The Budget-Friendly IKEA Shoe Storage Hack That'll Instantly Declutter Your Space

Most people own at least a few pairs of shoes, each having their own use from hiking and work to fancy events and everyday wear. While shopping for kicks and showing off your latest pair to friends is fun, finding a place to store all of them is less so. This challenge is amplified if you live in a small space or have a family and want to have an attractive yet handy shoe storage solution. Fortunately, with this clever IKEA shoe storage hack, you can easily keep your shoes at the ready without putting them on display. It even offers a built-in place to store keys, sunglasses, earbuds, and the like.

The centerpiece of this DIY project is the TRONES wall-mounted shoe storage cabinet from IKEA, available for $39.99. The shallow cabinet comes with two tilt-out bins that can each hold multiple pairs of shoes, making it easy to declutter your shoe pile while keeping your favorite pairs right by the door. The project's smart wall-mounted design keeps your floors free of clutter, and it has a slightly recessed area at the top for storing small items and decorations.

This particular DIY entails mounting two sets of TRONES cabinets side by side with a custom wood shelf up top, but we think it would also look good with three sets if you require more storage. The wood (and any decor you choose to add up top) adds a premium look to the setup, and pulls the focus off of the plastic design of the cabinets. What more can you ask for from a simple DIY project?

The TRONES cabinet has plastic bins, which isn't the classiest material, but this DIY offers a simple upgrade that creates a warm, sleek look and makes the whole piece feel more expensive. What's even better is that you can put it in your entryway, bedroom, laundry room, closet, or anywhere else you need accessible but discreet shoe storage.

Once you figure out where you want to place your TRONES cabinets, mark the location on your wall with a pencil. The TRONES ships mostly built, but you will need to tighten a few screws for each bin and then stack them. From there, go ahead and get them mounted to your wall. Lastly, add your wooden board up top. Choose the type of wood you prefer and measure the top of your cabinet setup. Cut the wood down yourself, or get it cut at a home improvement store. Feel free to sand the edges if you like that look and stain it any color you want. The method for mounting the wood onto the TRONES cabinets also doesn't matter; you can glue it to the top of the shelves, or attach it via double-sided tape if you want something less permanent.

From there, it's up to you to decorate. The shelf acts as a great catch-all for keys, mail, glasses, and similar items if you are putting it in your entryway. It is also a fantastic opportunity to dress up the space with photos, mirrors, plants to beautify your entryway, or candles if you want a more refined vibe.

Beyond adding your own twist with decorations, there are infinite other ways to make the IKEA TRONES shoe storage cabinet your own. For one, you could make a more intricate shelf design beyond the basic plank by making it longer on the sides, or giving it a small frame to help make sure none of your things fall off. You could also opt to paint it a bold color, or a color that matches your nearby decor for a more tied-together look.

Likewise, you are also free to paint the IKEA cabinet itself. Make each bin a different color, paint designs on them, or choose to paint them to match your wall color or primary furniture color. Since most of IKEA's furniture comes in neutral tones (and all too often, just white), they are perfect candidates for painting if you know the trick to painting IKEA furniture's difficult surfaces: choosing a primer and paint that stick to plastic. If you are not super into involved DIY projects and have more room in your budget for a shoe storage solution, IKEA has some pretty wooden options with a similar design, like the STÄLL. These cabinets are incredibly versatile and can store more items than just your shoes, like dog leashes, purses, vinyl records, and more.