Want to turn a simple store-bought cabinet into a custom built-in? “Hacking” something already made is much easier than creating something from scratch. really custom in the end. Built-in storage is useful everywhere (especially in small homes – but really anywhere). floor to ceiling closet in our bedroom, Added desk and bookshelf In our son’s room, and a wall of media cabinets our family room made such a difference. But one built-in I rarely mention since adding and upgrading is the Ikea Bestas, which sits adjacent to the fireplace.
The good news is that we only took a few fairly simple steps to make it look much more custom than it does on the IKEA showroom floor.
Why I chose Ikea Bestas
The photo above is the view directly across from the bed. You may be reminded by the inspirational photos below. This was taken shortly after we moved in and was still in the middle of unpacking. Literally like THE THICK.
Upon full unpacking, it became apparent that this area needed adequate storage space on either side of the fireplace. We knew some sort of cabinet would fit snugly next to the fireplace and just below those windows, adding a lot of hidden storage while not taking up too much floor space. Well, what we had on hand wasn’t going to cut it for long:
Lucky for you, IKEA’s Besta system is on sale 47 inch wide cabinet It fits almost perfectly in the 50″ space on the left (I added a few filler pieces for a wall to wall look, more on that later). Combined with some basic legs, Besta’s height also fits perfectly under each window. So it was basically easy to start with them and add custom details for a built-in look. our holiday decorations Post that year. This is a photo from the time, minus the actual holiday decorations.
At this point they weren’t really “built in”, they just sat there. However, we were very grateful to have gained more hidden storage, so we were in no hurry with the rest of the mods. Because it shows how the same basic cabinet can look upgraded with just a little extra work.
Over the next year it took on a more customized look. And now I can’t even imagine it looking like the two photos above.
The reason the right side doesn’t end with a wall is because we haven’t added a wall yet. However, one day I plan to make a bathroom at the end of the built-in. It ends on the wall and looks perfectly balanced from the bedroom.
How to customize Bestas
There are many ways to “hack” an IKEA piece and make it your own. Painting, adding trim, installing hardware, installing wallpaper, and more. But for these, he just did three simple things to give it a more cohesive look. :
- Added baseboard
- Added filler trim on the sides
- Added butcher block counter
Adding filler trim and baseboards
We’ve covered adding filler trim and baseboards to IKEA pieces a few times in other built-in projects. Our son’s nursery built-in again our walk-in closet For more specific step-by-step instructions for that process, (I’ll walk you through the entire process – I promise you’ll definitely be able to do it).
The main thing to remember – I’ve labeled the following when running our last closet – Two layers of filler trim may need to be considered. The bottom layer is fixed to the side of the cabinet box, and the top layer is placed on top of it, level with the door.
That way, when the door is closed, it should look something like this – the filler piece should be level with the front of the door.
To add the baseboard, I used the same baseboard and quadrant trim that I have around the rest of the room and literally nailed it to the basic square legs that came with Bestas. !
After installing the filler pieces and baseboards, I caulked all the seams and nail holes and then painted everything. The ‘IKEA White’ paint color matching worked well (although even IKEA doesn’t use the same white on all pieces). For these, I found the wall color (SW Pure White) to be close enough, so I used that.
Adding butcher block counters
you’ve now seen us use This butcher block countertop Materials for the other two projects – Our utility closet makeover and DIY wooden nightstand ――But actually, this is the first place Vesta used! I thought it would be a great way to give these cabinets a more custom look, as they are chunky and the color matches the floor so well.
we are our circular saw cut to size and cutting board oil, Both to protect it and to bring out the color a bit. It dries much lighter than it looks underneath, so don’t panic.
To install, simply screw the top of Besta into the wood (use short screws that go through the top!). Shelley sits on it and I screw up from below (Yes, I know what that sentence sounds like, and I’m waiting for Michael Scott himself to say his famous Office catchphrase. increase). It’s pretty heavy, so it’s pretty solid on its own, but the screws keep it from shifting over time.
Another thing we did was drill holes for various cords.This allowed things like table lamps to pass through the top and plug in underneath. ) but adding these access points for plugs on our countertops was a really nice upgrade. Special 2 inch drill bit Drill a hole (it took some patience to get all the way through the butcher block and the top of Vesta).Once done, I capped it off with these brass desk grommet Make it look neat and professional. Tap it lightly with a rubber mallet to get it in.
The cord just meanders to Vesta, sitting nonchalantly on one of the shelves. You can also see how she drilled a hole in the back of Vesta to access the outlet. Not very pretty, but who cares? It’s hidden inside a cabinet, so you have to crouch about 10 inches off the floor even with the door open.
Speaking of the inside of the cabinet…
What to store in your customized Bestas
Adding these cabinets transformed the storage in this room. It turned the dead space on either side of our fireplace into a very functional place, hiding a lot of things that would otherwise look more messy. , took a closer look at how everything was upgraded in our space and showed you what’s inside (including details on how the lamps are wired):
Note: You can also Watch this video on YouTube.
For those who can’t watch the video, here’s a quick photo tour. The cabinet on the right holds miscellaneous items like spare paint (as you can see in the outlet photo above), camera and podcast equipment, and a few random journals. It also has a fair amount of extra space that can be expanded as needed (watch the video to see what that means).
The cabinet on the left is a little more workhorse. In addition to a large amount of Overflow books, gift bags, and tissue paper, Overflow He contains candles, vases, and other trinkets that Sherry likes to put in and take out. We’ve definitely cut back on the extra “decorative items” since moving in, but it’s nice to have a place for this little group of items we store and use occasionally.
And from the photos it looks like this cabinet is very difficult to access. Because the table and chairs are in front. But don’t worry. I have no doubt that it is fully accessible in real life. That table is heavy, so you don’t have to move it every time you need to wrap a gift! can.
And here’s a picture of Sherry grabbing a candle out of it (but watch the video for more real-world usage).
Overall, we’re very happy with the results, especially considering how easy it was to “hack” to make it feel like a custom built-in.
Other IKEA Hack Projects
Want to see other IKEA hacks? Here are some of our other favorite IKEA furniture customizations.
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