Behind every stylish home is at least one great storage solution. Whatever your aesthetic, it’s only improved by pieces that keep clutter contained so your space can shine. And this time of year, we seem to need a little bit more storage for just about everything. Holiday decorations, tableware for entertaining, extra bedding for overnight guests: It all adds up to a busier home, in more ways than one.
Apartment Therapy’s Real Home Director Adrienne Breaux’s house is always busy. From fun theme parties to festive gatherings, her New Orleans home is the place to be! (We chalk it up to her exuberant personality and friendly pets.) Since she’s constantly decorating and entertaining — and since thinking about homes is literally her job — it’s no surprise that Adrienne has a storage MVP that looks right at home with her eclectic style: the IKEA BESTÅ storage cabinet.
Three of them, to be exact. The BESTÅ is actually a full system, allowing you to scale up or down (and customize from top to bottom!) to fit your space. Together, Adrienne’s three units create a sleek credenza that corrals everything from games and records to candles and decor. The added space and flexibility mean Adrienne can host the picture-perfect parties she’s known for, whatever the occasion, and help her guests feel right at home.
“It’s pretty stunning how much we can seamlessly fit into the space. Just three cabinets added a TON of storage to a room that had none previously,” Adrienne says. “My partner has a lot of records, and we were able to fit around 180 of them in the cabinets! We also use the space for board games, our video game console, and the portable speakers we use for parties.”
When the holidays roll around, the BESTÅ can accommodate entertaining essentials, seasonal decor, and extra household supplies with ease. In the dining room, it’s got plenty of space for all your barware and serving platters.
In the living room, it can declutter your TV area instantly (making more room for your collection of bottle brush trees). And in the entryway, it’s the perfect landing spot for guests to deposit their scarves, gloves, and other winter wear.
That’s the beauty of the BESTÅ: It has a wide array of beautiful design options and configurations. Once you choose a base frame, you can add a storage door or drawer front to keep items out of sight. There are plenty of BESTÅ interior fittings like shelves, drawers, boxes, and dividers, which you can mix and match depending on your storage needs. No two BESTÅs look alike.
Don’t forget to customize the legs, top panel, and knobs, handles, and pulls. These small, affordable choices make a big style difference. You can even add lighting to enhance your look, transforming a simple storage solution into a warm focal point (and making it easier to find what you need).
“The hardest decision was which color door to choose!” Adrienne says. “We ultimately decided on a soothing light sage green that both stands out and blends in. The matte surface feels luxe but unpretentious. It’s the perfect piece for the space.”
