Take A Fan-Favorite IKEA Spice Rack From Basic To Unique With A Beautiful DIY

When IKEA's Bekvam Spice Rack came on the scene, creatives and DIYers lit up the internet with creative hacks and ideas to repurpose the now-classic kitchen implement for uses all over the house. Used in the entryway, the clever IKEA BEKVAM spice rack hack is a genius solution for organizing keys and sunglasses. In bathrooms, it was repurposed as a towel rack and candle holder. And while we absolutely agree this adaptable shelf and bar combo has a litany of uses, we also love the opportunity it presents to add a little personality and creativity to an otherwise basic — albeit functional — organizational piece.

Paint and stain, of course, will have a profound influence on the general vibe of your rack. Bright, bold colors will speak to an eclectic spirit, while staining the wood a deep walnut color will bring more of a vintage library feel. You could even decoupage the outside for a personal-to-you touch. But perhaps the most profound change you can make to the aesthetic of your spice rack is to amalgamate other elements. Frame in the shelf element and give yourself additional storage and a place for decorative paint or organizational labels. Mount wooden balls to the shelf or hang one above the other and style them as floating living room shelves to create a beautiful design element.

Whether as decorative shelves or functional storage, your spice racks will only be elevated by the addition of some custom design touches. Decoupage old maps, letters, or sheet music onto the rack. You could even attach lace. Or DIY your rack into beautiful rustic shelving for your kitchen by adding hook screws and hanging antique kitchen implements. 

Adhere beads or twine along the edges of the shelf or simply add a touch of color with paint. Leaving the rest of your spice rack in a natural wood color and painting just the crossbar or shelf edge in one of your home's feature colors will give your piece an idiosyncratic, custom look. Add more storage — and more space to design — by framing the shelf portion with a wood box. Give it a unique style by staining everything except the front edge. Cover that portion in black chalkboard paint and add black hooks to the cross bar for key storage. Write the names of the owners of the keys above their respective hook, and you'll have a trendy, black, and wood-styled organizational piece. 

Alternatively, mount wood balls on the corners or edges of the shelf to create another place from which to hang a purse or jacket. Glue some metal binder clips to the rail for a place to leave notes for your housemates, or display some of your favorite photos. Or, use the clips to attach the family calendar to the cross bar. Although in this case, you'd want to mount the rack upside down and backwards, so that the crossbar sits flush against your wall. Hang one rack above the other and use a pair of old belts or leather straps to add an industrial, steampunk vibe.

Getting creative with your spice rack is just another opportunity to showcase your character and style in your home. And, because it's so versatile, it can be repurposed as a bookshelf for added entryway storage or used in your family's command center. All you need is a little creative spark to make this wonder of function a beautiful part of your home decor.