18 ways to mix and match Ikea at home

Actress Katherine LaNasa sits in her Venice entryway, which opens onto a dining nook with an Ikea pendant lamp. The dip-dye curtains are made from sheets she sewed and dyed.   (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

In this downtown Los Angeles loft, a round bed from Ikea is draped in mesh and fluffed with a silk coverlet, African cloth and a fur throw. The birch branches are from Moskatels in the flower district.   (Stefano Paltera / For The Times)

Architect Barbara Bestor brings out dishes for a party at her then-home in Los Feliz. Illuminating the kitchen breakfast bar in the background are inexpensive woven wicker lights from Ikea.   (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Tomato-red Ikea cabinets combine with custom stainless countertops to striking effect.   (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

The dining deck outside this Los Angeles home is protected by shade sails and surrounded by aromatic lavender and rosemary bushes. The dining chairs are from Ikea. The glazed ceramic vessel from Sunset Boulevard Nursery in Silver Lake was transformed into a garden fountain.   (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Inexpensive Ikea cabinetry was used in the kitchen of this 1920 Venice bungalow, left, with modern addition, right. A corridor with a geometric Ikea rug links the two spaces.   (Christina House / For The Times)

An ornately carved dining room set from the early 20th century sits on a striped 9-by-11 Ikea rug purchased for about $300. “I don’t like spending on rugs because of dogs and foot traffic,” said homeowner Roger Gastman.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

This L.A. house uses its 495 square feet for maximum effect in a minimal footprint. Using mostly Ikea units in the kitchen kept the price of the cabinets to about $4,000 before installation. Louis Molina of Good Idea Studio says custom cabinets would have cost $40,000 or more.   (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Ikea cabinets blend with pricier upgrades -- a custom peninsula, Blanco sink, Emtek hardware, Miele cooktop and Prima Decora counter -- in this Marina del Rey kitchen. Architect Robert Sweet said he saved about $15,000 using Ikea’s Applad cabinets.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

An Ikea rug and a Jonathan Adler blanket on a classic Eames chair add bold graphics to a bedroom in a Brentwood home. Textiles from Ya Living in Santa Monica Canyon brighten the Ikea bed.   (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Architect Don Dimster designed reveals -- spaces around the doors -- so the inexpensive Ikea Applad cabinets have a custom look. They’re complemented by the Carrara marble counter.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

A Santa Monica Canyon house designed in 1956 by Case Study builder Rodney Walker gets rehabbed for a new generation. A kitchen island with storage under the counter proves practical. “People think it’s a Bulthaup kitchen, but it’s actually Ikea,” homeowner Gina Holz said.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The new bathroom of the remodeled Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity house at USC includes vanities from Ikea.   (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)