Do you have some Ikea Nordli units and want to make the most of them? Look no further than these awesome Ikea Nordli hacks and ideas that will help you create some stylish pieces of furniture.
The Ikea Nordli units are one of the most practical pieces that Ikea offer and they are great storage solutions, but they are pretty plain!
With a few hacks and tricks, you can have a totally custom look to your Nordli drawers.
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Sleek Minimalism Meets Warm Wood Accents
Here’s a clean, fresh take on the classic Ikea Nordli, a slick white drawer system topped with a warm wood surface that brings a cozy contrast to the room. The smooth, matte finish of these drawers, combined with the natural grain of the wooden top, creates a balance that’s both modern and inviting.
This combo from @achtsam_fuer_schoenes shows how simple additions, like a new wooden lid, can transform a typical piece into a statement storage solution. The neutral palette leaves room for seasonal décor, such as fresh tulips or rustic twigs, to shine above it.
It’s a style anyone can copy, grab some natural wood planks and keep the rest crisp and white.
Timeless White Storage With A Cozy Twist
This charming corner setup nails calm and cozy vibes with sleek white Nordli drawers revamped by @wohnverzaubert. The fresh white paint paired with soft gold knobs instantly lifts this classic Ikea piece into a serene, stylish storage solution.
The wooden bench insert topped with a plush faux fur throw adds warmth and invites you to linger, blending function and comfort in perfect harmony. This clever tweak turns an ordinary dresser into a nook that feels thoughtfully designed and cozy.
Subtle earth tones and textures work in harmony here, making it easy to imagine this setup fitting effortlessly in any calm, modern space.
Cozy Reading Nook With Soft Nordic Charm
This serene spot turns IKEA Nordli drawers into a snug window seat, all cushioned up with a tufted beige pad that’s just begging for long reading sessions. It’s a neat trick that adds storage and a comfy hangout space without crowding the room.
Dark wooden floating shelves bring warmth and contrast against the soft walls, holding whimsical artwork and small treasures that make this nook feel personal. The quirky lamp with its cloud-like glow adds an inviting touch perfect for those cozy evening vibes.
This setup, inspired by @ikeahackersdiy, proves clever layering of neutral textures can turn simple IKEA staples into a dreamy, lived-in spot.
Cozy Scandinavian Nook With Smart Storage
This child’s room glows with calming shades of white, pale blush, and natural wood tones. The standout here is the clever use of Ikea Nordli drawers, transformed into a snug bench and playful desk nook, merging function and fairy tale charm beautifully.
Covered in soft birch plywood, the desk’s house-shaped frame adds an imaginative touch while keeping a clean, Scandinavian feel. The spacious drawers provide generous storage, perfect for toys or art supplies, and a cushioned top invites quiet moments of rest or reading, inspired by @live.like.archi.
This design encourages mixing practicality with personality, turning basics into a dreamy kid’s retreat.
Maximized Storage Meets Sleek Room Divider
This clever combination of a Nordli dresser base topped with vertical slats doubles as both storage and a subtle room divider. The clean, black-painted wood contrasts beautifully against the soft navy wall, bringing a smart, modern vibe to the space.
By elevating the structure and adding slats, it creates an airy division without closing off the light from the large window. Modular and versatile, this piece encourages customizing the dresser drawers for different storage needs, inspired by @nussblau.colors.
It’s a fresh take on functionality and style that makes the most of compact living areas.
Sleek Storage Bench Brings Order InStyle
This painted green Nordli base cabinet gets a stunning makeover with a natural wood bench top, creating a clever seating spot and storage combo. The deep teal shade pairs wonderfully with the green walls, blending functionality with cohesive color play.
Adding wall-mounted wooden pegs above offers an airy, practical place to hang bags and coats, letting the space breathe instead of crowding it. A charming curved mirror framed in warm wood adds personality and softens the modern edges perfectly, inspired by @atriumhus_1971.
This setup is a great option if you want utility and style without overcomplicating your entryway.
Space-Saving Play Loft With Clever Drawers
This playful loft setup uses Ikea Nordli drawers for a chic storage solution under the bed, keeping toys and tiny treasures tidy but accessible. The light wood frame extends upward with simple vertical slats giving the nook an open, airy vibe that’s perfect for a kid’s room.
The clean white drawers blend beautifully with the soft green wall and whimsical star decals, creating a calm and inviting atmosphere. Adding a touch of fun, the colorful fabric bunting strung across the rails pulls the look together delightfully, inspired by @wir_sind_detailverliebt.
This design cleverly maximizes floor space while offering a cozy nook for reading and play.
Ikea Nordli Window Seat Hack
A great, simple way to maximise the use of your Ikea Nordli system is to turn it into a bench or window seat.
Here they have built the Nordli drawers into the wall below a window and raised them to the right height for seating. They have then added a matching top surface to sit on. This doesn’t necessarily need to be padded, you can simply add some cushions for comfort.
Custom Fronted Nordli Dresser
We love the sound wave effect that has been created on the drawer fronts here. These have been custom-made to replace the existing Ikea Nordli drawer fronts and look absolutely stunning!
You don’t need to be quite so proficient with a router though. Just by swapping the drawer fronts for some bare-wood boards will totally transform your Nordli unit.
The wood works brilliantly with the darker Nordli unit and the addition of some slim-profile handles keeps the look sleek.
Concrete Effect Nordli Hack
If you want to create a rough and ready industrial look for your Nordli units then this concrete-effect paint is a great idea!
There is a company that produces a product to do just this. You simply paint it on and you have instant concrete effect!
It works so well with the wooden slats as a backdrop.
Nordli Raised Bed Storage Idea
The Ikea Nordli units are perfect for combining furniture uses, such as the window seat earlier and this amazing raised bed!
I love the plywood bed that has been built around the Nordli drawers, it’s so basic and minimalist.
The white Nordli drawers are perfect to go with the bare plywood and provide such a lot of great storage!
Dark Paint and Wooden Trim Makeover
A really easy way to upgrade the Nordli system with an Ikea Nordli hack is to add some wooden panels to the top and bottom and then raise it up on some elegant legs.
That’s exactly what has been done here and it suddenly creates a stylish dresser for any space.
Dining Room Banquette Hack
Riffing on the bench seating theme, this wonderful banquette seating for a dining table is a great way to add extra storage to a space that otherwise doesn’t have enough.
Simply drape a sheepskin rug over the top and you have an incredibly stylish bench that has multiple uses!
Plywood Wrap-Around For a Kids Desk
Wrapping Ikea furniture in wood or plywood panels has been done many, many times before, but it never fails to impress!
It’s a wonderful Ikea Nordli hack that you can use to create any configuration you like, such as this kids desk with tall and low drawers.
We love that the plywood combines everything together to keep continuity while providing separate functions.
The plywood pinboard is a great idea too!
Ikea Nordli Fretwork Hack
Another easy way to hack your Ikea Nordli drawers is to add some decorative panels to the fronts.
These gorgeous fretwork panels are from Front Cover and completely transform the look of the drawers. Once stuck on, the entire drawer front, or the entire unit can be re-painted to whatever colour you like.
This dark grey fits wonderful well with the blues, greens and yellows in this space.
Changing Table Nordli Hack
There are so many options out there once you start thinking about what you want to create with your Ikea Nordli units.
This changing table has been created with a specially-made changing surface made by New Swedish Design.
You simply replace the existing Nordli top with this changing unit. Here they have also gone with some stylish wooden legs to raise the whole thing to the right height.
The Ikea Nordli system provides a fantastic basic storage unit from which you can create your own stylish piece of furniture.
The whole idea with ikea hacks is that they give you an easy option when it comes to making your own custom furniture. They do the hard bit of making the drawer/cupboard/bed/etc base and you can then embellish it or bend it to your will!
I hope these Ikea Nordli hacks and ideas have helped you figure out what you will do with your unit!