ᐅ How can I convert IKEA Besta into a wine rack, and what additional fasteners are required?

Hello everyone,

I am planning to convert my IKEA Besta system into a wine rack and wanted to ask the community if anyone has experience with such a conversion or can offer some tips.

My main questions are:

- How can the individual compartments be best adapted for wine bottles? I am thinking of angled inserts or special holders to ensure the bottles are stored securely and gently.

- What additional fastenings are necessary to make the structure stable enough, especially when the rack is filled with wine bottles? I assume the standard wooden panels might not be strong enough.

- What about safety, for example, against tipping over or sliding?

- Are there any specific materials or techniques I should consider during the conversion to create an attractive design as well?

It would be great if you could share your experiences, recommendations, or perhaps photos of similar projects. Thanks in advance!

Saujayden schrieb:
How can the individual compartments be optimally adapted for wine bottles? I’m thinking of angled inserts or special holders to store the bottles securely and gently.

Angled inserts can look nice in principle, but with IKEA Besta, this quickly becomes a construction nightmare. My advice: Besta is primarily a simple shelving unit—if you expect high-quality wine storage, it’s better to invest in a proper wine rack designed with slope and humidity control in mind.

The Besta system is mainly built for media and small items, not for heavy bottle storage. The panels are thin and not necessarily intended to support the weight of multiple wine bottles over time.

Saujayden schrieb:
What additional fastenings are necessary to make the structure stable enough, especially when the shelf is full of wine bottles?

Here: I would definitely add metal brackets—on the inside, at the sides, and beneath the shelves. Screws and wall plugs alone are too risky; the structure tends to warp too quickly. Heavy bottles act as leverage. Also, a back panel made of reinforced material reduces twisting.

So, if you want to build a fully stable wine rack with Besta, in my opinion, you lose the system’s simplicity and end up nearly with a custom build.

Hello Saujayden,

I’d like to share some practical tips on how to effectively convert your Besta shelving unit into a proper wine rack.

First, regarding structural support: The standard shelves of Besta furniture are made of particleboard only 13 mm (0.5 inches) thick, which is quite thin. To safely store wine bottles, I recommend:

- Replacing the shelves with thicker 18 to 19 mm (0.7 to 0.75 inches) MDF or plywood boards. This will allow you to carry much more weight.
- Using metal brackets (e.g., galvanized steel brackets 40x40 or 50x50 mm (1.5x1.5 or 2x2 inches)) at all load-bearing joints and edges, especially under the shelves and along the side panels. These provide significantly increased stability.

For secure storage:

- Wine bottles are best stored lying down at a slight angle of about 15 degrees so the cork stays moist. This can be achieved with special wine rack inserts, which you can either buy online or make yourself from wooden slats.
- Alternatively, you can embed angled panels with suitable recesses about 3-5 cm (1 to 2 inches) deep.

To prevent tipping:

- Attach a solid back panel to the shelving unit (e.g., 6 mm (0.25 inches) MDF) and secure the unit firmly to the wall with sturdy screws and wall anchors appropriate for your wall type.
- Additionally, use anti-tip straps if there are children or pets in the home.

For aesthetics, you can incorporate ladder rungs or narrow wooden boards that you paint or stain to match. Installing LED light strips under the shelves creates attractive lighting effects.

I hope this points you in the right direction for upgrading your Besta. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

likuken schrieb:
So if you want to build a completely stable wine rack with Besta, in my opinion you lose the charm of the system and end up with almost a custom-built solution.

That is an interesting point. You really have to consider whether you are expecting too much from the Besta system. If you reinforce the wooden boards and add brackets, the shelf effectively becomes a custom-built solution, as likuken says.

Therefore, I would recommend doing detailed weight calculations for the bottle load before remodeling. Each wine bottle weighs between 1.2 and 1.5 kg (2.6 to 3.3 lbs); combined with the shelves, mounting hardware, and the shelf’s own weight, it quickly exceeds 30 kg (66 lbs) per compartment.

From my perspective, another question to clarify is whether you want to use the shelf permanently or if it’s more of a temporary project. If it’s permanent, investing in stronger materials and reinforcements definitely makes sense.

Also, the way the bottles are supported should be considered: holders that place several bottles side by side create point pressure spots, while bottles lying individually are generally safer over time.

Overall, I tend to suggest accepting Besta’s original purpose (a modular storage system) and buying dedicated furniture for wine instead – or at least heavily modifying the Besta and thoroughly checking the structural integrity.