5 IKEA picks this week for small apartments, WFH setups, and one-person kitchens

Five items that showed up on IKEA US shelves and across home editorial coverage in the past seven days, filtered for urban renters with limited square footage. Prices are in USD.

The LÄNGDHOPP is a white particleboard arch-shaped desk that fits a surprising amount into a 35⅜ × 15⅜-inch footprint. The smart part: a second surface slides out from below the top tier, adding 13 inches of depth when you need the room and tucking away when you don't. The upper tier holds up to 110 lbs, the pull-out shelf up to 44 lbs — enough for a monitor and a mechanical keyboard side by side.

Reviewer Ricarda on IKEA's site calls it "small but powerful" and says it "fits in almost any space." Assembly is straightforward enough to do solo. At $100, it's one of the few sub-$150 desks that actually has room for your elbows.

IKEA US: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/laengdhopp-pull-out-desk-white-30587080/

The PS collection returns for the first time in nine years — 40+ limited-edition pieces designed by 12 independent designers and priced from $5. The standout for small apartments is Lex Pott's Floor Uplighter: a cylindrical lamp that bends at multiple points along its stem, letting you angle the uplight wherever you need it without moving the base. Available in dark red for $49.99 in the US; the collection also comes in blue.

Ezgi Sari of Studio Melez (New York) singles it out as "flexible enough to add the right pop of color while remaining refined and functional." In-store only through May 27; available online from May 28. 2

IKEA PS 2026 collection (in-store now, online May 28): https://www.ikea.com/us/en/

Technically a dining room sideboard, but at 63 × 16.5 × 32 inches it's been widely adopted as a media console in apartment living rooms. Solid pine frame with push-to-open cabinet doors in a light oak veneer finish; adjustable legs help on uneven floors (relevant if you're in an older building). Two large cabinets with adjustable shelves eat up board games, cables, and everything else that used to sit in plain view.

Apartment Therapy writer Alexa Casanova, who swapped out a decade-old KALLAX for one, rates the build 7/10 difficulty — heavy boxes, takes two people, about 2.5 hours. The price looks steep but the piece reads at two to three times the cost. 3

IKEA US: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/stockholm-2025-sideboard-oak-veneer-10586604/

The ELVARLI is a post-and-shelf system that screws into the ceiling rather than the wall, so it doesn't require drilling into drywall. The big opportunity for small apartments: you configure it through IKEA's free online planner, pick shelf angles and heights, and can fill an entire wall from floor to ceiling for under $500 depending on the span. Interior designer Daniela Araya used it on a blank 190-sq-ft living room wall; setup took three hours with a second person. Reviewers also use it as a room divider in open-plan studios.

Assembly rates as a "mild headache" (4/10) — manageable once you understand the post spacing. Reusable and renter-adaptable since the only permanent contact is two ceiling anchor points. 4

IKEA US: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/elvarli-open-storage-combination-white-s79157615/

The ULVEVÄR is compact enough to pull up to a small patio table as a dining chair but comfortable enough to sit in with a book. Made from weather-resistant plastic rattan and aluminum — no rust, no sun bleaching — so it can live on a balcony full-time without seasonal storage headaches.

One IKEA reviewer who assembled it solo noted the process was straightforward and the chair was "worth it" from purchase through delivery. At $200 it undercuts comparable outdoor wicker armchairs by a significant margin. 5

IKEA US: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ulvevaer-armchair-outdoor-plastic-rattan-brown-00608833/