9 Designers Share Their Favorite IKEA Pieces

We’re frequently citing the versatility and affordability of IKEA’s wide range of furniture and home goods, but when you’re actually in the store, the sheer volume of products can make it difficult to see the true potential of individual pieces. To help you wade through the seemingly endless number of items, we polled some skilled interior designers to find out what they always reach for when shopping at the home décor giant. Keep scrolling to read their picks and shop the items yourself.

“I love the versatility of the Billy bookcases—they come in a variety of sizes and widths and can be installed to look like built-ins. I love wallpapering the backs and adding a crown molding.”

–Amanda Reynal, Reynal Interiors

"IKEA is a great resource for custom kitchens on a budget. There are so many color and design options to fit any style, and it offers wonderful quality for the price! The turnaround is quick and IKEA also recommends contractors to make the whole process nice and easy!”

–Julia Buckingham, Buckingham Interiors + Design 

“I love the Malm dressing table. The clean lines and drawer make it super-versatile. A fresh coat of paint instantly ups the style factor and makes it look more expensive than it actually is—I even used it in my own home!”

–Kristin Kerr Luber, Kristin Kerr Interiors

“One of my favorite Ikea finds is the Ranarp work lamp in off-white. It’s affordable and its simple details, like its patterned cord and brass accents, make it a perfect staple for any desk!”

–Amber Lewis, Amber Interiors

"These clear food storage containers are my favorite things from IKEA! I have about 10 of these and use them to store all of my dry foods from sugar and quinoa to rice and flour. My pantry items always look so pretty and organized in these!"

–Nicole Gibbons, Nicole Gibbons Studio

"The Vitsjö shleves combined with Kvarink storage boxes is an elegant and clean-looking solution for storage that doesn't break the bank. We love the juxtaposition of the sleek metal and glass shelves with the textured linen boxes and the little paper slot to personalize what's inside allows you add a little more flair with creative penmanship." 

–Brynn Olson, Brynn Olson Design Group

"The IKEA piece we’ve used again and again is the Stockholm rug. It’s 100-percent wool, comes quite large (up to 8’ x 11’), and its price is crazy reasonable. The design works in a variety of settings, from modern to classic and everything in between. The black-and-white graphic pattern is fresh and timeless at the same time."

–Betsy Burnham, Burnham Design

"My favorite IKEA product is the brand's faux sheepskin rug. They’re super inexpensive, so I use them often in projects—from draping them over chairs, to using one or two as little bath or kitchen mats (with a non-skid pad underneath). I’ve even chopped them up to fabricate toss cushions and used them as upholstery fabric for dining chair seats. They’re so easy, versatile and fun; you really cant go wrong!"

–Kishani Perera, Kishani Perera Interior Design

"The Fjälkinge shelving unit is strikingly minimal; it is truly modernist and reductive in its design. It's clean, white, and thin shelves have an airy proportion that makes the piece perfect for displaying art books, earthy ceramics, sparkling glass bowls, or really anything for that matter."

–David John Dick and Krista Schrock, DISC Interiors