Ikea hacks are just the best – I don’t think anyone will disagree with that. And one of the best ranges to hack is the Ivar. The Ivar cabinets and shelves are beautiful in their simplicity and natural wood but can also be easily transformed in to something else.
Ivar are functional and very budget friendly pieces of furniture for storage in any room. And with all the hacking possibilities you can so easily transform it to make it look like a super expensive piece of furniture.
I have seen so many Ikea Ivar hacks out there but today I’ve picked out 6 hacks that will appeal to you if you like simple, minimal style. I’m guessing if you’re here then you do love minimal, Scandinavian decor. All the hacks are simple to recreate and they all look amazing.
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5 Ikea Ivar hacks for minimalists
1. painted Ivar cabinet in pale grey
This Ivar hack doesn’t have a tutorial but then again you don’t really need one as it’s just a paint job. I love this palest of greys that’s been chosen – it looks so stunning. But it’s not just the cabinet – the Ivar shelves look awesome too. As there’s no tutorial, I don’t know the exact paint colour but I think it’s a soft grey with a tiny hint of beige, making it a very pale greige. To get a similar look I would try either this colour by Farrow & Ball or this one by Behr both in matt finishes.
2. Circular fluted Ivar cabinet
This Ikea Ivar hack is another understated gem. I love the subtle colour that it’s been painted in but most of all it’s the addition of the circular fluting that really brings this hack to life. It really looks like a super expensive piece yet the hack is super simple. Check out the tutorial where there’s also a handy tip so you don’t even have to trim the dowels.
3. Ivar with cane doors
How stunning are these wall cabinets with their cane doors? Not only are they stunning but I love the contrast they provide in this small grey kitchen. I’m not 100% sure these are hacked ivar cabinets as there isn’t much info about them but you can totally recreate this look with the ivar wall cabinets – it will be so budget friendly too. And guess what? You don’t even have to hack it as Ikea now make cane doors for the ivar cabinet. But if you love a little diy project like me and you want exactly this look, you can find a tutorial here.
4. Ivar with a wooden top
The ivar cabinet has a beautiful, natural look and you don’t always need to paint it or do anything to it. In this Ivar hack it’s been left in its natural state but it’s been transformed in to a handy desk with plenty of storage. Depending on the space you have you can configure any number of cabinets to create a desk for one or two or even three. There’s no tutorial but all you need is some ivar cabinets and a matching piece of pine to secure on top of the cabinets. I love the detail of the extra bit of pine added under the desk which finishes the look much better than if the wall was visible. And not visible in this picture, the pine desk top also goes down the sides of the cabinets at each end. Both these details, really elevate this simple idea to create a minimal desk space that is both functional and stylish.
5. Ivar as open shelving
While this Ivar cabinet has been painted much like the first one on this list, I’ve included it because it shows how Ivar can easily be used as open shelving too. By simply leaving out the doors, you instantly have open shelves at a bargain price. This idea would work in any room in your home but I especially love it for an entryway. Like in the pic, you can also combine more than one cabinet for some open and some closed ones. Always handy if you need to hideaway some clutter!
6. painted ivar cabinet in deep brown
Minimalist decor doesn’t mean only light colours. You can have an equally pared back look with darker, deeper colours like this Ivar cabinet painted in a deep brown and the picture at the top painted in a mid-brown. Also using the Ivar instead of a sideboard looks great especially as it’s on the wall and it’s an inexpensive way to get some much needed dining room storage. There isn’t a tutorial but the colour looks like a warm brown with a reddish undertone. The closest colour I found was this one by behr or alternatively you could go for a lighter shade of brown with a pinkish undertone – like this colour by Farrow & Ball which would look stunning on Ivar – both in matte.
I have a few Ivar cabinets in my daughters room and for now I’ve kept them in their natural state. But I know as soon as we want a change or a different look, we don’t need to replace them but can just paint them. I think we would paint them to match the wall which is another decor look I love.
Which of these Ikea Ivar hacks is your favourite?
Top image by The Poster Club.
Oh my gosh I love an Ikea hack! I really like the look of the cane doors – I’m going to try to emulate this at home!
I love IKEA hacks too – so much you can do to IKEA pieces. Good luck with the hack!