IKEA Living Room Hacks

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When it comes to furnishing your living room, IKEA is a go-to destination for many. With its affordable prices and stylish designs, IKEA furniture is a popular choice for those looking to create a comfortable and functional living space.

But there's the risk of your living room looking like an IKEA showroom if you use mainly IKEA furniture. With a little creativity and a few DIY skills, you can take your IKEA furniture to the next level and perhaps even get a few people saying, "I can't believe it's IKEA!"

From easy IKEA hacks like adding new legs to your sofa to creating custom built-in storage solutions, there are so many fabulous ways to tweak your IKEA pieces into pieces that are uniquely you. 

In this page, you'll find some of the best IKEA living room hacks to inspire your own DIY projects and help you create a space that's both stylish and functional.

Most Popular Posts on Living Rooms

Take ordinary IKEA furniture and transform them into something extraordinary. From custom built-ins to clever hidden work spaces, these living rooms showcase the creativity and ingenuity of IKEA hackers.

Whether you're looking to add some personality to your space or simply want to make the most of your IKEA furniture, these living room hacks are sure to inspire. So why not take a closer look and see how you can create a space that's stylish and functional?

Jump directly to these categories:
Bookshelves Sideboards Room Dividers

Living Room Storage

The wonder of IKEA hacking! Take IKEA furniture and modify them to fit your specific needs and space requirements.

You not only create a storage system that's tailored to your living room and the items you need to store, but also seamlessly match your style and taste.

Coffee table and side table hacks

IKEA coffee table hacks are very popular on IKEA hackers. They are smaller DIY projects and a great starting point if you're beginning your DIY journey. But they are no less amazing. Here are some popular IKEA coffee table hacks.
New modifed LACK tables

New modifed LACK tables

Materials: LACK Tables, LACK wall shelfs & VIKA Curry legsDescription: Main Table: Cut the 8 LACK tables and 2 LACK wall shelves (shelves to white table edge on the pictures)…

Split Lack

Split Lack

Materials: Lack coffee tableDescription: I have attached four guides under a Lack table, cut the second top of a Lack table and created two wings when it is opened, which…

Geometric coffee table

Geometric coffee table

Materials: GROGGY Tray, stainless steel (Art #100.183.25), BRANAS Basket, rattan (Art #401.384.30), Mozaic ceramic/glass tile (etc. from Leroy Merlin), Bolts x4, Glue for ceramic Description: Rattan basket to detachable from…

Mosaic Coffee Table

Mosaic Coffee Table

Materials: Klubbo coffee tableDescription: I had this chocolate Klubbo coffee table for quite some time. It’s getting some chips and wear so I decided to give it a new layer…

Ikea hacked coffee table turned upholstered ottoman

Ikea hacked coffee table turned upholstered ottoman

Materials: Klubbo coffee tableDescription: When I first moved into my place, I purchased an inexpensive coffee table from IKEA. It was the right length and height for my sofa, although…

Lack Tables Tiled

Lack Tables Tiled

Materials: 2 Lack side tables, 1 small can of primer suitable for laminate surfaces, 1 can of textured spray paint, 7 packs of glass tiles, 1 box of tile setting…

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All our IKEA Living Room Hacks

KNUFF Transformable Coffee Table

KNUFF Transformable Coffee Table

Materials: KNUFF Magazine file X 4 sets, rotating artist stool, shelf insert, liquid nail. Description: I was looking for the perfect coffee table for my mini seating/TV area inside my room, and after weeks of analyzing every Ikea’s product, I finally came out with this hack. The size of this…

EXPEDIT sideboard

EXPEDIT sideboard

Materials: EXPEDIT TV storage unit, 2X4 lumber, circular saw, cordless drillDescription: Problem 1: Large “5X5” EXPEDIT TV storage unit that didn’t fit in the living room of our new house. Disassembled and stowed away in the basement. Problem 2: Funky attic room with low sloped ceilings and no storage. Solution:…

IKEA VITTSJO Nesting Tables

IKEA VITTSJO Nesting Tables

Materials: VITTSJO Nesting Tables, Miter Saw, Jigsaw, PaintDescription: The VITTSJO nesting tables seem perfect in concept, except what’s up with the child table being twice as long as its parent table? Not sure what IKEA is going for there. I would prefer that the smaller table nest fully within the…

Baby Karlstad corner sofa

Baby Karlstad corner sofa

Materials: 2 seater Karlstad, 3 seater Karlstad, 2 x brackets, drills and screwsDescription: We have a small space in our lounge and wanted to put a corner Karlstad sofa. The problem was that the corner sofa available at Ikea was too big. We decided to make a smaller version of…

Lack Ottomans

Lack Ottomans

Materials: Lack side table, high density foam (21 5/8″ x 21 5/8″ x 4″), upholstery fabric (72″ x 72″), craft glue, staple gun, jigsaw Description: I wanted a couple of custom made ottomans that could also double as a coffee table or even extra seating in a pinch. Using a…

Geometric Pebbles on the Ramvik

Geometric Pebbles on the Ramvik

Materials: Ramvik Coffee Table, acrylic craft paint (grey black white silver) painters tape, sea sponge. Description: This is a very inexpensive hack. Took me about 4 hours and 20 bucks to transform this second hand Ramvik Coffee table. I originally wanted to tile the service but it would have set…

JOSEF Sideboard

JOSEF Sideboard

Photo: IKEA.comMaterials: Josef (3x), wooden boardDescription: Varde and Stenstorp were to deep (+ no front). So we took 3 JOSEF Lockers and went straight to the carpenter for a wooden board. A few screws a holding the units together. So simple! Depth only 35cm, makes a perfect kitchen sideboard! ~…

Poang Armrest Extension

Poang Armrest Extension

Materials: Poang, timber, Fret G clamps, chisel, timber stainDescription: I’m too lazy to hold my iPad 🙂 It’s basically a simple extension of Poang. Handy for the iPad, drinks, writing, etc. And I reckon it’s simple enough for everyone to make. The most challenging part was to make the top…

Lift top coffee table

Lift top coffee table

Materials: 2 Lack coffee tableDescription: From 2 Lack coffee tables (401.042.94 or 000.950.36 or 101.042.95), one piece of chipboard and 2 gas cylinders for office chairs (non-IKEA). My total cost – 50€. First, I drilled 2 holes in one of the table tops to fit the gas cylinders. I added…

Folding table + bench

Folding table + bench

Materials: Björkudden, two foldable shelf brackets, hooks Description: Having my girlfriend move into my apartment we had a spare Björkudden table which we temporarily stored at our balcony. This balcony being only one meter wide wasn’t big enough to place the table as a whole. With the desire to be…

Tile sideboard

Tile sideboard

Materials: Akurum, Vika Byske, StickersDescription: We need a small sideboard for our home entrance. Most of plain sideboards that we like are very expensive. I have an old Ikea Vika Byske oak table top. I bought two Akurum wall cabinet with Applad doors from Ikea and tile pattern stickers from…

Marius Industrial Stool

Marius Industrial Stool

Materials: Ikea Marius stool, an old wooden plate swing, srews and spray paintDescription: Get a one of a kind industrial stool! 1. Spray the old wooden plate swing in your favourite color and let it dry. 2. Remove the old plastic seat and screw your new wooden seat on the…

One Leg Lack

One Leg Lack

Materials: Lack table top +18″ diam. wood reel + 3 screwsDescription: Rescued from a Brooklyn sidewalk, the life of a wood reel and a Lack table top continues together, in my bedroom. ~ Matteo Minchilli, Brooklyn

Granas gone rustic

Granas gone rustic

Materials: Ikea granas table, applaro patio, glue gun, skill sawDescription: I went to ikea as-is to find a computer chair and ended up stumbling upon 2 pieces from a patio chair, being only $1.90cad. I have an old Granas table in my living room, and the gel in between the…

Outdoor sofa from Fjellse bed

Outdoor sofa from Fjellse bed

Materials: 2x FJELLSE, SULTAN LADE, 1 shelf 200×30, 140 cm of 2×3 pine, outdoor heavy duty stain, SULTAN FAGERASDescription: Looking for quality outdoor furniture and not finding what I am looking for, I came up with this in the mean time. I only bought the 2 beds and the slatted…

Lack doesn’t lack!

Lack doesn’t lack!

Photo: IKEA.com Materials: Hack Shelves x2 , three 2’x1.5″x.75″ Wood Bars, Screws, 1 6’x.5″x1.5″ Wood Beam Description: For a fun little project…. Take some Ikea wall mount shelves (from the Lack series, you will need two of them), turn the brackets vertical, add three or four reinforcing bars, and leave…

Four Lack table base coffee table

Four Lack table base coffee table

Materials: Lack side tables, piece of Pragel, flower pot, glass topDescription: What I’ve tried with this hack is to copy a square coffee table that I’ve seen in shops but that is way too expensive for me (around 1.000 euro with the size and the glossy white finish I want).…

Lack Bottlecap Table

Lack Bottlecap Table

Materials: LACK sidetableDescription: With a couple years of college bottlecap collecting, some super glue, and resin, my boring black table turned into a high-gloss bottlecap decor. I followed this instructable. ~ Sara Kowatch, Cincinnati, OH

Over Sofa Table

Over Sofa Table

To friends and readers in the US, happy happy July 4th! ~ JulesMaterials: Fabian / Lack / Ekby / Assorted Screws / StainDescription: Underwhelmed by the selection of over sofa tables on the market, especially for the price. (Including Ikea’s Stockholm table.) Opted to hack my own! Two Fabian wall…

Man Cave Table Hack

Man Cave Table Hack

Materials: Dalfred stool, used dart board, 1″ hole saw (I think it ws 1″), screwdriverDescription: My friends and I play darts at least once a week…and after about 6-9 months of playing, the board needs replacing because of all the abuse they take. Instead of throwing them away, I’ve found…

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