The IKEA HYLLIS — one of the most practical and affordable shelves in IKEA. In a nutshell, it’s sturdy, lightweight and approved for use in wet areas.
It’s no wonder we find IKEA HYLLIS units everywhere. From bedrooms to kitchens to the garden.
HYLLIS shelving unit with covers | IKEA.com
With a bit of IKEA hacking, it becomes even more versatile. The IKEA HYLLIS is made from galvanized steel and takes to spray painting quite readily. And though it is made of steel it can be cut with a metal snip, allowing you to shorten the posts if necessary or resize the shelves. Not an easy job but it can be done. See our 12 one-of-a-kind IKEA HYLLIS hacks.
1. Gold IKEA HYLLIS shoe rack hack
Chloe combined two HYLLIS units to get more shelving racks. She adjusted the shelf spacing according to her shoes — leaving smaller gaps for pumps and taller spaces for boots. Spray painted gold the HYLLIS shoe rack becomes worthy of her shoes.
2. IKEA HYLLIS storage cart
Eleven inches was all the space Hannah had to sneak in a storage shelf between the washer and dryer. Enter the HYLLIS and out came this beautiful laundry storage cart that’s perfect for the narrow gap.
3. HYLLIS kids shop
Source: Mommodesign
Stock up, drape a sign in front and your kids can open up shop. Quickly reverts to regular shelving unit when kids grow out of it.
4. A metal chair
A chair out of the HYLLIS? You betcha. Jonas did just that. He used ordinary tools like a drill, screwdriver, hacksaw, tin snips and a vice … and many many hours to make this one-of-a-kind metal HYLLIS chair.
5. Make a kitchen backsplash
The galvanised steel, water resistant shelves work well as a guard against splashes. A great idea if you live in a rented space and want to protect the walls. You can even stencil them for a more interesting finish. See the steel kitchen backsplash.
6. Magnetic board from IKEA metal shelves
Source: Instructables
Gerry used the HYLLIS shelves to make a large scale magnetic board for his magnet collection. While not many have such an extensive magnet collection, this idea is great for your kids room noticeboard or in the kitchen. Magnetic board instructions here.
7. Catwalk in the air
Jason hung up a stretch of HYLLIS shelves to create a fantastic catwalk across his living room. It took lots of hours and tons of patience but the result is impressive. An impressive walkway for the cat without taking up wall or floor space. Most importantly, the cat approves. See the HYLLIS catwalk.
8. Rustic industrial look shelving hack
Wood planks and blank spray paint totally transformed the HYLLIS into the Restoration Hardware/Pottery Barn-ish industrial shelves Soffia envisioned. The verticals were painted black and wooden boards added on top of the metal shelves to complete the industrial shelving.
9. Hanging Wall Planter
Medina paired the HYLLIS posts with wood planks and it worked a charm. Drill holes to fit the terracotta pots, reassemble the HYLLIS with the wood planks instead of metal shelves and you have yourself the cutest planter.
10. Metal shelf clock
Got a spare HYLLIS shelf? Grab a clock kit, then drill a hole in the shelf. Assemble the clock kit according to instructions on package. And voilà! Industrial clock.
11. Kitchen island to work and eat
For this, you’ll need a table top and two short HYLLIS units. Cut the units to the right height and transform them into a kitchen island / standing desk. Bonus! Space for extra storage underneath. See the kitchen island hack.
12. Over the toilet storage hack
Surprising sturdy and useful for storage in the bathroom. And so easy to hack. Details of the over the toilet storage.
Do you have any IKEA HYLLIS hacks at home? Share it with us.