IKEA DIY Built In Hack Using IKEA Cabinets And Shelves
If you’ve ever felt like decorating your home is just too damn hard, I’m about to take you on a little walk down memory lane - and a full breakdown of our IKEA DIY built in project.
And let me tell you: creating the home of your dreams takes time, even for someone literally obsessed with it – this girl right here. 🙋♀️
One of my most common questions from readers:
“How did you create the built-in in your family room?”
I’ll admit it’s taken me forever to get around to answering this, mostly because I had to dig through old photos... as in, dig out the old computers that sat in our "computer cemetery" in the garage – oh wait, the computer cemetery no longer exists thanks to our garage declutter and organization project!
Worth the wait, I promise, and today I'm sharing the whole story, including how we pulled off a custom look using IKEA cabinets and shelves - a true IKEA built-in hack that anyone can adapt.
In This Article
Does Decorating Feel Confusing? - It's because you're starting in the wrong place.
The secret isn’t more inspiration - it’s a clear plan.
Grab my free Function First Decorating Guide and learn the simple first step that makes every decorating decision easier.
Take this video tour of my family room and see how we use the cabinet storage (with a big focus on function)!
The family room before our IKEA DIY built in
We got the keys to our home when our first baby was just a few weeks old. In fact the hubs did the final walk-through the day after her birth while I was soaking up baby snuggles in the hospital. It was a short sale and we had no control over the closing date but were so excited to have our patience finally pay off.
This is what it looked like when we first walked in - minus the baby seat, paint samples, and mayo and mustard?- no clue why those are there.
Builder white... on builder white... on off-white... on cream... on off white Berber carpet. Basically no personality, but a clean slate!
Before moving in, we painted the main areas a perfect shade of greige, and friends and family helped us install new baseboards and dark wide-plank laminate flooring. Fresh start!
Then we moved in our furniture. And then came the baby gear. And the toys. LOTS of toys.
The long 14 foot wall in our family room was the natural TV and media center, so we cobbled together a temporary set up using the modular shelves from our previous home to hold everything.
It worked. Sort of.
But between sweeping up dog hair hiding behind shelves, exposed cords, and nowhere to store toys – we knew we wanted to make this wall a focal point and have a built-in - and when we heard how much custom built ins cost, we knew we had to come up with our own budget-friendly solution.
(Wait - is that a cardboard box we’re using to organize the toys? Oh, no it just happened to be our baby girl’s favorite toy… go figure.)
Want more DIY project details of how the family room has evolved over time? Find them on my Home Tour post!
You May Also Like
Why We Chose an IKEA Cabinet Built In
Custom built-ins cost a ton. And with a new baby and a new house? Not happening.
We wanted:
- Closed storage below for toys and electronics
- Open shelves above to display decor and provide hidden storage.
- A “mantel” area (since we don't have a fireplace) that can change decor in the fall and Christmas.
- A long seamless look that would turn this 14-foot wall into a focal point.
IKEA to the rescue.
How We Created Our DIY Built In Using IKEA Kitchen Cabinets
Step 1: Installing the base cabinets
We used five 30-inch base IKEA kitchen cabinets (24" deep) across the bottom with solid doors on the sides and glass doors in the center for the TV components and remote (yes - the remotes work through the glass!)
On top we used two IKEA Lilltraesk laminate countertops. There is a seam in the middle but we put the factory edges together in the middle so the seam is nearly invisible.
A quick tip about cutting laminate
To cut the laminate so it doesn’t chip, cut slowly, tape the the cut line and use a fine-tooth blade - the same trick we used to cut wood without splintering that you can see here.
Step 2: Making the base look built-in
We wanted the cabinets to blend into the room and look more built-in and less like kitchen cabinets, so we ran 5″ baseboards along the front and adjusted the height of the cabinets accordingly.
Instead of a toe-kick, we attached a long board across the bottom and installed the baseboard to it for a seamless, custom-built look.
(We used this same method on the front room built-ins with a bench seat and documented the process with photos in this post.)
Step 3: Adding the IKEA shelves
We painted the back wall a deep navy and installed IKEA LACK open shelves on each side. – No longer available, but IKEA has similar shelves that would work.
Since the bottom shelf would have interfered with the countertop, we cut it off so that the counter top became the bottom shelf. This helped the units fit together height-wise too.
Finally we installed a long LACK floating shelf across the middle to frame the TV and give me that mantel I'd been missing.
Step 4: Mounting the TV (cord-free!)
Nobody needs ugly dangling cords ruining their beautiful IKEA built-ins!
We found this easy to install cord-hiding kit that let us mount the flat-screen TV and conceal those cords behind it.
How Our IKEA DIY Built In Has Held Up
Having this large storage and shelving built-in has let my color palette, style, and my decor evolve over time - not mention contain the chaos of toys and games.
And now that our kids are older we recently installed a charging drawer for all our electronic devices - a total game changer.
Plus, I love to play around with the styling on my shelves and switch out the art for a fresh look.
Absolutely crazy that what started like this…
➡️ Now looks like this! Say whaaaaat!
A complete transformation without the custom-built price tag.
This is the room we hang out in the most and it absolutely nails it when it comes to how we want our home to feel!
We recently refreshed this room, you can see what our family room looked like before right here. And since discovering the file with all of the original photos of our home, I’m excited to share more "then and now" stories with you on my Home Tour post!
Want Your Next Project To Feel Easier?
If you’re planning your own built-ins, furniture layout, or room makeover, the best place to start isn’t with shopping - it’s with a plan.
Read next:
👉🏼 How To Plan A Room That Functions The Way You Want
This will walk you through the exact process I use (and teach inside Style Your Way Home!) to make sure every project feels intentional, functional, and you.
P.S. What if I told you there's a whole new (and way easier) way to decorate your home—without the overwhelm, indecision, or endless Pinterest scrolling.
Inside my online decorating program, Style Your Way Home, I'll walk you through the process of discovering and defining your decorating style, creating a home decor plan, and show you how to apply it in any space so each room is unique while maintaining a cohesive look that feels like YOU! - When you join now, you'll get direct support from me... it's like having a design BFF in your back pocket!
Frequently Asked Questions - DIY IKEA Builtin Hack
What's the deep blue paint color behind the shelves?
It's Distance by Sherwin-Williams. For more info on my house colors, check out this post.
How much money did you spend on this project?
It cost us about $1,000, but a lot depends on the cabinets you choose.
What cabinets did you use?
We used the Sektion Grimslov cabinets, but the ones you choose will depend entirely on your own measurements.
How did you secure the Lack shelving to the countertop?
We used L brackets secured to the wall in inconspicuous spots.
