16 IKEA Dresser Hacks – From Bland to Brilliant

ikea dresser hacks

Make the most of an IKEA dresser with clever IKEA hacks. From a dresser island to super large storage, these inexpensive DIY projects — a collection of easy to challenging ones — will help your dresser go from bland to brilliant.

Whether you’re a minimalist or a maximalist, you’ll find IKEA dresser hacks that will help your happily organized living space see the light of day.

IKEA MALM dresser hacks

Over the years, the IKEA MALM dresser has become a design classic and a widely used storage solution. IKEA Hackers are constantly inventing new uses for this versatile piece of furniture.

Bobbin inspired furniture

IKEA MALM dresser hack using bobbins

Want to make a boring IKEA dresser a whole lot better? All you need are basic painting materials, wood glue and an unexpected craft item (wooden doll heads purchased in bulk), to transform IKEA MALM dressers into a stylish and unique bobbin furniture inspired dresser.

Mirrored island hack for walk-in closet

IKEA MALM dresser island hack with two chests back to back and mirrored top

Kitchens are not the only room that benefits from an island. A dresser island is just as useful in a walk-in closet or bedroom. And you can hack it out of two 6-drawer MALM chests placed back to back. And the highlight of this hack — a mirrored top for a touch of Hollywood glam. See the mirrored MALM dresser island.

Super long 9-drawer IKEA dresser hack

IKEA long chest of drawers in black with copper pulls

Add storage space to your room by installing a row of chests. Or two. Or three. Wrap them in plywood, and no one would know that they started out life as two separate 6-drawer and 3-drawer chests in different colors. A lick of paint and stain can do wonders. Finish with copper pulls, and voilà! Have fun organizing all that extra storage space. See the IKEA MALM hack.

Hide your laundry basket in a MALM

IKEA MALM dresser hack with laundry basket integrated into drawers

Struggling to find a place for your laundry basket? Why not disguise it in your furniture? It takes a bit of hacking, but you can tweak a MALM frame into a laundry basket. See the tutorial for the laundry basket in a chest of drawers.

Spruce up with vinyl decals

Japanese wave vinyl decals spruce up a white MALM chest of 4-drawers

Do you have an old white MALM dresser that is looking a little yellowed and scratched up? Vinyl stickers or contact paper are the easiest way to give the blank canvas a quick but impactful makeover. Pick a pattern (and there are so many to choose from to suit your home decor) that you like, peel and stick away. For continuous patterns, don’t forget to include the rung between drawer fronts when cutting your pieces. And be careful to ensure they match up. See the vinyl-wrapped MALM dresser.

Add a pull-out shelf/desk

IKEA MALM dresser hack with pull out laptop table between drawers

A fantastic hack for small space living. It took a bit of creativity, but Otis figured out how to add a pull-out desk into the MALM dresser itself. This pull-out laptop table slots between the top two drawers, which is the perfect height (approx 74cm) for a desk. The best thing is that it does not compromise the structural integrity or any of the drawers, and you can still use them as they are meant to. See the MALM dresser pull-out laptop desk.

IKEA HEMNES dresser hacks

The HEMNES range is one of the most beloved collections in IKEA. When getting the HEMNES chest of drawers, do note that it comes in two versions: one made from solid wood with a stained finish. And the other cheaper version is made from particleboard. So do check the details before buying.

Fluted dresser without the heavy lifting

IKEA HEMNES dresser hack with fluted details from half round dowels

Do you love the fluted dresser trend but are not keen on using power tools? Well, this one from Erika doesn’t need them (except to drill the holes for the knobs). It’s very easy and looks fabulous, too. See the fluted dresser tutorial.

She recently made another with the KNOPPANG dresser. What an upgrade!

HEMNES in MCM style

HEMNES 8-drawer chest with stained framed and white drawer fronts

The advantage of solid wood is you can sand down the IKEA finish and restain it in any way you like. With the combination of brass pulls, white drawer fronts and inky blue paint, the HEMNES looks decidedly “vintage”. Read more on the MCM HEMNES dresser hack.

Nursery storage drawers in plywood and leather

IKEA dresser hack for the nursery with plywood fronts and leather pull handles

Marlene goes a different route for the HEMNES, choosing a simpler vibe for the nursery. Scoring a second-hand HEMNES chest of 8 drawers, she reassembled the top row of drawers with plywood fronts and finished them with leather pulls.

IKEA TARVA dresser hacks

The IKEA TARVA range is a prime example of the no-nonsense furniture style from IKEA. Solid pine, hefty looking with clean, minimal style. In short, they are perfect for IKEA hacking.

West Elm-inspired dresser hack

Her inspiration piece is a classy unit from West Elm called Gemini. The distinctive feature of the Gemini unit is the routed circular overlays. They function as a design detail as well as drawer pulls. Here’s how you can hack a dupe.

Trim the legs, transform the TARVA

TARVA chest with legs trimmed at an angle and stained
Photo: KristinaLynne.ca

Did I mention the TARVA looked hefty? Not anymore with these trimmed, angled legs. Stain it to highlight its new sexiness. See how the trimmed TARVA legs are done.

IKEA RAST dresser hacks

The IKEA RAST chest is one of the most affordable dressers at IKEA. At $49.99, you can’t beat the price for a solid pine chest, which is probably why it’s a hacker favorite. However, IKEA seems to be discontinuing the RAST range, so get it before it’s gone. Browse our dedicated page for RAST hacks and get moving.

From IKEA 3-drawer dresser to nightstand hack

IKEA RAST nightstand with driftwood theme

Transform an IKEA RAST dresser to serve as a bedside table in your bedroom. Check out the above transformation from plain pine to this beautiful nightstand with warm, weathered wood themes. See the IKEA RAST driftwood nightstand.

TV stand and storage

Two RAST chests combined into a TV stand for bedroom

Are you worried that nothing will fit your small space? Don’t be. The IKEA RAST is only 1 foot deep and slightly over 2 feet wide. When combined, they will make your space look bigger than it really is. See the RAST storage TV stand hack.

IKEA RAST freestanding wardrobe hack

IKEA RAST dresser hacked into freestanding wardrobe

Carmona transformed two IKEA RAST dressers and some melamine boards into a DIY custom wardrobe for under $200. This seriously works.

Pop art dresser

IKEA RAST pop art dresser hack painted with image of Tupac

The plain RAST is a candidate for art. Shelley wanted to create a colorful piece and something others would enjoy. Tupac’s iconic image came through beautifully in this. See the details of the pop art dresser.

Black IKEA dresser you’ve always wanted

Kelby says, “Sometimes all you need is a little added texture, some paint, and new knobs!” And the RAST chest never looked better.

Which is your favorite IKEA dresser hack? Let us know in the comments below.