Turn An IKEA IVAR Cabinet Into A Beautiful Storage Solution For Your Living Room

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Simple and easy to customize, the IKEA IVAR Cabinet makes an excellent base for a range of DIY projects. The best-selling product is made of untreated solid pine wood, save for the fiberboard back panel. The front and sides arrive ready for DIYers to paint, oil, or stain to their heart’s content, inspiring a number of IKEA IVAR Cabinet hacks online. This is one more if you’re looking for a refined and distinctive IVAR project that adds beauty to this storage solution.

This project idea involves installing several rows of wood half spheres onto the front and side of the IVAR cabinet, like shown by TikTokker @our_alba_house. The finished product is structural, bold, and can suit a range of decor styles. In terms of personalization, you can select the sizes of the half spheres and the stain or paint color. Larger half spheres feel more striking, even brutalist. In this video by @our_alba_house, they use 2-inch half spheres, like the Pongja Half Wooden Balls, and end up gluing on a total of 96. You can use small half spheres to create a studded appearance, similar in look to rivets, as shown by @ahomewithtwodogs on TikTok, or something in-between. These wood bits are available from Amazon in a range of sizes, so do some measuring and sort out spacing and size according to your ideal aesthetic.

Stain or paint is the other major way to personalize the unit. You can stain or paint the pieces before mounting the spheres, or after. There’s one creative case where you’ll want to color them before, which is if you want to choose contrasting colors between the cabinet and spheres: this other example from @ahomewithtwodogs shows how a two-tone color palette can create a Pop Art-style piece of furniture that’s fun for an eclectic space that’s uniquely yours. If you want a more subdued furniture piece, it’s hard to go wrong with natural wood stains, which can play nicely with a range of decor styles, from organic modern to traditional. The noticeably geometric design means the piece can fit in with several retro design trends making a comeback, including postmodern and Art Deco-inspired spaces. Lastly, you can add your own feet to the cabinet, if that further helps tie it to your decor style. Brass and wood tapered legs like the Airy Abode premium ash furniture legs lend the dynamism of mixed media, while unfinished bun feet like the Txucc bun feet offer a customizable, traditional option.

Regardless of the customizations you choose, it’s important to get the spheres straight. Nothing cheapens the look of this DIY more than unintentionally wonky lines. Use a level and ruler to mark where you want to place the circles before you start and ensure the lines are straight and even. Wood glue is suitable for adhering the half-spheres to the cupboard: a highly-rated option like Gorilla Wood Glue should do the trick. The finished project has a statement-making, luxurious look. Similar-looking products, like the Noir Didier Sideboard sell for thousands of dollars, so you can make your own for a mere fraction of the cost, plus have the option to personalize it. Of course, beyond the striking style it can add to your space, it’s a great storage addition too, with its two adjustable shelves inside.