This Seriously Low-Cost, Seriously Low-Effort Hack Using an IKEA Tabletop Ends Up as the Most Stunning Magazine Display — I Will Be Trying This

I wanted a stylish place to store my many, many magazines (Livingetc mostly), and then I found this design-forward DIY

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Image of a large magazine rack leaning against the wall of a grand living room. There is a sitting area with a long, brown leather sofa, a black marble coffee table, and two red reading chairs.
(Image credit: Ana S. Barros. Design: Atelier Karasinski)

It may be the fact that I write for a magazine for a living (who could say), but I'm always on the hunt for stylish ways to display the many, many glossies I've got in my home. I've had the image at the top of this article, a living room by Atelier Karasinki, pinned on my moodboard for a while now — the leaning magazine display looks so luxe. And then, I came across an IKEA hack for it.

While I love traditional magazine racks that sit on the floor, mine is stuffed full. Truthfully, the magazines don't get read anymore, and the covers are squished away and out-of-sight. With a tall, front-facing magazine shelf, your paperbacks get a renewed place of prominence and can become a styling point in your space. This way, your magazines can become almost something to hang on your wall instead of art.

So, how hard is the DIY? If you're like me, there's nothing more annoying than a project that gets so complicated it might as well have been a custom job. I'm happy to report that this is not one of those, and in fact, I will be trying it out for myself as soon as I can find the time. Here's what you need to know.

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A white office room with black carpets and two large black magazine shelves leaning against the wall. There is also a white vase with a large green plant in it, a white marble table, and a black office chair.

Stephany's magazine rack DIY looks so expensive.

Image credit: Stephany Hanna

A white office room with black carpets and two large black magazine shelves leaning against the wall. There is also a white vase with a large green plant in it, a white marble table, and a black office chair.

It looks like a custom piece.

Image credit: Stephany Hanna

I spoke with Stephany Hana, the designer and mastermind behind this magazine rack IKEA DIY, and she explained that it came about while trying to find an impactful shelving idea for an office space on a teeny-tiny budget.

"We wanted a way to display books, magazines, and awards, so I initially looked for suitable shelving," she tells me. "When I couldn't find anything beautiful on the market, I decided to design and create a custom piece myself."

"Since the space was tight, I wanted something with minimal depth," she adds. "I started thinking about ledges, and then came up with the idea of mounting them on a panel." The result is a true statement piece — almost like a work of art itself — that still serves a functional purpose.

Image of a woman in gray trousers, a white T-shirt, and a brown sweater vest standing in front of a wooden, minimalist built-in.
Stephany Hanna

Stephany Hanna is a Dubai-based interior designer. Stephany has a Master's degree in Interior Architecture from the Lebanese University, Faculty of Beaux-Arts. In 2017, she founded Step Into Detail, which has grown into a distinguished interior design studio based in both Dubai and Lebanon, offering a comprehensive range of services for all types of projects.

For this project, Stephany used an IKEA tabletop like the LAGKAPTEN, typically designed for desks, with MOSSLANDA picture ledges. While the black colorway she used is no longer available, it's easy to paint IKEA furniture, and the brand has a white and wood-look option to choose from.

"Assembling the magazine rack was super simple," says Stephany. "We screwed the ledges onto the tabletop, which was positioned vertically and floor-mounted as a panel. We carefully spaced the ledges to accommodate books and magazines — and voilà!" Easy as one, two, three.

For something different, you could coat the shelving in a hot color trend for a statement (I painted my IKEA Billy bookcases a bright red — it was easy, and I love the way it turned out).

Stephany also says, "Another great choice is the transparent MELLÖSA picture ledge also from IKEA, which creates a floating effect for the displayed items thanks to its transparency." There are plenty of modifications you can make (like buying a larger or smaller table top), but below are the basics for creating the DIY.

Image of a large dark brown wooden magazine stand leaning against a white wall in a grand living room. There is a side table with a lamp on it, a brown sofa, and a bay window with white curtains in view.

I love the elegant look of the dark wood in this piece. Plus, leaving the top shelf bare creates a really nice visual.

(Image credit: Ana S. Barros. Design: Atelier Karasinski)

As for styling, it's relatively easy to make this leaning magazine shelf feel chic. What originally struck me about the Atelier Karasinski design was the height of the shelf and the contrast between the dark wood and the wall. It feels anchored in its place and striking, yet still harmonious with the rest of the design. A similar effect can be made with the right paint color or wood stain.

Try placing the shelves at different heights along the desk top to create contrasting visual weight — larger books at the bottom and smaller zines at the top (just be sure to leave enough room for your chosen books and magazines to fit).

Then you can style the magazine shelf much like you would style a bookcase. Consider whether you want the magazine covers to color-coordinate with the room or create contrast. Picking what publications to feature is the most fun part (though, of course, I'd recommend subscribing to Livingetc magazine for that).

Shop Stylish Alternatives

If you can't make it to IKEA, there are still plenty of ways to try and replicate this magazine rack DIY at home. Whether you try a metal shelf, an industrial-style variation, or a few floating shelves, the result is still a wall full of publications that are more visually interesting than the expected art piece hanging there.

Here are a few of my favorite magazine racks that don't require any extra work.

Isn't it fun when your latest design inspiration can double as an easy DIY? For more inspiration like this that you won't want to miss, be sure to subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter.

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Olivia Wolfe
Olivia Wolfe
Design Writer

Olivia Wolfe is a Design Writer at Livingetc. She recently graduated from University of the Arts London, London College of Communication with a Masters Degree in Arts and Lifestyle Journalism. In her previous experience, she has worked with multiple multimedia publications in both London and the United States covering a range of culture-related topics, with an expertise in art and design. At the weekends she can be found working on her oil paintings, reading, or antique shopping at one of London's many vintage markets.