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Ubiquitous blue shopping bags aside, IKEA’s most useful products might be its shoe cabinets. Not only are they budget-friendly, but pieces like the Hemnes and Ställ have slim dimensions, so they fit seamlessly in most hallways and foyers. With pullout compartments, the cabinets wrangle shoes—as well as dog leashes, umbrellas, hats, and whatever else you slide inside—and hide them from view, keeping your entryway looking fresh. Yet as useful as these cupboards are, they don’t necessarily wow in the style department. That is, unless you give them a little love and a couple coats of paint. Here, we’ve rounded up five IKEA hacks that transform a basic shoe cabinet.
Greige Goodness
For organization with finesse, home blogger Nahyun Arnal of Our Hideaway Home (@ourhideawayhome) upgraded a Hemnes shoe cabinet by adding oak trim to the front of the compartments as well as brass drawer pulls. But before assembling the cabinet, she gave each piece two coats of Valspar Signature paint and primer in an eggshell finish, tinted to Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth.
Custom Curves
Annie Williams of Champagne Chaos took inspo from two (much more expensive) cupboards to create her dream piece from a Hemnes cabinet. First, she added curves to the unit with bendable plywood, then crafted a new top and painted everything in Behr Dark Secret in Matte. Finally, she added a basket weave—made from reeds—to each cabinet face.
Additional Shelving
Here’s another Hemnes overhaul. Alexandra Gater, who hosts a YouTube channel dedicated to renovating rentals in the Toronto area, played up the piece’s dual use as a console table by adding a re-stained custom wood top. She also gave the cabinet fresh knobs, coats of Bone by Farrow & Ball, and a pair of semicircular shelves—perfect for holding sunglasses.
Bold Molding
Gemma Mahabeer-Goldsmith of @my_midcenturymakover wanted streamlined storage for her office to help organize laptops, files, and general desk clutter. IKEA’s Ställ cabinet gave her the frame she needed, and decorative molding, attached with wood adhesive, provided the look she wanted. She painted the whole piece in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball and also upgraded the hardware.
DIY Fluting
To transform a basic Hemnes into a one-of-a-kind wine cabinet, Elisha Kelly of Our Aesthetic Abode (@ouraesthetic_abode) created fluting from wood dowels she purchased on Amazon and glued to the drawer faces. Like Williams, she added curves to the cabinet, then gave everything a new coat of paint—Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black in a satin finish. Each drawer holds five bottles, making for a sneaky bar.