Renowned kirigami artist and designer Marc Hagan-Guirey, also known as @mister_modernist on Instagram, unveiled his latest IKEA hack as part of his ongoing restorations of a 60’s modernist home.
His project? A stylish dressing room island that got me reaching for the measuring tape and shuffling furniture in my mind, trying (in vain) to make room for one in my space. It’s the ultimate luxury upgrade to transform plain IKEA storage units into a designer-worthy centerpiece.
“Middle-age life goal achieved,” said Marc, when it was all done and dusted. Let’s take a look at how he ticked this achievement off his bucket list.
Luxurious Dressing Room Island Hack
Marc’s project begins with two IKEA BESTÅ 47 1/4″ (120cm) storage units, which are placed back-to-back to form the core of the island. To encase these units, Marc cut down two panels of 18mm MDF for the sides. These panels were routed to include an 8mm channel for the glass top and an 18mm central channel to slot in a divider.
Before painting, Marc primed the MDF panels. This step ensures the paint adheres smoothly and evenly. He then lightly sanded the edges to remove any fuzziness and primed the boards again. For the painting itself, Marc opted for quality cabinet paint to achieve a durable finish.
Prop With Feet
Marc added feet to the base of the BESTÅ units to lift them from the ground. For a touch of luxury, he opted for sleek 15cm chrome metal sofa legs, sourced from eBay.
Dressing Room Island Assembly
The assembly process is straightforward but requires precision and help. “Clamps and a second pair of hands will make this a lot easier,” he says in his reel, “It’s really heavy.”
- He attached the first side panel to one of the BESTÅ units.
- Next, he added the divider board to the back of the BESTÅ and slotted it into the routed channel (on the side panel).
- Then, the back of the second BESTÅ unit is placed against the divider.
- Lastly, the second side panel is positioned to sandwich the BESTÅ units and the divider securely against the first side panel.
- While not shown in the reel, we can assume that the boards are attached to the BESTÅ units with an inordinate amount of screws.
Posh Glassy Surfaces
For the finishing touch, Marc fitted black glass tops on the BESTÅ units, notching up the glam appeal.
Finally, to create the island countertop, he slotted a custom 6mm piece of safety glass into the channels on the sides. The central divider, not only partitions the storage area but supports the glass top across the 4-foot expanse.
And the result? A fabulously chic dressing room island.
Cost and Conversion
The total cost of this project was £420, which converts to approximately $540. If I didn’t see the cost breakdown, I would have assumed it cost much more. It certainly feels a lot more expensive than it really is. IKEA hacking for the win!
For more details and visuals of this project, you can visit his Instagram post here.
Other Dressing Room Island Hacks You May Like
Lauren used the old EXPEDIT, similar to the KALLAX, to put together a compact island that fits right into her closet. Compared to Marc’s project, this is an easier hack that only requires fastening 2 or 3 KALLAX units together. Add a custom wood top or marble top to the KALLAX units for a more luxurious style. Extend the countertop beyond the KALLAX units if you want to have a dressing room island with seating.
Hollywood Glam Dressing Island
A large Hollywood glam mirrored dresser island constructed from 2 MALM dressers placed back-to-back. This stores a ton and has a wide glass countertop with trim. Beautiful but not for the faint-hearted DIYer.