This interior designer's easy-to-follow IKEA hack elevated the BESTA media unit into a thing of beauty

Say what you like about the IKEA BESTA storage unit, but you can't deny how useful it is. The modern TV stand comes in plenty of options - you can change the door color, the size, the number of doors - but it tends to err towards the functional rather than the fun, being a little block-like and plain. A perfect TV cabinet, but not exactly a style statement in its own right.

That was until Sarah Sherman Samuel - former Livingetc magazine cover star, whose beautiful home was splashed across 10 of our pages - unleashed one of her legendary IKEA hacks on it, however. And her upgrade is easy enough to follow, transforming your own living room, too.

(Image credit: Sarah Sherman Samuel)

So how did she do it? Take two IKEA Besta media units, suspension rails to attach to the wall, wooden balls for cool legs, and new hardware. 

We've found these wooden ball legs on Amazon that we think would do the trick, here.

And these gold handles are easy to affix and would elevate any TV cabinet.

As to why Sarah chose the BESTA when she changed it so much, she told us this:

'Even with the soaring ceilings I wanted this space to feel cosy, so I still installed the media cabinet low to the ground,' Sarah says of the the thinking behind what has become one of the best designer IKEA hacks. 'Low and loungey… which is the opposite of what you might think to do with such a tall ceiling.'

If you notice, you can't actually see the TV, and the way she has hidden it is a bit of a top decor tip in its own right. 'The TV is hung just above the cabinet so it is at eye level when you are siting down,' Sarah says. 'The tapestry that hangs over the TV measures 4′ x 6′. It works great to cover the TV when it is not in use, but I hung it there more for scale than anything. The TV is much too small to carry the height of this wall and by using the super tall tapestry above the low media cabinet it brings the eye up. When we want to watch TV we simply roll the tapestry up by hand and clip it at each side just above the TV.'

IKEA storage hacks are the perfect way to change the look and feel of pieces you buy off the rack. How will you customise yours?

(Image credit: Matthew Williams)