Customize your IKEA BESTÅ – turn your sideboard into a designer piece

The BESTÅ storage system from IKEA is one of the most popular pieces of furniture in German living rooms. The BESTÅ base units with doors, open cabinets, and flexible sideboard combinations offer storage for almost every need. But despite all their functionality, the standard fronts in black-brown or white look the same in many households. This is where Select Living comes in: With our cladding kits made of real wood veneer, you can transform your BESTÅ sideboard – into a unique designer piece. Fronts, top panel, and side panels completely enclose the cabinet – the typical IKEA look disappears completely, leaving behind a seamless, high-quality piece of furniture with no visible edges.

Discover BESTÅ solutions that match your style: Whether as an elegant sideboard in the living room or as a lowboard under the TV – our real wood surfaces give your IKEA furniture a completely new look. BESTÅ storage doesn't have to look boring. And the best part: You simply continue to use your existing BESTÅ cabinet and only replace the visible parts.

What makes IKEA BESTÅ so popular – and what are its limits?

The BESTÅ base units from IKEA Germany are an extremely flexible storage system. The cabinets are available in various sizes – such as 60x22x38 cm, 60x42x64 cm, or 120x42x64 cm – and can be used as a wall-mounted cabinet combination, freestanding as a sideboard, or combined to form an entire wall unit. If you search for BESTÅ online at IKEA and filter the results by category, you'll quickly see: The range includes matching drawers, display cabinets, shelves, covers, accessories, and various handles – the design possibilities are enormous.

However, the limitations become apparent with the surface: IKEA offers its BESTÅ fronts in a few standard colors – white, beige, or black-brown décors. If you're looking for an oak, beech, or walnut look in real wood veneer, you won't find it in the IKEA range. In addition, with IKEA standard, the cabinet always remains visible – on the sides and at the top edge, everyone immediately recognizes the typical BESTÅ grid. Our handmade cladding kits close precisely this gap: They completely encase the cabinet and transform visible IKEA elements into a seamless unique piece.

What BESTÅ hacks are there – and why is a complete kit the better alternative?

On the internet, you'll find countless BESTÅ hacks: covering fronts with wallpaper, mounting steel furniture legs, replacing knobs, painting cabinet doors in a vintage look, or replacing the top panel with a solid wood panel from a DIY store. Such DIY projects can be fun, but they require craftsmanship and often involve compromises in terms of durability. Washable adhesive films peel off after months, self-cut panels rarely fit precisely to the millimeter, and the result often looks like a craft project – not a high-quality design.

The decisive difference with our kits: We don't just clad the front, but the entire cabinet. Fronts, top panel, and side panels are precisely coordinated, including hinges, TIP-ONs, and all necessary screws. The upcycling result is a modern-looking sideboard or lowboard that visitors will mistake for an elegant designer piece – without any visible IKEA edges. For anyone who wants to enhance the look of their living room, a complete kit is the perfect solution.

What materials are our BESTÅ cladding kits made of?

Our BESTÅ kits consist of 19 mm thick MDF carrier boards with a real wood veneer surface. Compared to solid wood, real wood veneered MDF offers better dimensional stability and does not warp with temperature fluctuations. At the same time, you get the natural oak or walnut grain and the warm appeal that only real wood can offer.

We currently offer our kits in two structures: Dendro Signature with a smooth surface and Dendro Ligna with a fluted structure. Both are available in three shades – Heritage Oak (light oak), Core Walnut (warm walnut), and Shadow Walnut (dark walnut). Each kit is manufactured in our family carpentry workshop in Gelsenkirchen – Made in Germany with over 30 years of experience. The workmanship is high-quality and designed for durability: The edges are cleanly milled, the veneer surface is sealed and easy to care for. If you want to convince yourself of the quality in advance, you can order samples and compare the different surfaces and patterns at home.

Which BESTÅ configurations can I upgrade with Select Living?

Our kits are currently available for the BESTÅ sideboard in two widths: 180 cm (3 BESTÅ elements) and 240 cm (4 BESTÅ elements). Each kit already contains the cut fronts, the top panel, and the side panels made of real wood veneer – all perfectly coordinated.

Do you have a different BESTÅ configuration in mind – such as a TV bench, a wall-mounted cabinet combination, a tall shelf with a door, or a particularly long lowboard? Then you can always request a custom quote from us. Our consulting team will help you find the right configuration for your piece of furniture – whether it's a freestanding chest of drawers, a wall shelf, or something completely unique.

BESTÅ or PAX – which system is right for me?

BESTÅ and PAX are two different IKEA systems with different purposes. While PAX is designed as a wardrobe system for bedrooms and dressing rooms, BESTÅ is suitable for living rooms, dining rooms, and hallways. Typical BESTÅ applications include sideboards, TV benches, wall shelves, and storage solutions for books, crockery, or decor. Compared to PAX, the BESTÅ cabinets are shallower and lower, but they can be better wall-mounted.

Select Living offers custom-made claddings for both systems. This allows you to design your bedroom and living room in a uniform style – with PAX fronts on the wardrobe and BESTÅ cladding on the sideboard in the same wood type. No other provider offers this flexibility with this quality.

How is the BESTÅ kit assembled?

Assembly is deliberately kept simple. Our BESTÅ kit includes everything – hinges, TIP-ONs, and all screws. You only need your own standard tools. The fronts are mounted to the cabinet, the side panels are attached, and the top panel is placed on top. The enclosing panels completely cover the standard elements, so no IKEA edge is visible.

What does a BESTÅ upgrade cost compared to alternatives?

A new BESTÅ sideboard from IKEA with standard fronts costs between 200 and 600 Euros, depending on the size – but it also looks like IKEA. A custom-made sideboard from a carpenter can quickly cost between 2,000 and 5,000 Euros. Our BESTÅ complete kits start from 939 Euros and offer you the high-quality look of a designer piece of furniture: real wood veneer, seamless cladding without visible edges, all including mounting material. Delivery time is 6 to 8 weeks, as each kit is individually manufactured in our carpentry workshop.

Can I combine my BESTÅ with other IKEA furniture?

Many of our customers combine different IKEA systems in one room. A BESTÅ sideboard with oak cladding next to a KALLAX shelf, a MALM chest of drawers, or a HEMNES cabinet – this works wonderfully visually if the wood tones are coordinated. Using it as a TV lowboard under a decoratively designed TRONES shoe cabinet in the hallway is also a popular combination.

Our tip: Order our samples in advance and hold the real wood surface next to your existing IKEA furniture. This way, you'll immediately see which wood type best suits your decor.

Frequently asked questions about IKEA BESTÅ with custom cladding

What exactly is included in the BESTÅ kit?
Each kit includes the fronts, the top panel, and the side panels made of 19 mm real wood veneered MDF – plus all hinges, TIP-ONs, and screws for assembly. You only need standard tools.

What sizes are the kits available in?
We currently offer kits for 180 cm (3 BESTÅ elements) and 240 cm (4 BESTÅ elements). You can also specify individual height and width. For other configurations, we are happy to provide a custom quote.

What surfaces and structures are available?
Two structures: Dendro Signature (smooth) and Dendro Ligna (fluted). Both in three colors: Heritage Oak (light oak), Core Walnut (warm walnut), and Shadow Walnut (dark walnut). All surfaces are made of real wood veneer on MDF – no plastic, no foil.

How do I care for the real wood surface?
Simply wipe with a slightly damp cloth. The sealed surface is easy to care for and robust in daily use. Aggressive cleaning agents should be avoided.

How long does delivery take?
As each kit is handcrafted in our family carpentry workshop in Gelsenkirchen, the delivery time is 6 to 8 weeks.

Can I return the kit?
As each kit is custom-made for you, it is excluded from returns. Please order our free samples in advance to check the color and surface in peace.

Do you also offer fronts for BILLY or KALLAX?
Our current focus is on PAX and BESTÅ. Fronts for BILLY, KALLAX, and other IKEA systems are in planning – subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.