20+ IKEA finds for your home.

A little something to elevate each room without looking too 'IKEA-ish'.

My recent move sparked the idea for today’s post. As I loaded a few simple items into my digital cart, I reminisced on the deep love I held for this store in my youth. You see, I was visiting IKEA before I can even remember. Truly, I used to be left in the childcare section while my parents shopped (it was the 90s, it wasn’t bad back then). By the time I was old enough to figure out what was going on outside the four walls of the ball pit, I was wide eyed with inspiration—released to the showrooms, dancing through the aisles of the marketplace, and totally in love.

We moved to Vancouver Island when I was six, so the trips to IKEA didn’t happen all that often. Thankfully the catalogs could be mailed to the house—I kept a decade of them archived on my bookshelf as a teenager. All the pages were bookmarked or circled, sometimes cut out and put on design boards. If a friend’s family was taking a day trip over to Vancouver to hit up IKEA during a renovation, I would tag along and pick up something for my latest bedroom design. I’m lucky in the sense that my parents were very patient and allowed me to pick my own paint colours, install fold-away café tables into the walls, and staple artwork to the ceiling to make collages. My bedroom was a space for creative freedom and I loved nothing more than experimenting with ideas and trends.

As I matured into my 20s and 30s, my taste started to refine. I spent less time looking through the catalogs and more time searching for items that would last longer, pieces that were made with sustainable materials and didn’t have a distinct “IKEA” look to them. But, even through this transition, there are still a few great pieces I’ll continue visiting the big blue box for! Below are my top 20+ items from IKEA that will elevate your home without looking like you live in a Swedish showroom.

Entrance + Hallway + Living Room:

Billy Oxberg Bookcase.
Such a beautiful display cabinet for ceramics, books, linens, or decorative collections. Replace the knobs (brass spheres or t-bars look great) and you’ll have a staple piece that both blends in and stands out. One of my favourite IKEA items!

Blidväder Table Lamp.
Finding a ceramic lamp for under $80 is not easy. I would personally replace the shade for something a little longer to create a more modern look, but this one is still great.

Hemnes Shoe Cabinet.
This came in clutch for us in our tiny apartment! It’s very deceiving in size and actually holds a lot of shoes. The Hemnes collection is classy and timeless, I always swap the hardware out for brass knobs for an extra-luxe look.

Tolkning Room Divider.
Yes, you can see through it and it doesn’t provide much privacy but, it still redirects the flow of the room and adds beautiful texture and shape.

Poäng Armchair & Footstool.
An IKEA classic! This is the one item on my list with a bit of a Swedish showroom look to it. But, it’s so comfortable, decently affordable, and you can find all sorts of custom cushion covers online to make it fit your aesthetic.

Poäng Armchair Image: @hej_colourful.home

Kitchen:

Tillagd Black Cutlery Set.
Such a good dupe for the Fable cutlery set. I’ve been using these for 3+ years and get a lot of compliments on them. They look cute in photos too!

Aptitlig Bamboo Chopping Boards.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Grönsaker Bamboo Salad Serving Set.
Pure bamboo and $4.99—how can you say no?

Sommaröga Serving Stand.
Makes me smile every time.

Citronhaj Spice Mill.
I love these glass mills and use them for salt blends, fresh peppercorns, chili flakes, you name it! This is not your fancy set to display on the table, but your cooking set to keep in the cupboards.

Bedroom:

Desja Table Lamp.
A glass lamp that gives off the perfect cozy glow for the evenings.

Våreld Blanket.
It’s always nice to have extra throw blankets around. This one is 100% cotton.

Kupong Alarm Clock.
Since we have a no cellphone rule in the bedroom at night, this alarm clock is the perfect wakeup call for mornings when we need it. Small, cute, and $2.00! *Note: there is no snooze option so this alarm gets you up and out of bed.

Lomviken Picture Frame.
Simple, classic, a thin Scandinavian design. Would also be fun to paint in custom colours for a child’s room or bright space like the kitchen.

Billy Oxberg Bookcase Image: House of Hawkes + 8 More Billy Bookcase Hacks

Bathroom:

Mossjön Cabinet.
I’m a total sucker for fluted glass! This cabinet is very affordable and could be styled with bathroom textiles and accessories to look like a hotel spa.

Tisken Shower Shelf.
Always nice to store some extra products at arm’s reach. I also love the Tisken soap dish.

Uppdatera Bins.
I use these to organize products in our bathroom cabinets and love the light pink colour.

Patio + Outdoor:

Kolbjörn Cabinet.
A great way to hide the bits and bobs on the patio that you don’t want your guests to see—and bonus, an extra drink surface for your outdoor space.

Ombonad Tablecloth.
You can’t go wrong with a 100% linen tablecloth, especially in this neutral earthy tone. I also like the Vårarv tablecloth—a cotton and jute blend!

Nämmarö Sun Lounger.
A much needed Mediterranean moment for your outdoor space. I don’t own this one but I think it would look great in our new backyard.

Kyrre Stool (painted pink) Image: @camille_skye

Miscellaneous:

Kyrre Stool.
It’s a bestseller for a reason. This stool is so handy, in addition to being used as a seat, it can quickly turn into a side table, drinks holder, laptop stand, or anything you need a quick surface for. I absolutely love the Matisse blue version!

Flådis Storage Basket.
Get a few—these are great for most rooms.

Glimma Unscented Tealights. Unfortunately they aren’t all-natural, but they do burn perfectly. The large version is also great and lasts 9+ hours.

Gokvällå Floor Cushion.
A great yoga/meditation pillow or extra floor seating.

Dajlien Training Weights.
Cute 7-pound ring weights made with cast iron and featured in a light sage green.

PS. There is an IKEA museum in Sweden that I would totally check out if I was in the area—the museum website is pretty awesome for those of us not in Europe. Wow, remember this inflatable sofa from 2000? I was obsessed.

What did I miss?
What are your favourite IKEA finds?