The Very Best IKEA Transformations We’ve Seen All Year
We’re not sure which we love more: IKEA or the chain’s brilliant shoppers who constantly figure out new ways to surprise us. (You know who you are!) Although this year looked very different in a lot of ways, one thing remained the same: We saw lots of projects featuring IKEA products in smart ways. Of all the before-and-after photos we saw this year, these inspired projects were the absolute best. They show off some of the best ways IKEA fans have transformed spaces — large and small — with a dose of creativity.
Kitchens get more fun and functional (and beautiful!) and even a drink cart gets the flair we all need right now. Let’s take a look.
1. IKEA Creates a Farmhouse-Style Kitchen
IKEA cabinets and a wood countertop helped rescue this non-functional kitchen. Handy homeowners beefed up storage with a pantry built alongside cabinets and pulled everything together with an inky blue new color palette for a kitchen to dream about.
See the transformation: Before & After: A $3,000 Kitchen Redo Featuring IKEA Cabinets and a New Farmhouse Style
2. IKEA Fixes a Builder-Grade Kitchen
This luxe, black-and-white kitchen reno — done in just three weeks! — stars everything good and functional about IKEA, plus some splurge-worthy extras. This kitchen got a massive makeover for a (relatively) modest $12,000. Not that expensive, considering all the changes that were made!
See the transformation: Before & After: This Small, Builder-Grade Kitchen Gets a Major, IKEA-Filled Upgrade
A dark and cramped kitchen (only 75 square feet!) gets a bright, eclectic new life, thanks to IKEA cabinets with oh-so-pretty Semi-handmade doors, and a creative use of low-cost but high-quality materials. The new kitchen looks like an entirely new space.
See the transformation: Before & After: A Dark 75-Square-Foot Kitchen Is Now Modern and Bright, Thanks to IKEA Cabinets
4. IKEA Wows in an Under-$500 Makeover
This Philly renter pulled out all the IKEA stops (and more clever hacks; hello, contact paper countertops) to transform her drab rental kitchen into a showstopper full of character. Who knew spice racks and spray paint could go so far?
See the transformation: Before & After: This $500 Rental Makeover Was All Possible Thanks to IKEA Hacks and Contact Paper
5. An IKEA Basic Gets Major Flare
An adorable but basic IKEA cabinet gets a serious upgrade (with trendy rattan!) courtesy of this online retailer, no trip to the hardware store needed. Hint: It’s a mini bar now!
See the transformation: This Company Made All of My IKEA Hack Dreams Come True—Without Going to the Hardware Store