEMNES dresser redos). But if you’re feeling especially adventurous, look to IKEA’s newest products. These new releases are fresh enough that hacks are few or even nonexistent, which means that the DIY world is your oyster.
The new releases below are some of the best IKEA has to offer in terms of affordability, practicality, and hack potential. Here, get the low-down on these six winning IKEA buys that we can’t wait to add to our carts, and ideas for how we’d hack them.
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IKEA is a treasure trove of organizational basics, but in recent collections, they’ve introduced items that focus on storage that can also act as displays. The SKUFFEN was designed for shoes, but the lightweight, durable aluminum frame and 360 views make us wonder what else could the SKUFFEN show off?
Hack it: Plants! The acrylic sides and removable front of the SKUFFEN lend themselves perfectly to a bookcase-sized terrarium. Use clear bathroom caulk along the bottom edges to completely waterproof and flip the removable front to the back to disguise.
The VARHAUG room divider is the latest and most robust divider among IKEA’s offerings. IKEA actually suggests using the thicker panels as a bulletin board in the product description, but we think it’s worth hacking it one step further.
Hack it: Remove the attachment pieces at the top and bottom joints and add French cleats to the back to hang as a triptych on your wall. You can further customize the boards by covering them in a richer fabric (Shelby of Farmhouse Living used gray burlap above) or mounting them in a decorative frame.
It can be difficult to find large mirrors that are both affordable and high quality, but HOVET manages to achieve both. The frame is made of anodized aluminum (available in both silver and black), and the surface is actual glass — not the flimsy “reflective mirror surface” you’ll find on cheap door mirrors. Hooks on the back give you flexibility to hang this either horizontally or vertically.
Hack it: Variations of this mirror DIYs took TikTok by storm in 2022, and it’s easy to see why. Each DIYer has their own method, but all of them are relatively easy to pull off and many require no power tools. Since the HOVET is already a solid base, you can fake mirror inlays by sectioning the mirror with black electric tape. Use a uniform pattern like The Sorry Girls did for an industrial look, or try a smaller pattern in the corners like Teresa of Create Beautiful Things for a transitional look.
NORBERG Wall-Mount Drop-Leaf Table
The extra wall storage built into the NORBERG drop-leaf table makes it a unique storage solution for small spaces. This would be a great option in teeny kitchens that can’t fit a whole dining table, or as a home office solution if you don’t want to sacrifice floor space for a desk.
Hack it: Upgrade the shelves with brass shelf rails and deck out the back with statement wallpaper, and the simple table transforms into a decadent speakeasy. (Use this clever Murphy bar from Shades of Blue Interiors as inspo.) You can make the storage even more unobtrusive by adding a couple hinged doors to the front.
IKEA estimates that around the world, a BILLY bookcase is sold every five seconds — that’s how popular this staple is. But beyond the standard options for single or double wide, short or tall, and various door fronts, IKEA hasn’t released new items that added functionality until now. This BILLY drawer features casters on the bottom so it can slide smoothly out of the lowest shelf of your BILLY bookcase.
TROFAST Storage Combination
The TROFAST system also got a new addition to its lineup with the TROFAST mesh drawers. The line previously only had opaque bins, but IKEA has increased its offerings to include steel mesh baskets in four colors (gray, blue, green, and red). This might not seem like a major change, but the new material can make more sense in different applications.
Hack it: The mesh baskets are ideal for storing items that need air circulation, like clothing or certain pantry items. Fake a built-in linen closet by painting the TROFAST frame the same color as a nook like Kelin of Hydrangea Treehouse did here. TROFAST also happens to be a good working height, so try putting two back to back and adding a countertop to create a functional pantry island.
by Furnishly | Dec 15, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Sarah EverettStaff Writer
Sarah is a staff writer at Apartment Therapy. She completed her MA in journalism at the University of Missouri and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Belmont University. Past writing and editing stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and several outlets local to her hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
by Furnishly | Dec 15, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Megan BakerHome Projects Director
Megan is a writer and editor who specializes in home upgrades, DIY projects, hacks, and design. Before Apartment Therapy, she was an editor at HGTV Magazine and This Old House Magazine. Megan has a degree in Magazine Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She is a self-taught weighted blanket connoisseur.
by Furnishly | Dec 14, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Whether you’ve lived in New York City, visited a friend there, or just seen pictures of it, you likely know the rental market there is… tough. Spaces that wouldn’t ordinarily suffice for one human, let alone two, in other places are considered luxurious by NYC standards, particularly if an apartment has more than one room. Take Brendan Dugan and Kiersten Krog‘s place on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, for example. The apartment is only 450 square feet, but it’s actually considered a two bedroom, thanks to the two tiny rooms connected to the main living space. Since the couple only had so much space to work with, they decided to turn the second little bedroom into a “library,” which houses a good chunk of Krog’s book collection and functions as a reading, relaxing, and working space.
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“The light that comes in through the large east-facing windows is wonderful, and it’s the perfect room for both of us to hang out and read, or cuddle with Lottie,” says Krog of the library. “We have most of our houseplants in that room, too, which gives it a very lively feeling. I also love watching the bluejays and mourning doves through the window when they stop by.” In order to enjoy all those benefits of this teeny-tiny room though, they had to get creative with seating and storage.
“I built the daybed in our library from two IKEA cabinets and a cushion from Urban Outfitters,” says Krog. “It not only provides extra seating to the room but also adds lots of storage underneath.” Two white lacquered BESTA units put together indeed make the perfect little storage and reading nook and can even function as a guest sleeping area if need be. The couple made the makeshift daybed even cozier with a bunch of throw pillows and blankets — the ideal place to read and listen to the birds from outside the window.
The assembly might be the best part, too: All you have to do is build the IKEA cabinets as you normally would, screw the units together (if you like), and then top the entire piece with the floor cushion for extra padding. Pretty genius and super-easy, if you ask me, and honestly, a lot cheaper than buying a “designated” daybed from a store, where they always seem to be at least $800 dollars, even though they’re really only twin beds with fancier frames.