IKEA Nightstand Hack – Three Ways to use IKEA MALM

If there’s one thing I learned in 2023, it’s that using IKEA MALM units is the answer to my hesitation about building my drawers from scratch. I know I’ll build them one day, but until then, below are the three ways I used this IKEA nightstand hack using Malm nightstands to increase the storage in our house!

Where I Started…

Two IKEA malm nightstands and a billy bookcase in the color black-brown. — Black-Brown Billy Bookcase & Malm Nightstands

Five Malm nightstands in white oak lined up behind a sofa. — White Oak Malm Nightstands

Two Malm nightstands in white. — White Malm Nightstands

Where I Ended…

Home bar cabinet in a moody room, flanked by two leather chairs. — Bar Cabinet

Long white oak sofa table with 10 drawers, and storage on top. — Sofa Table

Window seat with four drawers in a dormer window of a room with plaid wallpaper. — Window Seat

IKEA Nightstand Hack #1: Bar Cabinet

Home bar cabinet in a moody room, flanked by two leather chairs. This bar cabinet was created using an IKEA nightstand hack of using MALM nightstands for the drawer portion of the build.

To create this bar cabinet, I combined two black Ikea Malm nightstands with an Ikea Billy bookcase.

I wanted the top of the nightstands to be at counter height, so I built a platform for it all to sit on. More details are on the IKEA Bar Cabinet Hack and Holiday Cocktail Party blog post.

IKEA Nightstand Hack #2: Sofa Table

An extra large sofa table in an airy living room, with a woman behind it. The sofa table was created using an IKEA nightstand hack of using MALM nightstands for the drawer portion of the build.

This sofa table is my favorite of the three because it’s front and center in our home and provides SO MUCH storage.

All the kids’ toys used to collect behind the couch, and now they have a place. All the details and materials can be found in the IKEA Hacked White Oak Sofa Table post.

IKEA Nightstand Hack #3: Window Seat

White window seat with brass hardware on the drawers, and a cushion on the top. This build was created using an IKEA nightstand hack of using MALM nightstands for the drawer portion of the build.

The window seat build was the most straightforward of the three. I used two white Malm nightstands and trimmed them out with plywood and pine boards to make them look built-in. Such a cute spot to cuddle up and read a book, and the additional storage is a bonus!

I’m still working on a detailed blog post for this one, but in the meantime, you can glimpse the creation of this in short video form here!

Enjoy projects like these? Check out these IKEA hacks!

IKEA Hacked Cabinet Dupe
IKEA Hemnes Hack – Curvy Shoe Cabinet
Easy DIY Coffee Table