Brilliant IKEA Kallax DIYs That Prove It's The Most Versatile Piece In-Store

IKEA is well-known for its reasonable prices, simplistic design style, and build-it-yourself business model that requires you to assemble your own IKEA furniture, but this brand's widespread popularity can, ironically, detract from its appeal. Many customers are interested in a piece of furniture due to its low price point, but they need something to more specifically fit their needs or that will make their item stand out from the millions of people who have purchased the same thing. That's where the world of IKEA hacks comes in, and the versatile Kallax is the perfect canvas to get started on your DIY journey.

This collection of shelves and shelf inserts is available on IKEA's website in various sizes and slightly different iterations, with prices ranging from $34.99 for a shelf unit with one cube to $434.99 for a massive shelf unit with 10 inserts. The Kallax design is incredibly basic and can be flipped and altered fairly easily. The versatile collection is much less expensive than other shelves on the market, and there are plenty of options for sizes and inserts that you can buy to fit your space and the shelf's intended purpose. Combine all those factors, and you're left with a piece that's the perfect candidate for a creative flip.

Sometimes, all you need is a change in perspective, and this transformation shared by @do.it.yourself.mum on TikTok proves that this is true. Instead of using a four-shelf Kallax shelf unit as intended, she flipped it horizontally on its side, gave it a coat of paint, added a piece of wood to act as a seat on the top, and finished everything off with some molding. If you're planning to do something similar in your own space, don't be afraid to get creative with the hack. Everything from the color of the paint to the material used as the seat can be customized to fit your home's look and your own personal style.

If you're looking for a way to personalize your Kallax shelving unit without having to get your hands dirty, look no further than IKEA's shelf inserts. These add-on items are designed to fit perfectly into your shelf and provide an extra level of functionality. TikToker @lifeatolddenehouse shared how she used the Kvissle letter tray and the Kallax insert with one shelf to transform her shelving setup into something more useful for a playroom. But there are plenty of different options to fit your needs, from the Kallax insert for bottles if you're in need of a home bar to the Kallax insert with [a] door for hiding away clutter.

Fluted cabinetry is an easy way to bring some interest to a room without having to rely on color, so this popular design trend is a great option if you're looking to create a more minimalist space that will never go out of style without veering into clinical territory. The only problem? Fluted furniture pieces can get expensive. This DIY, shared by Kristen McGowan on TikTok, bypasses that problem and instead uses a base of the IKEA Kallax shelf unit with eight cubes to save some money. McGowan adds Kallax inserts with doors onto the shelves, fluting on the facade (with handles), and feet below to create a completely transformed piece.

Bedframes that have built-in storage have become a commonplace design feature because of their utilization of an otherwise-forgotten space, but adding a few drawers on a fairly simple bedframe design can cause the price to inflate substantially. If you're willing to get more creative, however, you can DIY your own platform bed using Kallax shelving units. In a video shared by @ikealiving on TikTok, the creator arranges two one-by-three Kallax shelving units together for the head of the bed (for a total of six cubes), then adds three one-by-four Kallax units to form the mattress frame. This configuration leaves two cubes open at the head of the bed, which serve as nightstands. After connecting everything and installing a few beams for the mattress, they have a bed that looks like it came from the store.

If your home has a gap under the stairs and you aren't sure what to do with such an awkward and cramped space, consider creating some understairs storage like @houseproject_36 shared in her TikTok video. In this video, she used wheels to modify a Kallax shelf to roll out of the area and be more easily accessible, covered it in shiplap to fit the angle of the space under the stairs, and installed a second Kallax that she cut at an angle to use as exposed shelving. After adding some molding and a coat of paint, it looks like an expensive built-in without the hefty price tag.

Tiling has been taking over as a way to add some durable texture to surfaces, but buying tiled furniture pieces directly from the store can be expensive, especially considering how trendy the look is currently. Luckily, doing it yourself is fairly simple and inexpensive, and TikTok user @popyjama showed exactly how to pull off this DIY. All you need is a one-cube Kallax shelf unit, some sheets of tile, grout, and an optional Kallax insert with [a] door. In the video, the creator uses white tile and white grout, but don't be afraid to explore different colors and materials for this Kallax hack to create your own look.

The internet is brimming with creative home bar ideas, so it's no surprise someone decided to use a Kallax shelving unit to create their own space to mix drinks. In her TikTok video, @theflippedpiece starts with a two-cube Kallax shelf unit and installs some fiberboard backing to close it off. She then adds some trim, uses some plywood to make a wine glass holder, installs legs, and gives everything a coat of paint to create a cabinet that's almost unrecognizable. If you plan to do this hack yourself, however, be careful when mixing and pouring. The Kallax is made of particleboard, so it's not particularly water-resistant.

One of the most important parts of establishing a productive office at home is proper storage, and TikToker @dosterpaperco shared how you can streamline your home office space with a Kallax. She began with two 12-cube Kallax shelving units, then installed 24 of the Kallax inserts with four shelves, resulting in a whopping 96 spaces to separate papers, which in this case housed the prints @dosterpaperco sells through her small business. Though this Kallax hack was dreamed up for a home office, it could also work for a teacher who needs to store graded assignments or anyone who handles a lot of documents.