The Ultimate Ikea Hack: Bemz Creates Custom Slipcovers for Ikea Furnit

Ikea is known for its crazy affordable furniture and decor—but its pieces aren't always exactly high design. (With the exception of these latest collections, of course.) Is it functional? Definitely. Comfortable? Usually. Insanely complex to put together? Yes, yes, yes. But most of Ikea's pieces require some simple DIY work to upgrade its design quotient from "first apartment" to "magazine spread"—and, guess what, there's an entire company dedicated solely to that.

Enter Bemz, a Swedish company that is basically one giant Ikea hack: They create completely custom slipcovers for Ikea sofas, armchairs, chairs, headboards, bed frames, and more (even discontinued models) "to reflect your own personal style." In other words, no longer are you limited to the range of primary color slipcovers that Ikea has to offer—instead, you can select from more than 250 fabrics to find the perfect fit for your design aesthetic. Every cover is made-to-order (which cuts back on waste) and machine washable (which cuts back on stains), and takes about four weeks to create.

If you're having difficulty imagining how a slipcover in general could ever be chic, trust: Bemz's fabrics and cover styles are guaranteed to make your Ikea piece look both high-end and high-design. Bemz has partnered with several designers, including Christian Lacroix and Romo, to create fabric designs for them, and offers covers in a variety of modern shapes and styles to totally transform the look of the furniture. In other words, no one will be able to spot that ubiquitous Ektorp sofa—and instead will be begging to know what expensive store your couch is from. Take a look for yourself...