Ikea room ideas: 10 ways to create inspiring interiors for less

Jun 21, 2023

Create stylish and functional spaces on a budget with these Ikea room ideas

These Ikea room ideas provide the perfect inspiration for those looking to create a stylish and functional home on a budget.

Offering everything from modular, self-assembly kitchen cabinets and storage systems to beds, sofas, lighting and soft furnishings, Ikea is a one-stop-shop for affordable and flexible decorating ideas for every room.

Renowned for its simple and functional Scandinavian design, Ikea's pieces sit beautifully in contemporary and traditional settings, plus there are styles to suit all interior design tastes from industrial to traditional. Alternatively, Ikea's affordable standard-sized pieces make a great base for getting creative with some Ikea hacks.

Whether you're doing a complete home redesign or making updates to specific rooms, these Ikea room ideas will help give inspire your projects, from showstopping Ikea kitchen ideas to relaxing ikea bedroom ideas.

Ikea room ideas are perfect if you're looking for practical, affordable home decor ideas and are enduringly popular with homeowners, interior designers and DIY-ers alike.

'It's hard to compete with the value that IKEA can offer due to its scale and history. Almost everyone I know is on a budget, so IKEA's cookie-cutter pieces are appealing because you have an affordable, blank canvas to get your creative juices flowing,' says Isabella Cordaro, lead design advisor at Norse Interiors.

'Social media has definitely helped spread the trend of doing Ikea hacks and other home projects, which I think is great because it shows people how obtainable the finished looks are without breaking the bank. Once you start doing fun DIY projects that result in something you love, it's pretty addicting. IKEA's furniture is super modular and provides the best bones for further customization.'

Combining sturdy, self-assembly Ikea kitchen cabinet ideas with bespoke doors is a wonderful way to create a functional kitchen with a designer look at an affordable cost.

In this modern kitchen, Semihandmade's simple Quarterline doors in a neutral color are the perfect backdrop for showcasing more textural surfaces such as the heavily-veined marble countertops and reeded wood island paneling. With their slim outer frame, the doors offer a modern take on the Shaker kitchen design.

As more people now work from home, living spaces are often needing to double up as home offices, which can make balancing work and home life tricky.

Opting for closed and customizable storage ideas, such as Ikea's Sektion design, will provide ample storage for stowing away papers, printers and files at the end of the day so that work does not encroach on family time. The cabinets can be arranged in a multitude of ways to suit your room size and storage needs plus can be fitted with different storage solutions including adjustable shelves and sliding wire storage baskets.

Above, blogger Jenna Sue has created a workspace using Sektion cabinets and Semihandmade's DIY shaker doors.

In small open-plan living spaces, it's essential to factor in storage to ensure the room feels organized and relaxed. In this living-cum-dining space a simple Ikea BESTA cabinet makes a perfect credenza for storing serving dishes and has been transformed into a statement piece with the addition of black cane doors from Norse Interiors.

'Cane doors for storage have been a best-seller for quite some time now, but in the last few months, we've seen it most popularly paired with darker finishes like charcoal black, navy, and luxe green. This contrasting look can be adapted to so many design styles, and it gives your unique piece a little deeper character,' says Isabella Cordaro, lead design advisor at Norse Interiors.

When it comes to mud rooms having plenty of storage is vital as they are areas with high footfall and where things often pile up. Ikea has a host of flexible, multifunctional pieces to help keep the space organized including its PINNIG coat rack and bench which offers plenty of storage as well as a seat to take shoes on and off.

Above it is teamed with the BRYGGJA chest of drawers which keeps clutter at bay, while the addition of the KARMSUND mirror is perfect for checking your appearance before you leave the house.

If you have a small home office then freestanding furniture may be a better solution than fitted as it gives flexibility over your layout and sometimes just a few pieces are all you need to transform a space.

Interior designer and stylist Cate St Hill created a simple yet stylish workspace with Ikea's ALEX drawers and the LINNMON white table top.

Give a dining room a chic and sophisticated new look with custom slipcovers for Ikea dining chairs. Made up in Brera linen in an array of earthy colors, these Bemz Henriksdal chair slipcovers bring essential warmth and texture to this neutral dining room.

Ikea cabinets don't have to be limited to the kitchen, they make fabulous bathroom storage ideas, too, explain the team at Fonteriers, who offer bespoke doors for Ikea furniture systems.

'They’re also great for laundry rooms, bathrooms, or anywhere that you need great modular storage,' says Fronteriors' co-founder Kathryn Hawkes of the Ikea Metod system. 'Metod cabinets are sturdy and mounted to either the wall or floor (for islands). This allows you to use stone/marble countertops with ease. For more stability, you can also add wooden or metal support frames around the sink.'

'The Metod series has cabinets designed specifically for sinks and plumbing, so be sure to select the base cabinets for sinks wherever you plan to have washbasins. If you select base cabinets for a sink with drawers in 60cm depth, then the Ikea planner automatically suggests a drawer configuration to allow room for the siphon to pass through. Keep in mind that above-counter/overmount basins tend to be the better option with drawers,' adds Kathryn Hawkes.

When it comes to bed ideas comfort is a priority, but as the piece of furniture that occupies the most space in a bedroom, it needs to look good, too.

As well as sofa and chair covers, Bemz offers slipcovers for Ikea bed frames and headboards in an array of fabrics allowing you to transform a standard bed into a centerpiece that looks far more expensive.

If you already have an Ikea bed or sofa, Bemz covers are a sustainable way to instantly elevate your space. Rather than part with a perfectly good bed, a new bed frame cover from Bemz can completely revive it helping to reduce waste, plus Bemz also offers covers for discontinued Ikea beds.

Storage is essential in a hallway but it can be hard to find functional storage that also looks good. The wall-hung BESTÄ cabinet from Ikea makes a great hallway storage idea as it provides space to conceal small items like gloves, hats, torches, etc without taking up valuable floor space and provides a surface for a table lamp or decorative items.

Above, interior designer Taylor Edwards fitted pink doors from Semihandmade to the cabinet to bring a welcoming pop of color to what can be a forgotten space.

Today many homes are working harder than ever to fulfill all sorts of uses from relaxation to work and hobbies, and finding space for all of these can be tricky, especially in open-plan living spaces used by multiple members of the household.

Whether it's a strategically placed shelving unit, a portable screen, or a simple curtain, Ikea room divider ideas are a wonderful way to embrace broken-plan living rooms and instantly create separate functional areas within the same space.

To decorate a small Ikea room think about limiting furniture to essential pieces and opt for lightweight, freestanding designs that will bring flexibility to your layout as well as furniture with built-in storage.

'Built-in storage is so important for small living spaces – some of our sofas, sofa beds, and ottomans have built-in storage for bed textiles and your other belongings,' says Kimberly Kronberger, Ikea US business leader for living room seating. 'Smart storage keeps things tucked away or displayed, having the ability to show or hide your things based on your space and what it is being used for.'

It's also worth considering how to make the most of the height of the room says Isabella Cordaro, lead design advisor at Norse Interiors.

'When you're working with a smaller space, creativity and building upwards are your biggest assets. Mounting and stacking units have been popular storage solutions with our Ikea-loving community because it allows you to take advantage of the vertical space in a small or even narrow room.'

Customizing pre-made Ikea cabinets with designer doors is a quick and easy way to make an Ikea room feel more luxurious.

'Adding finishing touches to doors or drawers such as a beautiful handle or new leg accessory will also refresh your bedroom space with very little effort or expense,' says Monica Born, CEO and co-founder of Superfront.

'For a dramatic look, why not opt for our ‘Harlequin’ patterned wardrobe or storage fronts in a rich ‘Infinity Blue’ color which is a striking yet elegant combination,' she adds.

'Designers working on higher-end projects usually go for our Eva door design because it evokes a bit of Gatsby/ Jazz Age glamour, while curved lines add softness and femininity to the hard edges of the piece. It blends with so many decor styles and is really unlike any other look on the storage market,' says Isabella Cordaro, lead design advisor at Norse Interiors.

You could also consider upgrading an Ikea sofa, armchair or bed frame with a Bemz slipcover in sumptuous velvet or natural wool to instantly give your space a high-end feel.

Pippa is Content Editor on Homes & Gardens online contributing to Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors print issues. A graduate of Art History and formerly Style Editor at Period Living, she is passionate about architecture, creating decorating content, interior styling and writing about craft and historic homes. She enjoys searching out beautiful images and the latest trends to share with the Homes & Gardens audience. A keen gardener, when she's not writing you’ll find her growing flowers on her village allotment for styling projects.

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