A Cozy IKEA KALLAX Hack Doubles This Kitchen’s Storage (And Looks So Luxe!)

IKEA’s KALLAX shelving units aren’t just great, cost-effective storage solutions: With their neat, rounded corners and various sizing options, IKEA KALLAX bookshelves are great, hackable DIY finds that you can customize in different spaces in your home for all different needs and uses. And this latest KALLAX transformation will convince you to try it in your kitchen.

In a video first posted in January of 2023, TikTok user Kayleigh (@do.it.yourself.mum) shared how she turned two humble, hardworking KALLAX units into a gorgeous, space-saving kitchen island and breakfast bar. The TikToker has made a name for herself for transforming the KALLAX into dozens of different upcycled furniture and decor pieces, but to me, this kitchen island makeover really steals the show. 

For the project, she used two eight-shelf KALLAX units, which you can buy on IKEA.com. She painted the white unit a deep navy color (in a separate Instagram post she shared that the paint was gifted to her from the paint company Frenchic and she mixed Frenchic’s “Hornblower” and “Loof” to get the navy color she wanted).

Next, Kayleigh added a thick slab of wood to the top of the unit to provide a larger surface area for cooking, prepping, and eating. To top off the project, she added matching wooden trim along the bottom of the KALLAX unit and used reclaimed wood scaffolding boards to serve as sliding doors.

The finished product is a gorgeous and cozy, eye-catching kitchen island that doubles the space in her kitchen.

“Wow!!!!” one TikToker commented on Kayleigh’s video. “I love the color and wood!!! Great!!! 👌❤️😍👍”

“Omg I need you to come and spend a day at my house!” another commenter wrote.

IKEA’s KALLAX units range in price from $24.99 for a single shelf unit to $324.99 for a full shelving unit with 10 drawer inserts. KALLAX shelves come in shades of black-brown, gray/wood, white, high-gloss white, and white stained oak. 

If Kayleigh’s video taught me anything, it’s that you should never be afraid to spruce up your IKEA finds with pops of color that suit your space.

She dedicated the project to her sons, writing on her Instagram page: “Both boys were talking like they were teenagers and if I’m honest it was a load of rubbish what they were saying … but it put a smile on my face knowing that not only did I create two amazing boys, but I also made the furniture that brought us all together for that one meal and silly talk.”

This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: A Cozy IKEA KALLAX Hack Doubles This Kitchen’s Storage (It Looks So Luxe!)