Smart Ikea Hacks You Have To Try: 2021 Edition
Image Credit - IKEA
During a year unlike any other, there’s not much we can rely on with absolute certainty. That is except for IKEA. This year’s catalog, like those of years past, is full of fab new products, great design, and of course, smart IKEA hacks.
Not only are we still in a pandemic over a year later, but few of us can go to actual stores to shop, instead choosing to shop from the safety of our homes. This year the IKEA catalogue has become a handbook of sorts: Filled with inspirational tips, hands-on ideas, and small affordable shifts to live better on a budget and in these trying times.
Homes are usually a safe place to land, and more than ever, our spaces have taken on many new roles and meanings. The IKEA 2021 collection follows some familiar current themes: working from home is a big one, understandably. From working and learning to domestic activities more like cooking and creating, there seems to be a renewed focus on life and what it means for us at home.
This season many of us are fixated on redecorating. Luckily the IKEA catalogue is chock full of inspirational tips, focusing on small-space living on a budget - and the importance of sleep and wellness. After all, bedrooms go way beyond an area where we rest; they’re also a personal space for retreat and our at-home sanctuary to recharge.
With each new IKEA catalogue we learn home decor hacks that help us create a dreamy and practical home. And with 12 million tons of furniture ending up in a landfill each year, you're not just making your home beautiful, but you're also doing the environment a favour by trying out fantastic new hacks.
Here at Lilla Rugs, we like to curate a room using IKEA's brilliant and versatile furniture, paired with vintage pieces mixed in with modern and a few luxury items. Read on for the IKEA-approved hacks that dominate this year’s catalogue, and get inspiration to hack your way through 2021.
SPACE-FRIENDLY DESKS
Image Credit - IKEA
A desk doesn’t have to be a desk. You can make a home office in any space; it doesn’t matter how tiny it is. Here are IKEA’s solutions:
Use a wardrobe to house a small workspace: Here, the teeny MICKE desk and equally tiny NILSERIK stool can be put away easily when not in use. A desk hidden in a wardrobe is a clever space-saving solution, but what do you do if you don’t have one? Not only does this help save space, but it also helps you shut the door on your workday once done.
Another workspace hack is a shallow EKBY ALEX wall mount with drawers. It becomes a great desk space when hung at table height and topped with a task light and two shelves for books.
DESIGNER STYLE LIGHTING
Image Credit - IKEA
IKEA is the ideal place to shop if you’re on the quest for affordable furniture and home accessories - but you run the risk of having the same pieces as everyone else. So if you like to be thrifty and unique, try one of these IKEA lighting hacks.
Never have natural materials been more popular as home accessories. A clever hack turns a simple storage basket into a designer-look lampshade with little effort.
Start with an IKE Snidad rattan basket. For a more natural element in your decor, you can leave it in the natural state. Otherwise, if you prefer a chic look, remove the handles and spray it black for an instant transformation. Drill a small hole in the base to add a bulb and hanging cord, and presto – a beautiful basket lampshade to feast your eyes on.
If you consider yourself creative, embroidery hoops make an excellent base for a handmade lantern. Add some eye-catching fabric like this SKUGGBRACKA from IKEA, and you are all set. A bold statement lighting hack!
STACK IT
Image Credit - IKEA
Do you want statement-making book storage? You don’t have to create an enormous built-in bookshelf to turn your walls into art.
Whether we are talking about the books you love to read before you go to bed, cooking books, or books you’ve read. Add tiny hidden shelves around your home without making everything look too crowded.
Stacking books vertically on smaller shelves are a unique way to display a selection of your favourite reads. Here, they’re piled high on four small shelves installed, one above the other.
You can make it by cutting the TRANHULT shelf down to size and mounting the pieces on SIBBHULT brackets. You can keep the natural wood and white brackets, or this would look great with a dramatic paint job, too. If you have a neutral home, turn the books around (with the pages facing the exterior), they will look more calm and organised in a neutral space.
Another space-saver is a super slim nightstand - This ultra-slim nightstand is the perfect size for an alarm clock and a book (or 20). You can recreate this look by installing the SVENSHULT shelf on its side.
SMART KITCHEN STORAGE
Image Credit - IKEA
The kitchen might be the busiest room in your house, but it needn’t be the most chaotic. There are countless kitchen storage hacks out there that can help you get as much space out of your kitchen as possible, and you won't have to sacrifice style or your bank account.
Our favourite high-end hack for kitchens is using the IKEA METOD cabinets in black. They recreate a sleek modern farmhouse look and a faultless design aesthetic. Pair this with a rolling cart to increase your kitchen storage; painting the cart the same colour as your cabinets will give the illusion that it is all one piece.
Another idea would be to open up your storage. Open storage has become a popular trend in recent years: it helps make your mealtimes easier and more enjoyable. Keeping crockery and glasses next to the dishwasher and sink makes restocking the shelves a much speedier process. Floating shelves painted in the same colour as the wall generates a chic, discreet look.
Featured Rugs (left to right) - MIDNIGHT, ROSE, SCULPT
The final touch to your IKEA hacked home would be introducing a bespoke rug from our modern rug collection. Our beautiful bespoke rugs work well with modern and minimalist design styles, making them a perfect match for IKEA furniture.
We have three of our favourite modern rugs above. MIDNIGHT is a plain handloom rug in a beautiful night sky colour. ROSE is a modern take on a Persian overdyed rug - and finally, SCULPT is another handloom rug with a bold geometric design. These rugs are sure to create a stir with your friends and family; they look flawless in any space at home.
