13 Ideas to customize my go- to’s from Ikea
¡Ah, Ikea! It seems as it is a mandatory visit when you move house or start renovating, like a 20th-century pilgrimage to search for inspiration and burden ourselves on their showroom.
And just like that, our new home will become another “Ikea home” across the globe.
There’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with this, but as Oscar Wilde said ‘Everything in moderation, including moderation’.
There are millions of ideas on Pinterest and Instagram to customize every single product ever produced by the blue and yellow supplier, even Ikea offers DIY activities on their Swedish site.
Here are 13 of my favourite products and the customizations I usually go for on my projects:
1. Ivar Cabinet
This is THE PERFECT example of the basics Ikea has on their catalogue, a cabinet that you can paint to whatever colour you need.
It’s super simple and inexpensive, and we all know how pricey can a made-to-order piece of joinery be…
You can paint it with the same shade as the wall so it looks completely built-in, dilute the paint so you can see the veins and get some beautiful texture, make a tv cabinet, a desk,… Possibilities are really endless with this one.
2. Valje Bookshelves
The photographer and interior designer Anna Kubel bought a pair of Valje Bookshelves and simply turned them and painted them like the wall. And voilá, hello beautiful shelves that LOOK CUSTOM MADE.
Of course, life is not a bed of roses, and the Valje Bookshelves have been discontinued now. I thought it was still worth it to keep the idea though, in case they release anything similar👀, Also because it would be a more difficult DIY but the Billy shelves are almost the same.
3. Billy Bookshelves
The Billy Shelves have always been there and it seems like they always will.
Again it’s another really affordable product that can be painted and DIY’d in so many ways to make it look custom made.
I put together a selection of options, but I am sure if you do a small research you’ll find uncountable options that fit your space.
4. Koppang Chest of drawers
Whatever simple chest of drawers you set your eyes on Ikea, you can major improve it with simply adding some nice knobs from Etsy. But also if you paint it and change the legs, you can have a wonderful piece like this one from Erin Spain.
*You can also add a metal, glass, or even marble top and I am completely sure nobody will recognize it.
5. Lack table
Really, who hasn’t had a lack table on their first apartment?
I am not into it. BUT. I don't know about you but I am tired of seeing these tables from Ikon København all over Instagram, and I am completely seduced.
If you can’t afford the real deal, they are kr11.900 (around £1.100), blogcious already gave us this idea back in 2018 that you can do with a Lack table, or even with the Malm dressing table.
6. Mosslanda Picture Ledge
Nina Holst is definitely talented. I really love this corner where she painted the ledges same tone as the wall, half-way between a gallery and a shelf. The result is a really organized space, that looks AWHH😍 with the wall paint and that olive tree.
7. The Soderhamn System
It breaks me a little to think I’ve never found the perfect project for this piece. It’s quite a deep sofa (99cm), with really solid and structured shapes, so it really needs a big space to visually compensate its weight.
There are companies like Bemz, that make really beautiful linen covers, they are super nice and textured and people will not be able to tell that you bought the sofa at Ikea.
8. The Stockholm Rug
It’s the perfect basic rug for any home. Basic shapes and colours, with a low-pile that cleans fantastically and doesn’t shred.
Do not forget to underlay!
9. Paper Lampshades
Ikea always has a paper lamp on their catalogue, and I think they look amazing when they are in a bunch.
This is another staple on a students pad, it’s less than £2, so it makes them the perfect solution to avoid having a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling.
If you want to take it further, though, I think they look great on clusters, and because they are so cheap you can buy as many as you want. The light is super nice thanks to the paper texture, and the composition can create so much dynamism and create a dreamy aura.
10. The Metod System
Whoever has had to do a kitchen from scratch knows how costly they can be, and without any of the appliances included!
But you wouldn’t want to do it at Ikea because the quality is bad, they are too simple and they all look the same… OH WAIT. Turns out there are so many companies that offer you all kinds of products to customize your Ikea kitchen and make it look special. You can also approach your local carpenter to help you create special pieces if there’s anything that doesn’t quite fit on your layout.
Just to mention one of them, Semihandmade doors make panels, doors, etc. that completely fit Ikea’s modules and look fantastic.
11. Curtains
Ikea is a good starting point for curtains if you spent all your budget on the building works, with little effort you can make them shine.
The good thing about their curtains is that they are quite long (most of them are 2.5m) and you can get that floor to ceiling effect without leaving a weird gap underneath. Lenda curtains are made with cotton and they have a good range of colours, and the Merete curtains have eyelets and they will allow you to create that nice wave drop. You can find infinite tutorials online to see how to give different drops.
12. Henriksdal Chairs
If you like the upholstered chair look, they might look super dangerus to have as dining chairs.
Luckily Ikea offers these Henriksdal, with short or long cover, that can easily go to the washing machine after any accident.
13. Pretty Pegs
Awh… Pretty pegs, this is the first company that I discovered was customizing Ikeas products, and a world of opportunities opened right in front of my eyes.
As well as the sofa covers, kitchen doors, and knobs,.. not we can customize the legs! It might seem silly, but check the selection I brought specially for you and tell me that these do not make a huge change.
What did you think? Is there any idea here for your next DIY session? I hope that this list with my all-time favourites from Ikea helped you look at their products with a fresh look so you can customize them for your unique space.
*Pssst! This post is not sponsored AT ALL. I wish. Hello Ikea 🤍.
