Looking for cheap ways to spruce up your IKEA Kallax Shelves? Then you need to check out these 33 unique and clever DIY Kallax shelf ideas.
IKEA is one of the most affordable places to find furniture and storage solutions for your home. One of my favorite things from there is the Ikea cube storage unit.
Have you seen a more versatile IKEA item than the KALLAX (formerly known as EXPEDIT) cube storage unit? It can cost as little as $60 and comes in so many different shapes and sizes that it really is essential in every single home.
It is cheap, sturdy, versatile and long lasting but it can look pretty plain and boring. That is why they make such great blank canvases to easily spruce up and make look chic and expensive.
Most of these ideas are really easy to do and will only take an hour or a few to make, but some of these need the use of some power tools and a handy husband.
Related: Want to keep up with the latest IKEA trends? Check out these Japandi IKEA Hacks to get the hottest home decor of 2026!
How to make cube storage look expensive?
The key to making your IKEA Kallax look more expensive is to not overdo it with the decorations. Add a simple set of pulls, knobs, legs, or even an overlay but keep it simple.
You can also change out the tops or switch the fronts to suit your personal style.
Can you paint IKEA Kallax?
Yes, you can, but since Ikea kallax shelving units are made of particleboard, you will need a primer to paint over them.
What can I do with a Kallax unit?
The Ikea Kallax shelves are one of the most versatile products Ikea has to offer. Since it’s such a basic model, consisting of just cubes it can easily be modified to suit whatever you would like it to be.
You can join together multiple kallax units to create bigger shelves and different shapes and sizes to fit every nook and cranny in your house.
33 IKEA Kallax Hacks Anyone Can Do
1. DIY Kallax Cane Door
Watch this simple tutorial to find out how to create stunning faux cane doors for your Kallax unit. The secret to this hack is using burlap which is both inexpensive and easy to find at most countries.
2. Expedit Changing Table Hack
Changing tables can be infamously expensive to purchase but this expedit hack will set you back less than a $100 and looks classy and beautiful. It also boasts a ton of storage space for all the baby essentials.
This hack would be amazing to make as a gift for any expecting moms.
Source: Young House Love
3. Kallax Bookcase Turned Into Lockers
Hide away your clutter in these neat looking lockers. The numbers on them are handy so you can remember where you placed specific things without having to go through the whole unit trying to find something.
Source: Little House of Four
4. Ikea Kallax as Kitchen Island Hack
Tight on space but still want an elegant kitchen island? This hack was made for you. The outcome looks amazing and it’s hard to believe how little it cost!
My favorite part about this kitchen island is that it has wheels underneath so it can be moved out of the way as needed.
Source: Jen Lou Meredith
5. Glammed Up Ikea Kallax Unit
Using some simple overlays, this blogger managed to make the Kallax unit look super expensive! I am obsessed!!
The Kallax insert with door and overlays are store-bought making this hack a super quick one.
Source: The Pink Dream
7. Quick And Convertible Toy Storage Hack
Hide your kids’ unsightly toys in this clever storage unit. This one is super easy to do!
Source: The Makerista
8. Rustic Cube Shelves
Even though the Kallax is a very modern piece of furniture it can easily be transformed to suit even farmhouse style decor.
This unit would look amazing in any farmhouse home.
Source: Home Made Lovely
9. Ikea No-Sew Window Bench
Make a comfortable sitting place and extra seating with this simple Ikea kallax hack. Using some foam and fabric this hack requires no sewing and won’t take long at all to make.
Source: Mommy Vignettes
10. Ikea Bar Hack
You had me at ‘bar’! What a glam way to display all your booze and fancy glasses. Now all that’s missing is tequila!
Source: The Everygirl
12. DIY Standing Desk Using Ikea Kallax
Standing desks can be expensive to purchase but this hack won’t cost you more than a 100 dollars and uses just two 4×4 Kallax cube storage units.
Source: Apartment Therapy
13. Ikea Kallax Flat File Cabinet Hack
Perfect for storing documents or makeup – this filing cabinet is an essential for any home!
Source: Oh Everything Handmade
14. Shelving Unit To TV Stand
How clever was Sarah from Sarah M Dorsey Designs to flip over her storage unit and put some legs under it.
She quickly transformed the unit into a beautiful TV stand for less than $90 (including the cost of the shelving unit).
Source: Infarrantly Creative
15. Ikea Kallax Door Panels Hack
How incredibly creative is this hack? You could use your favorite picture to turn your Kallax unit into a functional masterpiece!
Source: Jon Aco Designs
16. Ikea Kallax Nightstand
I love this hack because you don’t really need to do much to the actual item. All you need is to decorate it and make it look all pretty with your favorite accessories!
Source: The Everygirl
17. Ikea Kallax Living Room Cabinet
One of the simplest ways to change the look of your Kallax unit is to add some funky legs. This hack features a way to transform your Kallax shelving unit into a cute living room cabinet/buffet.
Source: Fabric Paper Glue
18. Fabric Lined IKEA Kallax Bookshelf
Add a level of depth to your Kallax bookshelf with this 5-minute hack. All you need is some fabric and tape to recreate this look.
Source: Honey We’re Home
19. Ikea Kallax As Wine Storer
This useful piece is great for storing all your wine bottles in style!
Source: Ikea Hackers
20. DIY Kallax Dollhouse
This adorable dollhouse would make any little girl happy!
Source: Crate and Barrel
21. DIY Ikea Cube Storage to Bar Cart
I love how this bar cart has wheels on it, which makes it convenient to roll from one room to another. This would also make a great coffee cart to store all your favorite cups and coffee pods.
Source: Sugar And Cloth
22. Kallax Media Stand
This has to be the easiest hack on the list. Just screw on some legs to create a media stand for a small apartment or bedroom.
Screw some wooden legs under your Kallax unit to make this adorable Tv stand!
Source: The Everygirl
23. DIY Banquette Seat
Is it just me or does this seat look like it would belong in some fancy hotel? I love the black and white look and it makes this Ikea seat look extremely fancy and expensive.
Source: Melodrama
Related: 13 Modern Dark Academia Bedroom Ideas to Copy
24. Craft Room Work Table
This table creates the perfect workspace and storage for any crafter. The best bit is you won’t have to worry about making a mess (as crafting can get real messy) since the top part costs only $30 and is super easy to replace!
25. Kallax Workstation Hack
You can create an inexpensive and chic-looking workstation using two 4×4 Ikea kallax cubes and a tabletop.
The cubes make an excellent solution for extra storage in your home office and you can fit so much in the 8 shelves!
Source: Keeping it Simple
26. Wood topped Boho Shelf
Source: Elrincondeclau
27. Storage Baskets for Kallax
The Ikea Billy shelf is a basic storage solution for your favourite books that you want to show off. But what do you do with the things that not everyone should see, and, more importantly, where do you keep the miscellaneous items? Try cute storage baskets!
Source: New Swedish Design
28. Nursery Hack
Kallax is ideal as a nursery shelf as when the 4×2 unit is placed horizontally, it’s low enough for kids to reach for and use to store away their toys and books.
Source: Caitlin Marie Design
29. Kallax Inserts Dresser Transformation
Source: Alyssatriesart on Reddit
30. Kallax Overlay for a High-End Carved Detail Cabinet
There’s something about overlays that make any cheap cabinet look super expensive and high-end.
Source: The Greenspring Home
Hope you enjoyed these IKEA KALLAX Hacks and let me know which one was your favorite down in the comments!
The book shelf to lockers was a real game changer for our mudroom. We resurfaced our wood floor in there just this last month and I was so sick of my kids leaving all of their crap on the new finish. The lockers have made it fun for them to actually keep the floor clean and safe. Thank you so much for sharing.