Yesterday evening I begged Jules to drive me to Ikea (I’ve never learnt to drive – shameful, I know) to buy a set of BESTA cupboards. I managed to persuade him with the promise of meatballs followed by a hotdog (seriously, that’s all it takes with him) so off we went at 7pm to miss rush hour and the crowds and we were home by 10pm because there is no browsing time allowed with my husband-type in toe.
Between us we really don’t have that much stuff but we also only have one built in storage cupboard in the whole flat so we are quite desperate for some extra ‘hidden’ storage i.e. a cupboard that I can stuff full of crap that no one can see. I always try to avoid large pieces of furniture that take up a lot of floor space and could potentially make our rooms feel cramped so I’m constantly on the lookout for wall cupboards that are not too deep, as this can eat into the space too. In short, I don’t want cupboards that touch the floor or stick out from the wall too much but I do want to store quite a lot of stuff – kinda tricky.
I’m pretty sure BESTA is the answer to my prayers (for now, until I find a beautiful vintage version – obvs). They come in a range of depths, can be wall mounted and they are white so they fade into the background. Perfect. The other great thing is that lots of clever people have come up with creative hacks to make these plain cabinets a bit more interesting. What do you think?
For a window seat just add a mattress and cushions. Yes, please. Image via Elizabeth Heier
Wall mount slim cabinets with a DIY concrete top for a smart hallway table. Very clever. Image via Plantete Deco
If I could afford a marble top I would do this in a flash! Image via Designville
By adding a single wooden top to this collection of cabinets it unifies the look and gives it a bit more character. I’d like to do this with mine with some old scaffolding planks perhaps. Image via Vidanullvier
Try my leather handle tutorial to give a plain piece of furniture a completely new look. Image via Apartment Diet
I have chosen three cabinets this size and I will mount them slightly raised off the floor, which will help to keep the room feeling spacious. I like the idea of hanging a light over it too.
I will bring you a little storage cupboard update once it is installed and stuffed to the brim!
Katy x
I have installed two of these in my lounge, either side of the fireplace. I’m in love – clean, smart and hide all of our crap! I want them everywhere now! x
I have two besta cupboards arriving on Monday and I plan to use them in our kitchen. We have a serious lack of storage in our kitchen and only have one cupboard we can store food in. One whole wall is unused as it has a 1970’s style kitchen hatch on it that opens into the livingroom (useful for keeping an eye on the kids whilst cooking) and it has a radiator below it. The kitchen is too narrow for extra cupboards on that wall anyway. We put up some open shelving but I hate it. It is used mostly for food stuff so always looks messy and cluttered. So I bought two besta cupboards to mount up high above the hatch. It had the be besta as they are nice and shallow. I’m hoping they will be the answer to my kitchen storage woes. Looking forward to seeing what you do with yours.
Great hacks! Quick question for you – how will you secure the cabinet to the wall to make it appear floating?
Author
So, ikea sell a suspension rail that you fix to the wall and then the cabinets are attached to those (one rail per cabinet). Hopefully it will be easy enough. X
I have two Besta cupboards that were previously in my office hiding files and paperwork but I have now put them to use in the living room. By turning them on their side and having the doors drop downwards they make the perfect sideboard!
Love the idea of a marble top though… 🙂
Your blog is gorgeous! I am a little bit obsessed with interior blogs at the moment and I hope to start blogging about interiors myself soon!
Have you blogged the final result? If so, where can I find it?
Author
You can see it in this post: https://18.200.196.112/kitchen-makeover-reveal/ 🙂