High-End IKEA Hacks and Low-Cost Alternatives

We love us some IKEA hacks! It’s fun (and rewarding) to take a piece of plain-Jane, flat-pack furniture and give it our own DIY pizazz. For example, these 30 IKEA hacks that can jazz up your bedroom. Or these 18 IKEA storage hacks for every room in the house. Lately, however, we’ve noticed that hacking IKEA has become big business, with companies springing up that offer exotic wood fronts, stone and metal countertops, cool hardware and brass-tipped legs that take the furniture to a whole new level. The sleek, clean designs are swoon-worthy, but they come at a cost that’s enough to make us feel faint, too. Here is a look at the companies that are making high-end finishes to fit IKEA pieces — and some DIYers who have been able to achieve a tony look for less.

1. Doors

Superfront is one of the latest manufacturers to come along, offering very high-end finishes to fit IKEA furniture. The Swedish company makes fronts, handles, legs, sides and tops (including marble and limestone) that fit Ikea’s most common boxes — from Pax wardrobes to kitchen doors and drawer fronts to Besta sideboards and cabinets — some in beautiful pastel colors, such as mint green and grannie pink. The site even accepts PayPal, however, currently only handles and legs can be shipped to the U.S. (Via Superfront)

Ashley Rose at Sugar and Cloth achieved a color-block effect on her Besta cabinet doors using plain old paint and shellac. (Via Sugar and Cloth)

Danish company Reform is collaborating with top Danish design studios to manufacture fronts and tops that fit many popular IKEA lines, from kitchen cabinets to Pax closets to Besta entertainment systems. Their Basis line has clever cutouts, so no hardware is required. Tops are made of beautiful woods, metals or concrete. (Via Basis/Reform)

Molly over at Almost Makes Perfect, achieved the high-end waterfall look on her floating credenza by using a length of good-quality walnut, cut to fit. (Via Almost Makes Perfect)

Another design offered by Reform in collaboration with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) features unique door pulls — loops made of a material similar to that of seatbelt straps. (Via BIG/Reform)

Superfront’s Loop handle is similar, but comes in leather with gleaming brass hardware. (Via Superfront)

Amanda over at Amanda Katherine achieved a similar leather look for less by dying some Hobby Lobby leather straps and affixing them with industrial-weight hex bolts. You could also use brass hexes, or hit them up with some Rub ‘n’ Buff to give them a brass look. (Via Amanda Katherine)

2. Brass

If you love the brass hardware, faucets and finishes that these design firms are showing and you want to DIY, check out Elsie and Emma’s guide The How, What, Why on Metal Plating at A Beautiful Mess. If it’s a fixture or door pull that you will be touching often, spray paint is going start to look shabby over time. It pays to have certain fixtures professionally plated. (Via A Beautiful Mess)

3. Slipcovers

Comfort Works offers slipcovers that fit many styles of IKEA upholstered furniture pieces. Choose from an array of fabrics and trim colors. Nothing says “high-end upholstery” like contrast piping. (Via Comfort Works)

Brynne Delerson of The Gathered Home, gave her second-hand IKEA chairs new life by painting them off-white, using a mix of paint and fabric medium. Then she sewed on contrast piping for a stunning effect. (Via The Gathered Home)

4. Legs & Feet

Changing the feet and legs on IKEA furniture can be an easy but amazing transformation. Pretty Pegs is one company that manufactures legs that are designed to fit common IKEA pieces. Their mid-century style brass-tipped feet run about $150 for four. (Via Pretty Pegs)

Nadia over at Preciously Me, fashioned her mid-century style legs using some tapered wooden legs that she found at a hardware store, stained them walnut, then applied gold adhesive contact paper to achieve a “brass caps” look. Ingenious!

Got a high-end hack for less to share? Tag us on Instagram @britandco.