These finds can make your space look surprisingly expensive.
Many shoppers think of IKEA as the sprawling store where you pick up furniture for a first apartment—and stop for Swedish meatballs along the way. But interior designers know the retailer has much more to offer than just the basics. The Swedish brand is a favorite among pros for its stylish, affordable pieces that often look and perform far beyond their modest price points. Even better, many of its furnishings provide a versatile starting point for custom upgrades and creative hacks.
Like other budget-conscious home retailers, IKEA offers an extensive range of furniture and decor that’s easy on the wallet. What makes it stand out, however, is its lasting design appeal. Some vintage IKEA designs have become highly sought-after collectibles, commanding surprising prices on resale marketplaces like 1stDibs.
To help you shop smarter, we asked interior designers to share their favorite IKEA finds—proving that great style doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag.
Additional copy by Yelena Moroz-Alpert.
Bohemian Armchairs
If completely custom furniture isn’t in your budget, consider buying inexpensive options from IKEA and customizing them where possible. That’s what designer Sam Sacks did when renovating her family’s cottage. “I was after an elevated Gypset vibe on a very tight budget, so to keep costs down, I purchased four inexpensive IKEA chairs similar to their Buskbo armchairs and then covered them in my favorite fabrics,” she explains. “The seat is a moss green velvet, and the back cushions were a splurge—covered in a beloved fabric by Lisa Fine Textiles.”
Basic Shelving
Sacks also purchased a shelving unit from IKEA—one similar to the ELVARLI system they still sell—and nabbed it for her cottage’s great room. She explains that the room needed to house books, records, a stereo system, and other decor, so she required a piece that could do all that without adding to the clutter. “The light white metal unit, similar to IKEA's ELVARLI system, created a quiet backdrop for an English degree’s worth of books and much more,” Sacks says.
Kids’ Cubbies
Jessica Davis of Atelier Davis says that besides vintage IKEA items, she also likes to use their current, basic pieces, praising their affordability and minimalist looks. At the end of her kids’ hallway, she placed the LACK shelving unit to hold their books, then went with other IKEA pieces from the KALLAX series for the cubbies/benches against the wall.
Desk Units
Though the chic, rustic shelving system in Davis’s downstairs office has unfortunately been discontinued, her extra-long desk unit hasn’t. Made using the LAGKAPTEN/ALEX table bar system, a simple table like this is the ideal piece you can put together using IKEA's basic, buildable products.
Office Cabinets
The best part about IKEA’s kitchen cabinets is that you can customize them in any way—including where you actually put them in your home. Davis used plain cabinets from the Swedish brand for her at-home studio space, choosing a muted blue tone and adding unique hardware to add more personality.
Café Tables
You know a piece of decor is good when it moves states with you. For designer Meghan Jay, that’s the case with her IKEA Tärnö set, which has moved with her three times, from her tiny brownstone apartment in Brooklyn to her Wicker Park place in Chicago to the Windy City's suburbs, where the set resides now. “The table and chairs are super easy to move around, fold up when we need the space, and they add a lovely French café vibe to our backyard,” Jay says. Plus, it’s a surprisingly versatile set—Jay has even brought it inside for houseguests to use.
Dinnerware Sets
Dinnerware sets can be so expensive, but it’s hard to know which affordable options are quality pieces that are worthy of dinner parties and will last for years. Well, apparently IKEA’s Färgklar set is a great option, because Amber Guyton chose it for her own home. Guyton, the founder of Blessed Little Bungalow, an interior design firm based out of Atlanta, says that she uses her IKEA plates every single day.
Outdoor Decor
Designer Noz Nozawa likes the simple but boxy JUTHOLMEN modular outdoor sofa, which she dresses up in her own way. “The amazing price point on the frame allows me to splurge on custom cushions,” she says. “When the sofa frame is this minimal, all the aesthetic interest comes from the cushions.” She used Quay fabric from Kelly Wearstler’s collection for Lee Jofa to outfit a Jutholmen for her own deck, seen here.
When shopping for any sofa, Nozawa specifically looks for “boxy arms,” meaning that the arms are the same height as the back. (Some people call this a “shelter sofa.”) The pitch of the arms on this corner piece makes it perfect for lounging.
Leaning Mirrors
“IKEA has some of the best quality mirrors for the price,” Nozawa says. “At nearly seven feet tall, the HOVET mirroris an unbeatable bargain per square foot.” The clean, minimalist frame (available in aluminum or black) makes this IKEA mirror versatile to work across different design styles and types of spaces, from dining rooms to home gyms. Nozawa even has one in her own bedroom, leaning against a hand-painted mural.
Simple Cabinetry
Fresh paint and some snazzy hardware can transform a basic IKEA kitchen, as proven by Austin-based interior designer Lizzie Pincoffs. “I bought my house during the real estate craze in 2020,” she says. “I was working with a small budget and knew these SEKTION kitchen cabinets were structurally awesome.” In her kitchen, seen here, Pincoffs had her cabinetmakers leave the existing cabinet shells and refaced the doors. Then, she repainted them in Sherwin-Williams Quixotic Plum and added antique brass hardware from Signature Hardware.
Sea Grass Baskets
Jacksonville, Florida, interior designer Lindsey Waters is all about the KALLAX shelf unit with KNIPSA sea grass baskets, which she uses to store samples in her office. “The unit’s simple design in the white color I chose keeps my office feeling orderly and bright,” Waters says. “This is also an excellent option for toy storage in a children's playroom to keep clutter at bay.”
Customizable Storage Furniture
Nina Grauer, principal designer at Dekay & Tate, which has offices in Palm Beach and Denver, loves IKEA basics like theBESTA storage system. “The simplest additions, like spectacular hardware and some funky furniture legs, turn this standard cabinet into a one-of-a-kind credenza,” Grauer says.
Shoe Storage
IKEA is definitely a gold mine for affordable storage and organization tools. Grauer loves the LACK shelves for shoe storage in particular. Whether you get one long shelf for a sleek display piece or go with the shelf unit seen here, you won’t be disappointed. “These look fantastic as a shoe display in a closet,” Grauer says.
Midcentury-Style Armchairs
When high-end midcentury Scandinavian design isn’t within reach, Grauer recommends the EKENÄSET armchair (made of solid wood), which can go from standard to striking when you upholster the cushions in a favorite fabric.
Woven Stools
The handcrafted Alseda stool—with its unique, flat-but-rounded shape woven out of banana leaves—is an eye-catching seating solution. Use it as an accent piece in a living room, as seen in this one designed by Florida-based interior designer Emily Moss, who loves that the stool adapts to any decor style and can be conveniently tucked away. She also uses it in kids’ spaces.
Decorative Ceiling Lights
Cecile Gottlich of Studio Cecile in Texas is all about the REGNSKUR/SUNNEBY light, which reminds her of famous midcentury cocoon pendants. At $56, it will “add a bang without a lot of buck,” she says. Plus, the collapsible lampshade is machine washable, so you don't have to worry about it inevitably getting dusty.
Chic Candles
Gottlich embraces dopamine decor with JAMNMOD scented candles in a funky curved glass. Once the candle burns out, use the groovy container as a decorative piece or add LED tea lights for some ambience.
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