11 Ways to Create Gorgeous Built-Ins Using IKEA Furniture

Follow these tips to create expensive-looking built-ins for a fraction of the cost

Co-authored by Finn Kobler

Last Updated: February 27, 2023 References

Built-in furniture makes every home look more elegant—but hiring people to create built-ins from scratch can be pricey (ranging from $1,500-10,000 a piece). Luckily, IKEA is here to save the day! With a little painting and woodwork, you can make IKEA furniture look like a luxury built-in piece for just a fraction of the cost! Keep reading and we’ll offer you plenty of DIY IKEA hacks to enhance the aesthetic of your space.

Things You Should Know

Prop your IKEA furniture on wooden bases so they touch your walls and ceilings. This will make stand-alone pieces look like a part of your home.
Attach IKEA Billy bookcases to wooden bases to create built-in bookshelves, cabinets, and mudroom lockers.
Secure wooden worktops to IKEA MALM drawers to make window nooks and desktops.
Create a fully-integrated closet or armoire by adding doors, wood packers, and crown molding to IKEA PAX units.

1

Built-in Bookshelves

Create chic, custom bookshelves with an IKEA Billy bookcase. Use a circular saw to craft a wooden top unit out of 2 ft (0.61 m) x 4 ft (1.2 m) planks. Attach vertical wood pieces to your top unit, spaced out to match the number of vertical columns in your Billy bookcase. Once you’ve built the unit, flip the Billy bookcase upside down and screw it onto the top, lining up the vertical pieces. Then flip the entire thing back over and anchor the combined pieces to the wall.^{[1]
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- Make the base unit’s height the exact distance between your Billy bookcase and your ceiling.
- Fill in any nail holes or other cracks in the bookshelf with spackling.
- Use caulk and/or paint to cover the spot where the two furniture pieces meet.
- To make your bookshelf blend in with your wall more, place it in a spot that already has an existing trim, like crown molding.

2

Built-In Kitchen Cabinets

Elevate your kitchen shelves using IKEA HAVSTA cabinets. Place IKEA HAVSTA cabinets up against your kitchen wall (or wherever you’d like to build your cabinets). Then, use cabinet-grade plywood to fill in the gap between your HAVSTA cabinets and your ceiling. Install a trim or molding, and voila! You have a new, elegant, built-in kitchen cabinet.^{[2]
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- Coat the plywood in a primer-paint combo that matches the HAVSTA’s color to enhance the aesthetic of your completed cabinets.
- Customize your cabinets by adding in brass knobs or a wallpaper to the back of the HAVSTA.

3

Built-In Closets

Customize an IKEA PAX into a fully integrated closet. First, build a wooden platform that measures the exact height between the top of your PAX frames and your ceiling. Screw your PAX frames onto the platform and add baseboard trim to the front of the platform. Then, install drawers and wood trim to your PAX frames by cutting, screwing, and gluing 0.5 in (1.3 cm) thick poplar boards onto the outer lining of the PAX unit.^{[3]
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- Add your crown molding to the top of the unit and paint the entire closet in your favorite color.

4

Built-In Media Unit

Turn an IKEA BESTA into a gorgeous entertainment center. Find two bookcases (we recommend IKEA Billy bookcases for their affordability) that match the color of your BESTA unit. Then, measure and cut a wood base unit the exact distance between the top of these bookcases and your ceiling. Place these bookcases on the base unit, side-by-side with your BESTA. Then, space out and drill in horizontal slab fronts from the bottom to the top of your bookcases to make shelves.^{[4]
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- Add lighting to match the overall ambiance of the unit. For example, if you want the media center to have a cozy feel, add dimming lamps or wall sconces. If you want to enhance your TV and movie-viewing, try attaching LED strips.

5

Built-In Dresser

Use IKEA MALMS for stylish built-in wardrobe storage. Create a wood base out of 2 ft (0.61 m) by 6 ft (1.8 m) MDF. Anchor and secure this base to the floor with screws. Then, attach your MALM(s) to the base and use caulk to fill in any screws or rough edges. Finally, add a wood trim between your MALMs and ceiling to cover the gaps and elevate your piece’s overall look.^{[5]
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- Measure your MDF base so it fits the exact length of the wall you wish to place your dresser.
- Add a crown molding to the top of the dresser if necessary.
- Stain your wood trim to give it a more classic, earthy aesthetic.
- Paint the pieces of your built-in dresser before installing them to avoid hassle.

6

Built-In Window Nook

Create a cozy window seat using IKEA cabinets. Place 2 MALM cabinets on opposite sides of your window, right up against your walls. Then, build a wooden frame that measures the exact distance between your cabinets and place this frame between the MALMS to serve as a connector. Cut a piece of MDF and screw it onto the top of your MALMs to serve as a window seat. Then, add cushioning and throw pillows to suit your tastes!^{[6]
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- Attach horizontal pieces of MDF to the front edges of your wood connecting frame if you want your window seat to have shelves.
- A window seat doesn’t need to fit as snugly into the walls as other built-in IKEA hacks. The seat cushion will cover and compensate for the small cracks in the overall unit.

7

Built-In Display Cabinets

Make a set of gorgeous display shelves with IKEA CD units. Place 4 IKEA GNEDBY racks side-by-side and screw in their pitch front shelves. Then, using a drill, attach 2 OXBERG doors to each pair of GNEDBYs. Now you have a gorgeous display for fine china, DVDs, or anything in between!^{[7]
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- When drilling in the OXBERG doors, don’t drill all the way through the GNEDBY. The brackets only need to attach to one side.

8

Built-In Desk

Customize your home office by making a desk from various IKEA pieces. Start by placing 2 IKEA PLASTA cabinets next to 2 IKEA MALM drawers on either side of your office space. Use a circular saw to create a wood support plinth for the cabinets so they sit at the same height as the drawers. Then, cut and attach a desktop of your choosing to the top of your desk.^{[8]
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- Make the worktop run the entire length of one wall in the room for a chic, built-in look.
- For a more complete built-in, attach 2 Billy bookcases to the top of your worktop.

9

Built-In Armoire

Upgrade your entryway by adding a wardrobe closet. Start creating a base support by placing 2 ft (0.61 m) plywood packers on a 4 ft (1.2 m) plywood sheet. Then, place at least 2 PAX wardrobe frames on the base support, adding as many frames as you can fit into your hallway. Finally, screw in your wardrobe's doors, and caulk and paint the unit to match the color of your wall.^{[9]
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- If there’s still space between your walls and wardrobe frames, but not enough to fit another complete PAX unit, space the existing PAX units out proportionally and use wood boards (we recommend pine or walnut, but plywood works too) to cover the remaining space between the PAX frames.
- Use door buffers to ensure your wardrobe doors attach straight and upright.
- Cut the base support to match the distance between the top of your PAX and the ceiling.

10

Built-In Spice Racks

Build IKEA BEKVÄM spice racks right into your kitchen cabinets. Start by removing the shoe molding from the base of your kitchen cabinets. Then, create the vertical frame of your spice rack by placing 2 ft (0.61 m) x 4 ft (1.2 m) plywood pieces on either side of your cabinets. Wrap your plywood beams and attach lattice strips to either side to soften their edges. Install the IKEA BEKVÄM shelves inside your plywood frame once it’s in place. Finally, caulk, putty, or paint the spice rack shelves until they’re smooth.^{[10]
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- Add a small base and chair rail molding at the top and bottom of your spice rack, respectively, for a more ornate, completed look.

11

Built-In Mudroom Lockers

Create easy storage for muddy boots and coats with IKEA bookcases. First, create a wooden base support using 1 ft (0.30 m) x 4 ft (1.2 m) plywood that measures the width of all your bookcases and the height of the distance between the bookcases and the ceiling. Place your IKEA Billy bookcases side-by-side along your mudroom wall on top of the base support. Then, rather than adding in the attachable shelves that come with the bookcases, add a hook to hang up coats and other items.^{[11]
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- IKEA Billy bookcases come with a pre-cut notch in the back of their structure to help them lie flat against the wall. If your baseboard is taller than this notch, cut a larger notch so the bookcases can lie flat.
- Use one bookcase for each locker.