Make Your IKEA Trofast Work In Any Room With These Creative DIY Upcycles

IKEA's Trofast line earns rave reviews from parents as a versatile toy storage solution. The affordable line is designed for kids, with frames that are a suitable height for children and bins that are easy to pull out. But if you've cut back on your little one's toy collection or you just want to hack one of these budget-friendly units, there are plenty of other ways to use Trofast storage combinations outside kids' areas. Durable, minimalist frames and an array of removable boxes and shelves make the Trofast line work in pretty much any room. If you don't mind putting in a little extra effort, these units can look downright stylish with a few easy hacks.

We've included a range of Trofast hacks on this list. Some are as simple as swapping out or decorating the boxes to give your unit a whole new look, sans tools. Others require a few simple tools to turn a Trofast into something else entirely. For a simple upcycle, first check out the whole Trofast series: swapping out the bins for a storage tray, mesh box, or shelf is one easy and incredibly low-effort way to upcycle a Trofast unit. Also, consider pairing different Trofast frame types or taking advantage of one of the line's wall units to create your own customized shelving wall. With so many great options, it's possible to add storage beyond the playroom with these IKEA Trofast hacks.

One of the reasons why the IKEA Trofast line is so popular is because it has a simple design — it can easily be adapted for other rooms, even without altering the unit itself. This video shows one example of how to decorate a Trofast for the living room. The key is to choose the right materials and colors to make it suit your living room color scheme, and then adding decor on top so it looks in place. When using the plastic bins, we find the pine material looks the most upscale and adult, plus the pine material is also the easiest to paint. Consider swapping out the plastic bins for mesh boxes if that better suits your space. The stepped Trofast adds more visual interest for decorating than the standard frames. As an important finishing touch, make sure to add plants and other living room decor around and on top of the Trofast unit to make it fit nicely into your living room.

The IKEA Trofast makes for excellent produce storage, and the tall, slim units are particularly great for sliding into small kitchen or pantry nooks. Pair the frame with green mesh baskets to get an earthy appearance that suits this job. You can place veggies, fruits, and other pantry staples in a Trofast, and the bins will keep items nicely organized. Plus, the mesh material allows air flow to keep your produce fresh. Consider mounting your Trofast unit on wheels to create movable kitchen storage.

This DIY project creates a rotating bookshelf using a Trofast frame, Bekväm spice racks, a lazy susan, and an MDF panel. While this project uses a jigsaw to cut the MDF to size, you can still make a similar unit if you don't have this tool at home. One option is to shop from a hardware store that can cut the wood to size for you. Or you can look for a suitably-sized pre-cut panel, wooden cutting board, or even attach the unit directly to a lazy susan (keeping in mind that a lazy susan might not match the Trofast shape perfectly). There's no need to make your own shelves — IKEA sells Trofast shelving. A power drill really simplifies putting the project together (and it will make it more secure too), but it's also possible to hold the pieces together using wood glue.

Trofast's shorter shelves are the perfect height for toddlers (after all, they are built for kids). Their small frame is excellent for making an accessible closet for young kids. This video shows just how easy this project is: all it takes is a couple of tension curtain rods, which you place across the top section of a Trofast unit. Use kid's clothes hangers, which will fit better inside the unit. You can then use your choice of bins or shelves for the other slots.

Decals are the easiest way to add personality to Trofast bins, and you can use a range of items to decorate your own. Stickers, decals, contact paper, and even wallpaper can be used to decorate these bins. These options will stick much better on plastic compared to wire mesh, so it's an excellent option if you want to upcycle your current plastic tubs. Consider the color scheme of the room that you plan to place the Trofast in, and choose complementary colors for your decals.

With the help of three Trofast units, you can create plentiful corner storage for any room. This hack shows how to place two same-height Trofast units together to create a corner shelf. It then uses a smaller unit on top to cover up the empty space created by the two bottom units. You will lose easy access to one space in the bottom Trofast unit with this configuration. But if you don't mount the units in place, you can also use this space as hidden storage. 

There's no extra construction required for this DIY — it just involves placing a stepped Trofast unit in your space with a slanted ceiling. Whether it's in an attic, a cupboard under the stairs, or another closet space, a Trofast unit might let you take advantage of this difficult area. For taller spaces, stack a stepped unit on top of a short Trofast shelf to fill the space. Just make sure to measure your area to ensure the Trofast shelf or shelves fit. Of course, you can also paint the units to match your closet interior.