I love an open-concept floor plan, but an open-concept bathroom sink? Not so much. I’m all about storage and hiding things out of sight, especially when it comes to toiletries.
Michele was dealing with a wall-mounted sink and an old cabinet that wasn’t very functional for storage. She made the most of things with a hodgepodge of shelves and baskets, but it looked a little jumbled and didn’t make the most of the space.
Why IKEA BESTÅ?
Michele had a clear vision for her bathroom refresh. She wanted to keep things simple and include deep drawers that would fit cleaners and shampoo bottles.
Plus, she wanted a white bathroom vanity to make the storage essentially disappear rather than be a distraction. She explained that the white helps the eye “focus on the travertine mosaics and not on our mess.”
She came up with a sleek, streamlined solution using IKEA’s BESTÅ frame and drawers.
What She Used In this IKEA Bathroom Vanity Hack
- 1 BESTÅ frame (120 x 40 x 38 cm)
- 2 BESTÅ drawers (60 x 25 x 40 cm)
- 2 LAPPVIKEN drawer fronts (60 x 38 cm)
- 2 BESTÅ drawer runners, push-open
- 4 NANNARP legs
- 1 Wood top
- Jigsaw
- Adhesive
- Painter’s tape
- Sander
- Varnish
- Screws
- Basics: Tape measure, screw gun, drill
How to Pull Off This IKEA Bathroom DIY
After assembling the BESTÅ frame and components according to IKEA’s instructions and attaching the legs, Michele mounted the unit to the wall for maximum stability. Then came the trickiest part of the whole project: working around the existing plumbing.
Cut through the top and the back of the BESTÅ to make room for the pipes. Michele used her old cabinet to measure and mark the space for the pipes. Tape above and below where you plan to cut, then cut the opening.
She used her old cabinet as a reference to measure and mark exactly where the pipes sat, taping above and below her cut lines before taking a jigsaw to both the top and back panel of the BESTÅ frame.
A second cutout in the wood top accommodated the sink pipes — deliberately cut slightly smaller than the opening below to neatly hide any white BESTÅ peeking through.
Once the wood top was secured with adhesive and screws from the underside, Michele sanded it down and applied several coats of varnish to seal and waterproof it. It takes a bit of time, but it’s a non-negotiable step for anything living in a bathroom.
The final touch was fitting the drawers, one of which also needed a cutout in its back panel to clear the pipes.
How long did this hack take? Michele completed the hack in about two days.
A Custom Look Without the Custom Price
How much did this hack cost? $210!
What makes this project so impressive is how polished the final result looks for the price. Custom bathroom vanities can easily cost well over $1,000, particularly when you need a specific size or want more modern drawer storage.
By hacking IKEA components and adding a simple wood top, Michele ended up with a vanity that has a designer look for around $210. The combination of a white base, a warm wood top, and hidden storage gives the bathroom a clean, modern feel without requiring a major renovation budget.
The One Thing She’d Tell You
Michele loves how clean and stylish her bathroom looks with the new addition, but she does have some insight about the pipe cutouts.
She said the hardest part was trying to cut a curve in the BESTÅ frame with a jigsaw. Ultimately, she decided to cut a simpler, rectangular cut in the wooden top.
Why BESTÅ Works Surprisingly Well in Bathrooms
This DIY vanity is also a good reminder that bathroom storage doesn’t have to come from the bathroom department. Sometimes the best ideas come from rethinking how furniture can function in completely different spaces.
The BESTÅ system is typically used in living rooms and media setups. But the shallow depth is a great feature for bathrooms, keeping the vanity from feeling bulky.
And if you’re working in a smaller space, it’s especially helpful. The wide drawers offer much more storage than the traditional pedestal or wall-mounted sink you often find in smaller bathrooms.
Another bonus is the clean, minimalist look. The drawer fronts are flat and handle-free, creating a clean visual. This particular quality was a key component in Michele’s bathroom, since she wanted the travertine mosaics to stand out instead of her storage cabinets.
What do you think? Could BESTÅ be the best solution for your bathroom storage puzzle? Share your IKEA mod with us if you give it a go, or tell us about your own DIY creation.