Designers love IKEA as much as the rest of us. Because of their trained eyes, their laser-focussed ability to spot treasure, and their confidence to style rooms in unexpected ways they are the masters at unearthing IKEA's hidden gems and elevated IKEA hacks.
Because as we all know, the problem with IKEA is how overwhelming it is. There is so much choice, and so many things that perhaps aren't on your list, and you have to walk past every item to get to the cashier. So instead of tackling the entirety of IKEA next time you go, follow this guide to the pieces designers adore, and use in their own homes and projects.
1. TESAMANS collection
'I particularly like the latest Tesammans collection, which celebrates the beauty and energy of color,' says the interior designer Tola Ojuolape. 'I saw the collection in store a few months ago. The use of color and vibrance in the pillows and textiles – specifically the throws and tablecloths – was refreshing to see. Any of the collection can certainly add cheer and joy when placed in the right context.'
2. HOVET mirror
'I think IKEA has some of the best quality mirrors for their price,' says the San Franciso-based interior designer Noz Nozawa. 'The HOVET mirror is an unbeatable bargain per square foot of mirror, at nearly 7 feet tall. Its clean, minimalist frame makes the mirror versatile enough to work across different styles.'
'I have mounted the mirror in clients' dining rooms, I've got one leaned against the hand-painted murals in my own bedroom (which I've owned for 16 years!), and I also just installed 3 in a row in a fabulous home gym.'
3. VINGSÖN outdoor chair
'The VINGSÖN chair boxes above its weight in style and quality versus what you generally might expect of an outdoor offering from IKEA,' Noz says, picking another favorite.
'This chair, with its dramatically oversized wingback silhouette and slick, trend-aware woven roping, reminds me of some of the more inspiring outdoor furniture shapes I've observed coming out of Italy!'
'As much as I enjoy this unexpected chic IKEA piece, to me, the big win is the VINGSÖN's potential to pair with your own choice of cushions! On my patio, I've combined an affordable IKEA outdoor sofa frame with custom cushions that frankly cost several times more than the sofa frame, making the whole piece feel bespoke and original!'
4. BLASVERK pendant
'One trick we like to employ is elevating a fixture like an IKEA pendant, by having it re-wired with a richer-feeling cloth cord or a sleeker canopy kit,' says the Michigan-based interior designer Liz Hoekzema of KLH Homes. 'IKEA's can be quite hefty in size). The BLASVERK is one we recently installed en masse in a home gym space – we love the pure sculpted form, and the combination of both gloss and matte almond and ivory finishes.'
Liz also likes to shop for accessories. 'We also utilize their decor pieces for styling, from time to time,' she adds. 'They often have wonderfully pure forms or fresh shapes, such as this play toy set and amorphous glass pedestal dish.'
5. KNIPSA basket
'IKEA is an amazing and forward-thinking company when it comes to storage solutions,' says Angeline Hall, Owner & Principal of the Dallas-based studio Angeline Guido Design.
'The details that IKEA factors into its design work, especially in their kitchens and closets, are well thought out and have the end user in mind. When designing my studio in Dallas, we looked to IKEA to source multifaceted, versatile furniture and storage pieces we needed to achieve the collaborative design spaces we have now. Among our favorite storage items are the KNIPSA Basket and KALLAX Shelf Unit combination, allowing us to store samples and inspiration pieces easily.'
6. LOMMARP cabinet
'My favorite IKEA piece would be the LOMMARP cabinet in the dark green/blue color,' says the designer Enass Mahmoud of Studio Enass. 'It looks like something you would buy in a high-end store. It has a great price point and you can customize it by replacing the handles with an antique piece or something a bit more detailed to give it a different look. Top it off with beautiful accessories and coffee table books.'
7. DOMSTEN stools
'I really like the DOMSTEN stools because of the strength of their colors,' says the screen print designer and artist Hannah Carvell. 'I love the combination of the lilac green and orange particularly. They were retro-looking, reminded me of school, and were so well priced. I think they could easily be used as coffee tables, or nightstands, being just big enough for a cup or glass and a book. I also really like that they're metal and wood instead of plastic.'
8. KALLAX shelving
'Good design isn't just about a designer's heritage or a piece's price tag,' says the designer Ini Archibong. 'Good design includes IKEA, and its KALLAX shelving is one of my favorite design objects. It's a very minimal elegant solution of where to put things in a rectilinear space, as most apartments are.'
Chic, affordable, and designer-approved these are the IKEA pieces to get on your shopping list. And as many of these designers advise, it's often about what you do to the piece to style it and make it your own that really elevates it, so think outside of what you see in the store and consider how you can adapt and tweak the simplest of pieces into something really statement.
