We're obsessed with this £10 hack that turned an old ottoman into this season's hottest buy

This creative storage solution hack will instantly transform any room

Cream coloured ottoman and sofas, cream rug, dark wood console table
(Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Whitmore)

We're obsessed with this super quick and easy hack to transform the cult Dunelm ottoman into a bespoke, piece of furniture featuring stripes, one of this year's hottest home decor trends.

We think everyone needs a good ottoman – it doubles up as both a foolproof and easy storage idea, as well as an intentional styling choice to add some visual interest to any room you put it in.

Although we're enjoyers of Dunelm's cult classic cube ottoman as it is – namely, for its affordability and simplicity – we can't deny that we're all ears for this easy DIY project to get the stripey on-trend look in our homes without investing in a new piece of furniture.

Light coloured ottoman

The Dunelm cult ottoman before

(Image credit: Dunelm)

Dunelm striped ottoman hack

Dunelm reposted a video reel on their official Instagram page showcasing an easy hack to transform their Foldable Cream Cube Ottoman, which is available to buy at Dunelm for £12, into a stylish masterpiece, only using painter's masking tape and a lick of paint.

The hack was initially shared by interiors-obsessed mum, Grace, who goes by the username @my_best_laid_plans on Instagram. She often takes to Instagram to share other easy interior hacks she's got under her belt, and fans are nothing less than impressed at yet another creative storage solution she's raved about.

The hack starts off with her taping the cube using painter's masking tape all the way across in intervals. Then using a small paintbrush, she goes in with a small paintbrush and grey emulsion paint to fill in the negative spaces. However, Grace noted that chalk paint would also do the trick.

If you want a professional, seamless finish to your DIY job, knowing when to remove masking tape when painting is super important. A rule of thumb is to wait until the paint is 'dry to the touch' then remove the tape and voila, your ottoman's got a sweet new makeover for little to no effort!

Considering that you only need tape and paint to bring this hack to life, we imagine you could also get creative with the designs you decide to paint onto your ottoman if stripes aren't your style.

If you're feeling a little risky, you could even ditch the tape completely and just freehand onto the storage cube. In a way, this paint idea almost feels similar to the trend when people were hand painting their paper lampshades, which we also loved.

Light coloured ottoman with blanket inside

(Image credit: Dunelm)

For £12 a pop, if you really fancied it, you could snag multiple of these classic ottoman pieces and give each one a different theme depending on whatever room it was going to live in.

The possibilities are endless, and we're obsessed with them all.

Jullia Joson
Junior Writer

Jullia is Ideal Home’s Junior Writer. She’s always loved all things homes and interiors, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nottingham where her love for writing blossomed following her internship at ArchDaily. Now focused on home tech and cleaning, Jullia works on writing features and explainers to help people make the most of their home appliance investments, putting the newest launches through their paces. When she isn’t writing, she loves exploring the city, coffee shop hopping, and losing hours to a cosy game or book.