Inspiring Ikea Desk Hacks You Will LOVE

Need a new desk but shocked at the price of desks? They can be so expensive! Fortunately, these amazing DIY IKEA desk hacks will give you a stylish workspace on a small budget! These IKEA desk ideas range from simply combining a few IKEA pieces to totally transforming IKEA pieces to look like custom furniture.

Five pictures of different IKEA desk hacks create a collage of functional and stylish home office space.

When we decided my twin girls needed separate rooms, I gave up my office for Avery's bedroom. I started looking for desks for my “new” office (previously known as my kid's playroom). I had trouble finding exactly what I was looking for in a desk, and the few things I found that could work were expensive.

So, I started brainstorming and searching for IKEA desk hacks that could work for my home office. I could not believe how many amazing ideas there are out there! IKEA products are SO versatile, and so many other bloggers have come up with some amazing IKEA desk hacks. I'm sharing the best ideas I've seen in this post!

Inspiring IKEA Desk Hacks

Countertop and Alex Drawers

I used an IKEA kitchen countertop paired with drawers to make a long desk in my office. It gave us enough space to work and the Alex drawers gave us lots of storage space.

This IKEA desk hack uses a dark wood countertop on top of Alex drawers, a gallery wall and bookshelves. — IKEA Kitchen Countertop and Drawers into a Desk by Gadgetronicx

Stuva Printer Cabinet

This is one of the smartest desk setups I have seen! DIY'ing a printer cabinet for under the desk is a great use of storage space, and it keeps everything organized, which I also love.

Bonus Room Built-In Desk

A trio of Hemnes dressers and a long piece of countertop make the perfect desk in this studio above the garage. The built-ins topped with open shelves filled with beautiful home decor touches and lamps makes this giant space feel cozy!

IKEA desk hack with open shelving and leather desk chairs under an angled attic roof. A long countertop on top of IKEA drawers creates two desks with separate workstations. — Desk Out of Hemnes Dressers by Jones Design Company

Glam Upcycled Door

Out of the box thinking turned this repurposed door into a feminine desk! Adding the brass nailhead trim and gold table legs from IKEA saw horses upped the glam factor.

A stylish IKEA desk hack features a repurposed door placed on gold sawhorse legs, topped with glass, along with other office essentials such as a computer monitor, printer, and pink accessories. "www.dwellingsbydevore.com" is printed in the corner. — Nailhead Door with Sawhorse Legs by Dwellings by Devore

Elevate a Basic IKEA Desk

This IKEA hack takes an existing slim desk and makes it prettier! Gold spray paint elevates the look of the metal legs and the end result is a sleek and modern desk. It is a perfect size–just big enough for a laptop and some paperwork, but not so big it takes up a ton of floor space.

A slim white desk with two under-mounted drawers provides a work area that takes up little space. A wooden black chair and slippers on a black and white rug complete this IKEA desk hack. — Gold IKEA Desk Hack by Personally Andrea

Plywood Desk with Nordli Drawers

Adding a DIY plywood desktop and seat to these IKEA Nordli drawers makes something so unique! The contrast of the wood and the white as well as the design makes this a standout desk hack.

A compact plywood desk with a display of children's artwork on the wall, beside sizable IKEA storage bins that contain children's books and various supplies for a playroom. IKEA desk hacks can be for kids and adults. — DIY Plywood Desk + IKEA Nordli Drawers by Growing Spaces

Slim Profile IKEA Desk

This slim profile IKEA desk hack is a brilliant space saver. Add legs to an Alex Ekbe shelving unit and you have a small desk with drawers that is perfect for a small workspace!

A large living room with a slim IKEA desk behind the white couch. The high ceilings and fan highlight the minimalist room. — Slim IKEA Desk Hack by Lauren Koster Creative

Plank Top and Copper Pulls

This is a half DIY, half pre-made home office desk. The top is a do-it-yourself plank desktop, and the bases are IKEA cabinets. Copper pulls and accents and cool chairs makes this a stand out!

Craft Room Rast Hack

Custom tabletops and special touches can set an Ikea hack apart. This pallet desktop along with the gold hardware, casters and gold legs makes this Rast drawer unit practicaly unrecognizable.

A glass top on a wooden desk made from IKEA drawers against a blue and white chevron curtain. — Rast Hack Craft Room Desk by Addison Meadows Lane

L-Shaped IKEA Workspace

Having an L-shaped desk in your workspace is a game changer! This IKEA setup provides tons of storage AND workspace while only taking up one corner of the room.

Not all IKEA desk hacks are the same. An L-shaped white desk with IKEA drawers underneath and drawers and cubbyholes above. A white wheeled chair sits in front of the laptop. The web address "RamblingRenovators.CA" is printed in the picture's corner. — Complete Workspace by Rambling Renovators

IKEA Craft Space

Never underestimate a simple IKEA desk and some shelves. A tabletop and a few drawers turn any area into a workspace. Adding pops of color and your own touches are all this setup needs to be perfect!

A crafting IKEA desk hack is made with all-white IKEA furniture, including drawers, a tabletop, shelving, and glass-door cabinets paired with a green chair. Craft supplies are arranged along the wall behind the desk. — Organized Craft Space by Rosehips & Petticoats

Linnmon Tops with Alex Drawers and a Kallax Shelf

We gave my office and craftroom a new look and changed out the IKEA desk you saw at the beginning of this post with a new IKEA desk! We love the bright white and all the storage the new combination gives us. We still used IKEA Alex drawer units, but these are white instead of black. We paired them with an IKEA Linnmon tabletop on each side to form our individual desks. Then the middle section is formed with IKEA Kallax shelving units and another Linnmon table top.

A double desk has a table between two work stations, a leather wheeled chair, drawers, shelving units and a gallery wall on a dark wood floor. IKEA desk hacks can be used for office and crafting space. The words "Kaleidoscope Loving.com" are in the corner.

Extra Long Homeschool Space

This extra-long desk was made to fit three kids' workstations for homeschooling. The Alex drawers hold a plywood top with a birch veneer. It looks amazing with the pegboard and the bright green wall!

A homeschool area includes a long wooden tabletop with IKEA drawers underneath, two chairs, al facing a green wall with a peg-board and shelves for books and plants. The desk is extra long thanks to an IKEA desk hack. — IKEA Homeschool Desk Hack by Jessica Welling Interiors

DIY IKEA Desk with Cane Drawers

To make this gorgeous DIY IKEA desk hack, they started with Alex Drawers, Adils legs, and the Säljan countertop. Cane was added to the drawers, as well as modern edge pulls. The result is amazing, especially in front of the arch mural.

IKEA desk hack with caned drawers and arch mural above a long wooden desktop and shelves. — IKEA Desk Hack with Cane Drawers by The Hardins

Desk with Large Rolling Drawer Unit

Instead of the traditional setup of two “desks,” these base units were arranged to create enough space for a wide rolling Alex drawer unit that can be removed for a secondary crafting space. Genius!

IKEA desk setup for office craft room includes a long white countertop, plenty of drawers underneath, a blue color block wall and space for a Cricut machine. — Desk and Craft Setup from IKEA by Miss Jessica Nicole

Custom Navy Desk

This design is simple but perfect. I love that she used the navy IKEA Alex drawers, and she found that gorgeous butcher block top in the clearance section at IKEA. Always check that area!!!! Paired with the gorgeous wallpaper, it is the perfect office space.

An IKEA desk hack featuring navy drawers, a natural wood countertop, and built-in shelves on a wall with blue-patterned wallpaper under an attic roof slope. — IKEA Desk in Modern and Feminine Office by Living Letter Home

Desk Built-Ins from IKEA Cabinets

You would never know this project started with IKEA cabinetry! I like the cabinets grouped in the middle and the small spaces that make cozy workstations on either end. There is something to be said for a little space when you are working with someone!

A wood countertop the length of the wall with cabinets underneath and tall bookshelves on either side create a two-person work area from an IKEA desk hack. — Built-In Cabinets Desk Hack by Honey Built Home

IKEA Ivar Standing Desk Hack

This desk solved the clutter problem in this workspace and also allows for working while standing or sitting at a counter height stool. The great thing about this design is that it is totally customizable for virtually any space.

Neutral tones dominate this standing IKEA desk hack. A shelf with hooks hangs above a long desktop full pf framed pictures, books, and small drawers. A tall stool is between cabinets underneath the desk. — Standing Desk IKEA Hack by Paper and Stitch

Aren't these the best IKEA desk hacks?! I seriously love them all. Ikea desk ideas are perfect no matter your need or budget (so are these 50 creative IKEA hacks and these IKEA built-in bookcase hacks). There is literally something for every price point and space. I am continually inspired by the amazing things people are doing with simple pieces. Aren't you?

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2 Comments

Marissa says:
December 3, 2024 at 4:16 pm
Desk Built-Ins from IKEA Cabinets:: I LOVE THIS! Did you build the cabinet on the bottom?
1. Tasha A. says:
  December 5, 2024 at 3:58 pm
  I’m not sure how that particular DIYer created the base of her project. Sorry!

Inspiring IKEA Desk Hacks You Will LOVE