Goodbye Dated Storage Cabinets: IKEA Has A New Option For Modern Tastes

If you're ready to replace your old-fashioned storage cabinets, IKEA is a popular retailer for affordable and contemporary options. While many retro design trends are making a comeback this year, there's still plenty of love for modern design and the visual calm it brings to a space. IKEA sticks to its minimalist Scandinavian style across several of its lines. If you're in search of a simple cabinet from the brand, the ENHET Storage Combination offers a mix of open shelving and closed storage that's a great fit for modern spaces.

The ENHET combinations collection is made to be flexible and modular for easy customization. This particular one is one of the line's bathroom combinations, though there's nothing stopping you from using it in other rooms. It consists of two adjacent, open ENHET Wall Shelves and a Wall Cabinet, open or with doors.

The components are simple and angular, aligning well with minimalist design. The thin framing, clean lines, and the combo of open and closed storage makes it look more modern than clunky, dated wooden cabinets. The shelves are made of metal, the cabinet is plain particle board with a smooth finish, and you can choose flat-panel doors, all typical of contemporary style. Color combinations are available in neutral white and black. Choose matching colors for a more subdued look or contrasting colors to add visual interest and boldness, but without extra adornment. This unit is plain, but you can still make it look cozier with decor, as it provides a simple backdrop for styling. 

This storage cabinet module is ideal for adding function to small modern bathrooms, in part because of its practicality. One of the enduring tenets of minimalism is creating an organized space that serves your daily needs, and in some rooms, a mix of open and closed storage does just that. Use the open sections for items you want to keep easily accessible for daily life and closed cabinets for the clutter that inevitably comes with living. This is a bathroom combination, so a typical setup could be to place frequently-used cosmetics and hand towels on the open shelving, and less aesthetic toiletry and cleaning items hidden inside the cabinet. 

Really though, this wall-mounted unit can go in any room where extra, readily-accessible organization would be helpful. For example, laundry room storage can also benefit from this mix of open and closed areas. Use the shelves for supplies you want to grab with one hand while holding the laundry basket. Detergent pods, stain spray, and a container of clothespins can stay within reach, while home cleaning products and ironing supplies can be tucked behind doors. In a kitchen or dining room, you might place dinnerware, everyday cooking and serving tools, and a few attractive cookbooks on open shelves. Then, hide entertaining extras like napkins, candles, and table linens out of sight. Take the idea into a home office, using the shelves to hold magazine files, baskets of daily work items, and display books and decor. However, more utilitarian items like reams of paper, cables, and other equipment could go inside the cabinet.