Upgrade Your Fireplace With This Clever IKEA KALLAX Storage Hack

Between the soothing crackling sounds, the mesmerizing colorful flames, and the wonderfully welcome heat, there is hardly anything cozier than a nice warm fire on a cold evening. But where there is a wood-burning fireplace or woodstove, there are also logs. And where there are logs, there is a need to store them for easy access. 

Heavy log users, such as those who use wood stoves as their primary winter heating source, likely already have a system in place to keep a hefty supply of firewood ready at hand. But for those who just like to enjoy a casual evening fire on the most frigid of nights, Kate Hewitt (@our_bears_home) shared on Instagram how she transformed a basic IKEA KALLAX cube storage unit into a cozy fireside storage cabinet and bench seat with just a few simple steps.

By personalizing the KALLAX with custom veneer doors, hairpin legs, and a wood top, she transformed the $49.99 IKEA basic staple into a furniture piece out of your Scandinavian hygge daydreams. And since the standard length of cut firewood is 16 inches, the 15 ⅜ inch deep KALLAX unit is the is the perfect size to hold enough wood for one or two nights of beautiful, crackling flames. Talk about ambiance! So, grab your Allen or hex wrench, construction adhesive, and — believe it or not — an iron. With these tools, you can DIY your own unique firewood storage cabinet and bench.

To create your own fireside storage unit, begin by purchasing and assembling a four-cubed horizontal IKEA KALLAX unit. Raise the cabinet off the ground by screwing metal hairpin legs that are about four inches tall to the underside. Next, install two KALLAX door inserts on the middle two cubbies with the door swings opening outward from the middle. Leave the door panels themselves aside.

To customize, add a wood top by cutting a white oak wood board to the same size as the KALLAX unit. Enhance and seal the wood top with Danish oil or similar for a beautiful natural finish. Affix the wood top to the cabinet using a strong construction adhesive.

Lastly, it is time to personalize the doors for a unique look. Depending on your aesthetic preference, use half to three-quarter inch wide iron on white oak veneer tape to create a pattern on the doors and cut the pieces to size. One strip at a time, follow the ironing instructions to adhere the wood design onto the front of the door panel. Add a half-round white IKEA BEGRIPA handle to each door, and your cabinet is complete. If patterned wood veneer doors don't align with your home's aesthetic, try adding decorative contact paper to the panels or creating fluted doors for your KALLAX unit.

Style the cabinet by filling the open cubbies with firewood to complete the cozy fireside vibe. A cute dog on a faux sheepskin in front of the fire is optional, but highly recommended! With a few simple steps, you have created a gorgeous, hygge cabinet with closed storage and cubbies for logs, as well as a warm bench seat by the fire.