30 IKEA Malm Dresser Hacks

When I was in college, my friend mentioned that he was looking forward to the day that he could replace all his IKEA furniture. I thought that was a borderline ridiculous idea. Even as an adult, I love scouring IKEA for furniture finds.The Swedish design aesthetic is minimal, and some of IKEA’s pieces offer a classic look for not a lot of money.

The biggest downside of IKEA furniture is that everyone seems to have it, and you can recognize some of their staple pieces immediately. One of their staple items that has found its way into our home is the Malm series of dressers. They are a simple and effective way to store clothing, but it’s completely basic. If the aesthetic is a little too clean and boring for you, though, here is a roundup of my favorite DIY IKEA Malm dresser hacks to turn the simple piece of furniture into a unique custom piece. Check them out in the slideshow.

More DIY Furniture Ideas:

IKEA Malm Dresser Hacks

The Original IKEA Malm Dresser

Available at IKEA in several colors and sizes...but super plain. Keep scrolling to see some fabulous makeovers.
Mid-Centruy Modern Update

With the help of a company called O'verlays, this DIY design adds paint, wood, and custom knobs to turn the dresser into a mid-century showpiece.

See the project at Sarah Hearts.
DIY Leather Drawer Pulls

Installing some simple leather strips on the drawers adds a bit of rustic chicness to the Malm dresser.

See the project at Sugar & Cloth.
Engineer Print Photo Facade

Using some inexpensive engineer prints from your local copy store, you can put a custom photo on the front of your dresser.

See the project at BD Photography.
DIY Campaign Style Dresser

A little custom hardware goes a long way to making the Malm dresser look like a much more expensive Campaign dresser.

See the project at Homey Oh My.
Captain's Bed Base DIY

This creative apartment dweller turned a pair of dressers into a base for a captain's bed. So much under-bed storage!

See the project at IKEA Hackers.
Custom Key Upgrade

A bright orange paint job and some antique keys make for a unique dressed up dresser.

See the project at Looking Through the Test Tube Glass.
DIY Wood Facade Upgrade

Using strips of wood and paint, this Malm dresser was turned into an especially unique piece. This one might be making its way into my bedroom soon.

See the project at Rock Paper Scissor Graphics.
Overlays + Fancy Pulls

Another set of O'verlays, these look even better when combined with some fancy knobs in the center of the drawers.

See the project at Maggie Overby Studios.
Nautical Themed Dresser

With the addition of a matte coat of blue paint and some rope drawer pulls, this Malm dresser has a great nautical feel to it.

See the project at All That Brings Joy.
Window Seat for Dogs DIY

This blogger wanted to create a way for her puppies to look out the window, so she turned her dresser into a window seat that they could get up on and enjoy the view.

See the project at If It's Not Baroque.
Hollywood Glam Mirrored Dresser Island

This DIY would work great in a retail store, a great way to display products and store sizes in the drawers below.

See the project at IKEA Hackers.
DIY Kitty Litter Box

This one is a little out of left field, but this IKEA hacker turned a Malm dresser into a smell-sealed kitty litter box.

See the project at Instructables.
IKEA Goes Glam

Yet another project involving O'verlays, this one uses a unique pattern and gold paint to glam up a Malm dresser.

See the project at Amanda Carol Interiors.
Scalloped Stickers Hack

Using some cute vinyl stickers, this Malm dresser got a cute and colorful upgrade.

See the project at Inspiraciok.
Blue File Cabinet DIY

These custom built overlays plus some brass drawer pulls make for a beautiful look that would work in a kid's room or an office.

See the project at Apartment Therapy.
Malm Kitchen Island DIY

This Malm dresser hack takes bedroom furniture and makes it really useful for the kitchen. How about a center island with a ton of drawer space and storage room?

See the project at IKEA Hackers.
Panyl Upgrade Dresser

Another company that makes upgrades for the Malm series is Panyl. You can choose from numerous kinds of facades to stick on the fronts of the drawers.

See the project at Go Haus Go.
DIY Animal Shoebox

This hack requires a bit of artistic talent, but you can draw some pretty pictures on the drawers to make a playful addition to a kid's room.

See the project at IKEA.
DIY Raindrop Stickers

Yet another example of some creative stickers dressing up a dresser, these vinyl raindrops make for a happy little rainstorm in the bedroom.

See the project at Kaikki Mita Olen.
White-on-White Overlays

One more O'verlay project—this one adds simple white-on-white for a classy upgrade.

See the project at Posh Meets Pavement.
Built-In Dresser Upgrade

This family adapted some Malm dressers to fit in their room as a custom sideboard. It is surprisingly easy to adapt these dressers to fit in your home.

See the project at Googie Momma.
Mirrored Dresser Upgrade

With some mirrored panels and some O'verlays patterns, this Malm dresser got a flashy upgrade.

See the project at Cheapo Copy Cat.
Legs and O'verlays DIY

Okay, I lied. I've got one more O'verlays DIY. But this one has the added bonus of some DIY legs to lift the dresser up off the ground a bit.

See the project at Fifi Cheek.
Glossy Blue DIY Dressers

These Malm dressers got a glossy paint job that makes them look like a lot of fun.

See the project at Savannah Smiled.
Copper Triangle Hack

I love the look of this hack; by the addition of some metallic contact paper, this dresser got a beautiful modern look.

See the project at Carole + Ellie.
DIY Changing Table Dresser

This beautiful upgrade turns the Malm dresser into a solid changing table for a masculine nursery.

See the project at Fox and Hammer.
Chevron Dresser Hack

This clever paint job gives a fun chevron pattern to the front of the dresser. You can customize your colors and your drawer pulls to fit your aesthetic.

See the project at Green Your Decor.
DIY Fabric Upholstered Dresser

This beautiful ombre DIY upholsters the drawer fronts with colorful fabric and batting to make a bright changing table in the nursery. The extra padding also makes the dresser forgiving enough for a toddler to play near.

See the full project at Letterbox 88.
Vinyl Geometric Stickers

Using some black vinyl and a pair of scissors, you can customize your drawers to your heart's content.

See the full project at Fine Little Day.
Stickers from Mykea

Last but not least is a company that provides decals for IKEA furniture. They have an incredible amount of designs, so check them out and upgrade your dresser with some art.

See the project at Mykea.