The 20+ best 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.
Kitchen: