5 Must Have IKEA Products For Apartments

In this post I am sharing 5 must have IKEA products for apartments. Walking through IKEA can be overwhelming! Fun, but overwhelming. Before deciding which pieces to bring into your apartment, you need to be sure they are versatile and can function from one apartment to the next. These 5 IKEA products are my tried and true must haves for any apartment or renter!

If you are a renter then you need to know about these 5 must have IKEA products! This list is specifically put together for apartments and those of you who are renters.

I have moved 15 times in total and 13 times with my husband, so I definitely have found items that are fail proof from one apartment to the next. I have had to sell one too many pieces of furniture because it “didn’t work” in the next apartment. These days I have gotten to a point where I’m buying smarter pieces that will move with us.

These pieces are either very versatile or offer storage options that we couldn’t afford to pass up. Read on to find out which IKEA products should be a staple in your apartment!

This post is not in affiliation with IKEA.

This post is all about 5 must have IKEA products for apartments.

1st IKEA product: IKEA Norden Table

Okay, hands down, if you get nothing else off this list you need to get this IKEA Norden Gateleg Table! The versatility is unreal! I think the versatility that this table offers merits a post of its own to be honest. As you can see, it seats 6 people when both legs are up and 2-3 with one leg up. If you move into a dinky place, no problem. You can fold both legs down and leave it against a wall for storage alone and a place to toss your keys and wallet. No selling that kitchen table yet again and rebuying one when you move into a bigger place.

In my current apartment, we have one leg folded up for the 2 seater option. If we have people over, when it’s time to eat we move the table into the middle of the room and fold the other leg up. I stash the other two chairs in a closet. Then we use other random stools/chairs if I need another place or two. After dinner, it’s a quick fold down and then we can sit comfortably in our living room without a big table taking up all the space.

This table is available in birch and white.

All I have to say about this first option is: YOU.ARE.WELCOME.

2nd IKEA product: IKEA Shoe Cabinet

IKEA has numerous different shoe storage options. I personally prefer the shoe cabinets. They offer a slim profile for tight spaces and double as a place to leave your daily essentials when coming in and out such as keys, wallets, etc.

The style we opted for is the HEMNES Shoe Cabinet with 4 compartments. This is perfect for a couple or families. We each have 2 compartments. I can fit 2-4 pairs in each cabinet depending on the style of the shoe. I stack flatter styles instead of placing them next to each other which allows for more storage. My husband can fit 2 pairs per compartment. So obviously kids shoes would be able to have more per compartment.

TIP: You can find tons of hacks to give IKEA shoe cabinets makeovers on Pinterest and YouTube. Not that crafty? You can just grab some knobs and change the knobs out to upgrade the shoe cabinet to give it a bit of personality! Do you own your apartment or flat? I have also seen a mother build IKEA shoe cabinets into their slim entryway! Check out her post and YouTube video here!

3rd IKEA product: IKEA Bed Frame With Storage

Honestly, this is right up there with the IKEA Norden Table! I cannot recommend it enough! We have purchased three of their bed frames with storage in total. For apartment living they check so many boxes. Storage, organization, space savers and they’re aesthetically pleasing. IKEA has many options and I’m sure you’ll find one that suits your fancy.

Our current bed, pictured, is the NORDLI Bed with headboard and storage. It is bursting with storage! Each side has three good sized drawers, and two pockets for storage on the headboard, one of which serves as a night side table to boot! I also love the style of the headboard. It reminds me of a Scandinavian shiplap look. It helps to add character to an otherwise blank slate bedroom.

In the past, we owned the BRIMNES Bed frame with storage and headboard. Although we did love the bed, it was a full size so we did get rid of it. Also to note, the storage in the headboard was great but it was difficult to reach the items while in bed. Therefore, I felt like you still needed side tables, which to me defeated the purpose of the headboard storage.

We also have the HEMNES White Daybed Frame with Storage. We have had this bed in 3 apartments now. Originally, we purchased it for a nook in an awkward living room we had and it doubled for extra seating, storage and a place for guests to sleep in our tiny one bedroom apartment. When we moved, it was again in our living room for extra seating, storage and a place for guests to sleep. We now have it in our guest bedroom. What makes this bed so great is not only the three drawers it has for storage, but the fact that it pulls out to a king size bed! This makes it a great option for a guest bed without taking up tons of space in a room that most likely doubles an an office or living room. It’s the perfect choice for a child as well.

We often store linens, extra blankets, towels, clothing and seasonal items, etc. in our drawers. This is key for apartment living because there are times when for one reason or another you are in an apartment that even when scrubbed clean, still grosses you out. I like having my own storage that moves with me for times like this.

4th IKEA product: IKEA HEMNES Dresser

Now I have two styles of the HEMNES dresser. In this post I am specifically referring to the HEMNES 3-drawer chest. Oddly enough, I am not necessarily talking about putting this dresser in your bedroom. This dresser was purchased for a tiny one bedroom apartment that had no storage. We used it as a TV stand and filled the drawers with kitchen items we had no space for in the dinky kitchen.

The dresser has survived three moves because we love the idea of having extra storage for whatever we need. It is now in our guest bedroom holding random things that we don’t use daily and games.

It has been such a great piece of furniture that we opted to get another when we moved back from Istanbul two years ago. We got the brown-black color this time (our first one is white) and changed the knobs to give it a different look. This dresser holds DVDs, workout gear and the bottom drawer holds my large tupperware and a few other kitchen items. This works out great as my kitchen and living room are one great room.

These dressers can be used in bedrooms, in living rooms for a TV stand and storage, in hallways for linen storage, in entryways and porches for shoes and outerwear. The list goes on, really. With each move, you may find a different use for it. And they really can hold a ton!

5th IKEA product: IKEA Coat Rack

Honestly, I debated to include this IKEA product. Mostly because I have not moved it from place to place. It is a purchase I made when I moved into this apartment. However, it really took a tiny space we had that couldn’t serve much purpose at all and turned it into a real part of our entryway. It is at the top of our stairway. It gives us extra shoe storage and a place to hang handbags and face masks so we can grab them on our way out. We also purchased a set of the NORDRANA Baskets. These have loops that can be hung on the hooks of the coat rack which hold other items we grab on the way out.

What other uses could this IKEA coat rack have? I came up with using it in the guest bedroom for guests to place their bags and hang their coat and clothing. You could also place it on a porch or in a garage if you have garage space. If you have a studio apartment you can use it to divide your living space and bed and place baskets on the shelves for hidden storage or clothing and hang your clothes on the hooks. Also, you could use it in a bathroom to hang your towels and store clean linens underneath on the shelving. Also baskets could hold other bathroom items on the other shelf.

So there you have it! 5 must have IKEA products for apartments! I hope you found this post helpful. If nothing else, I hope you can start to think of more than one way to use a piece of furniture in your space. Thanks for reading!