11 Creative IKEA Shelf Hacks That Are Entirely Unique
One of Ikea's biggest draws is that its products are sleek, minimalistic, and easily fit into just about any space. Most of the brand's furniture falls in line with the now-trendy Scandinavian-inspired design, but because they're so pared back, these pieces can blend into the background, giving you a blank canvas to decorate and express your personal style without worrying about whether or not your furniture will clash. Combine this flexibility and simplicity with a fairly low price point, and you have a wide catalog of items that are the perfect base for creative Ikea hacks.
In the world of Ikea DIYs, certain items are more popular than others, like the BILLY Bookcase and the KALLAX Storage System, thanks to how inexpensive and basic they are. If those two characteristics are what makes an Ikea piece perfect for a creative transformation, however, the LACK Wall Shelf is the clear winner across the store's expansive catalog. This floating shelf retails for just $24.99 for the medium-sized option and can fill plenty of uses around the home, from a new way to organize the laundry room to an expensive-looking home bar setup.
Simple entertainment center
As technology progresses, our television and home entertainment setups have become more streamlined, so it makes sense that the furniture accompanying these pieces follows the same trend. Unless you play video games on several different consoles, you likely only need one shelf to act as an entertainment center. TikTok user @besadigitalagency demonstrated exactly how she used the LACK Wall Shelf in lieu of a traditional television console. Hang one under your wall-mounted TV as she did in the video, or arrange a few around your screen if you want some more room for décor.
Built-in shelving
To the untrained eye, it likely looks like this Instagram post from @hanghaus15 doesn't contain any Ikea pieces at all. A vase, maybe, or a lamp, but certainly not any furniture. Upon closer inspection, however, the shelves in this impeccably styled built-in are actually the Ikea Lack Wall Shelves in the white stained oak effect. It's generally not recommended to take a saw to furniture, but if you need a reasonably priced set of shelves to add more function to an otherwise forgotten nook, feel free to saw down the LACK shelves until they're the perfect fit.
Open pantry shelving
Open shelving in kitchens is a bit of a controversial design choice, but this Instagram post from @thatscandinavianfeeling proves they can add both storage and visual interest to space. If you have a smaller kitchen, don't have upper cabinets, or simply want to make use of an otherwise-empty spot on the wall, installing a few floating shelves can make your kitchen more functional on a budget. Just be careful with where you install this shelving — the LACK line is made of particleboard, fiberboard, plastic, and paper filling, so it likely won't hold up well if it's constantly exposed to high heat or aggressive steam from the stove.
Bathroom storage
Bathrooms are spaces that notoriously lack functional storage, especially when they're being shared, but this Instagram photo posted by @__oursouterhome__ shows a creative way to capitalize on wall space. They installed three LACK Wall Shelves above an existing counter, but this idea is transferrable to just about any unused vertical space you have. If you decide to do this yourself, however, it's a good idea to follow in the original poster's footsteps and purchase some baskets as well. Exposed shelving with a wealth of half-empty bottles quickly becomes a source of visual clutter, even if it's well-maintained.
Sleek entryway table
Entryway tables are usually one of the most simple pieces of furniture we have in our homes, but, despite this, they can get quite expensive. In a TikTok video, however, creator @studioardesie shared a clever Ikea hack allowing you to create your own sleek entryway table on a budget. In it, she uses three LACK Wall Shelves to mimic the look of a simple wood entryway table. Three shelves are the simplest shopping list if you intend to do this, but you could also purchase some simple tall legs and one shelf if you wanted more flexibility.
Minimalistic vanity
If you spend time every morning doing your makeup or styling your hair, installing a vanity is one of the simplest ways to elevate your daily routine. Unfortunately, however, many of the options on the market are expensive, take up a large amount of space, or both. This solution from @our_melrose_home on Instagram eliminates that problem with three simple pieces. As it turns out, you can turn just about anything into a vanity if you add a mirror and a place to sit, and the Ikea LACK Wall Shelf, while typically used to display items, can easily function as a slim tabletop to hold cosmetics.
Floating display shelves
It's not uncommon for people to want to collect and display items that are near and dear to their heart, whether that be shoes, character figurines, or sports paraphernalia, but those rare pieces that you spent months scouring resale websites to find won't look nearly as impressive on a cluttered shelf. Instead, try something like user @rxcckky shared in a TikTok video to allow each of your pieces to shine. He used four small LACK Wall Shelves and a bit of LED puck lighting to create a display that quite literally spotlights a few of his favorite pairs of kicks.
Floating bedside table
Bedside tables are landing places for charging phones, midnight glasses of water, and before-bed reads, but if you don't have a ton of space in your bedroom or would rather stick with a minimal aesthetic, finding the perfect nightstand can get frustrating. If there aren't any tables catching your eye, take a page out of Instagram user @jess_home5's book and use a LACK Wall Shelf instead. It's low-profile but still functional, and you'll be left with a ton of free space underneath to stack books or store slippers without legs getting in the way.
Faux marble coffee table
Incorporating marble pieces into your home's interiors is a great way to bring some natural pattern and texture to a space, but this material is often quite expensive. In a TikTok video, creator @dear.fey learned this the hard way after finding a coffee table she loved that was priced at over $5,000. Instead of shelling out the big bucks, however, she combined a Lack Table Top and Eket Cube, then covered them both in faux marble contact paper. This same thought process can also be applied to other DIYs. If you're not a fan of the color or finish, contact paper is your best friend.
Open closet shelving
Closet space, especially if you're a fashion lover, is an absolutely essential part of a home. Unfortunately, many floor plans don't offer much room, leading many to transform an existing area into a makeshift dressing room. If you plan to go with this option, look to creator @theorajaz's TikTok video for some advice. She installed six of the LACK wall shelves in 43 inches in a corner of her storage room to act as an elevated shoe rack. In a later TikTok, she reveals that these shelves can hold a major collection of shoes — about five or six pairs per shelf.
Laundry room storage
Organizing your laundry room is one of the easiest ways to make an otherwise frustrating chore more enjoyable, but many laundry rooms lack the shelving or space to be able to do so properly. This Instagram post from @caterina_immobile_home_stylist, however, proves that you don't need much to completely transform the look of your laundry room and take advantage of the space you have available. This poster installed a few of the LACK Wall Shelves along two walls of the room, meeting them in the corner, and installed some LED lighting that's both functional and aesthetically pleasing.