I can’t believe it’s Ikea! DIY fans transform flat-pack furniture into stylish one-of-a-kind pieces – from a trendy bar to castle bunk beds
- Crafty shoppers customised basic Ikea items to create beautiful furniture
- One person turned a bunk bed into a princess castle for their daughter
- Another turned a black desk made of glass into a stylish drinks cabinet
Crafty social media users have shown how they transformed basic IKEA furniture into beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces.
DIY whizzes from around the world shared pictures of their designs online and the best examples were collated in a Bored Panda gallery.
With just a few smart tweaks and a coat of paint, they turned the basic flat-pack desks, beds and bookshelves into colourful items full of personality.
One man turned a simple bunk bed into a princess castle for his daughter. Another took a white shoe filing cabinet and painted it green, changed the door handles and counter top for a completely different look.
Scroll down for more examples on how you can customise your IKEA furniture.
Working hard… or hardly working? The £29 VITTSJO glass-topped laptop table becomes a trendy industrial-style bar with the addition of a wood shelf and a stained wood top
Every girl’s dream: The £129 KURA bed, which can be used as a bunk bed or a regular single, forms the base of this stunning princess castle bunk bed for one crafty user’s little girl. A plastic dome over the mattress create a cubby and a playhouse is added underneath
Simple yet effective: This classic Ikea design, which is no longer available, is given a quick update with a faux marble top and a coat of gold spray paint that elevates the white base
Farmhouse favourite: This £129 dark wood MALM bedframe becomes a rustic retreat worthy of any high-end hope thanks to new slats of wood on the base and headboard, painted white
Plenty of character: This bland wood IKEA card file unit was styled to look more old-fashioned with its beautiful brass name tags and dark wood effect, thought to be achieved with a stain
Twice as nice! This creative homeowner came up with a clever design for a floating shelf by combining two MOSSLANDA picture ledges, which cost £5 each. The bottom shelf is placed the right way up and the other upside down, with some lights added for ambiance
Whimsical: In another show of how versatile the £129 KURA bed is, a creative homeowner made a sunken retreat perfect for a child’s bedroom and complete with decorative flags
Stacking simplicity: The KALLAX white shelving unit, £25 for a standard four-block, pictured, is transformed into a statement sidetable. The owner disguised the Ikea table by adding a mixture of doors and shelves to the blocks and left some empty for effect. To complete the look, he or she added a wooden top and side, as well as eye-catching knobs
A drinker’s delight! This £45 Ivar cabinet (left) becomes the perfect home bar thanks to the addition of legs, new handlles and attached shelves. A dark wood stain adds sophistication