ᐅ How can I combine IKEA Besta furniture with glass shelves to create an open and airy overall look?

Hello everyone,

I am looking for ideas and tips on how to combine my IKEA Besta furniture series with additional glass shelves in a way that keeps the overall appearance in the room airy and light.

Specifically, I want to find out how to harmoniously blend the typical closed Besta units with doors or drawers with open glass shelving. It is important to me that the glass surfaces help break up the visual weight of the wall units without making the sections above or below seem too heavy or bulky.

Are there any special design tricks, layout options, or color elements that can help make the furniture ensemble look open and modern? How do you best balance the closed look (storage) and openness (glass shelving) in practice?

I look forward to your experiences and recommendations!

Hello BARGA,

To answer your question precisely, it’s helpful to first clearly distinguish between the closed Besta modules and the open glass shelves. Glass shelves always add lightness and transparency to a room because they have less visual weight.

Tips for combining them:
- Position the glass shelves preferably above or beside the closed Besta cabinets so that a vertical line is formed. This can visually elongate the furniture and make it look less bulky.
- Use clear glass shelves without frames or with very slim profiles to enhance transparency.
- Make sure the glass shelves coordinate well in color with the Besta cabinets. White or light wood accents often work well and support an airy overall look.
- Avoid too many decorative items on the glass shelves – less is more here, which helps maintain lightness.
- Lighting, such as LED strips, can further highlight the glass shelves and create a floating effect.

This way, you can achieve a good balance between closed storage and an open feel. I hope this helps!

Hello BARGA,

I find your question really interesting because I often struggle with how to combine furniture without making it look bulky, especially when you want to keep a room small.

GiRoyce schrieb:
Avoid too many decorative items in glass shelves – less is more here, it helps maintain a light and airy feel.

I can definitely confirm that! I chose glass shelves with minimal decoration, and it really makes the room feel brighter and more open. At first, I was worried about losing storage space, but the combination with the Besta units works great, especially if you are careful not to fill everything up.

It also helps me to stick with neutral and light colors – that way the furniture doesn’t feel overwhelming. Maybe that could work for you too? I wish you the best of luck with your project!

In summary, regarding the question of how to combine IKEA Besta furniture with glass shelves to create an airy overall look, the following points can be made:

- The choice of glass shelves should be as transparent as possible, meaning clear glass with narrow frame profiles to maintain the sense of lightness.
- It is advisable to create a cohesive design by arranging the glass shelves in a structured way beside or above the Besta units. This prevents a fragmented or chaotic appearance.
- In terms of color, sticking to white tones or very light wood shades is recommended to avoid visual heaviness.
- Lighting (e.g., indirect LED) enhances transparency and makes the glass surfaces appear to almost float.
- For the Besta fronts, choosing matte rather than glossy finishes is preferable to reduce reflections that can tire the eyes.

These points are based on practical interior design recommendations and their logical reasoning regarding spatial effects and material contrasts. A clear planning structure is important to achieve the desired result.

Hello BARGA,

here is a practical tutorial on how I combined my Besta modular system with glass shelves to create an airy overall look:

1. Planning: Before purchasing, I measured the room and created a mood board to determine which sizes and proportions would work best.
2. Combination: I placed the closed Besta units at the bottom for stability and storage. Glass shelves were installed above them.
3. Color: I chose matte white for the carcasses and used clear glass shelves without any tint.
4. Material mix: The back panels of the Besta units are light but not pure white, creating a warm contrast.
5. Decoration: I placed only a few eye-catching items on the glass shelves and avoided overcrowding with books to maintain the airy feeling.
6. Lighting: LED strips under the glass shelves add a floating effect and enhance depth.

Common mistakes I would avoid are overcrowding glass shelves, selecting dark fronts for Besta, and using shelves with overly bulky frames.

If you like, I can also share tips on the exact spacing of the shelves or how to choose the right brackets.

I recently combined Besta with glass shelves myself and I’m really impressed with the result! The sense of space in the room is much more noticeable.

What helped me was thinking about the visual lightness as well—not just technical aspects, but also how the furniture emotionally affects the room.

LOGEMIN schrieb:
Only a few eye-catchers in the glass shelves and not too many books, so the sense of space is maintained.

I think that’s very important! This way, the shelves feel more like an addition rather than a forced storage solution.

All I can say is: don’t be afraid to try unusual combinations and take your time with decorating. Especially with lighting, you can achieve so much!!!