How to hang IKEA Ivar on the wall

One of the goals in every space I design is to maximize storage, which is SO needed especially in old homes like mine. So when I started making plans to redesign my basement (see the finished space here!), I knew I needed to way to add storage there, too.

We have a short wall just past the bottom of the staircase which had a wall-mounted corner cabinet before the redesign. The cabinet fit the corner kind of awkwardly and was so deep we were losing lids constantly. There was just no way to organize it well and be able to reach everything.

So naturally, I targeted that spot in my design plans. I'd seen tons of blogs on how to hack the IKEA Ivar cabinets and mount them to the wall and thought that would be a great solution to this weird corner cabinet situation. IKEA sells the IVAR in two sizes, 12" and 20" depth. The 12"deep cabinets are the ones used in most tutorials you see online. They come with a mounting bracket, making them super easy to mount to the wall. However, for my space, I wanted the 20" deep cabinets, which don't come with a mounting bracket.

You're probably here because you also want to mount these cabinets to your wall and don't know how - let me reassure you it's quite simple! With a few support boards, some construction screws and a couple studs in the wall, you'll have these babies up and ready to be filled to your heart's content. Let me show you how.

Step 1. Build the cabinets

Follow the instructions that come with your cabinets and get those babies assembled except for the doors. You'll put those on at the end.

Step 2. Cut support boards

Since these cabinets don't come with built in mounting brackets, you'll need to cut and attach boards to the cabinets. Head on down to your local hardware store, pick up some 1x4 pine boards and cut 2 31.5" long boards per cabinet.

Step 3. Attach the support boards to the cabinets

Attach your newly cut support boards to the top and bottom of each cabinet using 2" wood screws and a power drill. Attach the boards to each side and the top.

Step 4. Find and mark your studs

Use a stud finder or the knock method to find the studs in your wall. Mark each stud with a pencil.

Step 5. Mark your hanging location

Grab a helper or two and hold the wall unit at the height you want to hang it, being sure to line it up with the studs. Then trace a line to mark the top of the cabinet.

Step 6. Screw the cabinet into the studs

Line the cabinet up with your marked lines on the wall, use a level to make sure it's level, then use 3" construction screws to attach the cabinet to the studs through your new support boards. Be sure to check for level as you go and wait until all screws are in to tighten them completely.

If you're hanging two cabinets on top of each other, be sure to start with the top cabinet. After you've attached the top cabinet, pick up the bottom cabinet, line it up with cabinet above, and attach it to the studs.

Step 7. Step back and imagine all the things you can store now!

Step 8. Prime, paint and reattach the doors

If you're going for a painted look, start by priming the cabinets and doors. The IVAR units are made out of pine, and priming will help eliminate the wood grain and give the paint a smooth finish. Then, for a streamlined look, paint your cabinets the same color as your walls. It will make the cabinets blend in and flow with the rest of your space. Trust me :)

Now, I recognize there's a big gap between the doors. This post gives some good solutions to close the gap, which maybe I'll try someday. But by the end of this project, I was just ready to move on to the next thing. I guess you could say I don't mind the gap, haha!

Final Thoughts

The IKEA Ivar units are a great solution to add extra storage space in any room. While the extra deep version of the Ivar doesn't come with a mounting bracket, it's very easy to add your own and hang the cabinet to the wall. Just get yourself a couple helpers and you'll have your new cabinets hanging in just a couple hours!

Have you ever wall-mounted IKEA Ivar cabinets before? How did it go? Let me know in the comments below!