These IKEA desk hacks are so genius, that you’ll be running to IKEA for some supplies. I mean…seriously, how do people think of these ideas? I love browsing projects that creative people come up with when finding ways to create an entirely unique look out of something mass-produced.
Whether you use your desk as a statement piece, a place to pay your bills, or a spot to hide from your kids (hey, no judgment here!), you’ll appreciate the genius and style of the below projects.
I’m pumped to share these IKEA desk hacks with you! You’ll find everything from basic 5-minute upgrades to ideas repurposing all sorts of different parts together.
Check them out and find a new project or two. I know I did! 🙂
If you’re already an IKEA die-hard (or even if you haven’t yet caught the bug), then grab this free list of 25 IKEA must-have items for a stylish home on a budget! These are my favorite IKEA products as many of them can be used in amazing, outside-the-box ways, too.
37 Impressive IKEA Desk Hacks
LINNMON Desk Top Hacks:
The LINNMON desk or tabletop is available as just a top or a complete set with legs. It’s a really inexpensive way to create your dream work desk.
Plus, it’s totally customizable, as you’ll see below!
1. Desk Hack for Less than $60 | prettyprovidence.com
If you have priced desks lately, you’ll probably know that they cost a pretty penny. This hack puts the entire thing together for less than $60! It’s gorgeous and so easy to customize.
2. Minimal Desk | advicefromatwentysomething.com
This is simplicity at its finest. If you have a small office space, then this IKEA desk hack is perfect. This desk has plenty of style, but doesn’t offer any storage, so this is best for those who don’t have a ton of paperwork lying around.
3. Craft Room Work Table | landeeseelandeedo.com
This desk has storage open on both sides. It’s perfect for craft rooms, but I can also see this as a workbench in a garage or even as a desk in a home office. It’s so versatile.
IKEA Desk Refreshers:
If you aren’t particularly handy and don’t want to try and mishmash different parts together, then this hack is for you. You can still find complete desk sets and change them to look entirely new and different. Just look at some of the fresh new ways these people updated their desks, often in just minutes!
4. Faux Marble Countertop | sweetparrishplace.com
Marble is glamorous, simple, and chic. I love the bright white shades on this desk. And, you don’t need an expensive (and heavy) slab of marble to do it!
5. Colorful Drawers Without Paint | lovelyindeed.com
On the other side of the design coin is this desk with bright pops of color—and Chelsea didn’t use a single drop of paint. It’s so easy to do that you could switch up the colors to match the holidays or your changing decor.
6. Kate Spade-Inspired Desk | personallyandrea.com
Kate Spade will always be a design icon of mine. This desk exudes Kate Spade’s effortless style and beauty. The outside of this IKEA desk hack is gorgeous but wait until you see how she glammed up inside each drawer. Genius!
7. One Leggy Gold Desk | dreamgreendiy.com
Have you ever browsed the “as-is” section of IKEA? You can often find some seriously good deals! But, I will say what you get might not look the best. In this case, the desk had mismatched legs. How better to fix it than using every DIY-ers best friend, gold spray paint? It turned out beautifully!
8. DIY Marble Copper Rose Gold Desk | ciaraodoherty.com
Rose gold is one of the most on-trend colors right now…and I’m not mad about it at ALL! If you’re a fellow rose gold fan, you’ll love this appropriately hued IKEA desk as much as I do!
9. Decoupaged Map Ikea Desk | findinghomefarms.com
Whether you love to travel or want to instill a bit of wanderlust in your kiddos, this desk update is inspiring! The addition of the wall decor is pure perfection and makes the entire look so inviting.
IKEA Desk Hacks With Alex Parts:
Alex Drawer units are super popular in the IKEA hacking world. There are so many ways and places to use them. Of course, for this post, I’m focusing on desks. I love how much storage these drawers give you! Take a look at these clever ideas.
10. Long Desk With Drawers | kaleidoscopeliving.com
This is such a creative way to use the Alex Drawer Unit. It’s almost an L-shaped desk and has tons of working space. Those hairpin legs are just perfect!
11. Slim Desk Hack | laurenkoster.com
This creative hack uses an Ikea Ekby Alex Shelf. There isn’t a ton of storage here, but this thin desk fits in small places really well. If you don’t have a lot of room for a desk, this might be ideal for you.
12. Shared Workspace | nalleshouse.com
When you need a desk that fits multiple people, make the desk longer. That’s the beauty of IKEA hacks – you can make them fit your needs. I love how Nalle used Alex drawers and an entire wall for a workspace.
IKEA Trofast Hack:
The Trofast collection is normally used in playrooms for toy storage but you can easily make it into a desk too! This is a great idea for a kid’s room, playroom, or even a pretty set up in a common area like the living room.
13. Children’s Play Desk | ikeahackers.com
I could spend hours on the IKEA Hackers site. There are hundreds of ideas that people submit. This one is really great for anyone that needs a creative way for more desktop space for kids. The tubs underneath are full of supplies and other goodies for them to use.
Smart IKEA Table Legs Hacks:
IKEA also sells lots of different table legs. This makes for a lot of fun and creativity when it comes to designing your perfect custom space. You can repurpose different items as desktops and then simply attach the legs for an instant desk!
14. Trestle Legs Desk | anoregoncottage.com
This hack uses the Ikea desk metal trestle legs. This is a popular item for updating old desks or even creating new ones. There isn’t a lot of storage in this desk, but it’s perfect for computer work.
15. Rustic Pallet Desk | shelterness.com
Pallets can be used for so many things – including DIY desks. It’s the perfect desk for small areas, like a corner. And if you love rustic decor, then you’ll appreciate the style of this desk.
16. Live Edge Desk with Trestle Legs | remodelholic.com
This is another beautiful rustic desk. It’s a thinner one, so it will be perfect in rooms where you don’t have lots of space. If you have ever wondered how to stain wood and build your own desk, read on!
17. $40 Rustic Desk Hack | sweetfarmhousedreams.com
This farmhouse style desk looks like it would be right at home in the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog! Thankfully, this one also happens to be an affordable and simple project too. Winning!
And make sure you grab this list of 25 awesome IKEA products to help you create a stylish home on a budget!
IKEA Ingo Dining Table Hack:
Who hasn’t taken their laptop to the table and worked? Why not plan ahead and take a dining table and make it a desk! It’s the perfect starting point.
18. Old Becomes New | matsutakeblog.blogspot.com
This blogger created completely unique and custom legs. The directions are all in the tutorial so you can create them too.
IKEA Desk Hacks with Table Tops:
IKEA sells lots of different tabletops. How do you use IKEA tabletops to create a desk? These tutorials will take you through the entire process, step by step. It’s easier than you think!
19. Mid-Century Modern Desk |sarahmakesstuff.com
The beauty in this desk is in its simplicity. The mid-century modern influence can be seen in the hairpin legs. If you adore minimalism, you’ll love this desk.
20. Wall-Mounted Desk | thecraftedlife.com
The cool thing about this desk is that you can change the height so easily. You can also rearrange the shelves. It’s customizable. This desk is perfect for a child’s homework station or a craft room.
21. Double Desk | theeverygirl.com
Whether you have a co-worker you need to share space with, or children that need to share desks, this hack meets that need. You can easily create multiple workspaces out of the same materials.
22. Counter-Height Craft Table | makeitloveit.com
By adding some legs, this blogger made the desk tall enough to be countertop height. There’s also plenty of storage for tons of craft supplies.
Kallax Shelves Hacks:
If you have ever seen shelves with tons of cube-shaped cubicles in it, you were probably looking at the IKEA Kallax shelves. They are iconic. People all over Instagram design and decorate with them. Here are some clever ways to use them as desks.
23. Hacked With Shelves | keepingitsimplecrafts.com
When you need a little extra storage, create a desk out of Kallax shelves. I love the monochromatic look of this desk.
24. Working Desk | thehandymansdaughter.com
This is one of the best ways of turning those same shelves into a working table. Installing a pegboard above it gives you some extra storage too!
IKEA Expedit Hacks and Ideas:
I know many of these IKEA desk hacks are just that- desk hacks. But, there are many parts to can be added to make your dream work desk and that includes shelves!
Now, These next couple of tutorials can’t be mimicked precisely. They all use the IKEA Expedit shelves but IKEA actually discontinued this collection in 2014.
Thankfully, they replaced them with the Kallax shelves (see the section above)! So you can still make these; you just have to use the Kallax shelves instead.
25. Fits in a Small Space | realcoake.com
The best thing about this cute little desk is that you can create it to fit your space – no matter how large or small that is. This hack was made with a combination of the Expedit and Alex drawers, which add a ton of storage space!
26. Small Standing Desk | vividandbrave.com
This standing desk is perfect for college students. It will fit in small bedrooms and dorm rooms. And, since it’s a standing desk, you don’t need room for a chair.
27. Bookshelves Galore | ramblingrenovators.ca
One of the best ways to use this Expedit (now Kallax) shelf system is to install them above the desk. Just look at all that storage you get. The ideas are endless!
Don’t forget to grab your top 25 IKEA products list – click here or enter your email by clicking the picture below. I’ll send your guide right away!
IKEA Desk Hack With Dressers:
IKEA dressers have durable drawers and simple designs. They also make the perfect base for desks, as you’ll soon see.
28. Studio Desks | jonesdesigncompany.com
The Jones Design Company used 3 sets of dressers in this hack. There is more than enough storage space in this expert hack.
29. Built-In Desk With Bookshelf | tidbitsandtwine.com
This tutorial has the same basic idea as the Jones Design Company above. Instead, they added some bookshelves to it for some additional storage.
30. Plywood IKEA Desk Hack | growingspaces.com
This hack uses the IKEA Nordli dresser and some plywood. Growing Spaces is famous for using plywood in lots of DIY projects, and if you like this look you’ll love looking around their site. This is the perfect desk for a kid’s room!
31. Rast Dresser Hack | addisonmeadowslane.com
This hack takes a bit more time but the finished product turns out looking completely different from a dresser with a tabletop. It’s stunning!
IKEA Desk Hacks Made From Kitchen Cabinets:
So far we have seen desks made from shelves, countertops, and even dressers. But can you make a desk out of kitchen cabinets? Yes, you sure can! Here’s how.
32. DIY Office Desk | houseofhawkes.com
Everything about this office space is dreamy. The desk is perfectly designed to give you lots of storage space and places to work on the desktop too.
33. Standing Desk Hack | kellianderson.com
Kelli turned this desk into a standing desk using a set of cabinets from IKEA as the base for the entire project. Don’t worry, the entire process is quite easy, and (as you can see) beautiful!
IKEA L-Shaped Desk Hack:
The best thing about L-shaped desks is how much extra room you have to work. Corners are notorious space-wasters. But with a proper desk, you can fit right in that corner with more room to work.
34. Craft Desk Makeover | 1dogwoof.com
This desk is made up of two pieces of furniture that were literally bound together to create a corner desk. It’s such a smart idea. It gives you tons of extra storage space and frees up your desktop so you can accomplish your tasks.
35. Ikea Corner Desk Hack | themummyfront.com
Putting together two Ikea countertops will enable you to create a stunning L shaped desk just like this stylish one! This is a great idea for someone who has a small office and wants to maximize the space they have.
Coffee Table Hacks:
There is even a way to take an IKEA coffee table and turn it into a lovely home office desk. The result is lovely and surprisingly effective.
36. Pretty Modern Desk | stylemepretty.com
This desk won’t give you very much room or storage, but it is perfect if all you need is space for your laptop and a few pens. This is also one of the easiest hacks on this list.
IKEA Desk Hacks with Klimpen Drawers:
This set of Klimpen drawers was made to go with homemade desks. I found a cute idea that stands out above the rest!
37. Old Door Desk Hack | renovatedfaith.com
This tutorial shows you how to take an old door and refinish it so it becomes a desk tabletop. It’s amazing! The Klimpen drawers are the perfect base.
Make Your Own IKEA Desk Hacks:
It’s actually pretty simple to create your own original IKEA desk hacks.
As you browse IKEA, think of how you can take a set of drawers or shelves and place something on top as the desk. The parts of a desk are easily deconstructed: legs, storage, and tabletop.
What you use for each of those parts is completely up to you! Have fun!
And if you’re in the market for even more desk ideas, or IKEA inspiration, we’ve got you covered! Be sure to check these ideas out, too!
Pin this post for later! And if you use any of these IKEA desk hacks, leave a comment (or better yet, a photo) on the pin! That helps others know whether they want to try this project, too!
Don’t leave empty-handed! Grab your free copy of our “25 Best IKEA Buys For A Stylish Home On A Budget” list! It’s the next best thing to an IKEA cinnamon roll (and if you haven’t tried one of those, you are missing one of life’s biggest joys)!
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