DIY Living Room Storage Ideas To Give Your Home A Customized Look

A tidy living room is much nicer to relax in, and having enough storage space is key to keeping your sitting room neat. From bookcases to shelves, there are a lot of products to get the job done. But if you want living room storage that looks and feels customized, it can be better (and cheaper) to make your own. So, we've rounded up some versatile and customizable DIY ideas.

From simple shelves to storage ottomans, the projects on this list are both stylish and practical. We chose a variety of ideas so you can create items that suit your needs and space. The ideas on this list can also be tailored to any living room look with your choice of stains, paints, fabrics, and more. They're not too difficult to make either, with most only requiring basic tools. So, check out these living room storage DIYs to help you make the most of your space.

A simple DIY wooden pallet shelf can add rustic storage to your room and is a straightforward project that's suitable for new woodworkers. If you can find a free wood pallet, it's incredibly affordable to make too. And while this video shows how to build one with a variety of wood shop tools, you can create one with hand tools if that's more your comfort level. A handsaw like the Irwin Hand Saw will work to cut down the pieces, and you can hold it together with brackets like the Everbilt Corner Brace.

This DIY side table has hidden and kid-friendly storage, and it's made using a decorative plastic planter topped with a tray. This video from @simplynoelledesigns shows how to make the table with a pizza tray. However, there are other options that might work as well. For example, consider the Winco Round Fiberglass Tray or a nice wood option like the Creative Co-Op Store Round Decorative Wood Tray. Just make sure the diameter matches your chosen planter. To ensure a good fit, you can buy the tray beforehand and take it to your local hardware store to find a suitable planter.

Create a storage space for books that is also super eye-catching. From afar, it almost looks like the books are floating along the wall. But it's not magic, it's a repurposed plate rack (in particular, the HBlife Teak Dish Rack). The rack is screwed into the wall, but you can achieve a renter-friendly version by attaching the racks using large Command Picture Hanging Strips. Just keep the weight limit in mind when you're adding books. Besides looking stylish, moving your library to the walls clears up more space elsewhere on living room shelves or bookcases.

Transforming an IKEA unit is one way to get the look of built-in storage but for a more affordable price. This project idea is beginner-friendly but can make your living room storage look a lot more elegant. The DIYer in the video uses the BESTÅ Shelf unit with doors from IKEA paired with a set of BESTÅ legs, though you can use a range of other IKEA units. Then, attach molding to the front to hide the gap between the sideboard and the floor. The unit also comes in colors like dark grey and black-brown if you want a more dramatic vibe. Find a paint shade to match the unit's color and coat the trim to match — or utilize this trick for painting IKEA furniture's difficult surfaces and cover the whole install in the exact hue of your choice.

This magazine rack provides a chic spot to place magazines, books, and more. For the frame, you'll use some copper pipe and an adhesive like Original Gorilla Glue to hold them together. You'll also need your fabric of choice and a product like Krazy Fix Fabric Glue to attach it to the frame. The finished project is small, so it doesn't offer a lot of storage space, but it looks nice and is perfect for holding your in-progress reads next to your favorite armchair. The copper pipe adds a nice industrial touch and you can customize the project by choosing the fabric color or pattern. Don't have many magazines? You can also use the magazine rack as a stylish way to store extra blankets.

Your favorite blankets can double as decor with this storage wall idea. This DIY displays your throws instead of tossing them in a basket, but it doesn't have a footprint like a blanket ladder. All it takes is your choice of towel rack. So, you have lots of options to choose from, ranging from modern racks like the Moen Genta LX Matte Black Towel Rack to more rustic designs like the Wooden Towel Bar from the Craft Kitties Store. 

A blanket ladder is an easy DIY build for a new woodworker and provides you with a spot to store your blankets in the living room. It's renter-friendly too! This video from @mombehinditall_ugc shows one of the easiest ways to make your own blanket ladder. The project uses pieces of wood already pre-cut at the hardware store held together with screws. Once you've built one, check out some ways to style your blanket ladder.

This project requires more effort, but it's well worth it for those who want a floor-to-ceiling built-in unit. It starts with IKEA bookshelves, and in this particular video, they use different sizes of the IKEA BILLY bookcase. Pieces of 2-by-4, trim, and plywood or MDF create the built-in look by covering up any gaps between and around the bookshelves. You'll need to customize the layout to your living room space, but IKEA's BILLY Planner can help. The arch detail is optional; it can look just as beautiful without it. You will need a jigsaw or other larger saw to cut your plywood or MDF planks (it will be difficult to do with a handsaw), so this is a bigger project that requires a bit more DIY skills.

This behind-the-couch console table gives you a spot to store small items you often use in the living room, like your TV remote and phone charger. A video from @lita.dieterlen shows a straightforward process to build one that you can adjust to your couch's measurements. Then, paint or stain the finished table to your liking. To create a charging station that looks built-in, cut a hole and insert a recessed outlet (like the Vilong Recessed Power Strip). You can also use the gap under the tabletop and behind your couch to stash lesser-used items, like extra pillows and throw blankets.

These storage frames show one gorgeous way to create hidden vaults for small items. The compact size means they don't hold much, but they are a charming-looking addition for storing small knick-knacks, remotes, and the like. You can also repurpose this DIY to hide less attractive fixtures on your living room wall, like thermostats or doorbell chimes. Just omit the interior shelves to do so. Plus, the size of the project is easily customizable, as is the art you choose for the front.

Transform cubes like the IKEA EKET Cabinet into a spacious storage bench. You can add or take away cubes to adjust the size accordingly and there are several colors to choose from too. Framing the bench out is necessary if you want to use it as seating; don't trust the cubes themselves to hold much weight. There are a few uses for the finished project, including as a storage coffee table or as a low console unit under a wall-mounted TV.

This DIY swivel storage bin has a distinctive look that will suit eclectic and mid-century modern living rooms. You can make your own using cylindrical gift boxes or large plastic buckets with the right tools (bits like the KATA Hole Saw Set combined with your drill should do the trick). It's the painting and decorating that makes this storage bin your own, and we love the idea of using the top tray section to hold plants, either real or imitation.

There are a lot of clever IKEA KALLAX DIYs out there as the affordable shelf is just a great base for home projects. A decidedly genius one that can add extra stashing space to a living room is an IKEA KALLAX coffee table with hidden storage. It involves turning the shelf on its side and attaching legs (like SmartStandard's 6-inch Hairpin Table Legs) and a hinged table top to create a coffee table. You can paint the piece any color that looks best in your space, and the storage cubbies inside will help you keep living room items organized.

Storage baskets can cost a pretty penny if you're looking for trendy options. Build your own, no sewing skills needed, with this project idea from @_vinalu_. They use the IKEA SORTSÖ Rug as the base fabric, but you can choose any thick fabric that can somewhat hold its shape. In this video, hot glue holds the material together. But a fabric adhesive (like the HeatnBond UltraHold Iron-On Adhesive), or even better, a couple of stitches, may make the seams much sturdier. The end project is a flexible decorative basket that you can use for storing magazines, blankets, and toys.

A charming project for farmhouse living rooms, this video shows how you can transform a wooden crate into a rolling ottoman, complete with storage. You'll want to start with a base like the Good Wood by Leisure Arts Wooden Crate. Then, decide if you want to leave the wood natural or paint it before attaching wheels like this Apllamo Set of 4 Vintage Casters to the bottom. The top is made using a piece of MDF or plywood, cushion stuffing, and your choice of fabric, which gives you lots of opportunities for customization.

This DIY idea isn't just easy, it's cheap and eco-friendly as well. Reuse your cardboard boxes to make stylish storage containers that are great for hiding clutter on a living room shelf or bookcase. It's simple to create by gluing your choice of rope directly to the cardboard box. For a custom look, use a material like Country Craft Store's Twisted Cotton Rope which comes in tons of colors, to create a pattern. Or, you can glue your choice of fabric to the sides of the box if a rope basket isn't your style.

Improve organization in your living room with these small but stylish wall-mounted drawers. You wouldn't even know that the piece is made out of the very affordable IKEA MOPPE Mini Storage Chest at first glance. The striped design really elevates the look of the unit, but you can create your own pattern using stencils like Sunverse's Geometric Set. The smaller drawers are great for knick-knacks and tiny items, and the larger drawers may be used to fit remotes, cables, and other living room clutter.

It can feel daunting to install a full wall of shelving, but this video from @africanboheme makes the process very straightforward. Instead of traditional shelves, they use picture ledges (like the MÅLERÅS line from IKEA), which are shallower. They take up less space in small living rooms and have a gorgeous look. Each picture ledge is mounted individually, and the bracket pieces are completely decorative to make the shelving look more built-in. For a more modern look, use ledges like Boswillon's Wall-Mounted Shelves in black or grey, and paint the decorative brackets to match.

You can use IKEA KALLAX shelves to create a storage-filled bar table. We like the placement behind the couch that's shown in this video. This spot is a great idea for open apartments that have an attached living and dining area, where the couch is being used to separate the space. A tabletop makes the shelves look more like a seating area rather than a row of storage cubbies. Then, fill the shelves with plants, decorative accents, or containers like the JCLD&YO9 Foldable Handwoven Water Hyacinth Storage Baskets or IKEA's BRANÄS Baskets (which are a perfect fit for the KALLAX units, but cost more) for hidden storage.

It's possible to make this hanging living room storage pocket using budget-friendly Dollar Tree materials: in particular, a circular wooden sign and Crafter's Square Synthetic Leather. However, if you want a more substantial storage piece that can hold things like blankets or gaming devices, you can make a bigger version with larger materials from a hardware store. To store heavier items, consider using a few nails to attach the leather panel onto the wood instead of just adhering it with glue.

Add a bit of decorative and unobtrusive storage with this custom, slim wall shelf ledge, made using baseboard and molding pieces. It makes for an excellent spot for paintings and pictures, but of course, you can use it to store small items too. It's a great way to create a little more storage space, without crowding a tight living room. Plus, the decorative layer can be customized to fit your home's style. For example, you can use scalloped trim for country or Victorian spaces.

Renters and budget DIYers will appreciate this simple and cheap project. You can build a nice-looking shelf using concrete cinder blocks (like the Cored Concrete Block, which only costs a couple of dollars from Lowe's) and planks of wood that fit within the gaps. Aside from its low price, the best part of this project is its flexibility. You can create your own layout with the modular pieces. It also doesn't require mounting and is so simple to take apart and move, which is music to the ears of renters. While you can use this shelf to display decorative items, it can also be a hardworking storage piece that can house more utilitarian items, especially if you add some cubes and baskets. 

This project is a very similar idea, but uses breeze blocks instead of plain cinder blocks. This landscaping material has a more decorative look, and the Tesselle Starlight White Cement Breeze Block is one such example. These blocks tend to be a little pricier, but it's worth it if you like their look. The finished project is still very simple to build. Since the shelves are just stacked on the blocks, you might want to add some glue between the layers to keep it stable. The Gorilla 8010003 Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive is a good choice that bonds to both wood and concrete. If you want this piece to offer some concealed storage, simply pop in a row of appropriately-sized bins, boxes, or cube organizers, such as these Ebigic Small Storage Bins, or the R Runka Small Cotton Rope Storage Baskets (for the baskets, you will need to place them lengthways for a perfect fit).

Equal parts stylish and practical, these wall-mounted racks are as much of a decor statement as they are a storage solution. Their size and shape are best for storing books and magazines, though they'll also look lovely as a record holder or a blanket rack. This video from @the_avantgarde shows how beginner-friendly this project is, and it's very easy to cut the square dowel pieces with a handsaw. The miter box isn't even necessary unless you want the angled joints, which just gives the finished rack a slightly more polished look.

This project idea is another living room book storage solution that's sure to be a conversation starter. Thanks to the clever design, it looks like the books are floating beneath the shelf. However, lengths of elastic are the simple secret to this illusion. The easiest way to make this DIY is to buy a pre-made shelf, then use a heavy-duty staple gun to attach pieces of elastic measured to your books. Of course, the top of the shelf itself is very useful in its own right, but the hanging book section allows the shelf to store even more.

If you want to add some shelving to an empty corner, this is one way to do so. This project from @sunnymommycreations uses 1-by-2s to make a corner slat system. You can place shelves between the slats and adjust their height to your desire. It's possible to make the shelves larger too; just adjust the length (and depth, if needed) of the wall-mounted slats to compensate. This video from @blackgoldgs shows an example of how you can alter the size and layout of this project.