New Startup Makes It Easy to Hack Your IKEA Kitchen

IKEA home hackers no longer need to scour flea markets and yard sales to find design inspiration. As Co.Design reports, a new company based in the UK sells furniture add-ons tailor-made for IKEA’s Metod line. All homeowners need to do is install the materials—no staining, painting, or carpentry required.

Before digital product designer Tim Diacon and furniture designer Adam Vergette formed Plykea, they were modifying IKEA furniture the old-fashioned way. Together they renovated Diacon’s kitchen using plywood. Now, they’re using that DIY project as the basis for their startup.

Plykea sells birch plywood doors, countertops, cover panels, handles, and drawer fronts, each designed to modify IKEA’s Metod kitchen cabinets. Customers can opt for a rustic wood exterior or buy pieces finished with Formica. The company also makes cabinet handles from brass, a material specifically chosen to complement the wood.

A kitchen by Plykea will cost you more than the typical IKEA hacking session: Average orders come out to about $2600 per buyer. Motivated homeowners can always take the cheaper route: Supplies like spray paint and contact paper can be used to modify furniture without cleaning out your pockets.