Ever dream of adding a charming banquette to your dining nook—without hiring a carpenter or spending a fortune? Let me show you an easy and affordable way to do just that with this Ikea hack banquette seating skirted project!
Using a $50 IKEA Kallax bookcase, I created a built-in-style bench that features hidden storage, a soft upholstered cushion, and a custom fabric skirt that hides the cubbies and adds major style. The best part? It’s beginner-friendly and requires no fancy tools.
Ikea Hack Banquette Seating Skirted
Why the IKEA Kallax Works for a DIY Banquette
The Kallax bookcase is one of my go-to secret weapons for DIY seating. It’s budget-friendly, extremely sturdy, and the perfect height when laid on its back. I’ve used this hack multiple times—in our old Airbnb in Florida for a bench seat at our circular table.
Before that, I used the Kallax bookcase in my sister’s kitchen as an L-shaped corner bench.
But this time, I wanted something that looked softer and more custom. Inspired by high-end skirted furniture, I leaned into a cozy, tailored look to give the space personality and polish.
SUPPLIES
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Plywood sheet cut to 16 1/2″ x 57 7/8″
- Electric Knife (to cut the foam)
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4 Yards of Upholstery fabric (I used a gold velvet from Joann. I’m linking a similar option)
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Piano hinge (48″x1-1/2″)
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Staple gun + staples
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Paint (optional, for plywood underside)
Step-by-Step Instructions
step 1- Build the Base
To begin, assemble the Kallax as instructed by IKEA. Then, flip it on its back so the cubbies face outward. This makes the perfect bench height (around 15 ¼”) and will be just right with a 3” cushion on top (dining benches should be between 18-20″ tall). Plus, the cubbies become hidden storage!
By using the bookcase for the base it saves SO much time! Sure, you could buy wood and build your own base, but this saves money too (thick wood would cost as much or more than the bookcase). And it makes it so that even a novice DIYer can make this too.
We cut a piece of plywood to match the top dimensions of the Kallax—ours measured 16 ½” x 57 ⅞”. If you don’t have a table saw, get the plywood cut at the hardware store before bringing it home.
Our plywood was really rough, so I filled any knots or gouges with wood filler and then sanded the plywood until it was smooth.
No slivers for us.
Once that was done, I painted the underside white so it looks clean when the bench is open. It’s just another way to make this look more professional!
step 2- Upholster the Cushion
Now it’s time to upholster the bench!
For this, I’m using 3″ tall camping foam from Home Depot. I adhered the foam to the plywood with spray adhesive. With bench seating, you want 3-4″ foam. I thought 3″ was the perfect height so I’m glad I went with that option. Craft stores also sell foam, but it’s usually more expensive (around $50 for the same size).
Next, I trimmed the foam to size with an electric knife. And honestly, that knife cut through it with butter! I’ve used a serrated bread knife in the past and this was so much smoother and faster.
After that, I added a piece of 28″ wide by 70″ long quilt batting to smooth out the edges and wrapped it over the foam, securing it with more adhesive.
I trimmed of the extra quilt batting on the corners and any that went below the plywood. Why? I didn’t want any extra bulk so it’ll look more professional.
The final step here is stapling the upholstery fabric (in my case, gold velvet) tightly over the cushion. Start with one side, pull it taut, then staple the opposite side. Work your way around, pulling as tight as possible. If it’s at all loose the fabric will get wrinkly and look sloppy.
Once the sides were done, I did the ends and finished up the corners. I folded them like I was wrapping a present.
To complete the cushion, I stapled all along the fabric and then trimmed off excess fabric.
step 3- Make and Attach the Skirt
Now for the magic that turns this into true Ikea hack banquette seating skirted perfection—the fabric skirt! I cut the skirt fabric 2″ longer than the bench height and twice as wide to allow for gathering. I ended up with three pieces that are 18″ tall and around 70″ long.
This fabric really sheds, so I took it to my serger to finish all the edges. This isn’t 100% necessary, but it does help it look more finished when looking at the seams. Then I sewed all 3 pieces that make the skirt end to end so I have a really long skirt piece.
To create the hem, I folded a 3/4″ hem over and ironed it in place. If you’re using velvet too, be careful when ironing because it’s easy to mess up the nap. I took my hemmed skirt to the sewing machine and stitched the hem in place. I specifically bought gold string for this step so it’ll look really crisp and the stitches won’t be noticeable.
For the top of the skirt, I sewed 2 gathering stitches along the top. To do this, I increased my stitch length to a “5” on my machine, I left long tails on either side of my skirt, and I didn’t backstitch.
After hemming the bottom and adding a gathering stitch along the top, I gathered the fabric to create the skirting effect. Because the fabric I’m using is thick and there’s so much of it, this was slow. It took me probably 2 hours just to gather the skirt. To do the gathering, I hold one side of the strings in one hand and pull the fabric into gathers with the other hand.
Next, I stapled the gathered fabric directly to the plywood along the front and sides. Make sure to line the skirt fabric parallel onto the plywood in a straight line so it’ll fall flat across the front of the bench.
step 4- Install the Hinged Top
And now, I’m using a piano hinge to make the top open for access to the Kallax cubbies. Mark the center of the plywood top and then line up the middle of the hinge onto the mark. Use the screws that came with the hinge to attach the piano hinge to the plywood.
Pro tip: If you want your bench flush against the wall, attach the hinge on the front edge of the bench. Otherwise, you’ll need a gap behind it for the top to open. Or I would’ve had to make the bench cushion 3-4″ shorter in the back so there’d be clearance for the bench to swing towards the wall. I don’t like that look, so I prefer this way.
Note, if you do a bench cushion that’s not attached, the hinge can be placed on the back.
Then, attach the bench cushion to the hinge with the screws that came with the piano hinge. This took two people to install. One person to hold the plywood bench top and one to attach the hinge to it. The skirt does make it a little more annoying to install, but it’s not a big deal with two people.
I was asked if a piano hinge is important for this project or if the bench cushion can just sit on top of the bench. I think the hinge makes opening and storing items in the bench much easier. We had the top just sitting on the base for a few days while I worked on the upholstery. It was a pain to use the storage and I just threw things in.
Note, if you’d like to see any of these steps in video form, check out my YouTube video. I know sometimes seeing it on video can be helpful!
after
And that’s it! This Ikea hack banquette seating skirted project is officially complete. The bench looks high-end, has hidden storage, and adds such a cozy feel to our dining area.
My son loves it for meals. We had a hard dining chair for him to sit on while this was under construction and he was begging me to finish so he could have a soft cozy spot to eat.
I love that it was budget-friendly and easy to make with basic tools. Plus it’s so girly now! I really enjoy the cutie skirt!
price breakdown
One of the best parts of this IKEA hack banquette seating skirted project is how affordable it is compared to a custom-built bench. Here’s what I spent: the Kallax unit was $53, the piano hinge cost $14, the 3″ foam pad was $22, the velvet fabric for the cushion and skirt came to $40, quilt batting was $10, and I used $2 worth of gold string.
Everything else—like the plywood, paint, and tools—I already had on hand. That brings the total to just $141 for a completely custom-looking bench with hidden storage. Not bad for a dreamy, high-end look on a DIY budget!
If you’re craving a custom look in your home, I hope this inspires you to give it a try. Let me know what you think—would you try this in your space? What fabric would you choose?
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