11 IKEA Malm Dresser Makeover Ideas
Your IKEA Malm came flat-packed, cost you under $200, and currently looks exactly like every other Malm in every other apartment. If your goal is a dresser that looks intentional and custom without touching a single wall or losing your security deposit, you are in the right place. These 11 IKEA Malm dresser makeover ideas start at $3 and max out around $60, every one of them renter-friendly and weekend-doable.
Why the IKEA Malm Works as a Makeover Canvas
The Malm outsells nearly every other IKEA dresser because its design is deliberately blank. The flat drawer fronts, clean lines, and smooth veneer surface mean almost any finish, hardware, or styling technique sticks. The 6-drawer version gives you 47 inches of width and 15.75 inches of depth on the top surface, which is enough real estate to actually style something meaningful.
Beyond the surface, Malm drawers are deep enough to hold full-size clothing stacks and sized well for organizers. The smooth drawer glide system has no center rail, so full-width dividers and organizer trays sit completely flat without catching. Every technique in this list works on any Malm colorway: white, black-brown, white stained oak, or birch veneer. Most also work on the 2-drawer and 3-drawer versions.
The other advantage: Malm makeovers are reversible. Hardware swaps out in 20 minutes. Contact paper peels clean. Chalk paint sands back. You can experiment without committing, which is exactly what a renter needs.
The Easiest IKEA Malm Dresser Hack: New Drawer Pulls
The stock pulls that come with the white Malm are white plastic rectangles. They are functional and completely forgettable. Swapping them costs $3 to $25 depending on material, and the transformation is genuinely surprising for the money spent.
What works best:
- Brass cup pulls: $6 to $10 for a set of six on Amazon or Etsy. They add warmth to white or oak finishes without looking fussy. This is the single most popular Malm upgrade on Reddit and Pinterest.
- Matte black bar pulls: $8 to $14 for a six-pack. They work especially well on white Malm when you want a modern, minimal edge.
- Ceramic knobs: $2 to $4 each at most hardware stores. Go floral for a cottagecore look, all-white for Japanese minimalist, or geometric for something more contemporary.
- Leather tab pulls: A single strip of vegetable-tanned leather folded through the existing screw holes. No new drilling required if you reuse the original hole placement. DIY cost: under $5.
The Malm’s original screw holes are 89mm (3.5 inches) apart center to center. Most standard cabinet hardware uses this same spacing, so you usually do not need to drill new holes. If you want centered knobs instead of bar pulls, fill the original holes with wood filler and drill fresh ones once the filler is dry.
Time investment: under 20 minutes for the full 6-drawer version. Tools needed: a Phillips head screwdriver and possibly a tape measure.
Lean a Mirror on Top for Instant Vanity Vibes
Adding a mirror to the top of your Malm costs nothing if you already own a mirror, or $20 to $60 at IKEA, Target, or a thrift store. The result looks like a custom vanity that would cost $400 to $600 at a furniture retailer.
The setup: lean a rectangular mirror at least 24 inches wide and 36 inches tall against the wall directly behind the dresser top. For a more polished look, secure the mirror to the wall with a picture rail hook so it hangs flush rather than leaning at an angle. Command strips rated for the mirror’s weight work for most apartment walls without damaging the surface.
Best mirror styles by Malm finish:
- White Malm: Gold or brass-framed arched mirror. The warm metal cuts the coldness of the white and makes the whole setup feel boutique.
- Oak-finish Malm: Simple wood or black-framed rectangle. Keep the vibe Scandi and the room will feel cohesive.
- Black-brown Malm: Frameless leaned mirror or a dark wood frame. The tonal match reads as intentional rather than accidental.
Once the mirror is positioned, dress the dresser top with a small tray for jewelry, a plant, and a single candle. You now have a vanity that cost you the price of one mirror and 10 minutes of your afternoon.
Style the Dresser Top Like a Pro
The top surface of a 6-drawer Malm is 47 inches wide. That is real estate. Most people put a lamp and a stack of books on it and stop there. Here is how to make it look deliberate rather than accidental.
Use the rule of three: anchor the top with three visual groupings, not a single spread-out collection. A layout that works well:
- Left anchor: A lamp or tall plant at 16 to 20 inches above the dresser surface creates vertical interest and draws the eye upward.
- Center: A stack of two or three books, a small tray, or a sculptural object at mid-height.
- Right: A smaller plant, a candle, or a framed photo creates a gentle visual slope down from the left.
Vary the heights so nothing sits at exactly the same level. Material mix matters too: combine one natural texture (dried flowers, rattan, a live plant), one hard surface (ceramic, glass, wood), and one soft element (a folded textile or linen-covered box). That combination stops the top from looking like a store display or a random pile.
Trays are a cheat code. A single tray corrals multiple small items into one cohesive grouping, making even a messy collection of rings, perfume bottles, and hair clips look organized and styled. A round rattan tray costs about $8 at Target and instantly elevates whatever is in it.
IKEA Malm Hacks: Paint or Contact Paper for a Totally New Look
This is the highest-impact change on the list. A painted or contact-papered Malm can look completely unlike an IKEA dresser. Done right, most people will not believe you paid $149 for the base.
Chalk paint route: No sanding, no priming, no stripping required. Annie Sloan chalk paint or Rust-Oleum Chalked covers the Malm veneer in two coats with a standard paintbrush. Colors that work particularly well:
- Sage green (Rust-Oleum Chalked in Sage or Eucalyptus): pairs beautifully with white walls and warm wood floors.
- Dusty navy (Annie Sloan Napoleonic Blue): dramatic on a white Malm, makes it look bespoke and intentional.
- Terracotta or rust: a current trend that works brilliantly with linen bedding and warm neutral walls.
- All-matte black (Rust-Oleum Chalked Matte Black): consistently the most-saved Malm makeover across Reddit and Pinterest.
After two coats of chalk paint, seal with a clear matte wax or polycrylic to protect the finish from daily contact and moisture from glasses or plant saucers. Total cost: $20 to $35 for paint and sealer. Time: one weekend with proper drying between coats.
Contact paper route: Peel-and-stick contact paper on the drawer fronts transforms the look without committing to paint. Marble, cane texture, linen, or wood grain patterns are all available at Target or on Amazon for $12 to $20 per roll. One roll covers a 6-drawer Malm comfortably. Clean each drawer front first with rubbing alcohol, then apply with a credit card or squeegee to prevent bubbles. Contact paper peels off cleanly with no damage to the original finish, which makes it a perfect option for renters who are not sure how long they will stay in a space.
Repurpose It as a Media Console or Sideboard
The 6-drawer Malm is 47 inches wide and 30 inches tall, which puts it at the same height as most media consoles and sideboards. Move it to your living room and set a TV on top: it functions identically to a $400 TV stand. Place it in a dining area and load the drawers with table linens, serving utensils, and candles: it becomes a proper sideboard.
The key adjustment is styling the top for its new context. In a living room, the top becomes a display surface. Use a plant, art books, a candle, and a small tray to hold remotes. If you want to run a TV cable through the back, IKEA sells a cable management kit (FIXA) for about $4 that routes cables cleanly along the back of the piece.
For the full sideboard look, lean a piece of art on the wall above the dresser or hang a large print. The artwork should be at least 75% of the dresser’s width to feel proportional rather than small and lost. If the piece is going in an entryway, use the top drawer for keys and mail, middle drawers for seasonal accessories, and bottom drawers for shoes or bags you reach for less often. A 3-drawer Malm in the entryway, which costs $89, gives you meaningful storage in a spot where most apartments have none.
Keep the Inside Organized Once and for All
The outside makeover is half the project. How the drawers work every day is the other half. The Malm’s wide, shallow drawers are well-suited to proper folding and dividing systems once you set them up correctly.
The KonMari vertical fold method works particularly well in Malm drawers: fold clothes into small rectangles and stand them upright in rows rather than stacking flat. You can see every item at a glance, nothing gets buried at the bottom, and the drawer capacity increases noticeably. A 6-drawer Malm organized this way holds more than most people expect.
Organizer options that fit Malm drawers without any modification:
- IKEA SKUBB drawer organizers: $5 to $10, designed to fit IKEA furniture dimensions. They cover nearly the full drawer width without gaps.
- Bamboo adjustable dividers: Spring-loaded and adjustable, so they fit any drawer width. Around $15 for a set of four on Amazon. Better for socks, underwear, and accessories.
- Small wooden trays: Stack two or three side by side in each drawer for jewelry, sunglasses, or tech accessories. Dollar stores carry sizes that fit Malm drawers without modification.
If you share the dresser, add small sticky labels inside each drawer to keep categories straight. Different pull styles on different drawer pairs can also work as a visual shortcut: brass cups on the top two drawers for everyday items, matte black pulls on the bottom for storage you access less often.
More IKEA Malm Makeover Ideas Worth Trying
Four more ideas that go beyond the basics:
8. Add hairpin legs for a mid-century lift. The Malm’s factory plinth base sits directly on the floor and reads as heavy. Remove it and attach 4-inch hairpin legs (available on Amazon for $25 to $40 for a set of four) to the underside using 5/16-inch bolts in the existing base holes. The raised profile creates a lighter, more open look and makes the dresser read like a piece from a design boutique rather than a flat-pack kit.
9. Pair two Malm dressers side by side. A 3-drawer and a 6-drawer pushed together create a custom-looking storage wall at different heights. Match the hardware across both pieces and hang one long mirror above both. The asymmetrical height difference reads as intentional and the combined storage gives you nine to eleven drawers in about 78 inches of width.
10. Build a gallery wall above it. A strong gallery arrangement directly above the dresser anchors the piece and makes it feel built-in rather than floating in the room. Use a minimum of three frames, preferably five or seven. Mix frame finishes: one dark, one light, one medium tone. Keep all frames within two feet of the dresser surface. The gallery wall transforms the dresser zone into a dedicated moment in the room.
11. Move it to the entryway. Most small apartments have a narrow entry hallway with no storage. A 3-drawer Malm in the entryway holds shoes, seasonal gear, and bags in the drawers while the top handles keys, mail, and a small plant. It is one of the highest-value places to use the Malm outside the bedroom.
The Takeaway
The IKEA Malm dresser is one of the best-value furniture canvases available for small apartment renters. Its flat drawer fronts, neutral finishes, and standard sizing make it compatible with nearly every interior style, from Japandi to cottagecore to modern industrial. A hardware swap takes 20 minutes and costs $10. A full chalk paint transformation takes a weekend and costs $30. Either way, the result is a dresser that feels personal, intentional, and significantly more expensive than its price tag.
Start with one change and see how you feel about it. If the chalk paint turns out not to be for you, it sands back. If the contact paper is not landing, it peels off cleanly. If the hairpin legs feel too trendy, they unscrew in minutes. That reversibility is exactly what makes the Malm such a good candidate for experimenting with your space. Pick the idea that matches your current budget and your next Saturday, and go from there.
For more budget-friendly IKEA upgrade ideas and small apartment storage solutions, check out these related guides:
