The IKEA Cabinet An Interior Designer Can't Live Without

Known for easy-to-follow building instructions and minimalist elegance, IKEA sells more than just "Lego sets for adults," as my husband is fond of saying. Some IKEA furniture attracts the attention of interior designers, too. Most recently, IKEA's BESTÅ storage system has gained praise online for its versatile design.

TikTok influencer @carmenjavierco, who owns an interior design business in Vancouver, included the BESTÅ system in a recent video countdown of the best IKEA furniture. "There [are] so many configurations," she notes. "...as you grow and move into a larger space, you can add on additional cabinet modules." Javier mentioned owning BESTÅ furniture herself for the past eight years, which speaks to its durability as well.

Whether you see yourself as an amateur interior designer or you're just looking for affordable storage options that will last you more than a year or two, you may want to check out the BESTÅ furniture for yourself. But what's the consensus among reviewers? Because BESTÅ is a storage system rather than a specific piece of furniture, the specific pros and cons can vary depending on how you configure it. The average review for BESTÅ furniture sits at around 4 out of 5 stars. Let's dive into what reviewers appreciate about this storage system and what leaves more to be desired.

Functionality tends to stand out for reviewers of the BESTÅ storage sets. One reviewer appreciated the "convenient storage that is easy to customize ... I love that we can also further customize it in the future depending on how we decide to use it." Because you can reconfigure the storage system over time, it can adapt along with your style—which is why interior designers appreciate it, too.

Because the colors can be misleading, however, it's best to take a look at a piece in person before you purchase it. Keep this reviewer's frustration in mind as just one example of a recurring issue: "The brown is not a brown color. Once it is delivered it is a blue/grey color ... I reached out to IKEA, and they sent me a new set of 'brown' doors, I opened it and it was still blue/grey."

Also, as anyone who's put IKEA furniture together can tell you, it's not always as seamless as the instructions make it out to be. That's the case with BESTÅ furniture as well, which reviewers note is difficult to assemble properly. "As far as the doors," a reviewer notes, "you have to make sure the hinges are tight. I did have to use a drill bit to open the holes for the screws a bit."