The best thing about Ikea furniture is that it often gives you a basic structure for something much more ambitious. The Ikea Besta cabinet is a great example and these Ikea Besta hacks will show you exactly what is possible with a bit of creativity.
The Besta cabinet is pure simplicity, it is a sleek white box that actually looks great as it is. However, with a few little additions you can create something stunning.
Let’s have a look at the best Ikea Besta hacks we could find!
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Fluted White Cabinet Creates Stunning TV Console
This gorgeous transformation shows how basic Besta units become something truly special with the right front panel upgrade. The crisp white fluted design adds serious texture and visual interest to what would otherwise be a plain storage piece.
Wall-mounting your modified Besta keeps the floor space open and creates that floating effect everyone loves right now. @the_coastalflat nailed the styling with woven baskets and natural elements that complement the cabinet’s clean lines perfectly.
The fluted fronts are usually adhesive panels or custom-cut wood strips that attach right over the original Besta doors – way easier than you’d think!
Wood Panel Door Creates Custom Console Magic
This gorgeous transformation shows how a simple herringbone wood panel can turn a basic BESTA unit into something that looks completely custom made. The warm oak pattern against crisp white creates such a striking contrast that nobody would ever guess it started as a budget IKEA piece.
The beauty of this hack lies in it’s simplicity – just measure your BESTA front and cut wood panels to fit. You could easily recreate this look using peel-and-stick wood veneer or even contact paper with a similar pattern if your not ready for a full DIY project.
Thanks to @my_fave_things_and_more for proving that mixing textures is the secret to making IKEA furniture feel expensive and personalized.
Hidden Shoe Storage Using Floating White Cabinets
This brilliant modification from @thesplintergatherer turns basic Besta units into a floating storage system that’s both stylish and practical. The clean white cabinets hover above the floor, creating this amazing open space underneath thats perfect for everyday shoes.
The wooden shelf addition underneath the floating units is what really makes this hack shine. You can easily customize the wood stain to match your existing floors or go with a contrasting color for more visual interest.
The wall-mounted installation keeps everything looking minimal while doubling your storage capacity in one smart move.
Built In Bench With Classic Panel Moldings
This genius transformation takes a basic IKEA BESTA unit and turns it into something that looks like it cost thousands of dollars. The secret lies in adding those gorgeous raised panel details to the front doors, which completely changes the whole vibe of the piece.
The soft beige upholstered cushion on top makes this hack super practical for seating while hiding all your stuff inside. @katjanordkvist really nailed the proportions here, making sure the molding details match perfectly with the wall paneling above.
You could easily recreate this look using MDF strips and some wood glue, then paint everything in matching white for that seamless built-in appearance.
White Doors Transform Basic Besta Units
Clean white doors can completely change how your Besta units look in any room. The smooth matte finish creates this really modern appearance that works great with the natural wood shelving inside.
This setup from @sirokova.design.and.art shows how adding simple white fronts makes storage feel way more intentional. The contrast between the white exterior and warm wood interior adds visual interest without being to busy.
You could easily recreate this look by choosing Hanviken or Lappviken doors from Ikea’s front collection.
Textured Wood Slats Transform Basic Storage Cubes
The natural wood slat facade completely changes how these basic storage units look and feel in the space. By adding vertical wooden strips across the front, @linea_montaggi turned ordinary cabinets into something that looks way more expensive than it actually was.
The contrast between the dark green lower units with their leafy pattern and the warm wood tones above creates visual interest without being overwhelming. You could easily recreate this look using thin wood strips from any hardware store, just measure carefully and use wood glue for a clean finish.
The asymmetrical arrangement makes it feel custom-built rather than store-bought, which is exactly what good furniture hacking is all about.
Geometric Drama With Rich Navy Blue Paint
This stunning transformation takes a basic BESTA unit and turns it into something that looks like it belongs in a luxury hotel lobby. The deep navy blue paint creates an instant focal point, while those geometric patterns on each door add serious visual interest that’ll make your guests do a double-take.
The brass hardware and matching leg caps are what really sell this whole look though. @hokuspokushome knew exactly what they were doing when they added those golden touches because it makes the navy pop even more.
You could easily recreate this with some painter’s tape, quality navy paint, and brass cabinet pulls from your local hardware store.
Fluted Wood Fronts Transform Bathroom Vanities
That stunning wooden vanity isnt just any ordinary bathroom cabinet – its actually a clever BESTA transformation that’ll blow your mind. The fluted wood fronts completely hide the fact that this is an IKEA piece, giving it a custom millwork appearance that probably cost way less than you think.
The vertical slat design adds incredible texture against those gorgeous gray marble tiles, and the floating mount keeps everything looking clean and modern. @hjertebank nailed the proportions perfectly by choosing a marble countertop that extends just the right amount past the cabinet edges.
You could totally recreate this look by adding wooden slat fronts to your BESTA units – just make sure to seal everything properly since bathrooms get pretty steamy.
White Besta Gets Warm Wood Interior Upgrade
The brilliant contrast between crisp white cabinet doors and warm timber interiors creates such a cozy yet modern vibe. This hack takes your basic Besta unit and adds wooden interior panels that make everything feel way more expensive than it actually was.
You can achieve this look by adding thin wood veneer sheets or even contact paper with a wood grain pattern inside each compartment. The natural wood tones make your books, plants, and decorative objects pop against the backdrop while the white exterior keeps things looking clean and minimal.
Credit goes to @studioajdesign for showing us how this simple interior upgrade transforms the whole storage wall into something that looks custom-built.
Funky Tiled Sideboard Hack
This is such a great Ikea Besta hack to start with from Swatts and Co. They have created a retro look with this hexagon tiled sideboard.
It seems quite extreme to tile a piece of furniture, but the results speak fir themselves.
We love the funky legs they added to the bottom!
Ornate Black and Gold Sideboard
What a stunning way to hack the Besta cabinet!
This hack makes use of amazing gold overlay panels from O’verlays that are stuck to the front of the Besta doors.
The gorgeous black and gold legs from Pretty Pegs transform the Besta cabinet into a sideboard by raising it up. They are such an elegant addition.
Stylish Ornate White Sideboard
Another great Besta hack from O’verlays. This one using a white theme all over apart from some beautifully shaped gold handles.
So easy to achieve with the Besta cabinet as a base and the stick-on panels.
Textile Lined Doors
Another company that make custom fronts for the Besta cabinets is Fronteriors. Here they have created a tall cabinet with their textile lined doors that fit the Besta perfectly.
The metal framed base gives the whole thing a bit more height and elegance.
This totally looks like it cost thousands!
Diamond Relief Pattern Doors
This Besta hack from Ikeahackers is true ingenuity in action! They have taken inspiration from a piece of furniture they love and recreated it cheaply using the Ikea besta unit.
They have used plastic wall panels to create a raised diamond effect on the front of the doors which looks amazing!
Mid-Century Drinks Cabinet
We love a good drinks related Ikea hack and his drinks cabinet from The Vintage Rug Shop does not disappoint!
They have used the Ikea Besta cabinet to create a small sideboard to house their drinking paraphernalia.
They added some tapered mid-century legs and some gorgeous gold contact paper to the back of the cupboards.
Monochrome Side Table
Monochrome works in almost any situation and this gorgeous side table from Pretty Pegs is a great example.
The black stripes across the Besta door are a great way to add some drama to the cabinet and the silver legs raise it up to a good height for a side table.
Stylish Wood and Marble Sideboard
You don’t need legs to make the Ikea Besta look good. It can be attached to the wall with the provided brackets and this amazing Ikea Besta hack from The Posh Home does just that to great effect.
They have used a wood effect Besta unit and added a white marble top for an elegant finish. The brass knobs are a gorgeous finishing touch.
Mid-Century Modern Besta Hack
Mid century modern style is very popular right now and the Besta is a great piece of furniture to help you create something in this style yourself.
This clever hack from Alex Mcclain on Apartment Therapy wraps the Besta unit in plywood and then raises it up o some tapered, angled legs.
Wood grain and white are the perfect combination for the mid century modern look.
Green Mid-Century Sideboard
Sticking with the mid-century theme, this stunning sideboard with O’verlay panels from Flow Redesigned really stands out.
The transformation of the Besta cabinet is immense and we love the ring pull handles in the middle of the panels.
Wood Top Nursery Hack
This is such a simple way to upgrade the Ikea Besta wall unit. The Animal Print Shop have added a wooden top to the Besta wall unit to create the perfect changing table with built in storage.
The elephant print above it is just brilliant too!
Colourful Besta Units
What better way to treat a load of blank white surfaces than to paint them all different colours!
This fantastic Ikea Besta hack from Sugar and Cloth is all about the colour, and lots of it!
Colour blocking is a great technique to add a touch of drama to a space.
Built-In Storage Shelves
We love this hack featured on My Domaine. They have arranged the Besta units to alternate in an offfset pattern and then filled the spaces that are left with some open wooden shelving.
The overall effect is stunning and works really well in any modern setting.
The striped effect at the back of the shelving adds an element of texture.
Grasscloth Wallpaper Makeover
There are loads of great companies offering decals for various types of Ikea furniture and this grasscloth wallpaper, used by Cuckoo For Design in their Besta hack, is one of the best we’ve seen.
They have covered the whole unit in it and added a border around the edge for contrast. The circular gold Chinese style face plate for the handles looks amazing!
Wood Topped Credenza
Another example of the wood-topped style to the Besta unit, this time from Sugar and Cloth.
We love this look so much we had to include another version of it. And they always do a great job of styling at Sugar and Cloth!
We are big fans of the Besta because we think it is the easiest of all Ikea furniture to turn into something designer. The lines are so sleek and it’s great that you can hang it on a wall to create a floating effect.
If you plan to have a stunning sideboard in your home, consider one of these Ikea Besta hacks to inspire you!
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