12 brilliant ways to hack the IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet

ikea hemnes shoe cabinet hack

You’ll want to hack your IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet after this!

While the TRONES shoe cabinet is seen as the multi-functional versatile one, the IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet is the cream of IKEA shoe storage.

The HEMNES features a more traditional design and is made from renewable wood or pine. If you want a cabinet that lasts, the HEMNES is it.

And it comes in 2 versions. The smaller IKEA shoe storage cabinet has 2 pull-down compartments and a slim drawer just below the top board of the cabinet. The larger HEMNES shoe cabinet offers 4 pull-down sections. What’s surprising is despite its slim profile it has 2 rows of shoe shelves per compartment, letting you store lots of shoes in a relatively small space. It comes in a variety of finishes. My personal favourite is the solid pine version in the dark grey stain.

The HEMNES shoe storage cabinet has only two front feet and must be secured to the wall. See how to attach legs to the cabinet.

IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet
HEMNES shoe cabinet in 2 versions | IKEA.com

However, we still can’t run away from wanting to IKEA hack and personalise it to suit our homes despite it’s classic good looks.

Let’s take a look at …

12 IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet hacks

1. Hack the HEMNES with a wood top

HEMNES with wood plank

A surefire and easy DIY that instantly elevates the HEMNES cabinet. Andrijana, from Belgrade, Serbia, replaced the top of the cabinet with a walnut wood plank. And added new knobs from Zara home (which is also wood with gold details). And it looks just right for the entrance when paired with the IKEA STOCKHOLM round mirror. 

IKEA HEMNES with wood plank

Another beautiful one in the same setup but with leather pulls instead of knobs. See the tutorial.

2. Add curves

Elisha from @ouraesthetic_abode hacked the shoe cabinet into a classy wine cabinet. She used bendable plywood to create curved wings to both sides of the cabinet. Each cabinet front is trimmed, framing the wood dowels in the center of each compartment. And the entire shoe cabinet is then primed, painted in Sherwin Williams Tricon Black and sealed with polyurethane.

3. Up the glam factor

IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet

What a difference a row of mother of pearl strip does. And bubble glass knobs to match. See the HEMNES tutorial.

4. Create a motif design

dowel motif

The 4 compartments are empty canvases. With two cabinets joined together, it becomes an opportunity to create a focal point. This DIYer used half moon wood dowels to make a statement piece with her IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet hack.

5. Flute the front

Bailey turned the plain storage piece into a stunning entryway console. Over at @bailey.at.home she makes it look easy. The first thing was to paint it black and then create a slim shaker profile on the doors by adding PVC trim. The hero of this IKEA hack has got to be pole wrap which makes it so easy to do the fluted furniture trend. Finally she added some gold hardware which highlights how beautiful this piece is.

6. Give it a lick of paint

ombre effect
The Pursuit of Handyness

Paint! It does wonders. Ayisha painted the doors in grey solid ombre effect. Suits her cute dining room to a tee. 

Kaila also took the paint route, covering her old black-brown HEMNES with a rich Midnight Blue. She used Behr’s Paint and Primer in one, so saved a step in the paint process. Finished with gold knobs and marble contact paper on the top panel. Love the spray painted gold feet!

7. Recess the hardware

Kim and Scott made the HEMNES fit their home decor better by painting it a neutral color and adding in new recessed hardware. The gold handles are a small change visually but makes a big difference to the style and look of the shoe cabinet. Suddenly, it’s no longer IKEA.

8. Get ornamental

IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet with wood ornaments

Jonna glued wooden onlay ornaments onto the cabinet front. Then finished with chalk paint and wax. And voilà! A one-of-a-kind shoe cabinet. See the ornamental HEMNES here.

9. Go for texture

textured shoe cabinet

Melonie bought a pre-loved white HEMNES, which unfortunately came with that old yellowed look. Using stencils and acrylic paint, she added a dark, subtle texture to the shoe cabinet. Oh, so classy. See her textured HEMNES tutorial here.

10. Turn to cane webbing

Cane webbing gives the plain white piece of IKEA furniture a fun, boho vibe. Emy frames each panel with cane and attached them with glue. A simple DIY project but the result is so refreshing.

11. Make it a double

double IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet

Got lots of shoes? Double up the 4 compartment HEMNES for a long slim shoe cabinet. See how to join two HEMNES shoe cabinets.

double shoe cabinet

You can also double it up, back to back, like the picture above. Replace the top and seal the sides with wood planks. It’s a good idea as a short room divider and space separator. See the double sided HEMNES shoe cabinet below.

12. Build it in

built in

Recessed into the wall, with legs trimmed and the top replaced with a curved panel. Isn’t that neat? See it here.

What’s your favourite way to hack the IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet? Tell us in the comments below.

FAQ on the IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet

Can I add legs to the HEMNES shoe cabinet?

Yes, you can use a similarly sized wood block risers to raise the HEMNES shoe cabinet above your baseboards. Shirly has a tutorial for this. She used wood glue to attach the risers but it may not be the most secure solution. You can also make pocket holes behind the leg to screw into the wood block. Another method is to cut the original HEMNES leg off and attach new furniture legs.how to add legs to hemnes shoe cabinet

How do I attach the HEMNES shoe cabinet to the wall?

The HEMNES shoe cabinet comes with a horizontal piece at the back of the furniture. Use the long screws provided to secure the shoe cabinet to wall studs.ikea hemnes shoe cabinet how to attach to wall