Easy DIY IKEA Built-ins
Built-ins… I love a good built-in. We just had our basement finished and before we even had a blueprint, I knew I’d want built-ins down there. I wanted shelves to have all of our books out and honestly, to style!
This wasn’t our first rodeo using IKEA cabinets to make a DIY built-in. We had done this refresh in our family room several years back with an IKEA kitchen cabinet + drawers.
I considered doing floor to ceiling bookshelves but decided I really wanted the hidden storage that cabinets bring. The basement is our game + puzzle space now and I wanted to be able to organize all those nicely but out of sight.
This little set in nook in our basement was already there and this one room has the lowest ceilings in the basement just due to all the ducts above. So we were working within some very specific measurements. I started looking at different bookshelf + cabinet options and kept coming back to the Brimnes – I love the look. It just so happens that 5 of them would fit perfectly in this space. Guys, this was down to like a quarter of an inch, we weren’t sure it was going to work until we actually had them in there. If your space’s measurements aren’t this close, that’s OK because you can always add trim on the sides to cover some of that extra empty space. Because our space was SO tight, the cabinet doors on either end can’t be opened. However, the space is still accessible through the other door.
I switched out the white plastic handles that came with these cabinets for some modern, black metal pulls and it elevated these cabs big time. The holes do come pre-drilled so keep that in mind.
Side note, IKEA also offers the Brimnes with glass doors. I really love the look but for me, this storage was all about function and I knew nothing I put in these cabinets was going to be pretty enough to be shown off. They come in a black + a dark gray and I almost did a dark, moody wall but with this area being the darkest space in our basement already, I did not want to create a cave, but I’d really love to see someone else create this with a more moody look (+brass pulls!) !
Once I had my cabinets selected, I had to figure out bookshelves that would work with the cabinets and in the space. I looked all over but kept coming back to the trusty old Billy bookcase from IKEA. Truly, I could find anything close when it came to price that fit our space. I really love the look of the BESTA options at IKEA if those work with your measurements! I tried all sorts of combinations with the different BILLY options but I couldn’t cover the entire wall with bookshelves because of our measurements. I chose this set up because I felt a smaller space in the middle would look odd.
Are you ready for my biggest hack with this?! I flipped the bookcases over so the bottom was at the top. That’s it, ha! This allowed the shelf to go right against the counter which was more the clean look I wanted, also the unused space at the top would be covered with trim. The only drawback was the moon shaped cut outs in the back of the shelves and the gray screws were then on the bottom. Decor covered most up and I used a white paint pen so you don’t notice the gray screws.
We attached the bookshelves to each other and to the wall. Installing the base cabinets took a lot of leveling because we were working with an uneven concrete floor. We added trim to the bottom as I didn’t like the look of the indent on the Brimnes and added trim to the top as well. I opted for a simple trim but crown moulding would be another great option. I caulked along the trim and wall to cover gaps because our ceiling, although brand new, wasn’t perfectly straight (is anyone’s?!).
I painted the upper and lower trim to match the shelves + cabinets. Years ago, I painted my daughter’s bedroom furniture to match her Kallax cubes from IKEA and found the perfect paint color to match – “Muslin White” Glidden paint from Home Depot. Sure enough, this color worked perfectly to paint the trim to match. If I just saved you hours and tons of paint samples, you are welcome!
We have a TV on the opposite wall so I didn’t need this middle open wall space for a TV. I took the opportunity to bring in some peel + stick wallpaper. If I had planned ahead, I would have told the drywallers to leave this wall smooth to make the wallpaper easier to hang up. But since I was dealing with knockdown texture, I used a little adhesive spray to help it adhere. This was my first time using peel + stick wallpaper and I found it to be really easy.
Built Ins Cost Breakdown:
- IKEA Brimnes Cabinets (5): $79 each, total $395
- IKEA Billy Bookcases: $19 for narrow(2), $29 each for wider option (2), total $96
- Pulls (10): $3.62 each, total on sale $29.33
- Trim: $30
- Paintable white caulk: $2
Total: $552.33
Wallpaper:
- Adhesive spray $8.99 ($5.40 after coupon)
- Peacock wallpaper $4.10 / sq foot
Tools required:
- Level
- Power drill
- Screwdriver
- Miter saw (to cut trim)
- Brad nailer (to attach trim)
- Paint + brush for trim
As a regular IKEA shopper, I am going to leave you with my hard-learned tips for an easy IKEA trip:
You can check items on the website to see if they are in stock. It is very accurate so plan your trip accordingly.
Wear tennies – no joke, the carts at IKEA have a mind of their own, if you’re in your trusty flip flops you will be sliding across those concrete floors.
Screenshot your IKEA family barcode so it’s easy to pull up at check out.
Before you enter the store – THIS IS KEY – BEFORE you enter, get all logged into their WIFI. Trust me, or you’ll be lost in the Land of IKEA with no way to contact the outside world or check your phone for item locations.
Happy shopping!
You can always check out my Pinterest for links to items used in this post.
Hey cool hack. What did you use for the “counter” that you mentioned?
That’s the Karlby countertop from IKEA – you can follow my Pinterest to see links for everything.
Did you paint the Karl by white or does ikea make it in white as well? Also did you buy two pieces and put them together for the length or is it on long counter top?
My mistake – thought you were referring to the “homework room” counter. There is no countertop on these basement built ins – the cabinets are just completely level and pushed together tightly making the seams not noticeable.
when you put the cabinets together did you modify the top and or the sides to get the cabinets to fit together tightly? When i went to ikea to look at the cabinets they have a small lip I am wondering if that will hinder how they line up
No modification was needed, I specifically chose ones without a lip for that reason. There might be the slightest gap but once the doors are on you cannot see it and the counter lines up tightly.
Love this!!! Totally copying right now for our sunken family room. So thank you!! How did you secure the cabinets together? This is my first time DIYing so a little clueless. Thank you!
Awesome, hope it turns out great! We didn’t need to secure, we were working with such a tight space between the two walls.
Do you mind if I ask when you built this because the prices are WAY more than you have here. Love it though, looking to do very similar so thanks for thr inspiration.
A couple years ago, unfortunately prices have gone up quite a bit.
Do you have a video or step by step in attaching trim to IKEA items?
I don’t, we just bought trim and used a nail gun to attach although construction adhesive would probably work as well. I filled in nail holes and painted.
Love your idea so much I decided to do something very similar but added a Billy floor to ceiling bookshelf to both sides and 3 brimnes cabinets in the center. What size molding did you use on the bottom? I’m having a hard time finding the correct trim to fit perfectly. Mine are measuring 2 3/4 of space under the cabinets. Thanks!
That sounds awesome ! We did have to trim the moulding for a good fit.
Love this! For the pulls from wayfair, are the ones you linked the exact size for the brimnes cabinets? 3 3/4?
Yes, what I posted is what I used!
I love this look! Exactly what I’m looking for to update our play room! What did you happen to do for the tops of the cabinets? Did you just purchase a long white countertop? Or did you just leave the cabinet tops as is? I would be worried you would be able to see each individual cabinet.
I left as is.. There is only one full seam because of the bookshelves. The trick is getting all the cabinets perfectly level and close together.
Where did you put the seam for the counter top? I can’t find a counter top from IKEA that is long enough to cover the entire length.
Totally copying this idea– thank you so much for this!!
There is no additional countertop in the basement built in – the cabinets are just completely level and pushed together tightly.
I love the upside down bookcase hack! So smart! When you attached the trim with the nail gun, did you just go right into the bookcase? Did you have any trouble with the nails going into the laminate? And did you just use finish nails? We are hoping to do a configuration like this in our basement, and neither our floors nor our ceilings are straight, so we feel you!
Ha! 🙂 My husband did the trim and didn’t have any issues with it- we went straight in.
May I ask how this is holding up? Our kids are hard on furniture, are these sturdy enough with all the wear and tear?
Hi there! This isn’t an area that we use much so I can’t really answer for that! We have IKEA for our kids’ desk area and that has held up really well.
Love this hack!! We’ve bought everything and have it put together, I’m so excited to get this finished!
I’ve noticed that the uppers and lowers are different color whites, when you painted, did you paint everything or just the trim?
Thanks
🙂
For the Glidden trim paint, what finish did you use to match the cabinets? Thanks!
I had some already that I had matched to a different IKEA piece but I’d just take a door to be color matched at Home Depot to be sure nothing’s changed!
This is exactly what I was hoping to find to build in my play room. Thank you for the details and progress photos. At my last house I used unfinished kitchen cabinets, which I don’t think looks as clean as your ikea project and I believe it was more expensive.
Love this! But wish the cabinets were $40 more per now!
Hi, how did you attach the bookcases to the wall? I bought the same ones and the back is only cardboard. I have 1 side wall but my other side is only a knee wall.
They should come with metal brackets you can screw in with anchors
I was so excited to get this to build in our playroom but when we went to Ikea the pricing was drastically increased. This currently costs about $800 for the set. It’s $120 for the Brimnes and Billy was $40 and $50. A bit of a sticker shock, but we loved the size of it so we went for it anyway. Thank you so much for sharing this, I’m still really looking forward to getting it out together!
Yes, unfortunately things have gone up so much in price since we did this!
The counter you purchased from ikea does it overlap or hang a little or is it flush?
There is no counter on this – the cabinets are just pushed tightly together.