There is nothing more hackable than Ikea furniture. From the Billy bookcases to the BESTÅ units, Ikea makes stuff that is just begging to be personalized.
A new challenger has entered the Ikea hack ring: the Kallax. And y’all, you just have to see some of these to believe them.
First up: This amazing garage.

Over at Polished Habitat , Melissa George turned her garage into a maker space/garage workshop, and the results are stunning. Check out those mounted Kallaxes on the wall, framing that amazing pegboard!
This Kallax became lockers!

(Okay, it’s an Expedit — which the Kallax eventually replaced, so this hack still works!)
Little House of Four used some square cut wood, hardware, and numbers to turn their bookcase into amazing lockers!
Now that’s a lofted bed.
On Instagram, user @gudfinnaberg said:
“Me hand hubs live in a small apartment and storage space is not much so we plotted this Ikea hack to combine shelf space and bed into one and we love the outcome.”
This cat hacked her Kallax into the ultimate scratching post.
What an industrious little cat! Why not turn the side of a Kallax into a cat scratching post/climbing wall, especially if you are a tiny kitty who loves to scratch things?
A shoe collection fit for a king.
Sneakerheads? This one is for you. These Kallax units had glass doors and dividers added to them to show off this impressive collection of sneakers. And there’s room for more!
Contact paper jazzed up these shelves.
Yes, I said “jazzed up.” It was appropriate. Contact paper can change the front of any shelving unit! If you want something that is high impact and low cost, this might be the solution for you.
Kallaxes have even made their way into kitchen!
This is so cool! This Kallax was used as the base for a kitchen island/breakfast bar. It fits in perfectly in a minimalist kitchen, and the optional doors are a great way to add in some pops of colors.
Adding legs took this Kallax to a whole new level.
Leaving some shelves open allows for the addition of stylish baskets. And adding legs isn’t difficult, either — there are tons of sights that sell Ikea compatible legs, like Pretty Pegs !
This small unit had some custom paint added to it.
The addition of black doors was one thing, but adding gold handles? Now that’s chic as hell. Throw in some artfully placed empty spaces, and you have a gorgeous piece that looks far more expensive than something that came from Ikea!
This island is a high roller.

Picking up a four-square Kallax was just the beginning for this amazing island. Adding some butcher block, wheels, and a towel bar created a to-go island! Check out the whole thing on Jen Lou Meredith .
These custom doors totally hide the fact that this is a Kallax.
Adding custom doors and some cane totally updated this Kallax, giving it some personality on a major budget. It fits in perfect with a mid-century decor style, don’t you think?
Some Kallaxes find their destinies in the craft arena.
I totally want one of these! This Kallax unit was lifted and mounted, allowing for tons of craft and sewing supply storage. Adding in a butcher block countertop was another genius move!
Even kids can get into the Kallax trend!
Take one Kallax unit, add in some serious ingenuity, some paint, and some kid-sized kitchen accessories, and you have a custom play kitchen for any aspiring tiny chef! How cute is this?
Bar carts don’t have to be expensive.

Bar carts can be crazy expensive, or a huge pain to refurbish. This is a great compromise: a Kallax bar cart! The gold touches really set it apart. You can get a step by step tutorial on The Pink Dream !
How about some vintage-inspired accents?

With the help of a graphics download, it’s actually pretty easy to create a professional-looking design on DIY doors for the Kallax. I would have thought this storage unit was a genuine, vintage article if I didn’t know otherwise!