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If you think an IKEA desk is just a tabletop and four legs, wait until you see what these hacks can do.
When it comes to desks, there’s no place quite like IKEA.
But the real fun isn’t merely pairing ADILS legs with LAGKAPTEN table tops, it’s hacking them to fit your work style and room’s decor.
We’re talking about IKEA desk hacks.
They are workstations that go beyond the recommended IKEA range of desks, pulling in kitchen cabinets as desk legs, bookshelves as storage units, and roping in dressers to create the exact workspace to match your home office vibe.
We’ve curated a list of the best IKEA desk hacks that range from simple compact desks to L-shaped desks, to mega monster DIY desks.
Whether you work from home or need a desk for some weekend browsing or crafting, we’ve got you covered.
1. Give Your Desk a Lift
Sarah Merrell @sarahflipsit takes her workspace to new heights with this amazing desk hack. She uses the IKEA ALEX drawers and a ready-made, adjustable standing desk as the foundation and builds it out with wood and paneling to create a custom unit. It’s the perfect blend of form and function, providing ample flexibility for staying comfortable while you work.
2. Light Up Your Workspace
IKEA ALEX drawers and VRENA countertop come together with a minifridge and cool LEDs to create the ultimate gaming station. Eric Alves @maccagames crafts this corner unit in a few simple steps, making it an excellent place to kick back with your favorite games, grab a snack, and chill. It also doubles as a fun workstation or a desk that’s sure to make the kids want to do their homework.
3. Free Up Floor Space With This Floating Desk
This hack proves that you don’t need a lot of space to create a functional workstation. Mette Nagy Stovner flipped a simple IVAR cabinet onto its side and mounted it onto the wall to create a hideaway, floating desk. Chains and magnets provide extra support and stability, making this the perfect solution for adding a desk without sacrificing valuable floor space.
4. Create a Murphy Desk in an Unexpected Place
When Ed R.’s wife needed a home office, but there wasn’t room for one, he found a clever solution courtesy of the generous stair landing. BESTÅ frames and shelves serve as the foundation for this Murphy desk hack. The project takes full advantage of the available space, showing that it’s possible to carve out a home office in the tightest of spaces. SELSVIKEN doors double as the desk surface, and fancy actuators raise the desk up and down to get it into position.
5. Turn a Chair Into a Comfy Workspace
@batemanlabs Our ikea hack for turning your Poang Chair into a super comfy work station! Batemanlabs.com #batemanlabs #ikea #ikeahack #comfy #workfromhome #laptop #computer ♬ I Can’t Stop (Ekali Tribute) – Flux Pavilion
If you don’t have a lot of room to make a home office or workstation, check out this hack from Bateman Labs @batemanlabs. They use the IKEA POÄNG armchair and a swing-out desk to create a mini office that saves space without sacrificing productivity. It doesn’t take a lot of extra supplies or time to pull off, making this DIY a user-friendly project for eager hackers.
6. Borrow from the Kitchen for a Bigger Desk
Some of the best hacks happen when you reimagine pieces from one space for another. That’s exactly what Bjørn Aksel did when they needed to double-up on their desk size to create a workspace for two. They used the HAMMARP countertop (the KARLBY will work, too), placing it atop three METOD kitchen cabinets (SEKTION if you’re in the US) fitted with MAXIMERA drawers and other accessories.
7. Go Big on Texture
Using IKEA kitchen cabinets is cost-effective to set up a dedicated home office with a sprawling tabletop and lots of storage space for books, files, equipment, and more. Carley and Aaron’s workspace is made out of IKEA METOD kitchen cabinets, similar to the SEKTION in the US.
A 60cm high METOD cabinet forms one of the supports for the desk. You’ll need to raise the cabinet with 12cm hairpin legs, rounding up the height of the desk to 75cm.
Get shorter or taller legs to adjust to your most optimal sitting height. The varieties of IKEA kitchen cabinet doors mean you’re bound to find a style you like.
8. Maximize a Small Desk
A small desk setup does not mean it should lack functionality. Charles took the basic IKEA PS 2014 Secretary Desk and expanded it to accommodate a large monitor, a second monitor, speakers, and a laptop cubby.
All the while, maintaining its slim footprint and the all-important close-it-up-when-work-is-done feature.
Aesthetically pleasing modern workstation to maintain a healthy boundary between work and home life.
9. Get a Custom Wooden Countertop Desk
Going with a custom desktop can provide a touch of personalisation for your space. Stefen chose black kitchen drawer units in 2 different widths.
Then finished the drawers with ÖSTERNÄS leather pulls for a modern industrial style desk. He topped it off with custom cut oak boards with a rounded edge.
10. Table for Two IKEA Desk Hack
If you want a large single table for 2 people, this setup is right up your alley. Finding a work table this large is rare and usually very costly. This IKEA hack makes it a lot more affordable.
The big, beautiful tabletop is constructed from two KARLBY countertops (98″ length) held together with 4 panel clamps for a strong, stable center seam.
Then, Mark fastened the table to 2 trestles or sawhorse legs. The finishing touch is to sand and stain it with Danish oil to bring out the rich walnut grain and color.
11. Hide Your Desk in a Cabinet Hack
When you need a spare desk but do not want it to crowd out the room, hide it in a sideboard. Emma hacked a desk hidden in an IVAR cabinet. The top of the cabinet flips up to reveal the monitor.
The slide-out keyboard shelf is positioned at the right height for a desk. The bottom of the IVAR cabinet is cut out for more leg room. And she installed furniture legs under the cabinets to raise them to desk level.
When closed, it looks just like a regular IVAR sideboard.
12. Squeeze in a Desk Under the Stairs
Find space for a desk in the least expected nook. Medina of Grillo Designs found the square inches she needed right under the stairs. It was long enough for an IKEA LINNMON table top on a set of IKEA ALEX drawers. Tying the whole space together are wood slats on both walls for a cozy vibe.
13. Set Your Desk on a Dresser
This IKEA desk hack uses the MALM 3-drawer IKEA dresser and KALLAX 2×2 shelving unit. You might be wondering why the dresser is positioned facing out. This takes advantage of the width of the chest, making it a large, stable base for a luxurious 32″ deep desk.
There is a slight variation in height between the 2 units, which Shelly evened out by attaching a 1/2″ wood piece to the bottom of the MALM chest. She also reinforced the back of the MALM with plywood and added trim on all 3 drawers and the side of the KALLAX unit.
What you may not have guessed — the tabletop was a repurposed door. Nothing’s wasted.
14. Add a Slim Desk Behind the Sofa
Lauren hacked the EKBY ALEX drawers into a slim mid-century style laptop desk. It may look like a tough DIY project, but it isn’t all that hard to do.
The hardest part is cutting the boards. And if you can get your local hardware store, like Home Depot, to cut the boards according to measurements, you’re pretty much set.
Then, pre-stain and then stain the boards with Minwax Oak wood stain. Fasten the pieces to the ALEX drawers with a layer of wood glue, followed by brad nails. The last step is to add 4 table legs of your choice.
15. Sneak in a Pull-out Desk
A sliver of opportunity, and Otis seized it. He added a pull-out laptop table in the space between the top two drawers of the MALM chest of 4 drawers. The desk comes up to approximately 74cm, which is a good height for most people.
The best thing is that the pull-out desk does not compromise the structural integrity or function of any of the drawers. When not used as a desk, it works as a bedside table for Otis.
16. An IKEA Corner Desk Hack
Is it possible to have a large corner desk without the corner supporting leg? Yes, it is, according to M3KI. You’ll need three 150cm LINNMON table tops (or LAGKAPTEN) and 7 table legs to complete the L-shaped desk setup. Under the tabletops are pine boards keeping the individual pieces together and sturdy. It seems to have held up really well.
17. Add a Desk Hutch
A desk hutch like this one by Jyll Mackie can be beautiful and useful at the same time. The hutch is a custom build, sitting on top of IKEA ALEX drawer units with trim and a plywood tabletop.
If you’re looking for a readymade solution, IKEA has some options, such as the PÅHL add-on unit. The key to this is to paint the hutch the same color as the drawers and wall for a seamless built-in look.
18. Standing Desk Hack
If you like to work standing up, with a stool nearby for a little breather, you’ll want to add this to your cart. Two sets of 2×2 KALLAX shelves and an IKEA tabletop.
Mount the cube shelves on legs to raise them to your most ergonomic working position. As the LINNMON desktop is deeper than the KALLAX units, you’ll get a bit of overhang at the back, perfect for running cables through. You’ll need to add a length of wood behind the 2 KALLAX units to screw in the desktop with L-brackets. An affordable and good-looking standing desk hack for under $200.
19. Work Side by Side
A budget-friendly double workstation that doesn’t look cheap. The LINNMON tabletop and ADILS legs are one of the most affordable desk combinations from IKEA.
What’s more, you can get two desks from one long IKEA tabletop. This easy desk setup is great for the kids’ room. Furnish it with the very useful SKÅDIS pegboard and accessories, and simple wall shelves for even more storage.
20. Lighten Up With Different Legs and Bases
One of the best things about the IKEA desk system is the uniform height for most legs and drawer units. IKEA has set it at 27 1/2″ (70cm). Which means you’re not locked into using the same set of legs on both ends of the desk. Mix and match to find the combo that best suits your home decor. A butcher block countertop with trestle legs lightens up the visual of the entire home office space.
21. Make Room in the Closet
A home office in a PAX wardrobe is a great choice if you want to keep all your work matters in one spot. Judit wallpapered the sides and back of the wardrobe to feel less like working in a closet. The middle shelf is fixed at 75cm with a sliding desk or keyboard tray beneath. Use the back of doors as super large memo boards and an inspiration gallery.
22. Desk in a Bookcase
An ideal combination of BILLY bookcases and a desk. We love this BILLY bookcase hack that mimics the KALLAX-LINNMON desk combo.
The first thing you need to do is move the fixed middle shelf that comes with the BILLY to an appropriate height for your desktop. Then the desk goes on top of the middle shelf and is secured with screws, drilling from bottom up from the BILLY shelf to the desk.
Be careful to use screws of the right length to not to drill through to the top of the surface. Add adjustable OLOV legs to support the front.
Lastly, secure the BILLY bookcase to the wall to prevent a tip-over incident.
23. Slimmest IKEA Desk Hack Ever
A small space workstation that’s as small as you can be. All you need is an empty wall to fix the LACK wall shelves. Make sure you have room on both sides to accommodate your monitor and keyboard shelf.
You’ll need to omit one of the shelves to fit the monitor and add a shelf for your keyboard. Unfortunately, the angled CAPITA leg holding up the shelf is no longer available. (IKEA, why?!) These angled metal legs look like a possible alternative.
24. IKEA KALLAX Desk and Room Divider Hacks in One
Kill two birds with one hack. Leendert and Nienke used the IKEA KALLAX shelf units to build a tall room divider with an integrated desk. A useful dual-purpose setup in a studio apartment to separate the home office area from the living room.
25. Wall-to-Wall floating desk with custom BESTÅ storage
In this floating desk hack, two standard 47″ BESTÅ cabinets are centered on a 112″ wall, with custom-cut 9″ cabinets filling the gaps at each end for a perfect wall-to-wall fit. The cabinets are mounted using IKEA’s suspension rail (trimmed to size), and unfinished edges are covered with iron-on melamine strips.
Above the storage, a wall-mounted floating desk is made from cut-to-size IKEA kitchen countertops (KARLBY or SÄLJAN work well) supported by sturdy wall brackets. Add cable management like SIGNUM underneath, and you’ve got a streamlined, modern workspace with plenty of hidden storage.
Got an IKEA desk hack of your own? Share it with us or tag us on Instagram @ikeahackersofficial.
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