STOCKHOLM — At Ikea, you can fill your house to Scandinavian perfection with 9,000-plus products that fit almost any budget. What you won’t find: anything your neighbor hasn’t already seen. For shoppers with some extra cash and a desire to stand out, growing numbers of entrepreneurs are changing that, with add-ons for Ikea’s ubiquitous offerings. Their creations range from $989 slipcovers for Ektorp sofas — twice the price of the couch itself — to $17 screw-on feet that transform a winged chair from mid-century throwback to hipster chic.

“Our goal is not to compete with Ikea on price,” said Lesley Pennington, founder of Bemz, a Stockholm company that sells coverings for Ikea couches, chairs and beds in 35 countries. “Our goal is to offer an individual, unique product for a mass-market product like an Ikea sofa.”

Welcome to the Ikea economy. Just as Apple’s iPods and iPads have engendered an ecosystem of companies that make docks, headphones, and apps, Ikea is spawning scrappy upstarts aiming to piggyback on its success.

The world’s largest furniture retailer says the design, manufacture, and sale of its goods accounts for some 2.7 million jobs worldwide. Faced with such a dominant player, it can make more sense for newcomers to dress up Ikea products than to make actual furniture. For buyers who yearn for sophistication but are hooked on $249 sofas, they offer a bit of originality without breaking the bank. And for Ikea, the trend helps drive sales and loyalty among customers.

“It’s likely only with very strong brands this can happen,” said Lena Larsson, head of HUI Research, a retail consultant in Stockholm. “Other companies are riding on the strong brand whose image is, so to speak, spilling over to them.”

Pennington, who started Bemz a decade ago, was inspired by the time she spent working for Apple, where she helped create an ecosystem of extras around the company’s products.

“We have customers who have said to us that they will buy an Ikea sofa for the first time, so it’s just like Apple, if you have value in the ecosystem, it creates more value for everyone,” Pennington said while displaying textiles in the company’s Stockholm showroom.

At least a dozen other companies are similarly tying their fortunes to Ikea. In Sweden, Prettypegs sells legs for Ikea couches and chairs, and Superfront makes facings and tops for Ikea cabinets. Amsterdam-based Mykea sells stickers for customizing Ikea furniture. In Melbourne, Australia, Comfort Works will make slipcovers of your designs and fit them to Ikea chairs and sofas.

Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson said that while the trend raises some concerns about safety and product integrity, the company is pleased that others are promoting its wares.