The Ikea Rast is a small but powerful chest of drawers. Who knew that this simple little piece of furniture could become so much.
These awesome Ikea Rast hacks demonstrate how versatile this bare wood chest of drawers is. It is one of the cheapest pieces of Ikea furniture but with a little imagination and care it can become one of your favourites!
Floral Fabric Panel Creates Vintage Charm
Burlap fabric with soft blue floral patterns transforms this basic RAST dresser into something your grandmother would’ve treasured. The natural texture of the burlap adds warmth while the delicate blooms bring a cottage-style sweetness that’s hard to resist.
Each drawer front gets it’s own fabric panel, carefully fitted within the existing frame structure. Dark bronze knobs complement the muted blue tones perfectly, creating a cohesive look that feels both rustic and refined.
This brilliant hack from @canarystreetcrafts shows how simple fabric application can completely change a piece’s personality.
Fluted Drawers Add Texture And Drama
The genius move here is adding those gorgeous fluted drawer fronts to what started as a basic RAST chest. @kinandkasa transformed this simple pine piece into something that looks like it came from a high-end furniture boutique.
That rich teal paint color makes the fluted texture really pop, especially with those brass knobs catching the light. The added legs lift the whole piece off the ground and create that perfect open shelf space underneath for baskets or books.
You could easily recreate this look with wood glue, thin wooden strips, and your favorite paint color for a nightstand that’s anything but ordinary.
Distressed Marble Paper Transform Basic Storage
Two sage green RAST dressers get a sophisticated makeover with weathered marble contact paper that looks way more expensive than it actually is. The distressed white and gold pattern creates this amazing vintage texture that totally transforms the plain pine wood.
This clever hack from @oakappledecor shows how easy it is to create matching furniture pieces that look custom-made. The sage green frame provides the perfect contrast to make those marble fronts really pop.
You could try different marble patterns or even use this technique on just one dresser for a statement piece that doesn’t overwhelm your space.
Sage Green Paint Creates Plant Paradise Vibes
Those basic RAST chests don’t have to stay boring pine forever, and this sage green transformation proves it perfectly. The matte finish creates such a calming backdrop that makes all those gorgeous plants pop against the soft color.
Adding wooden legs elevates the whole piece literally and figuratively, giving it that mid-century modern look thats super trendy right now. The brass handles are the perfect finishing touch that makes these look way more expensive than they actually were.
This setup from @2nddoorontheright shows how two units side-by-side creates amazing storage plus the perfect plant display surface.
Apothecary Rast Makeover
This is an absolutely stunning Ikea Rast hack from Style Squeeze. They have turned the Rast chest of drawers into an apothecary style plan chest.
The most annoying part of the Rast is the base, but this has been chopped off and they have added a board across the bottom onto which they have fitted castors. A much better overall look.
Pastel Colour Nightstand
This is a delightful nightstand from Anika’s DIY Life. She has carved a hexagon pattern on the front of the drawers and then coloured them in with pastel colours to give a gorgeous, calming design.
The addition of some extra side panels and stained wood top complete the look perfectly.
The glass knobs are a great finishing touch.
Art Deco Style Drawers
We love the creativity behind this art deco style set of drawers from Reality Day Dream. They have added a curved piece of wood to the front of each drawer to give the art deco styling.
By painting the back of the drawer a different colour to the front, curved part they enhance the look of it.
Pink Rast Drawers
You can’t get much more pink than this! What a transformation with this Rast hack from How To Nest For Less.
They have completely covered the Rast in pink paint and then set about adding rhinestones to the fronts of the drawers.
The drop pendant knobs are exactly the right ones to use here!
Mountain Range Rast Art
This is such a simple treatment of the Rast dresser from Curate and Display. They have painted the front edges of the side and top panels in a dark blue and then added a beautiful mountain range scene to the top drawer.
You don’t have to do much to make this little chest of drawers look a bit more stylish. Just get creative!
Vintage Travel Trunk Rast Hack
While the last hack was simple, this one is a bit more involves, but the results are stunning. Anastasia Vintage have created this amazing vintage travel trunk style chest of drawers out of the Rast.
They have used wooden trim to create the edging detail and some gorgeous drop handles.
The leather straps on the sides complete the look.
White and Wood Chest of Drawers
The combination of white and wood is always going to look good and this gorgeous Rast hack from Hearts and Sharts makes great use of that fact.
They have also added some short tapered legs to give the drawers some height and a hint of mid-century style.
The gold handles really transform the look of them too.
Geometric Pattern Rast Hack
This look amazing but is really very simple. At Azur Bagoly they have simply added some lovely gold tapered legs to the bottom of the Rast and created a geometric patter on the front.
This is easily achieved by painting the whole thing in your background colour, then using masking tape to give diagonal lines in the pattern you require.
Mid Century Modern Sideboard
Another Ikea Rast hack that makes use of the white and wood combination to great effect. This sideboard hack from @2nddoorontheright on Instagram fits two Rast drawers together to create a sideboard.
They have added some tapered legs and then painted the carcass in white while staining the drawers a darker colour.
Leather Handle Rast Hack
This Rast hack from Vintage Revivals is an example of how simple you can go while still creating something stunning.
All they have done is paint the whole Rast chest of drawers white and then added some handles.
Of course, the handles were a bit more complex than simple screwing something on to the front of the drawers, but you get the idea of how you can do something very simple. In this case the leather handles they have created are brilliant!
Triple Rast Sideboard
Another entry from Reality Day Dream. This time a triple Rast sideboard!
They have fitted together three Rast dressers to create a long sideboard that they have styled in a mid-century look.
We love the brass knobs that they have finished it off with.
Geometric Wood Art Drawers
This is one of my favourite Rast hacks from Houseologie. They have added some wood strips to the front of the drawers to create a geometric pattern that looks stunning.
I imagine this took a lot of effort to create, but the results are well worth it!
Ornate Detailing Hack
This hack from Crafty Sisters is a beautiful transformation of the Ikea Rast dresser. They have made their own ornate panelling for the front of the drawers and then painted the whole thing in a gorgeous colour.
The little corner legs help give the impression of a much more expensive piece of furniture.
Bright Orange Rast Hack
We love a bit of bright colour and this Rast hack from Good Housekeeping delivers!
They have simply painted the whole thing orange and then added some details with the metal corner trims and lifting handles.
Rustic Industrial Nightstand
In this rustic industrial Rast hack from Cherished Bliss they have created the effect of wood panels by scoring lines across the drawer fronts and then using different shades of paint.
The whole thing looks very stylish and the cup handles really finish it off well.
Colourful Art Deco Sideboard
What a stunning transformation this is! They have put two Rast dressers together to form a sideboard and then raised them up on some elegant metal legs.
The major work is in the choice of colour and handles to create this dramatic effect.
The addition of a glass top adds to the illusion of something really expensive!
Rast Home Office Desk Hack
Going back to the white and wood combination, this Rast desk hack from Good Housekeeping is a great way to use the Rast drawers.
They have laid a desk top over the two Rast dressers to give a desk and storage combination that will not have cost much at all!
Open Top Rast Nightstand
This Ikea Rast hack from Cleverly Simple really is clever and simple!
They have removed the top drawer to create an open shelf for easy access while you’re in bed. The other drawers proved further bedside storage.
We love the combination of the dark blue and the silver handles too.
Decoupage Rast Dresser
One great way to completely transform the Rast dresser is to use wallpaper to decoupage the front of the drawers.
That is just what Good Housekeeping have done here. We love the choice of wallpaper, which has a hint of William Morris about it.
Substantial Upgrade Rast Hack
With just a few neat tricks, Sincerely Marie Designs have upgraded the Rast dresser to something that looks so much more substantial!
They have added some trim to frame the front of the drawers, then a board on top to give it a more substantial top surface.
The base board around the bottom really completes the look perfectly. Then it just needed a coat of paint and some lovely handles.
The Four Rast Dresser
At In Between Chaos they really upped the Rast stakes by going for four in a row!
This dresser looks stunning and they have used some of the same tricks as in the last hack to make it look like a far more expensive piece of furniture.
Painting it all in white helps hide any imperfections.
Retro Yellow and Wood Rast Hack
This is a gorgeously retro Rast hack from Sincerely Marie Designs. They have used a dark wax for the carcass of the chest of drawers and then gone for a contrasting yellow on the drawers.
The tiny crystal knobs are the perfect match to finish it off, along with the tapered, angles legs.
Elegant Rast Hack
This elegant Rast hack from In Between Chaos is really all about two things: the handles and the legs.
They made both of these themselves and provide tutorials for them. Another thing they have done is connect the two Rast drawers together without using one of the side panels so that they didn’t get a ‘double panel’ effect in the middle. This really helped make it look so much more elegant.
They really are Rast hack machines at In Between Chaos!
Closet Storage Rast Hack
We love the use of the kick-board space as shoe storage in this closet dresser hack from Cribs Style.
They have also added a chunky wooden top surface, which looks great against the blue green of the dresser.
Cane Front Rast Hack
We’ve saved one of the best for last. There are a lot of cane Ikea hacks going around and this Rast hack from Roost and Ramble is a great example of what you can do with a bit of cane webbing!
They have simply fixed the cane webbing over the front of the drawers and then added trims around the edge to hide the staples.
There has been a lot more work done to remove the kick-board, add some legs and handles and paint the carcass too. The whole thing looks stunning and just as good as the furniture they were inspired by!
The Ikea Rast dresser is a very simple, cheap piece of furniture that you can do so much with.
These Ikea Rast hacks should have shown you that you can use it as a fantastic base for a much more expensive looking chest of drawers, sideboard, nightstand or whatever you are in need of.