Looking for IKEA furniture makeover ideas? Functional and affordable, the Scandi furniture brand is known the world over – but its popularity means you're likely to end up with the same flatpack finds as your family and friends. With this in mind, we've brought together our favourite hacks to turn off-the-shelf IKEA designs like PAX wardrobes, IVAR cabinets and BILLY bookcases into unique pieces of upcycled furniture. Click or scroll through and get ready to be inspired...

Love a DIY challenge? Make a simple cabinet look expensive by adding curved glass panels. Instagrammer @crack_the_shutters has gracefully transformed a HAVSTA cabinet into a stylish Art Deco-style cabinet painted duck egg blue. The secret to this IKEA hack is that the glass is already in place and the unique shape is created by sticking curved and ribbed MDF on top.

Instagrammer @carmaliv has come up with a genius way of concealing her home office. The designer has built a beautiful room divider using three 80cm BILLY bookcases and one 40cm one that looks bespoke. The closed-in and backed storage is chic styled with simple monochrome accessories while open shelves at the top allow light to fill the office space. 

Give a simple IVAR chair a chic upgrade with an on-trend paint tone. It's sold in its natural pine state but painted this rich teal, it's turned into a sumptuous sea-green seating option. Finish with a quirky backrest by wrapping the frame in a contrasting coloured yarn or string using a hot gun. 

Get that expensive built-in wardrobe look with PAX wardrobes. Gemma, owner of The Sweetest Digs got the look on a budget with just some extra plasterboard, wood and caulk supplies. Paint match the walls with your PAX doors for a streamlined finish. 

We hear a lot about upcycling old furniture but how about 'downcycling' a brand new piece of mass-produced furniture to create a unique vintage look? This white PS cabinet has been sprayed with a petrol blue-toned spray paint. Then, dabbed alternatively with two paintbrushes, one in the same tone and one a rusty brown to create an aged effect. 

This DIY dressing table is expert decorating blog Sugar & Cloth's most popular IKEA hack and we can see why. The clever DIY-er used two sets of EKET cabinet drawers and opulent gold-coloured half-moon cabinet pulls to create an elegant wall-mounted bedroom vanity with a varnished wooden top. 

Give the RASTOG trolley factory-style personality by spraying it with a new and edgy gunmetal grey finish. Complete the look in your home office by painting the legs of a wooden desk a complementary tone of silver.

This chic grid trellis is in fact a pair of SOSDALA memo boards. Swap out stationery for climbing plants to create a lush and inexpensive living wall. Complete the vertical garden with an industrial-style black shelving unit filled with potted plants. 

Here's a drop-dead gorgeous way to hack IVAR cabinets. Give a room that on-trend moody monotone look by colour matching mounted cupboards to the bold wall behind. We love this rich sea-green that allows soft leather handles to pop. 

IKEA is very proud of their children's department and they produce plenty of kid-friendly products that are perfect for hacking. The DUKTIG play kitchen makes a fun canvas to makeover and could perhaps be a trial run for your own colourful new kitchen scheme. Here, @ohpeachydays has created an incredible kitchenette for her children with funky desert colours and cane webbing that we think is so on-trend.

Who says hangers should be hidden in the wardrobe? Especially, if it's a smooth wooden BUMERANG. Three hangers artfully tied together with string makes a fun piece of wall art to display your jewellery. 

You don't have to be a DIY wizard to be an IKEA hacker. Easy updates can also add an eye-catching twist that you won't see elsewhere. These REGOLIT paper lampshades have been given a monochrome makeover with ink stamps and geometric freehand painted black stripes. 

The sturdy BILLY bookcase has a winning structure and can be used in many formats, from petite three-shelf units to full floor-to-ceiling libraries. House of Hawkes has fitted custom doors with simple cane webbing to her BILLY and transformed it into a muted rattan storage cupboard, adding warm tones and soft texture to the space.

A touch of durable outdoor paint turns a budget bench into a cheerful seating solution for the garden. We're loving Sarah Hearts' reverse colour-dip idea that drenches this NORNÄS bench (now discontinued) in sunshine yellow. 

Give an all-white MALM headboard a rustic vintage touch. This once glossy bed frame now looks striking and intricate against a pale backdrop thanks to tiled 'stickwood', which is reclaimed wood that's already finished with an adhesive backing. All you do to apply is cut to size, peel and stick. Check out the full tutorial at Sugar & Cloth.

Thrifty and easy to execute, it's no surprise that some IKEA hacks have become firm DIY favourites. This jewellery dish project is a great example. Made from just two cork coasters, it took Paper & Stitch only 20 minutes to finish, using a wooden dowel rod and drill to make the holes. 

A set of stylish chopping boards makes a great addition to any kitchen, but they can be expensive. Paper & Stitch has made her own using APTITLIG boards; a much more affordable option. The contemporary house shapes are cut with a circular saw and the cut-offs are used to make cute geometric chopping boards for smaller food preparation. Leather straps give them a designer finish.

Reupholstery is a great way to transform an IKEA staple. By swapping out the sometimes plain fabrics, you can give your IKEA sofa a whole new lease of life. If you're not much of a seamstress, then check out HipicaInteriors on Etsy or eBay – there are lots of users who sell various vibrant covers that fit all the most popular IKEA products.

MOSSLANDA picture ledges are currently fashionable when mounted above sofas and beds to artfully lean pictures – but how about using them in new ways? Turn them lengthwise and secure them vertically to a wall. Attach knobs to the tops and bottoms. Then use rope or stretchy bands to create ‘fences’ across the knobs. It's a simple but effective way to store tall items in a hallway.

The smooth handle-free surface of IVAR cupboards makes them the perfect backdrop to many inventive updates. An appliqué trellis from HomeArtStickers adds a decorative effect and can be bought ready-made in a pack. Prime and paint the cupboards a contrasting colour before application to give it a glamorous boutique finish.

Let the pine grain of RAST draws show through with this cool colour wash technique from Rust-Oleum. Remove the handles and mark out your pattern with painter's tape. Then paint straight onto the wood for a pretty translucent finish. Paint the handles to match and reattach once dry. The finished IKEA hack will make a bright and budget-friendly addition to any room. 

Sometimes it is hard to find homes for storage solutions so this headboard made out of TRONES shoe storage units is genius. It's the perfect place keep ready-to-use fresh linen, spare pillows and slippers. Why not finish the look with an ambient bedtime glow using LED strip lights around the edge?

Add some industrial style to your bedroom with a pair of sconce lights. A wood or metal IKEA shelf bracket can act as a stylish holder for a super-cheap IKEA cord light. Simply wrap the cord around the bracket and attach a bulb of your choice. It's an inventive and thrifty idea from IKEA Hackers, and we love it. 

The odd tweak here and there can make a world of difference. HEMNES drawers are an old IKEA favourite, but some find the black handles too drab. Replacing them with decorative glass or stylish leather alternatives turns the drawers into a pared-back and classic choice for children's rooms.

Looking to smarten up a home office? Prettify mini desk organisers with adhesive film, paint and stencils for organised perfection. The little drawers are just right for customising: go for multiple units decorated in different but coordinated designs.

Bar trolleys are all the rage, so this cute IKEA hack from Sugar & Cloth is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Simply add castor wheels beneath a KALLAX shelving unit, pop pull rails on top, finish with your finest cocktail glasses and voilà – Swedish punsch, anyone? 

Sometimes all you need is a little bling. These white MALM drawers are a popular bedroom storage solution, but they've been souped up with gold contact paper mounted on the frame. The simple update by Preciously Me has turned a popular piece into a vintage-inspired sideboard.

Découpage is certainly not dated on this beautiful bedroom sideboard by We Are Scout. Reflecting the oversized floral trend, this plain IVAR cabinet has been transformed into a standout piece.

The humble BEKVÄM step stool has many uses, but none so pretty as this two-tier plant stand from The Ordinary Lovely. The duck-egg blue painted frame, set against a ceramic monochrome tile top, is utterly elegant. Don't forget to grout to make it waterproof!

It's not just bloggers who love an IKEA hack. The Swedish giants themselves have tapped into the craze by posting a whole gallery of inspiration on their website, such as making a chic mural out of simple storage units. And, being Scandinavian, of course, their projects are arguably the most stylish of them all.

Slim-framed VITTSJÖ storage looks sensational when sprayed with metallic paint available from hardware stores like Instagrammer @living_with_jen has done. This is another easy update with expensive-looking results that beginners can tackle without too much fuss. Choose gold, rose-gold or copper tones that are totally on-trend.

Hacking is taken to another level with customised IKEA kitchen cabinetry. Unique cupboard fronts, worktops and handles can be handmade to fit standard IKEA kitchen plans and unit frames. The results are bespoke, beautiful and highly functional. Check out the quirky pet pad in the bottom-left cupboard of this structure by Hølte. 

Stylish, narrow storage that fits in a hallway can be hard to find – so this twist on KALLAX storage shelves is clever. Thanks to Charley Chic, it's now a practical shoe bench with tidy wooden storage boxes beneath. We also love the impressive yellow photo frame above, which had a previous life as a French door.

At the other end of the spectrum is a complete overhaul, like this beautiful KURA mid-sleeper IKEA hack by The Divine Living Space. Kids love an adventurous bed and this budget-friendly design has become a bit of a makeover favourite: there are many variations on Pinterest and Instagram, but this floral version with pretty green curtains is one of our top picks.

And, here's a stylish example of the classic colour-dipping technique. A simple, ice blue and white BEKVÄM step stool, such as this one by De Kleine Dingen, will brighten your interiors. It would also make an attractive addition to small bathrooms, as a charming towel store, for instance. 

Parents of toddlers and preschoolers will tell you that safe storage for oversized books is a priority in children's rooms – so this BEKVÄM spice rack hack by A Baby On Board is genius. The kitchen racks are a fraction of the price of usual bookshelves and can be painted to suit your child's bedroom theme. Why not safely mount them at a low level to give your little ones a sense of independence too? 

Warm up a neutral grey kitchen with a touch of copper. These hanging pendant lights look very expensive indeed, but they're not – instead, they're another IKEA hack by Kojo Designs. This time spray paint has refurbished standard kitchen lighting into a stunning statement accent, perfect for hanging over a breakfast bar.

​Paint companies are getting IKEA-hack creative too. IVAR cabinets are particularly versatile. We especially like this creation from Rust-Oleum – it leaves the cabinet in a natural form but gives it height with spindle legs in contrasting neon pink. Give it a go if you're looking to give your hallway a new look.

Rust-Oleum has also transformed this TARVA chest into a beautiful royal-blue unit of drawers with glamorous gold detailing. Visitors will never guess where you got it. Now discontinued, the RAST chest of three drawers is similar.

Turn the simplest KALLAX unit into a dreamy Scandi-style cabinet with personalised doors. @our_bears_home started by turning the unit on its side and screwed on four hair-pin legs. Then, she ironed on WordPress edging in Real Oak to KALLAX door fronts and added BEGRIPA handles. A piece of worktop to the surface finishes the beautifully stylish and practical furniture piece.

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