IKEA Kallax - can they ever look classy?

[Twoshoesnewshoes]

I need a room divider with a good amount of closed storage but also open parts to let light through.
Ive searched so much, i think it might have to be Kallax…can it look ok?

Well I would probably say no to classy but they’re very practical - I’ve got some in my office for storage and they’re fine, not especially stylish but they were super cheap, white, sturdy and have plenty of space!

They would be in our main lounge which we try to keep smart - maybe I need to keep looking….

We had them for years dividing up a big open plan space. They aren’t amazing up close, but they’re really versatile with all the different inserts- we had a mix of cupboard doors, drawers, boxes and open ones- and with lots of plants and a few ornaments, they do look nice.

You can easily paint them to make them look nicer.

Check out the Ikea hacks on Instagram, there are some amazing ways to improve them but it will take time and effort.

You can improve them with legs, paint, leds and paneling, but fundamentally, they will always be kallaxes (kallaxi?) Unfortunately kallaxes are also what you need for impractically shaped rooms and storage desperation, so they do tend to also mean your house isn't big enough for you, which reduces their classiness. We have a few, and it's obvious why

DH has a huge vinyl collection. The last time we moved, I spent weeks looking at increasingly expensive shelving options. I even considered custom jobs. Then, I decided that Kallax remain the best solution: sturdy, small sections to separate and file the albums, and white up against a white wall so they kind of disappear and you only see the collection.

Like Billy bookcases, they are ubiquitous for a reason.

I think Kallax range will give you more options for size/height but there are other open back shelving solutions that could work like these

www.argos.co.uk/product/2069104?clickSR=slp:term:habitat%20logt:57:66:1

www.argos.co.uk/product/7666959?clickSR=slp:term:habitat%20logt:26:66:1

Don’t know if it’s an option for you, but B&Q sell room dividers that can be pressure fitted to the ceiling. You can have windows etc in them too if needed.
A friend has one in her home to split a huge room into two bedrooms.

I think they can! Join the FB group IKEA hacks, loads of ideas on there. I think this one on the IKEA website looks ok.
I've just bought velvet dark green and burnt orange boxes for mine in my bedroom.

Yes. This

Sorry @StamppotAndGravy i am
Agreeing with you as I am in the same boat!!!!

My son has the black ones. He has some pull out boxes and a couple of spider plants. His gf made them look better by trailing little sorts of soft white fairy lights around them with some lights in a large jar too. When the main light is off they are pretty.

I kept searching and have ordered This bookcase

it’s the right size and had that combination of letting some light through but also having filled areas to clearly separate the space.
its a bit more ‘country’ than I would like but I think it’s fairly inoffensive!

our house is big enough (too big now our DCs have gone) so not needed for storage.