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“Home idea with IKEA”: transformation of the young artists’ studio

This week’s hero is Nomeda. Her art studio is a daily hub for creative young people aged 7 to 26. In the compact 37 sq. m space, up to 20 people take part in classes, and four times a year it hosts exhibitions. The studio needs to hold a variety of art supplies and completed works, while still leaving plenty of room for ideas to take shape. And, if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a fridge and a microwave to fit in! Fortunately, our interior designers, Ema and Dominyka, know exactly how to make it all work.

Two people standing close together in a bright art studio with shelves and cabinets in the background.

Interior designers‘ task:

Create a spacious and inspiring studio with plenty of room to store various items.

Make the small space work for both workstations and a relaxation corner.

Design a flexible, easily transformable area where easels can replace desks when needed, allowing for group work and other activities.

Maintain a cohesive interior style and a cosy atmosphere that doesn’t overshadow the art being created.

An art studio with a large table surrounded by chairs, showing signs of wear before renovation.
A workspace filled with scattered art supplies and materials needing organisation.

Have a look at the result!

Fancy borrowing this idea? All the solutions you need are here:

A creative spot for everyone

The renewed art studio is now a bright, flexible space designed for both creativity and relaxation. After our interior designers stepped in, several small painting corners appeared, along with a trolley full of art supplies that can easily be wheeled from one end of the studio to the other whenever needed.

 

For comfortable work, we added VIHALS chairs. Made from polypropylene plastic, they’re exceptionally lightweight and easy to maintain. When it’s time to clear some space, the chairs can be stacked or folded away to make room for other activities.

A bright art studio with wooden shelves, tables and chairs arranged neatly.
An art studio workspace with folding chairs, an easel and art supplies on a trolley.

The relaxation area with wooden FRÖSET easy chairs is perfect for a friendly chat or a quiet moment of calm. This is especially important in a space shared by people with such different personalities and needs.

Group activity space

We believe that inspiration depends on many things, and high-quality furniture is one of them. That’s why we chose practical, modern MITTZON desks for Nomeda’s studio. They have castors and can be used individually or joined together to form one long table. When finished, the tabletops can be folded down and the tables pushed to the side — a perfect solution for collaborative work or group sessions.

 

Of course, a table alone isn’t enough. IVAR wooden furniture helps give purpose to empty walls while creating extra storage for various items. It’s easy to mix and match: you can design your own storage system with closed cabinets, shelves, add doors, drawers or rails, and even paint everything in your favourite colour once complete.

 

The remaining wall space is utilised with MOSSLANDA picture ledges, ideal for displaying photos, artwork, or little keepsakes. Each shelf has a groove to tilt smaller frames at the perfect angle. Here, finished works can safely rest while drying, or artworks can be displayed in anticipation of an exhibition.

IVAR storage system
A bright art studio with wooden shelves, tables and an easel set up for creative work.
A spacious art studio with wooden storage units, a long table made from several desks and shelves displaying art supplies.
IVAR storage system

Where do you keep your paints?

In an art studio, imagination flows freely — just like the many art supplies without which no masterpiece could come to life. But where to store everything neatly so you can find it next time? The answer is simple: SKÅDIS! These pegboards with a range of accessories help to keep creative chaos under control and ensure that everything – from watercolours, gouache and acrylic paints to brushes, sponges, pencils, scissors and sharpeners – is always within easy reach.

SKÅDIS pegboards
Open wooden shelving filled with books, baskets and art supplies.
Wooden drawers neatly organised with paint, brushes and creative materials.
SKÅDIS pegboards

Almost like home

The young artists spend much of their day in the studio, so they need not only a place to relax and take a break from creating, but also a small kitchen area. Nomeda wanted to include a built-in fridge, a microwave, a sink, and as many drawers as possible. Since the sink would be used not only for preparing food but also for washing hands during classes — and for rinsing paint jars, brushes, and other tools — we installed two instead of one. This way, it’s much easier for a larger group to share the space.

Kitchen furniture & accessories
Side view of the minimalist studio kitchen, showing beige cabinetry, twin sinks and a small potted plant on the counter.
Open upper cabinet in the studio kitchen, revealing neatly arranged organisers and crockery above a compact sink.
Kitchen furniture & accessories

“If you have little space but lots of things, make the most of your walls — both their width and height. Filling the walls with furniture will help everything find its place, while neutral colours will visually open up the room. This is especially useful in spaces filled with colourful items or artworks.”

Ema Poškutė and Dominyka Butkutė, IKEA interior designers

Two IKEA interior designers in blue striped uniforms stand confidently in a kitchen showroom with white cabinets and red walls.

What was done before?

In previous seasons, our interior designers transformed a wide range of home and business spaces, offering practical tips on how to adapt interiors to personal needs and keep everything well-organised. We renovated kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms, created a children’s room in an attic, refreshed office spaces, redesigned a compact one-room apartment and so much more.

Previous makeovers
A carousel of home makeovers showcasing transformations in bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms.
Previous makeovers

Would use some help?

If you'd like to renovate your home without a big investment or major repairs, you can always ask our interior designers for help. With your input and home furnishing style preferences, whether it be traditional or modern, our professionals will help you navigate our wide range of products and create a complete furnishing solution for one or multiple rooms, or for your entire home.

Interior design service
View from above: an IKEA interior designer in a yellow uniform takes notes at a desk with a laptop, a mug of tea, a paint colour palette and inspirational images.
Interior design service

An episode of an interior makeover show showcasing the transformation of a haphazardly arranged art studio into a bright, minimalist space with a kitchen area. The show features the studio owners, a host, and two IKEA interior designers.

Have you missed this episode on TV3?

Watch it here, track all makeovers and get inspired.