How to make IKEA furniture look more expensive – 6 tried and tested styling and upcycling tips

Long-loved for their affordable prices and easy-to-construct (most of the time) flat-pack furniture, IKEA is a staple when it comes to good design on a budget. IKEA's beauty is its accessibility; it's filled with surprisingly high-quality pieces that make creating a truly lasting scheme feel achievable and straightforward. However, like all inexpensive contemporary furniture, these pieces can sometimes feel a little... mainstream and lacking in that crucial element of luxury.

Luckily, there are plenty of great IKEA hacks to make IKEA furniture look more expensive. So I spoke with IKEA shoppers, interior designers, and home DIYers about their favorite ways of making IKEA furniture look more luxurious and elevated.

The results were endless, proving that affordable furniture can be made to look more luxe. With a keen eye and a bit of DIY knowledge, you can transform even the most mundane pieces into a high-end centerpiece that's both practical and stylish.

Whether you're reupholstering or adding paneling, you can entirely reimagine IKEA furniture with these six nifty ideas that will take your piece from affordable to elevated.

1. Add character to IKEA pieces with paneling and molding

While there are plenty of IKEA pieces that look expensive, an area we all know is more practicality over aesthetics is its storage. All the classic best-selling storage, while versatile and hardworking, lack a luxury feel.

To make your IKEA storage furniture feel more expensive and luxurious, consider adding some form of molding or paneling, as this can transform a plain piece.

Louise Kemp, founder of lkhome__ on Instagram, took a simple IKEA built-in unit from the BILLY series (pictured above) and made it look more expensive by adding some character with paneling. 'I think the main way we made our IKEA units look more expensive was by adding to them,' Laura explains. 'For example, we added coving, a tongue and groove sheet, and additional MDF boards to give it a built-in look.'

To make the unit feel even more bespoke, Louise added some hardware and painted it a refreshing sage green. She adds, 'We also changed out the handles and added antique brass ones, with matching lighting. Finally, we painted it a lovely shade of green, which looks completely different from the plain white Ikea units we started with!'

2. Incorporate aged hardware on drawers, cabinets, and cupboards

Whether you're adding vintage kitchen hardware to your IKEA kitchen or you're fitting new handles on a cupboard or chest of drawers, sophisticated metal accents can make all the difference to a mundane piece of IKEA furniture.

Designers say hardware can make a room look more expensive and can entirely transform a mass-produced piece into a unique work of art. Adding aged accents like brass handles or knobs will make your IKEA furniture feel not only more sophisticated but also add patina and character to a modern piece.

Sarah Brady, Founder and Creative Director of Salt Design Company, says 'Add new hardware to make your IKEA furniture look more expensive. Don’t settle for default hardware. Switch out the knobs and handles for something more stylish, like brass or leather, to instantly upgrade the piece.'

3. Opt for designer collaborations and style simply but effectively

There are some IKEA products that designers swear by, and these picks mostly come from IKEA's frequent designer collaborations. It's in these ranges that you'll find the IKEA furniture that looks the most expensive.

Interior designer Tola Ojuolape says she always opts for pieces that have been designed in collaboration with iconic designers, and these feel more expensive and bespoke.

'When I want my IKEA furniture to look more expensive, I would opt for pieces from IKEA's iconic designer collaborations, such as the Ilse Crawford Collection, which emphasises timeless, sustainable design,' she explains.

'Her rectangular dining tables, often made with natural materials like cork, offer an understated elegance that can be elevated further with thoughtful styling. I would layer the table with complementary vases from her latest collection, textured linens, as well as more vibrant crockery (trays, cups, and vases) from IKEA’s Tesamann’s Collection to create a cohesive, high-end look, especially when hosting.'

And the easier tip Tola offered for elevating IKEA furniture – fresh flowers. Simple but effective. She adds, 'Finally, I would add fresh flowers, nothing overly styled, just thoughtfully arranged. It’s those small, deliberate choices that make the setup feel curated and more high-end.'

4. Elevate your IKEA furniture by mixing it with vintage pieces

Styling an IKEA piece with vintage decor can make just as much difference as entirely revamping it with DIY. Artful and attentive styling elevates even the plainest IKEA pieces, making them look more expensive and unique.

You can make an IKEA bed look more expensive by styling it with vintage bedding and cushions, or you can elevate an IKEA shelving unit and make it feel more interesting by decorating it with layers of antique decor.

Sharing her styling tips, Sarah Brady says, 'Curate your IKEA furniture with intention. Add personal touches like books, artwork, and decorative objects. Layer in textures to elevate open shelving and surfaces with depth and character.'

Decorating with antiques will make your IKEA pieces feel grander and more sophisticated. You want your furniture to feel more refined and unique, so by opting for vintage decor, a characterless piece is instantly improved. For example, an antique vase on an IKEA coffee table is far better than a more mundane style. Or, an ornate gilded mirror can make an IKEA console appear less stark, creating the perfect contrast of styles in a hallway.

6. Paint your piece in a bold color

You'd be surprised how much a lick of paint can transform a piece of IKEA furniture. A timeless paint color can make natural wood pieces feel far less boring and more bespoke.

If you want to transform a lackluster cabinet or shelf into a work of art, follow in Kanza's footsteps. Founder of the Instagram page handmadehome_durham, Kanza has transformed her space using DIY. She says, 'I didn’t want to part with my IKEA Kallax – it’s been with me through multiple house moves, is built to last and offers generous storage, but its basic look didn’t quite fit with my evolving decor style. Rather than replace it, I decided to upcycle it. I added MDF arches to soften the shape and painted the entire piece in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue – a rich, deep tone that instantly made it feel more elegant and high-end. The transformation turned something functional into a statement piece that now feels cohesive with the rest of the room.'

If you want to transform a shelf or cabinet like Kanza's, opt for the best dark blue paints that ooze sophistication and warmth. For a lighter alternative, consider a refreshing sage green or plaster pink.

Kanza adds, 'My top tip for making KEA furniture look more expensive is to treat it like a blank canvas, a base to add on to rather than a finished product in itself. With a bit of imagination, whether it’s a bold colour, new hardware, or a custom shape, you can turn something functional into something beautiful and personal.'

6. Reupholster cheap IKEA furniture with more luxury textiles

Whether you're reupholstering a chair or creating a cushion, adding a vibrant textile can transform an IKEA piece into a high-end and unique statement.

Interior designer Noz Nozawa added her own DIY cushion to her affordable outdoor IKEA sofa, giving it a much-needed dose of pattern and color. She explains, 'I think IKEA makes some great furniture frames and bases that are a wonderful quality for their value. The way I elevate these frames is by making custom cushions with more vibrant textiles.'

'In my own home, I have the outdoor Jutholmen modular sofa, which I chose principally for its ideal dimensions and boxy arms to fit on my small San Francisco patio. The great price point on the frame gave me room to splurge on seat and back cushions that I covered in a fab Lee Jofa outdoor chenille.'

'You can also elevate IKEA benches or headboards by reupholstering them in a durable performance fabric.'

Small touches can make all the difference to mundane furniture. Whether you're tackling a DIY project or simply styling your piece with vintage decor, there are plenty of ways to make IKEA furniture look more expensive.