Custom-sized IKEA BESTÅ fronts - how to change your living room without renovation

BESTÅ is one of IKEA's most popular systems - the cabinets are solid, modular, and fit well into living rooms and lounge areas. There's only one problem: IKEA's catalog of BESTÅ fronts offers perhaps 8-10 designs, and after a year in the living room, everyone recognizes it as "that IKEA furniture." The second problem: if the cabinet has been in the living room for 5+ years but still works well, replacing the entire unit is unnecessary – we only replace the fronts.

In this guide, I'll show you how a custom-sized BESTÅ front differs from a catalog one, what the standard dimensions are, what our customers buy most often, and what the ordering process looks like.

BESTÅ - what kind of system it is and who it suits

BESTÅ is IKEA's modular living room furniture system: TV cabinets, chests of drawers, shelving units, display cabinets. Unlike METOD (kitchen) and PAX (wardrobe), BESTÅ is low, long, and often placed in the living room's line of sight. These are pieces of furniture that are admired, not just used.

In practice, ogony.pl customers primarily order BESTÅ fronts for three applications:

• TV cabinet - most often 1-2 segments, 60 cm wide, low, with 2-3 doors or drawers
• Living room chest of drawers - 2-3 segments, 60 cm wide, 64 or 128 cm high
• Shelving unit with sliding doors or display cabinets - less common, but a growing trend

All these applications share a common feature: the front is visible from the entire room. This is why customers who opt for smooth white lacquered fronts for their kitchens usually choose something with texture (veneer, birch plywood) or a strong color (Farrow & Ball Hague Blue, Down Pipe) for BESTÅ.

BESTÅ front dimensions - what IKEA produces in series

Standard BESTÅ front dimensions (according to the current IKEA catalog):

• Small doors: 60 × 38 cm (for low cabinet, 64 cm high)
• Large doors: 60 × 64 cm (for medium cabinet)
• Tall doors: 60 × 128 cm (for display cabinet or shelving unit)
• Double doors: 60 × 192 cm (for full-height display cabinet)
• Low drawers: 60 × 26 cm
• Tall drawers: 60 × 38 cm

BESTÅ cabinets come in two depths: 20 cm (shallow, for TV) or 40 cm (standard, for trinkets and equipment). The front is independent of depth - the same 60×64 cm front fits both 20 cm and 40 cm deep cabinets.

In practice, 90% of our orders are for standard dimensions of 60 × (38 / 64 / 128) cm. Non-standard dimensions (e.g., 50 cm wide after shortening the cabinet) are made at no extra charge - the price is calculated using the same m² algorithm.

Materials - what works best for BESTÅ

In the living room, a BESTÅ front has three tasks: to match the floor, not to contrast with the sofa, and to withstand 10+ years of daily use without showing wear. This leads to the three materials we most often recommend.

Matte or semi-matte lacquer

The most popular choice - 60% of our BESTÅ orders. Smooth or slightly textured surface, color from the Farrow & Ball, RAL or NCS palette. In the living room, the best performers are:

• Cornforth White, School House White - warm whites, neutral base
• Pavilion Gray, Down Pipe - greys, a good pairing with wooden floors
• Hague Blue, Stiffkey Blue - navy, a strong statement in a bright living room
• Studio Green, Calke Green - green, a trendy accent with white walls

Semi-matte (eggshell) lacquer has the advantage of not reflecting light from the TV - the image does not reflect on the fronts.

Natural veneer

Veneer is a slice of real wood glued onto MDF, finished with clear polyurethane lacquer. Each front has a unique grain pattern - two identical BESTÅ cabinets with oak veneer look different because nature never repeats a pattern. The most frequently chosen species for living rooms are:

• Natural oak - a classic, suits most interiors
• Smoked oak - a darker shade achieved by staining (not fuming - that's a different process we don't use)
• American walnut - warm, brown tones, a strong presence in an elegant living room

Birch plywood

Plywood - a different material from veneer. Plywood is solid, multi-layered wood, whose edge reveals the lamination layers. A plywood front has a Scandinavian, raw, "craft" character. It works well in living rooms with white walls, wooden floors, and concrete accents. The surface is finished with matte lacquer - easy to maintain.

Colors - BESTÅ bestsellers of the last 12 months

Our experience shows that BESTÅ customers choose differently than kitchen customers. In the living room, the dominant choices are:

Colors are included in the price - the entire Farrow & Ball, RAL and NCS palette without surcharges. A front sample (89 PLN, deducted from the order) allows you to see how a specific color looks on the surface in the real light of your living room.

Installation - why BESTÅ is the simplest system to replace

A BESTÅ front is mounted on original IKEA hinges. This means: you unscrew the old front (3-4 screws), screw the new one into the same holes. The entire replacement for a typical TV cabinet (3 fronts) takes 30-40 minutes without a carpenter.

Importantly - IKEA hinges for BESTÅ have not changed in the last 10 years. If you have BESTÅ from 2015, our fronts fit just as well as they do for BESTÅ from 2024. The drilling standard is:

• Doors: 2 hinges, ø 35 mm holes to a depth of 13 mm, 96 mm from the edge
• Drawers: 4 drillings for IKEA runners, no hinges on the front

By default, we drill for original IKEA hinges. If you use a different system (e.g., you have old BLUM or Hettich left after a renovation), you order the front without drillings and drill them yourself according to your own template.

Price - how to calculate the budget for BESTÅ fronts

The price of a BESTÅ front follows the same algorithm as a kitchen: m² rate × area. The rate depends on the material (lacquer / veneer / plywood) and is currently displayed in the configurator when selecting the product - I'm not including it here, as it changes quarterly and becomes outdated in articles.

For guidance - a typical BESTÅ TV cabinet (3 fronts 60×38 cm = 0.68 m²) has a budget of several hundred to about one thousand PLN depending on the material. A full BESTÅ living room (3-segment chest of drawers + TV cabinet + 2 wall-mounted cabinets) has a budget of 2-4 thousand PLN instead of replacing all furniture for 8-15 thousand PLN.

If you want to see actual quotes, check out 4 examples of quotes for typical IKEA orders - there we show specific budget ranges for different configurations.

FAQ - most common questions about BESTÅ fronts

Do custom-sized BESTÅ fronts fit older IKEA models (pre-2014)? Yes - the BESTÅ system has maintained dimensional compatibility for over a dozen years. Standard dimensions of 60 × (38 / 64 / 128) cm are the same. If you have doubts, measure the front you are removing - we produce exactly to the given dimensions.

Can I order a mix - some lacquered fronts, some veneered? Yes, a common choice for customers. Example: a TV cabinet in oak veneer (character, texture), wall-mounted cabinets above the TV in white lacquer (lightness). We do this in one order, with one 6-week lead time.

How do I tell if my furniture is BESTÅ or another IKEA system? BESTÅ has characteristic cabinets in three depths: 20 cm (TV unit), 40 cm (full). Width dimensions are 60 or 120 cm. If you have the assembly instructions - the system name is on the first page. If not - send a photo to kontakt@ogony.pl, we will help identify it.

Are BESTÅ fronts available with soft-close? Soft-close depends on IKEA hinges, not the front. Original IKEA hinges for BESTÅ have built-in dampers. Our fronts fit these hinges - meaning, yes, soft-close works after replacement. If the hinges are old and without dampers, you only replace the hinges (a few zlotys at IKEA), not the entire system.

How long does order fulfillment take? Typically 6 weeks from quote acceptance and payment. Each front is produced to specific dimensions, we do not sell from stock. For larger orders (entire living room + kitchen), the lead time is the same - we do not accumulate.

Is a BESTÅ front with veneer suitable for a living room with children/pets? Yes. Veneer finished with polyurethane lacquer has the same scratch and water resistance as lacquered fronts (NOT oiled - polyurethane lacquer). Minor dust marks or fingerprints can be wiped off with a damp cloth. Stains from markers or paints - similar to lacquered surfaces, meaning carefully, but in 90% of cases, they can be removed.

Do you also make side panels and plinths for BESTÅ? Yes. Standard BESTÅ side panel dimensions are 20 × 38 cm (for a low cabinet 20 cm deep) or 40 × 38 cm (for a deep one). If you are building a full-wall unit with BESTÅ, we also make tall panels of 192 cm and filler strips. All in the same material and color as the fronts.

Can I see a sample front first before ordering the entire set? Yes, and we recommend it. A front sample (89 PLN, deducted from the order) has a real finish, color, and texture - you can take it to your living room, place it next to your BESTÅ, and check how a specific color reacts to natural and artificial light.