I wanted a TV media console with speaker cloth on the doors. And I love the IKEA kitchen bench tops. So a hack was the only option.

Our friends love the look of this TV media console. It looks very premium and has some very good functionality.

Related: Minimalist floating TV unit

It allows you to hide away all cables and speakers for a very simple and clutter free home cinema experience.

IKEA items used:

• METOD (80cm x 80cm) wall cabinets x 3
• JUTIS smoke glass doors x 3

METOD frame with JUTIS door | IKEA.com

• LERHYTTAN black doors x 3

LERHYTTAN doors | IKEA.com

• EKBACKEN white marble color 246cm x 2.8cm x 1
• EKBACKEN white marble color 186cm x 2.8cm x 1

Counter top, EKBACKEN | IKEA.com

• Old photo frames x 3
• METOD shelves wood x 6
• METOD shelves glass x 3

Other materials and tools:

• Lots of screws
• Speaker cloth for wooden doors
• Drill
• Electric saw
• Electric jig saw
• 2 clamps
• Staple gun

Hack instructions for TV media console:

Constructed the 3 METOD cabinets.

Connected the 3 METOD cabinets with 4 screws on each inner panel so all 3 were connected as one.

Related: Modern TV stand from KALLAX and FROSTA

Used clamps for this process so the cabinets were tight together.

Cut side from largest EKBACKEN board so it was 50 cm in width

Cut side from other EKBACKEN board so it was 50 cm in width

Connected largest EKBACKEN board to the cabinets

Cut other EKBACKEN board into 2 x 81cm for side panels

Connected side panels using clamps and several screws.

Screwed in old IKEA frames at the base to lift cabinets 1cm off the ground.

Cut out LERHYTTAN centre wooden piece and added black speaker cloth around entire door.

TV media console with speaker cloth fronts

I used a staple gun to attach the cloth on the door. Pull the cloth nice and tight.

Installed cloth doors above and glass doors below.

Added shelves.

Screwed small hole in the top EKBACKEN board for cable management.

I also attached a stretch strap to the back of the cabinet and I connected this to the wall for extra security.

It is easy to remove if I need to get behind the TV media console again.

How long and how much did it cost?

It cost about 7.000 Norwegian Kronor. It took me about 10 hrs all up.

If I was to do it again – probably 5-6 hrs work involved.

Lots of learning during the process.

What do you like most about the hacked TV media console?

I love the cloth doors. I like the contrast between the marble white and the black doors.

Also the contrast between the back glass and black cloth looks great.

My remotes work fine and my speakers work great behind the cloth.

The great thing is that it fits exactly together. This hack was meant to be

The cabinets connected had a width of 240.4 cm

The top bench was 246 cm

The sides were 2.8cm (5.6)

So 240.4 + 5.6 = 246

What was the hardest part about this hack?

The door speaker cloth was a bit tricky.

Cutting the sides and the top to be exactly 50cm was also a challenge.

What to pay special attention to?

When cutting laminated wood like EKBACKEN make sure to use masking tape on the laminated side where you will cut.

Then flip the board and cut on the opposite side. Use a sharp saw blade and cut slowly.

If any chipping of laminate occurs, just add some white paint and it will look good as new.

Be careful with the length of screw. I used many different sizes as you never want to see a sharp screw sticking out.

~ by Adam Butt

I made a set of floor speaker stands from IKEA chopping boards.

The speakers are not going to move. These things weight about 30lbs. Much better than cheap floor speaker stands.

Related: DIY speaker stands with ADILS table legs

IKEA items used:

• Small FASCINERA x2
• Silver ADILS x2

Other items:

• 8×8 concrete blocks x4
• Concrete mix
• Walnut 12×12 wood pieces x2
• Caulking
• Pail
• Misc nuts and bolts
• Laminate board large enough to mount both concrete blocks
• Paint (look for misfit/mistake at hardware store… you might score like I did $2.50)
• Masking tape

Instructions for floor speaker stands

1. Drilled 2 holes in laminate board. This is to hold the ADILS legs in place.

2. Unscrew the leveling screw on the ADILS. Thread screw through holes on laminate board. Place board on spare blocks (don’t worry blocks are $1-$1.75 each). MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS LEVEL.

3. Caulk the bottom of concrete blocks – to create seal of concrete mix.

4. Place ADILS in middle of concrete blocks

5. Let dry as per caulking instructions

6. Mask legs

7. Mix concrete as per concrete mix instructions

8. Pour concrete

9. Let dry as per concrete mix instructions

10. To hide the seams, I caulk the concrete blocks and new concrete

11. Painted blocks

12. Mounted the FASCINERA cutting boards using the hardware that comes with the ADILS

Related: IKEA NOT Floor Uplighter as Harmon Karmon speaker stand

13. Unscrew level screws and pry off concrete blocks. Should be easy off the laminate board.

Total cost:

• Less than $50

ADILS x 2 @ $4
FASCINERA x 2 @ 7.99
Concrete Mix @ $3
Concrete blocks x 4 @ $1.18
Misc about $10

Optional:

Leveling bolts.

Remember instruction #2? Well I didn’t have one of legs leveled. This can be fixed with speaker spikes. But budget minded like me might want to try this:

1. 12 x 12 wood (I went with walnut).
2. Drill holes on each corner and center.
3. Use nuts and bolts for leveling.
4. Place speaker on platform.

~ by Michael Singleton

Rachael, a licensed builder located in Brisbane, sent in her IKEA kitchen project where she (and her team) personalised/ customised/ hacked some parts of it to give it the extra va va voom.

She demonstrates a few creative ways of using and customising IKEA products to create her client’s dream kitchen. Let’s take a look at Rachael’s IKEA kitchen hacks.

#1 Overhead cabinet with moulding

The space had very high ceilings and they wanted to make use of the full height with a row of overhead uppers. But the two wall cabinets flanking the window would end up being a little too high if they were to line up with the overhead cabinet.

Rachael had the idea of adding decorative timber trim between the top rows of cabinets to slightly lower the second tier of wall cabinets to just the right height, without breaking the flow.

Related: Probably the most beautiful IKEA farmhouse kitchen

The decorative timber trim elegantly joins the top row of cabinets with the two lower wall cabinets and dresses them up even further.

Doesn’t it look grand?

See the explanation of the decorative moulding at the 2.30m mark of this video.

#2 IKEA kitchen hack: Bench top island and casual dining table

As there isn’t a dining room in the house, they also did an ‘island’ which functions as a casual dining table using IKEA bench tops and a pair of custom legs. The legs are metal, welded into an ‘X’.

Rachael used the same bench top for the base cabinets and island to maintain a seamless look and feel.

In the above video, you’ll see more of the dining table/ island at the 4.55mark.

Related: IKEA kitchen island with seating and storage

#3 IVAR pantry shelving

Also check out the IKEA IVAR shelving used as pantry shelving. It works beautifully!

No hacking here, but it just looks dang good.

Watch the reveal of the stunning kitchen.

Hope you’ve enjoyed these IKEA kitchen hacks. See more kitchen related hacks here.

~ by Rachael Turner. View more of her projects on @frontporchproperties

I was inspired by another hack to build my own variant of their deluxe cat litter box furniture solution …

In addition to the goals of that project, namely:

1. Being attractive enough to be in the living space,
2. Having top entry to allow gravity to work to keep litter inside, and
3. Having horizontal elements to allow cat litter mats to trap litter as they walk across them,

I had the additional requirements of:

1. Needing space for 2 litter boxes with lids (to contain litter and pee inside the boxes),
2. The whole cat litter box furniture needed to be easy to clean (both the cabinet interior and the boxes themselves.)

The ~$1000 cat litter box furniture I came up with involves having 2 “floors” made of fully extendable MAXIMERA drawers, and a lift top. This makes it much easier to reach the litter boxes, remove their lids, and scoop, and makes the cabinet interior more accessible for vacuuming.

IKEA items used:

• 24″ SEKTION base cabinets x 2
• 24×24″ MAXIMERA low drawers x 2
• 24″ UTRUSTA low drawer fronts x 2
• 24×24″ UTRUSTA shelf (2-pack, but only needed one) x 1
• 12×30″ BODBYN off-white doors x 4
• 153° UTRUSTA hinge 2-packs x 4
• ENERYDA handle 2-packs x 2
• 24″x30″ HÄGGEBY doors, white x 2
• SEKTION assembly kits for Kitchen Island x 2
• EKET adjustable metal foot 4-packs x 2

Non-IKEA items used:

• 8oz can pre-stain x 1
• 8oz can natural pecan stain x 1
• 4×8′ sheet of 3/4″ carpentry-grade red oak plywood x 1
• 1 roll of 13/16″ red oak iron-on edge banding
• 8oz jar of stainable wood filler x 1
• 1 package 1 1/4″ countersink wood screws
• 1 package 1″ round top wood screws
• 8oz can polyurethane x 1
• 1 qt paint thinner
• Rockler torsion hinges x 4
• 35×24″ cat litter-trapping mats x 2

Tools:

• Cordless drill, with both Phillips and regular drill bits
• Hand-held jigsaw
• Dremel tool
• Iron
• Utility knife

(Purchased for project:)

• 3.5″ mouth x 18″ clutch-style bar clamps x 2
• 1 Forstner drill bit set, (including 1 3/8″ and 3/4″ Forstner bits)
• Small veneer roller
• 1 pkg assorted grit sandpaper pads with velcro mounting block
• Tack cloth
• Natural bristle brush
• 1 package of painters’ tripods

Costs:

IKEA materials: ~$650

Non-IKEA materials: ~$250

(Additional) tools investment: ~$100

Total cost for cat litter box furniture: ~$1000

Steps for DIY cat litter box furniture

1) Assembling the first SEKTION base cabinets

My litter boxes (including lids) were 22″d x 16.5″w x 18.5″h, and 19″d x 14.5″w x 17″h, respectively.

I couldn’t find any other IKEA cabinets which would be deep enough to hold either of them. So I decided to use SEKTION 24″ base cabinets and create a two-floor system within them.

I measured to ensure everything would fit, and figured out where I needed to install the drawers and the shelf to provide the cats’ interior access. (The smaller box would go on the “upper floor,” and the larger one at the bottom.)

Making the interior cuts

I traced out and made my first set of cuts on the interior wall of the first cabinet using a hand-held jigsaw. I also traced out and cut a hole in the back of the first drawer bottom to allow access to the lower level of the cabinet system.

After this, I assembled the first cabinet mostly as per IKEA instructions although without any worktop or wall mounting. I didn’t bother with nailing the thin back panels in place, and this turned out to be a good decision.

That was because I was adding an exterior back anyway. And, because I later realized I had incorrectly installed the panels white-side out, which would have been impossible to fix had I nailed them in. I then installed the “upper floor” drawer with the cut-out in its bottom.

(Note: Even though I measured, it turned out I was able to raise the drawer rails here one inch higher, allowing me to eventually enlarge the lower level entry hole. This proved necessary to provide sufficient access to the box on the other side of the cabinet for my bigger cat. YMMV…)

2) Making the second cabinet

I used the cut side panel to template and make the cuts on the second interior panel. I then assembled the second cabinet, screwed the two cabinets together using 1 1/4″ countersink screws, and installed the “entry” shelf.

TIP (lesson learned): Use clamps when screwing the cabinets together, and pay special attention to ensuring the cabinets are aligned on both the front and back. This is important for getting both flush front doors and a flush cabinet back, which, in turn, was especially important later for hinge alignment when mounting the lid.

3) Installing the MAXIMERA low drawer

Next, I assembled and installed the other MAXIMERA low drawer at the very bottom of the second cabinet, and then moved on to the doors. I assembled and hung the first set of doors as per IKEA instructions.

4) Cat litter box furniture: Installing the doors

Installing the second pair of doors proved to be one of the trickier parts of the hack. The lower drawer needed to be at the very bottom of its cabinet in order to provide enough clearance below the entry shelf for the lower litter box’s lid.

But IKEA doors are mortised to place the hinges in the same holes in the SEKTION cabinet as the drawer rails use when installed in that lowest position. So I had to cut new hinge mortises in the bottoms of the doors to raise where the lower hinges would be mounted.

UTRUSTA hinges use a 35mm primary mortise hole, and 9mm holes for the two smaller hinge pins. I used a 1 3/8″ (~35mm) Forstner bit for the main mortise, but since 9mm drill bits are not common in the U.S., I used a 5/16″ (~7.9mm) drill bit for the smaller holes and then my Dremel tool to widen those holes to ~9mm.

I measured from the door edge to the center of the mortise to match next mounting point in the SEKTION cabinet at 6.25″, and the depth from the edge of the door at 7/8″. Then I used some of the very thin paper that came with some of the IKEA packaging to trace out and align the smaller holes to the larger mortise.

After remortising and mounting the doors on the repositioned hinges, I attached the ENERYDA handles as per package instructions. (In the pics below, my unfinished plywood top is just resting on the cabinet.)

5) Installing the EKET adjustable feet

Next, I temporarily removed the shelf, tipped the cabinet on its side, and installed the EKET adjustable feet on the bottom, to allow the cabinet to be leveled, and provide clearance for the doors to swing open without scraping the floor.

Note: This step probably can be done earlier, and in fact, I had to do it before I could properly finish adjusting/aligning all the doors, as my floors proved uneven and were warping the cabinet frame until I leveled it. (Also note: the shot below was taken after I had properly attached the outer back, using the feet as clamping points.)

6) Cat litter box furniture: Reinforcing the back for the lift top

Because I wanted a lift top, I had to add a more substantial back to the cabinet which could support the hinges and the lid. For this, I used two inexpensive 24″ white HÄGGEBY door panels.

I aligned their exterior edges to be flush with the edges of the cabinet. This left a small gap between them in the middle (shown in pix below), but I didn’t mind that, as the unit would still be against a wall.

To attach the panels to the cabinet, I used 2 SEKTION Kitchen Island assembly kits to get solid mounting points and brackets for securing the doors to the cabinet from the inside.

I cut and installed the presswood planks from the kit as instructed, placing one plank at the top and bottom of the back of each cabinet. Although one kit would have provided all the plank material necessary, I needed two kits to provide me with enough brackets to attach at both the top and bottom of each door on each side (8 in total).

I put 3 additional screws through the top plank into each door panel to ensure good connection to the back below the hinges. And I used longer (1″) screws to attach the bottom of the doors through the brackets to the frame. (As there are no cutouts in the interior back at the bottom, and the combined material was too thick to get enough get a good bite into the doors with the provided screws.)

As mentioned earlier, I also ended up clamping the door panel bottoms to the back using the feet installed above before screwing the panels into place, to force good contact and ensure a secure connection. (The shot below was taken after I attached the hinges, but before I had taken this extra step, and you can see the gap along the side that I needed to fix.)

7) Cat litter box furniture: Lift top construction

Making the lift top turned out to be the hardest part of the project. I wanted a wooden top, but unfortunately EKBY natural finish shelves are no longer sold in the U.S. And the various butcher block solutions available through IKEA were all too thick, heavy, and expensive for my purposes.

So I had a 25×50″ piece cut from a sheet of carpentry-grade red oak plywood. Then I cut the entry hole in the top using my new 3/4″ Forstner bit to get rounded corners, and the handheld jigsaw to connect these “pilot holes.”

I cut from the top side of the board so that any plywood damage wouldn’t be too visible. But I learned: when drilling through plywood, clamp another piece of scrap plywood below the work piece. This way you won’t get “chip out” as you punch through. (I had to use wood filler and glue to repair some damaged plywood veneer on the bottom of the lid because I failed to do this.)

To finish the top, I sanded the entry hole cuts to make the edges clean and smooth. I used wood filler to repair any remaining surface defects along the plywood edges. Then, I applied 13/16″ red oak pre-glued, iron-on edge banding to the outer and entry-hole plywood edges to make it look like a solid wood panel.

I ironed in ~1′ sections as I worked my way around the piece, using a veneer roller on each section after ironing it to ensure good even glue contact. Then, I carefully trimmed the excess material with a utility knife, placing each edge on a scrap piece of plywood to provide backing support as I cut.

Next, I sanded, pre-stained, stained, and polyurethaned the piece as per the manufacturer’s instructions for each finishing step. With all the steps and drying time, it took several days to complete the work.

8) Cat litter box furniture: Mounting the lid

To mount the lid, I went “all out” and installed 4 rather expensive Rockler torsion hinges. I’m sure other solutions might have worked. But the beauty of torsion hinges is that they keep the lid at whatever angle you let go of it. They require no separate props to hold it open.

They also effectively provide a “soft close” and there are no side mounts to deal with. So, to me, it just seemed like the best way to go. (Rockler sells these hinges in various strengths to support different size lids. They also provide a calculator to help you get the ones you need.)

However, it turned out that the hinges were meant for a panel slightly wider than the HÄGGEBY doors. To solve this problem, I made 4 small shims of “plywood” from the iron-on edge banding I had purchased for the top. I cut 5 “plywood layers” of banding to size for each hinge. Stacked three layers facing one way and two facing the other, so that all the glue would be inside the resulting piece.

I then ironed them together. Rolling each with the veneer roller to ensure thorough glue contact and a resulting strong, flat piece of very thin plywood. These were a snap to make. And they proved to be perfect for ensuring that the hinges were mounted squarely to the door panels without any gap. I placed them between the inside of the panels and the bottom of the hinges. Marked and drilled the pilot holes, and then screwed the hinges into place with the provided screws.

Once the cabinet back and hinges were properly attached, I laid the unit on its side. I raised it up with leftover plywood to slide the lid under the hinges. Then, marked and carefully drilled shallow pilot holes on the lid, before attaching the lid to the hinges using the provided screws. (Having the back panels be flush with each other at this point was essential.)

Et Voilà!

The extravagant cat litter box furniture is done

Although more expensive than I had hoped, my cat litter box furniture works really well. It saves my back and knees when cleaning it, and my cats are happy with it so far. (I didn’t add stairs to the side, as they can easily jump up onto the cabinet. These can be added later, as necessary, when they get too old to make the leap.)

Inside view of cat litter box furniture with drawers for 2 boxes

Lessons from this cat litter box furniture

I completed the project over roughly 3 weekends. If I had it to do over again, I would make the top 26″ or even 27″ deep. This would allow for the (unaccounted-for) added width of the HÄGGEBY back panels, and allow for more of an overhang over both the doors and the hinges.

Also, I might choose 30″ cabinets and drawers vs. 24″. The extra space would allow me to put the cat litter refill box inside the cabinet itself as well, and allow more horizontal space for trapping litter.

On the other hand, a larger cabinet would require a larger spot along the wall and a longer top. The latter would then likely exceeded the maximum weight limit for the torsion hinges, so I would then have to sacrifice the lift top.

cat litter box furniture closed. Litter boxes hidden away

~ by Will Sadkin

Hi! This is another one of my hacks featuring IKEA custom cabinet doors. It’s an IKEA kitchen do-over with plywood cabinet fronts.

I bought an apartment and it came with a brand new IKEA kitchen. Problem is, I’m not very fond of wall cabinets and tall cabinets for refrigerator, etc. I find it more suitable to have all cabinets on one level.

Another issue with the existing kitchen was the size of the kitchen peninsula / island. It was too small. So I decided to re-do the kitchen with a new layout and custom cabinet fronts.

before

After!

I ripped the kitchen down, keeping the IKEA METOD base cabinets. The tall cabinets were cut in half. The top half of the tall cabinets became too flimsy after the cut, and I was not able to reuse them.

Since the kitchen is in an open space with my living room, I wanted the kitchen to blend in as much as possible. I think when all the cabinets are at the same level and by omitting the typical kitchen wall cabinets above the countertop, you remove the kitchen feeling.

Demo-ing the kitchen

In the meantime, the new setup was drawn up. It featured a larger kitchen peninsular, including seating for 4 and the integration of a small IKEA freezer and refrigerator. When the drawing was finalised, it was time to get it personalised.

As with my other MALM loft storage hack, I chose the same deco blue color to match the Carrera marble tile backsplash.

The brass handles (and the problem with them)

Instead of stock IKEA doors, I went with custom made birch plywood fronts and self-designed brass handles. I drew up a suggestion and went to an iron worker, who bent them according to my specifications.

Note to self: Experimenting with kitchen handles is not as straight forward as it seems. After mounting the brass handles, which were made in the same length as the doors, I soon discovered it was not possible to open the doors to the right or left ;).

I got into a real spin trying to find a solution. My intention was to keep the brass handles in one straight line. After some thinking I came up with an idea to not use side hinges at all.

I used the front of a spare drawer as a template to drill holes at the back of the new plywood fronts. Then I placed a big drawer in every cabinet on the lower section and used drawer hinges to mount the door to the drawer. Now the fronts slide straight out instead of swinging open to the right or left. It’s important to buy the big drawer as it has an extra metal rod to stabilize the front to the drawer. And best of all, it works great!

IKEA Custom Cabinet Doors in Plywood

All of the custom drawer fronts are made from birch plywood at a thickness of 18mm thick. The drawer fronts are treated with decor wax to keep them from turning yellow and makes them easy to clean. (Becomes water resistant)

IKEA custom cabinet doors – waxed and unwaxed comparison

I bought the plywood boards from local retailer and brought them to a local carpenter who has a CNC cutter. I also brought a normal IKEA front to use as a template for cutting the right dimension. These IKEA custom cabinet doors cost about 60% of IKEA retail price for fronts.

Behind these IKEA custom cabinet doors – the fridge!

Fridge is in the island, freezer on opposite side.

Final touch, a pair of Tom Dixon lights.

Tom Dixon Lights

~ by Peik Helly Hansen. Follow my projects on Instagram @peikhellyhansen

You may also be interested in Peik’s other hacks

• Bathroom furniture which hides a washer and dryer
• Walk-in closet using the EXPEDIT (or KALLAX) range
• Gorgeous loft storage for under the eaves
• How to use kitchen cabinets for small bedroom storage

I had the desire to create a unique product in steel. My product of choice was the MALM chest of 2 drawers. I wanted to make it look like a vintage metal cabinet, with a hint of old New York style.

Final result of my vintage metal cabinet

The project is not an easy one — the bending and cutting of the iron plates requires some practice. But it can be done in about 5-6 hours, however, spread over several days, as lacquer and glue must harden.

IKEA items used:

• MALM chest of 2 drawers

MALM chest of 2 drawers | IKEA.com

Other materials and tools:

• Steel 1,0 mm sheets
• Glue

DIY vintage metal cabinet – the process:

First, I assembled the MALM chest of drawers.

Metal sheets in 1mm is cut to measure

Then, I got the metal sheets cut with an angle grinder (or with fibre laser if you have it). I had this done at a workshop.

All the plates were then coated in a special liquid to age it and accelerate the dark oxidisation effect.

The metal plates being bent into shape

Next, all plates were curved on a bending machine. This can also be done without a CNC machine if you do not have access to a workshop.

All corners are welded

After that was done, I welded every corner and glued all the plates to the IKEA MALM chest.

It’s starting to look a lot like a vintage metal cabinet.

Side plates are glued on with mounting glue

The cabinet is test assembled before spraying on clear lacquer

Finally, I sprayed all surfaces with 2 to 3 layers of Clearcoat.

And it’s done!

What to pay special attention to?

The light emitted from welding can cause damage to the eyes. So always wear a welding helmet like those of professional blacksmiths.

My friends love it and the one comment I get is, “Can you make one for me?”

See more of the vintage metal cabinet hack on my blog.

~ by Andreas

Cane furniture is definitely here to stay. I first saw Kathryn’s BILLY hack with cane webbing doors on Instagram. When I reposted it, I captioned it saying we should petition IKEA to make this style of doors. Quite a few hands shot up. I’m not alone in wanting cane cabinet doors.

BILLY | IKEA.com

Kathryn received a BILLY bookcase as part of IKEA UAE’s BILLY 40th anniversary celebration. It stood beautifully styled in her living room for a while but she had a “nagging itch to do something a little more spectacular with it”.

She’s always loved cane furniture and missed out on the IKEA STOCKHOLM 2017 cabinet when it was released two years. Since then, she has been searching for a similarly affordable alternative without success.

STOCKHOLM 2017 cabinet | IKEA.com

So went this BILLY arrived in her home, her second chance had come.

Kathryn considered using existing BILLY doors and actually purchased the doors for this purpose. But the glass is very tightly fitted between the panels of wood/MDF that make up the door. She thought she could smash it out but on closer inspection, she figured that retrieving all of the glass from inside the crevice would be painful and quite tricky.

Additionally, you would require some sort of beading (not sure if that is the correct technical term) to hold the cane properly in place. You could probably staple gun it but it wouldn’t leave a neat finish. Besides, it needs a consistent tension across the length of the webbing to keep it nice and taut.

Cane furniture carpentry

That was when she decided it was a job for a carpenter.

The carpenter used MDF board and spray painted the doors in his workshop for a perfect finish. He primed and painted the bookcase for me too. For the open panels in the doors, he used a roll of cane webbing. They are held down on the inside with staples and a small strip of wooden beading for tension and support.

The result is just spectacular.

See more of the BILLY cane webbing doors on Kathryn’s blog, House of Hawkes.

This hack is for the folks who don’t like reading the IKEA instructions and don’t need to read instructions. We made a pair of bedside hanging wall lamp from the KRUSNING paper pendant light.

They took a while to do, but worth it.

Materials for hanging wall lamp:

• KRUSNING lamp shade for each side table
• KRUSNING lamp shade x 2 for the ceiling light
• HEMMA Cord set, white x 2
• SEKOND Cord set, white textile
• EKBY VALTER Bracket, x 4
• 2 IKEA plastic plants in vase
• Paint
• Wall fixings

You’ll need some tools to do this! Electrical tools, wood tools and a bit of creativity.

We doubled up the ceiling lamp with 2 KRUSNING shades to make it a little fluffier in appearance.

As for the hanging wall lamp, we used a pair of EKBY VALTER brackets. Together, the brackets are wide enough to hold the lamp socket. First, we drilled holes on the brackets for where the wires should go. Then, we used a hole saw to cut out the hole for the lamp socket. Then, screwed the bracket to the wall using the appropriate wall fixings.

The side table lights looks light the shades could be flowers extending from the plants on the table.

Done properly. You should not see the brackets.

Don’t try this hack unless you can use a drill, wire an electrical socket, and screw a screw into the wall. Painting the bracket also required.

Please Note: That we found it tough to match the left side table shade to the right side table shade and ended up going through a few shades before getting it right. Luckily, IKEA had them at 50%.

Voilà! Our bedside hanging wall lamp with a touch of whimsy.

~ by Stu

You may also like these hacks with the KRUSNING paper lamp

#1 KRUSNING paper flower decor

The KRUSNING is sold as a “cloud” lamp shade. You are supposed to be able to create your own unique design by crumbling the paper layers into different shapes. The KRUSNING is lovely as it is but I decided to turn it up side down and give it the appearance of flower. See more of the paper flower decor.

#2 KRUSNING in watercolour

I’ve had this IKEA 17-inch KRUSNING floating around my room for nearly a year just waiting for me to decorate it. Finally, it’s done. See the paper pendant light in watercolour here.

One thing I’ve always wanted in my ideal house is a library. I love to read, but when I first moved out of my parents’ house years ago I gave away most of my book collection. It simply wasn’t practical to move it around and try to fit it in apartments and houseshares.

My husband and I bought and moved into an incredible house about a year and a half ago. While we don’t have a dedicated reading room we do have a large windowless wall in our living room. It’s ideal for a wall bookcase I can fill again, now that we’re here to stay.

We originally selected FINNY over BILLY because it’s much cheaper. That ended up being fortuitous as BILLY would have been wider than the mural panels come shipped and this idea would’ve been prohibitively difficult for me to execute.

IKEA items used:

• FINNBY bookcases

FINNBY bookshelf | IKEA.com

Other materials and tools:

• Peel-and-stick wall mural [the one I selected was the largest size available from wall26, an Amazon seller. It’s 100″ x 144″ and comes in six pieces]
• Towel
• Box cutter/razor

Optional:

• Furring strips
• Paint
• Drywall screws
• Nail gun

How to add a mural to the backing board of a wall bookcase

When we moved in we set up three FINNBYs for the books I had. But as I have collected more they stopped fitting. It was time for more shelves. I’d originally planned to add them one at a time, but I saw someone else’s hack for fabric or wallpaper as a background and was intrigued.

My one concern about eventually lining up seven FINNBYs in a row was how heavy all the black might look. Backing the bookcases would be a good way to keep them from feeling so dark.

Because I would have such a wide space to work with, I wanted to use it to its full potential by doing a mural instead of just a contrasting color or consistently repeating pattern. (Another thought I had was painting each of the backs a progressively lighter shade for an ombre effect, but I’m glad I went with this.)

I ended up selecting a deep space starry sky design, in part because I loved the blue/purple colors (and they weren’t so bright they’d ‘fight’ with the vividly colorful rug we have in the living room), but also because the more abstract pattern wouldn’t require me to be too precise in my application.

FINNBY bookcases are ideal because they’re just a little narrower than the widths of the available mural panels. However, they aren’t as tall, so you’ll need to make some editing choices as to which part of the image you want to use.

Applying the wall mural

Because our wall would fit seven bookcases but the mural comes in six panels, I opted to cover the center five and leave the outer two black for symmetry.  This hack would probably be optimal with six bookcases in a row. (But we didn’t want to leave a larger portion of the wall empty than needed. And I didn’t want to sacrifice my future book space!) Having an extra mural panel also gave me some peace of mind as I did have to trim and install one panel into an already-built bookcase. So having a spare in case I borked was reassuring.

It was my first time installing these sorts of vinyl panels. I’ve only done small decals in the past. But it wasn’t too bad. And it was easy to get rid of the few air bubbles I accidentally made. Just poke the bubbles with a pin and flatten them back out.

I watched a couple videos on YouTube that were very helpful. I would peel the backing off a bit of the top, line up the whole panel how I wanted it. Then, use my towel-holding hand to press the vinyl down side-to-side. Next, slowly peel the backing further while continuing to seat the vinyl with the towel.

After sticking the panel on the entire back I trimmed away the excess from the edges. Then built the bookcases as per usual. (Used an electric screwdriver and a nail gun instead of the IKEA hand tools to save some time). We lined up all the completed bookcases against the wall before lagging them in as we did have to shim a couple of them off the floor for them to square up well.

Outlet access points

If you have outlets in the wall you still want to use, measure and cut the access holes from the bookcase back panels first.

My husband masterminded measuring and cutting the access holes for the outlets. He also swapped them to USB outlets before we put in the bookcases as he knew it would be extremely difficult if he ever wanted to do it later.

He did slightly misalign his first outlet hole. But we rotated the bookcase back to try again as the hole ended up covered by the vinyl panel anyway so people only know it’s there if I tell them. (Like I’m now telling everyone, apparently. Sorry!) You can see the “oops hole” in the upper left corner, taunting him.

Oops hole

But once the vinyl is on, it’s invisible. Sha-sha-sha-sha-shaaaaaa!

Oops hole covered!

Add furring strips to the wall bookcase

As we have rather tall baseboards, we used furring strips of the same 1/2″ thickness painted black to keep the bookcases parallel to the wall. From the side, the bookcases appear notched for the baseboards as well, which gives them more of a built-in look.

We also made ‘frames’ and nailed them to the wall around the outlets for the outlet access holes to rest against.

The furring strips are also great because we used them using the included brackets to attach the bookcases to the wall. We just sank two self-tapping drywall screws per bookcase – one on each side – through the bookcase backing and furring strips right into wall. We were careful to position the screws behind the horizontal bookshelves so they don’t show. It’s easier than the included IKEA brackets – no ladder needed – and everything feels very secure.

How long did it take?

All in all, the project took about a full day of effort for me. About a half a day for my husband, who painted and trimmed all the furring strips to length as well as prepping the outlet holes and setting up a clear workspace for me. Then, he shimmed and lagged the bookcases into the wall when I had everything assembled.

He’s not even really a book person and was a bit skeptical when I tried to describe what I wanted to make. He could tell how excited I was about this so he put in the effort too. Because he’s awesome. (Times are approximate as the work was spread out over the course of a week, and do not count the visit to IKEA which is of course an adventure in and of itself.)

Materials ran less than $350 total. Seven FINNBY bookcases at about $30 each, $100 for the mural, plus hardware and furring strips and paint, none of which are particularly spendy.

Wall bookcase with mural all done!

I absolutely love how this turned out. And now that my husband can actually see what I was trying to describe for himself he’s been won over too. As my slowly re-growing book collection doesn’t yet fill all the shelves, the mural helps them not look so empty.

It brings another dimension and layer of interest to the room, and when my dad – a custom home architect – saw it in person he loved it so much he’s trying to figure out if he can pull off a similar wall in a home he’s currently designing. The wall bookcase mural is the first thing anyone sees when they come through our front door, and when visitors come in it’s generated more than a few wow moments.

~ by Melissa Ng

Waay way back in 2007 when I was younger, I was working as a carpenter fitting out a well known high street shop. We were fitting these display units that had this broken glass effect. Well, it was actually broken glass sandwiched under intact glass so customers wouldn’t cut themselves.

One day there was a beautiful young shop staff lady gazing at it in awe and amazement. I asked “oh no, did you break it?” she laughed. One thing led to another and not too long later she was my wife.

Anyway, I really liked the broken glass thing and thought I would use that one day. More recently, I found the LINDRANDE display box in IKEA and decided this was my time.

You can see the whole broken glass lamp project in video form here.

Materials required:

• IKEA LINDRANDE
• Approx 2 square meters of 100 micron window security film
• Window/glass cleaner
• Cloth
• Soapy water in spray bottle
• Small piece of scrap wood

LINDRANDE decoration box | IKEA.com

Tools required:

• Long nose pliers
• Squeegee
• Hot glue gun
• Small hammer
• Drill
• 30mm hole saw
• Ruler

Here’s how I made my broken glass lamp

Firstly, you should unbox your LINDRANDE display box and admire it for the last time as it will never be the same again!

Remove and clean glass planes

Then you will need to remove all the pieces of glass. These are held in with little metal tabs which can be easily bent out with the long nose pliers.

There are two tabs at each end of the lid. And you only need to bend them at one end to remove the glass.

Same with the sides. Just bend out the two tabs at the top of the box and the glass can tilt away and out.

Related: Mirrored mosaic coffee table

With all the glass out you can give it a good clean with a glass or window cleaner to get rid of any finger prints or other marks. There are some small foam pads to support the glass and these left some adhesive residue on my glass so watch out for that.

Next, you can use each piece of glass as a template to cut out the window security film. This film is designed for security to hold the glass together when broken and make it more difficult for burglars to enter your home.

You will need two pieces of film for each piece of glass (one for each side of the glass). Be aware there are three different sizes of glass so keep each glass and its film together.

Give the glass another quick wipe to make sure it doesn’t have any dust particles which will be problematic for the next step.

Affix window security film

Now that we have a pile of glass and film we can stick it together. First, spray the glass with soapy water. Then, peel the protective backer from the film and place the film with the adhesive side to the wet glass. The soapy water allows you to adjust the position of the film. Then you can squeegee out the water and any air bubbles to stick it in the correct position.

Make sure to get as much of the water out as possible so that it dries out more quickly. Repeat for both sides of all the pieces of glass and then place separately in a warm dry place to fully dry out. A dish drying rack or toast rack would be perfect for this. It may take up to a week to fully dry. It is important that all the water is gone so that the film is fully stuck to the glass.

Drill opening for lamp socket

While the film is drying you can take the empty LINDRANDE frame and turn it upside down. Mark the centre of the base and drill with the 30mm drill. This is a standard size for a pendant light shade. Make sure it is well centred so that the light hangs straight, if it is off centre the light will sit at a funny angle.

Some time later when when the film is dry you start to replace it into the frame. Remember, there are three different sizes. The largest is for the lid and this can be set aside for now. If you replace it now it will get in the way.

The side pieces will be two long and two short pieces. Make sure you fit the long pieces first as the short pieces kind of fit in between them.

Fit the piece of glass (don’t forget to close those metal tabs) and then run a bead of hot melt glue all around it to seal it in position. Add each piece of glass, sealing it as you go and make sure each piece is fully glued as this will hold the edges together when broken.

Break the glass

Next is the fun part! Start breaking the glass!

Place a small piece of scrap wood onto a hard surface. And then, place the LINDRANDE onto the wood so that the wood supports the glass only. The glass needs to be flat onto the piece of wood, this will give better control of how the glass is broken.

Then with the empty lid closed you can reach inside and start hitting the glass.

I found a small pin hammer worked really well. Don’t use anything sharp as it may cut the film. You can get creative with breaking the glass and crack it in artistic ways. Just be careful not to turn the glass into powder as then the film will no longer stick and it will fall apart.

When you are happy with the sides you can glue in the lid piece and give it the same treatment.

Now the light can be fitted just like a normal lamp shade. Be aware that it is quite heavy so you may need a stronger pendant wire.

Broken glass lamp – all done!

I am really happy with how mine turned out. I love the patterns it casts onto the wall and also the gradient cube shadow it casts onto the ceiling.

Some other creative options to consider:

I originally looked at SAMMANHANG display box for this project but it looked a little more awkward to disassemble. And I quite like the minimalist look of the LINDRANDE.

The SAMMANHANG does have toughened glass though which when broken would shatter the entire piece into small consistent particles giving a more clean refined look. You might also consider using frosted film or even coloured film for more creativity.

I hope you enjoyed my broken glass lamp project.

~ by Russ

We needed more laundry room storage. Furthermore, this ugly area by the back door entrance with incoming water pipes and ventilation fans was completely unused. It had turned into a corner that just collected stuff.

First we planned to build the storage out of kitchen cabinets, but the IKEA cabinets were too high to fit under the windows and others were more expensive. So we built our own storage from the KOPPANG chest of drawers with custom measures.

We could have built our own custom laundry room storage unit as well but it’s nice to have the pre-fabricated frame and drawers with perfect fit and slide. Total cost was just a little more than 2000 SEK (about €200). Also, the knobs will be replaced by something nicer.

IKEA items used:

• KOPPANG chest of 6 drawers chest
• HAMMARP Worktop

Other materials:

• Some leftover construction wood 45×70 mm & 45×45 mm
• Thin panel boards
• Pinewood shelves
• White paint
• Screws

Laundry room storage hack

Build the chest of drawers but without mounting the top. Connect it with construction wood to the walls to achieve a suitable depth for the worktop. Add a nice worktop.

Add some patterned panels to the sides and floor plinth if you wish. If floor plinth is not suitable, you can always saw the legs off and add your own legs or use it without legs.

It’s important to take into account if the floor is flat or not. I had to add distances under the chest legs to make it stand straight.

~ by Nils

See more laundry room hacks

#1 Rolling laundry cart

My goal was to make a simple rolling laundry cart for a room in the attic with a very low ceiling, 2ft/60cm at its lowest. It had to be easy to move around, have several compartments, affordable, and nice to look at. See more of the rolling laundry cart.

#2 Laundry room countertop with storage

We needed a laundry room countertop measuring 67” x 34”. Normal countertops are 26 inches deep and leave a gaping hole in the back for items to disappear. We were also needing additional storage space with room to hang garments. See our DIY laundry room countertop.

#3 Laundry room cabinets

At last it was time to sort out our laundry room. It is quite a big room (4m by 4m), it is located right next to the kitchen, and contains our back entrance to the house. So we decided to make it kind of a secondary kitchen with a lot of storage space and room to work. See our laundry room cabinets.

We downsized from a Florida house to a condo. The condo was a mess. Although we didn’t know it when we bought the place, the woman who lived there had been a hoarder. We bought it sight unseen, and gutted mostly from the sheet rock out. We are old hands at renovating, flipping, buying and selling, homes, but we are now trying to retire.

I knew the condo had good light, and a view of a lovely creek through the woods. It feels like we live in a tree house. But it’s a tree house without a lot of storage.

Because these are modest condos, and our unit needed so much work, we wanted to keep costs low. I thought long and hard about how to fill the dining room alcove, that all the units have, on a modest budget and maximum storage.

Our kids, and small grandchildren, were coming to visit, and first we placed bookcases in the alcove:

What it looked like before

before! placeholder alcove shelving

We had wasted depth with the bookcases, the alcove is just over 12 feet long, and about 27-28 inches deep.

We ordered four base kitchen cabinets from IKEA and had them delivered, and put them together:

Chili Dawg helped:

Our friend, and carpenter, installed the cabinets on 2 by 4’s and secured them to the wall.

I have used IKEA butcher block in the past when it was all wood. Now that it has fibreboard in the middle, I didn’t want to use it. Lumber Liquidators had 12 foot lengths. I bought pine.

I mixed a custom stain to try to match our vintage teak dining table.

We ordered doors from Semihandmade. They were spray painted white.

Electricians installed lighting.

I bought desk book shelves at an unfinished furniture shop nearby. They were spray painted. (The backs need to be painted tan.) And some crown molding applied

The almost finished alcove shelving project. There is more decorating to do, and additional lighting needed. As you can see the lower shelves are a little dark:

I certainly had help, don’t @ me, I’m old!

What we used for our alcove shelving:

• Four 36 inch, IKEA SEKTION base kitchen cabinet with shelves
• Semihandmade Shaker unpainted doors
• 3″ long finger cabinet pulls from Top Knobs
• 12 foot maple Lumber Liquidator’s butcher block counter

More on the countertop …

I sanded, stained two coats, and put a couple of coats of polyurethane on, sanding in between. It has some joints on the side that I didn’t love, and tried to make them less visible by dabbing dark stain and feathering it out.

I hired two guys who install granite countertops to carry the counter top up two flights of stairs, because it wouldn’t fit in the elevator. It was hard work, and I paid them well. We have open stairwells and halls, in Florida, if we didn’t I don’t know how it could have worked.

… and the alcove shelving

I ordered the bookcases from a local unfinished furniture shop. He sanded them well, and we spray painted them, before installation. Our carpenter cut and painted the crown molding.

We gained so much storage

The entire project took about two or three months. Mostly we had to wait for the shelves and butcher block to come in.

I love the storage I’ve gained. Kitchen cabinets are so deep I can put bins in front to back and they fit nicely. I store linens and sewing supplies in there, too.

The most difficult parts were done by others, like carrying the butcher block. It has not been moved since the guys put it in place.

I love IKEA kitchen cabinets, but the doors didn’t work in our new kitchen. We have traditional white Shaker cabinet doors. I had read about Semihandmade online, and they had doors that matched. We chose barely visible pulls installed on the top of the doors.

Because this project was made with mostly “off the shelf” pieces there are a couple gaps here and there, that would not be present with a custom piece. But I figure we saved thousands.

~ by Carol

I decided to make it because I wanted a unique lamp shade in the kitchen. And because every time I go to IKEA, I think of other things I can do with stuff than what it’s meant for.

I imagined the bottle brushes would look great with light shining through them, and I think it came out great. I call it the Mikado lamp.

All materials are from IKEA. But the frame is second hand so I don’t know if they still sell it. Any frame will do the trick though it might come out a little different

Materials:

• Frame of a lampshade (mine is second hand IKEA)

• 56 (in this case, but it depends on the frame size) IKEA bottle brush (MEDELVAG 0,79 Euro each)
• 1 IKEA RYETT LED lamp 400 lm (1,00 Euro)

Tools:

• Household ladder
• Hands

Time:

• Can be done very quickly

Instructions:

This is easy and hard at the same time. I’ll explain. The bottle brush has a hook. Just hang it over the top ring of the lamp frame. The trick is to divide the weight of the brushes very carefully otherwise all the bottle brushes slide to one side and fall off again. Sort of a Mikado effect.

I did not fasten them in any way, (I like the pure look of it), but it might be wiser to do so. If you make it the way I did, my advise is to assemble it hanging in place .

Hope you liked this unique lamp shade made from bottle brushes.

~ by Marijke van Well, the Netherlands

You may also like these unique lamp shade hacks

#1 A grater lamp

Use the IDEALISK grater to create an original lamp for the kitchen. Spray paint to match your kitchen decor. See more of the grater lamp.

#2 Pendant lamp from salad bowl

For this lamp, Otto used a common film lighting trick — bouncing a bright light off the ceiling, to evenly increase the light in the room without creating a dominating source. See the salad bowl uplighter.

I made these suspended shelves from two IVAR side units and some Plexiglas sheets.

Materials:

• IVAR side unit x 2
• Plexiglas
• Chains
• Cup hooks
• Tec7 sealant (or clear silicone)
• Paint

How I made the IVAR suspended shelves

First, I painted them the same colour as the walls. Then I glued pieces of Plexiglas I had in the shed to it with Tec7 (other clear silicone can also be used).

I drilled through the Plexiglas in all four corners on each piece, before screwing hooks into them. Make sure the hooks are long enough to go all the way from Plexiglas through to the IVAR. This is to ensure a firm hold.

Then I attached four hooks in the ceiling, attached chains from them to the hooks in the upper shelf, and then from hooks underneath the top shelf.

This is how I attached the chains.

I attached the bottom shelf with more pieces of chain. Underneath the lower shelf I attached some stiff wire mesh for hooks where I can hang kitchen utensils.

Wire mesh underneath the lower suspended shelf to hang utensils

Didn’t cost more than the IVAR side units, some hooks and some stainless steel chain.

~ by Tor Bach, Oslo

You may also like these suspended shelves

#1 A hanging rope shelf

An elegant shelving unit made from IVAR shelves. Takes a few tries to get the shelves level but so worth it. See more of the hanging rope shelf.

#2 Ceiling mounted pot rack

Rob makes use of a shelf from the OMAR shelf unit and turns it into a pot rack. See more of the hanging pot rack.

#3 Pot rack and suspended shelf from trivet

Mark thought IKEA would have hanging pot racks (for the ceiling), but they didn’t. So since he was already in IKEA, he thought he could buy enough components there to make some. Turns out he could. See more of the ceiling mounted pot rack.

Part of Jessica’s Reading Room transformation for the One Room Challenge includes a Tarva Dresser hack. Right up our alley.

Her inspiration piece is this classy unit from West Elm, called Gemini. The distinctive feature of the Gemini unit are the routed circular overlays. They function as a design detail as well as drawer pulls.

Source: West Elm Gemini 5-drawer dresser

It costs $699. On the other hand, the TARVA a mere $149. So a hack was in order.

Materials:

• IKEA TARVA 5-drawer chest
• 1×3′ lumber – 2 at 8′ each
• Titebond wood glue

Tarva dresser hack instructions:

First things first, Jessica assembled the dresser.

She filled up the predrilled holes on the drawer fronts for knobs, as she’ll be creating her own set of pulls.

To make the drawer pulls in the same style as the West Elm ones, she first measured the width of the TARVA drawers. Then, decided how long she wanted each pull.

She bought (2) 8ft 1×3’s and cut them down to 22 1/2″ long. She made 8 of these.

For her pulls, she went with a 45 degree angle (instead of rounded) which is easier to cut and route.

Next, she bought a chamfer router bit to create the routed edges, like the West Elm overlays.

With all the pieces finished, she applied some Titebond wood glue on the backs of the pulls and clamp them onto the drawer fronts. Measure the centre of the drawers and the centre of the handles for a guide.

The top drawer and the bottom drawer get one pull, the centre drawers get two. One at the top and one at the bottom.

After letting the glue cure for a few hours, the West Elm inspired TARVA dresser hack is done.

At the moment, it still needs a coat of stain, which Jessica hasn’t decided on.

Follow Jessica on HouseHomemade and see her complete the One Room Challenge.

I was unable to find suitable adjustable wall mounted pantry shelving for my odd shaped space.

I realized the HEJNE shelving could be ‘inverted’, if you will, from outside to inside support.

Basically the posts are fixed to the wall of the pantry. Shelves are adjustable and support is perpendicular to the IKEA plan.

IKEA items used:

• HEJNE shelving system

Other materials:

• Wall anchors
• Extra shelves
• 8mm dowels

Here’s how I made my custom pantry shelving

Before

Measurements for my pantry, which meant shelves would need to be narrower on the inside.

First, I laid the posts where I wanted to fix them. I anchored screw locations in between the shelves and mounted the posts to the walls.

Dowels were installed at shelf locations to support the shelving units.

Next I needed to cut the pantry shelving units to fit my odd shaped space.

To do that I had to cut the planks at an angle. Then, removed the end rails and re-attached to the planks on the end unit.

Delicate work to get the remnant plank from the end rail … I used a chisel to split them and then pull away.

End rail reattached to the planks.

Odd shaped pantry shelves all done.

The last step is to just place the pantry shelving onto the dowels in the side units.

And it’s ready to get filled up.

~ by Michael

You may also like these pantry shelving hacks

#1 Kitchen pantry using the STUVA

Not much hacking involved, rather a repurposing of the STUVA system. The STUVA was destined for a kid’s bedroom, but we decided to use it for our kitchen pantry. It gave enough storage space for kitchen items. See more of the kitchen pantry.

#2 Slim pantry cabinet

Here is Norbert’s IKEA hack of a slim pull-out pantry cabinet. It uses 2 GNEDBY shelf units, which is a CD cabinet as part of a TV unit set-up. See more of the slim pantry cabinet.

In our bedroom, we wanted a good amount of open storage with built-in floor to ceiling bookshelves. But on a budget! So we turned to the IKEA BILLY.

The project was completed with all the work done on weekends over a period of 4 months.

IKEA items used:

• 4 x BILLY Bookcase 31 1/2x11x41 3/4″
• 3 x BILLY Bookcase 31 1/2x11x79 1/2″

Other materials and tools:

• 2×4 lumber
• Metal wall fasteners
• 1/2″ pine boards
• Wood filler
• Wallpaper
• Nail gun
• Miter saw
• Paint

Floor to ceiling bookshelves hack instructions:

First things first, I designed the layout in Adobe Illustrator.

Then, I built boxes (frames) out of 2x4s on the floor as a base for the bookcases to sit on and allow HVAC flow from the floor register below the bookcase. I used a miter saw and a nail gun.

Related: A BILLY library like no other

First, I attached the boxes to the floor and wall with right angle metal fasteners.

Then, I attached larger BILLY Bookcases to 2×4 boxes on the floor and to wall.

Next, after completing and securing the lower bookcases, I ran 2x4s across the top of the larger bookcases as a platform for the smaller, top bookcases.

As before, I attached the top bookcases to the 2x4s and to the wall.

Related: No doubt about it. BILLY is made for built-in bookshelves

With the BILLY bookcases all secured to the frames and walls, it was now time to dress it up and give it the built-in look.

I used 1/2” pine boards for trim covering the front surfaces of the bookcases and to provide a continuous, seamless look.

After that I primed and painted the book cases and shelves.

I filled rear channel and extra shelf dowel holes with wood filler.

The last step was to wallpaper the rear wall of the bookcases.

And finally, it’s done.

We’re taking our time to fill up the many, many shelves.

~ by Bernard S.

Rosandra wanted to add boiserie or wainscoting to her walls.

But in Italy, getting a craftsman to make a real wainscot is very expensive. So she turned to IKEA to create picture frame wainscoting, at a very much lower price.

With some DIY gungho, she got the luxurious boiserie she was aiming for. Just feast your eyes on the end result of her picture frame wainscoting.

Materials:

• VIRSERUM picture frames
• MOSSLANDA picture ledge
• Silicone glue
• Paint

She bought a number of VIRSERUM photo frames and picture ledges from IKEA. Then it was all a matter of setting them into place.

Picture frame wainscoting instructions

First, she installed the MOSSLANDA picture ledges about one third up the wall. (Tip: Lower rails make your room look taller and bigger.) The picture ledges should span the entire length of the wall, functioning like a dado rail.

Related: 12 unusual ways to use the RIBBA picture ledge all around the house

Then, she measured and marked where she wanted the frames to go, leaving a consistent gap between each frame. Also keep the space at the top and bottom of the picture frames the same (i.e. distance from top of photo frame to picture ledge the same as distance from bottom of photo frame to baseboard.)

Next, she simply used silicone glue to fix the VIRSERUM frames on the wall, below the MOSSLANDA picture ledges. You can also fix them with finishing nail, if you want them more securely attached.

The last step was to paint them in the same colour as the wall, for a seamless finish.

Yes folks, it’s picture frame wainscoting. But you’ll be forgiven to think they are real high end boiserie.

See more of Rosandra’s projects on her instagram account @mommodesign

Here’s the same picture frame wainscoting treatment on another wall.

~ by Rosandra @mommodesign

We modified the ÄPPLARÖ gateleg table into a folding outdoor table for our balcony.

The original ÄPPLARÖ gateleg table has a drop leaf table on the left and right.

We lift the table top and push the gateleg out from the middle into position to support the table.

When we’re done using the table, we push the legs back into middle section and fold down the table. Then, we’ll push the closed table back against the wall.

And when we want to use it, move it away from the wall to set up the table leaves. You get my drift. That’s an annoying bit of unnecessary movement.

To make using the table so much easier for us, all we did was to swap the table leg from the middle to the end. This way it’s easier to open and fold down the table when not in use.

Related: APPLARO freestanding bench and trellis hack

Materials for folding outdoor table:

• ÄPPLARÖ gateleg table
• Piano hinge
• Hinges
• Latch

First, assemble what as originally the middle connector between the two drop leaves. But do not attach one of the table leaves.

Attach this section to the wall using suitable wall fixtures.

Join the extra gateleg to the other using a piano hinge. You should be able to fold it properly and tuck it neatly underneath the section connected to the wall.

Related: Adjustable over the railing outdoor planter shelves

Then using hinges, attach the remaining drop leaf to the other, which folds down from the wall. Make sure this second one folds up. Add a small latch to the sides of the drop leaf to keep the table folded when in closed position.

When you want to use the table, just open up the latches and position the zigzag gatelegs under the two drop leaves.

It does take a bit of testing to get set the two anchors for the gatelegs in the right position. We did a few tests and got them fixed in the sweet spot. No doubt, the table top is secure and stable when open.

And that’s it. Our folding outdoor table works easily and perfectly now.

~ by Martin

I have a small room, but want to be able to do various project work, including working on my 3D printer. And I really wanted a desk where I can have things organized or I spend all my time looking for my tools and pieces.

So, I used an IKEA HEMNES console table, two HEMNES night stands, and the top part of the two-part HEMNES writing desk (the desk add-on unit).

The two night stands are placed on top of the console table, and the add on unit on top of them, like the cross slab of a megalith, done in wood plank furniture. 

IKEA items used:

• HEMNES Desk Add-on Unit (304.024.11)
• HEMNES Console Table (502.821.39)
• 2 x HEMNES Chest of 2 Drawers (304.024.06)
• SKÅDIS plates and various hooks

Other materials and tools:

• 157 x 60 x 2cm wooden plate
• White paint
• Painting tools
• 9 hinges, screws, bolts, nuts,
• 2 x 72 cm table legs
• Normal pencil & fat pencil
• Foam or other large squishable item
• Pencil sharpener
• Various tools including drill and Dremel

3D Printer Workbench set up

At first, I piled the HEMNES units up. The problem with this set up is there isn’t all that much table space for basic computing work. Like having space for a monitor and keyboard.

The solution was to replace the top plate of the console table with a wider one, then attach the narrower original plate with hinges to the wider plate. Much like a secretary desk.

I got a board cut to size, 2 cm thick, which I then proceeded to sand all the edges off and hand-painted several layers of white, trying to get the same white stained finish as the HEMNES.

Replicating the holes for the top plate

After that, the tricky part was replicating the holes of the top plate accurately – 6 large and 4 small – on the new board. Just measuring them would not cut it, at least not in my experience with similar projects earlier.

I needed some sort of marker I could use to derive the drilling spots from the console table itself. Then, I realised pencils could do the job. A regular pencil fit the smaller holes nicely. For the larger holes, I used Faber-Castell large coloring pencils.

Related: A 3D Printer DIY framework never looked this good

After marking all the necessary holes, the moment of truth! Using a 10 mm wood drill bit and the distance-stop on the drill, I first did a test drill in a piece of left-over wood of the same thickness, then drilled the larger holes first. Of the 6 big holes, 2 needed a tiny bit of sideways drilling to go in. The four smaller holes just fit perfectly. Quite amazing.

In order to prevent the overhanging board from bending and breaking over time, I added support brackets underneath.

Attaching the folding desk to the 3D printer workbench

The last part was adding the foldable table top with foldable legs. This also needs to be done carefully, which I’ve detailed in my tutorial. Poorly placed hinges can make proper folding impossible, or at least break down quickly. 

I also used some magnets to hold up the legs in the folded position.

Since part of the reason for this workbench is that I get to have my tools organized, I got some Skådis hook plates and a bunch of attachments. I put two plates hinge-mounted in front, leaving me with space to hang my tools.

The 3D printer workbench folds down nicely to allow an air mattress, and up to work on. The legs are admittedly a bit unstable. But it’s a huge step up from a wobbly folding table and a flimsy metal shelf system. 

Time and cost?

The main part, after putting together the IKEA parts and painting the board, took about a week. Above the IKEA parts, it cost maybe €70 total, I didn’t count.

What to pay special attention to?

I was lucky that the space between the chests of drawers was large enough, I didn’t measure that. A different printer might be too large.

Looking back, would you have done it differently?

I needlessly cut out spaces for hinges on the board, thinking I wanted the foldable part to fold upwards. Folding downwards is much easier.

See the full tutorial on my blog.

~ by Lars Clausen