The HAVSTA cabinet series just became your next weekend project obsession. These IKEA HAVSTA hacks & ideas will transform your basic storage unit into something that looks way more expensive than it actually was.
Most people don’t realize how versatile these glass-front cabinets can be with just a few simple modifications. Whether your going for a built-in look or want to add some personality to your space, there’s definitely a hack that’ll work for you.
Ready to turn your plain HAVSTA into the star of your room?
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Natural Cane Webbing Transforms Basic Storage
The dark blue paint job on this HAVSTA cabinet creates such a sophisticated backdrop for the gorgeous cane webbing panels. @poudre_d_idee really nailed this transformation by removing the original glass doors and replacing them with natural rattan cane.
Those brass-toned hairpin legs aren’t original either – they’ve been added to lift the whole piece off the ground for a more modern look. The combination of the navy blue frame with the warm, honey-colored cane webbing gives off serious mid-century vibes that work perfect in any room.
You can find pre-cut cane webbing sheets online, and the installation is way easier than it looks – just some careful measuring and a staple gun will do the trick.
Fluted Doors Transform Basic Storage Into Scandi Style
This brilliant transformation takes a standard HAVSTA cabinet and adds those gorgeous vertical wooden slats that everyone’s obsessing over right now. The fluted door fronts completely change the whole vibe, making it look like an expensive piece from a fancy furniture store instead of something flat-packed.
You can recreate this look by attaching thin wooden dowels or strips to your existing doors with wood glue and some patience. @lukearthurwells nailed the execution here, and the natural wood tone works perfectly against those creamy walls.
Adding wooden ball feet underneath gives it that elevated, custom furniture feel that makes guests think you spent way more than you actually did.
Built-In Window Seat With Gray HAVSTA Storage
This genius hack transforms two HAVSTA glass-door cabinets into flanking storage towers around a custom window seat. The soft gray finish on these HAVSTA units creates perfect symmetry while adding tons of organized storage for dishes, books, or seasonal decor.
What makes this design brilliant is how @hydrangeatreehouse extended the base of the HAVSTA cabinets to create one continuous bench seat. The addition of cushions and throw pillows turns functional storage into the coziest reading nook you’ll ever see.
The wicker baskets on top tie everything together while hiding extra clutter, and you could easily recreate this look by painting your HAVSTA units in any color that matches you’re existing decor.
Glass Door Display Transforms Kitchen Storage
The glass-front HAVSTA cabinets create an amazing display area for all your prettiest dishes and coffee accessories. By keeping some doors with glass panels and pairing them with solid wood cabinet doors below, you get the perfect balance of show-off space and hidden storage that every kitchen needs.
What makes this setup really work is how @cozydiyhome mixed the white HAVSTA units with warm wood open shelving above. The brass hardware and floating wooden shelves add so much character that you’d never guess these started as basic IKEA pieces.
You could easily recreate this look by adding your own wooden shelves and switching out the standard knobs for brass ones.
Curved Glass Door Transform Creates Statement Storage
The most striking change here is how those standard rectangular glass panels got replaced with curved arched cutouts that completely change the cabinet’s personality. This brilliant modification by @crack_the_shutters turns a basic HAVSTA into something that looks way more expensive and custom-made.
The soft sage green paint job works perfectly with the new curved openings, and adding that textured panel film to the lower doors gives it extra visual interest. You could easily recreate this look with a jigsaw and some patience, maybe trying different arch heights or even going for a more dramatic curve.
Those brass handles are the perfect finishing touch that ties everything together and makes this hack feel intentional rather than DIY.
Sage Green Cabinet Makeover With Crown Molding
This gorgeous sage green transformation shows how a simple coat of paint can completely change your Havsta cabinets. The rich olive-green shade paired with brass hardware creates a sophisticated look that feels way more expensive than it actually is.
What really makes this hack shine is the added crown molding on top, which gives the cabinet a custom built-in appearance. @rebeccaandgenevieve nailed the styling by removing the original backing and adding floral wallpaper instead.
The marble countertop and copper accents tie everything together perfectly, proving that sometimes the simplest modifications make the biggest impact.
Built In Coffee Station Transforms Basic Cabinets
Grouping multiple Havsta cabinets together creates this incredible wall-to-wall storage system that looks like custom millwork. The genius move here is carving out that middle section to create a dedicated coffee station with it’s own little nook.
That moody sage green paint job completely transforms the basic white cabinets into something way more sophisticated. @champagne.chaos added brass hardware and floating wooden shelves inside the coffee area for extra style points.
The fluted wood backsplash in the coffee nook adds texture and warmth that contrasts beautifully with the painted cabinets.
Ornate Corner Details Transform Basic Cabinet Design
Sometimes the smallest details make the biggest impact, and this transformed IKEA HAVSTA proves that point perfectly. The addition of delicate wooden corner appliques completely changes the cabinet’s personality from plain to absolutely stunning.
These decorative corner pieces are easy to find at craft stores or online, and they stick on with strong adhesive or small nails. The cream-colored paint job with subtle gold undertones gives the whole piece a vintage charm that works beautifully with the ornate details.
You could try this same technique with different applique styles – maybe geometric patterns for a modern look, or even simple corner brackets for an industrial vibe, just like @smr.interiors shows us here.
Gray Paint Transform Creates Custom Built In Look
That boring white HAVSTA cabinet just got a serious glow-up with some carefully applied gray paint. @angelicas.hem shows us how a simple color change can make basic IKEA furniture look like expensive built-ins.
The soft sage green accent wall behind makes the gray cabinet pop beautifully, while brass hardware adds that premium touch. You could easily recreate this look with any neutral paint color that matches your existing decor.
The key is choosing a paint that’s durable enough for cabinet doors and using proper primer so it wont chip off later.
Multiple Havsta Units Create Seamless Built In Look
Combining several Havsta units together transforms an entire wall into what looks like expensive custom cabinetry. The genius of this hack from @house2homedecor2 is how the white units blend seamlessly together, creating one continuous storage system thats perfect for displaying holiday decorations and everyday treasures.
Adding matching wood countertops across the lower cabinets ties everything together and creates extra surface space for seasonal garland and decorative pieces. The open shelving above provides tons of display options while the closed storage below keeps clutter hidden away.
You could easily recreate this look by purchasing multiple Havsta units and arranging them to fit your wall dimensions perfectly.
Floor To Ceiling Storage Wall Transformation
This stunning gray built-in storage wall shows how multiple Havsta cabinets can create the look of expensive custom millwork. The genius move here is removing the backs from the glass-door Havsta units and painting everything in a sophisticated sage-gray color that matches the wall perfectly.
The bottom row of closed cabinets provides hidden storage while the open shelving above displays books and decor beautifully. @sparrow_and_weston added crown molding across the top to give it that high-end, built-in appearance that costs thousands less than custom cabinetry.
You could easily recreate this look using 4-6 Havsta units, some wood trim, and your favorite paint color.
White Glass Door Display Creates Living Library
This gorgeous white storage unit shows off books and treasures behind those perfect glass doors. The clean lines and bright finish makes everything inside look like it belongs in a fancy museum or something.
What’s really cool is how @ikeadeutschland styled the top with seasonal branches and red ornaments that match the cozy living room vibes. The whole setup creates this amazing balance between showing off your stuff and keeping it protected from dust.
You could totally recreate this look by organizing your books by color or mixing in some decorative bowls and vases between the literature.
Built In Storage With Open Shelving Detail
This gorgeous transformation by @kateshome_ shows how multiple Havsta units can create stunning built-in storage that looks completely custom. The genius lies in adding open shelving sections above the cabinets, breaking up the solid white fronts with practical display space.
The fluted cabinet doors add texture without overwhelming the clean lines, while the built-in look comes from careful positioning against the wall. You could easily recreate this by mounting additional shelves above your Havsta units or even building a simple frame around them.
The circular mirror and decorative accessories prove that functional storage doesn’t have to be boring when you style it thoughtfully.
Painted Gray Units Create Seamless Built In Storage
The brilliant thing about these HAVSTA cabinets is how they’ve been transformed with sage gray paint to look like expensive built-in storage. @byhannahjones matched the exact shade to her vertical wood paneling, making the whole wall feel like one cohesive design element.
Adding that wall-mounted TV above creates the perfect media center without needing custom carpentry. The lower cabinets hide all those messy toys and supplies while the open shelving on top shows off wooden toys and decorative pieces.
You could easily recreate this look by painting your HAVSTA units any color that matches your existing trim or wall color.
Bold Pink Paint Transforms Basic Storage Unit
This vibrant hot pink makeover completely changes the whole vibe of what started as a basic beige storage cabinet. The transformation by @handymaamnyc proves that sometimes all you need is one can of bold paint to make furniture feel totally custom.
The bright fuchsia color works amazing against those floral wallpapers, creating a space that feels both retro and modern at the same time. You could easily recreate this look with any high-quality furniture paint, just make sure to prime first if your starting with a darker base color.
Adding brass or gold hardware instead of the original knobs would make this hack feel even more luxurious and expensive looking.
Scalloped Edge Detail Creates Built In Magic
This clever modification transforms a basic HAVSTA cabinet into something that looks like expensive built-in furniture. The secret is in that gorgeous scalloped trim detail that @little_edwardian_semi added along the bottom edge, which completely changes the cabinet’s profile.
The warm sage green paint job makes this piece feel custom and sophisticated, while the decorative edging adds character that you’d never expect from flat-pack furniture. You can achieve this look by cutting scalloped shapes from MDF or wood trim and attaching them with wood glue and small nails.
The styling with colorful books and ceramics shows how functional storage can still look beautiful when you take the time to customize it properly.
Rustic Wood Top Transforms Basic Storage
The warm wood countertop completely changes the game for this HAVSTA sideboard hack. Instead of the standard white top, @theoakleynest added a gorgeous butcher block style surface that makes the whole piece feel way more custom and expensive.
Those cream colored cabinet doors look so much softer against the rich wood grain than they would with plain white. The natural texture adds warmth to what could of been a pretty sterile looking storage solution.
You could easily recreate this look by measuring your HAVSTA top and getting wood cut at any home improvement store, then just securing it with brackets underneath.
Sage Green Built In Entertainment Wall Unit
This stunning sage green entertainment unit transforms multiple HAVSTA cabinets into one seamless built-in masterpiece. The genius lies in combining several units together and adding custom vertical paneling to create that expensive built-in look.
The soft sage green paint elevates the basic white cabinets into something truly special, while the vertical wood slats add texture and visual interest behind the TV. @the_robinsonfamily_abode created the perfect balance between storage and display with those gorgeous open shelving sections.
You could easily recreate this using HAVSTA units in different heights, some wood slats from your local hardware store, and your favorite green paint color.
These IKEA HAVSTA hacks & ideas prove that you don’t need a huge budget to create custom-looking furniture. With some creativity and basic tools, your cabinets can look like they came from a high-end store instead of the Swedish furniture giant.
The best part about these modifications is that most of them are totally reversible if you ever want to change things up again. Plus, you’ll have gained some serious DIY skills along the way, which is always a win in my book.
Time to grab your drill and get started on transforming those boring cabinets into something amazing!