I received an order from a client for a ticket booth, which was to be placed at the entrance to an auditorium. The client wanted it on a budget. So I turned to IKEA for materials to DIY an affordable but stylish ticket booth / counter.
All in, it cost us about €81.00 for materials.
The client loved it and it’s been used in the ticket office for the last 5 years, with no complaints.
At that time, IKEA sold a LACK end table, which unfortunately seems to be discontinued. IKEA stores in select countries still carry a KALLAX single cube which is very similar to the LACK end table, except for the casters and a slightly smaller dimension.
IKEA items used:
3 LACK end table (discontinued) The KALLAX cube is almost the same but comes without wheels
Then, mount another LACK end table on top of the first, without wheels and without the bottom panel.
Repeat mounting the third LACK end table.
Now, taking the LACK side table, cut the legs to desired height and mount it on top of the 3 tiered LACK end tables. Fill in the middle gap with the cut legs.
Take the two LACK end table tops that were not used and mount them vertically from the counter top. Set them slightly apart, secured by small hooks from the LACK side table top.
What do you like most about the hack?
The part I like most is its uniqueness and functionality.
The second my little one started teething, she would pull herself up in her crib and start gnawing (well, slobbering initially) on the rails.
The wall-facing side was safe, as there wasn’t enough room for her to nibble, but I needed something to protect the railing on the room-facing side.
Especially since — in my infinite wisdom — I had painted the top of the railings grey. And even though I had used child-friendly paint I still didn’t want her ending up with flakes of paint on her gums.
Along came the HIMMELSK crib bumper to rescue, for the second time!
I had already turned it upside down and used it as a crib skirt, but now that the bed was on the lower position, it was sitting unloved and unused in a drawer.
IKEA items used:
HIMMELSK Bumper Pad (discontinued, try the LENAST instead)
Unfortunately, I did not take pictures of the step by step process. As usual, I’m more of a doer than a planner, so I just got stuck into the project without documenting it.
But basically, I …
cut a strip the length of the crib and sealed the open edge with bias tape. (The height is the full height of the bumper pad, minus the flimsy bottom bit.)
repositioned the elastics as I now needed them hidden inside the folded fabric.
First things first, I wouldn’t have been able to do this Double POÄNG without looking at a previous Triple POÄNG article by Ian Fish.
Mine is similar, but different at the same time. Thank you so much, Ian, for the inspiration.
I kind of did this in two stages — the initial build, with the old seat cushion. Then, the second stage, where I refined things a little.
I initially thought of joining two POÄNGs together, as I already had one, and I was due to get some cats, and it seemed that the POÄNGs were cat proof. (The irony was, I didn’t realise I was allergic to cats, until I got them, and had to give them back to the cat charity).
Also, I thought it would be nice to have some furniture that was a bit quirky, and a bit different.
I used various “flat/slot, and star screwdrivers, Allen key hex fitments too.
Initially I used a hacksaw, but thought it was a bit clumsy, so ended up using an electric saw.
Double POÄNG hack
Without further ado here are my instructions for a Double POÄNG armchair.
I dismantled both POÄNGs. I then worked out I would need a centre support — this meant I needed to saw/cut one of the “arms”, into two pieces.
Then, I bored holes into the new centre support, so that I could bolt the other part of the arm onto the centre support piece.
I angled the other part of it, so that it would act as support for the two seats.
Next, I drilled through the two seats, and put bolts and nuts in, to secure them to the centre support piece.
I also joined the bottom rear of the frame (rear cross members). It was a bit crude, cut a bit of wood from one of the arms, and used four bolts and nuts to join it all together.
As for the front of the chair, I drilled two big holes, for self-tapping screw things (I screwed a couple out of the side of the seat frames) for the long bolts. And I had to do a bit of trimming down on the wood to get it all levelled out as best I could.
The bolts screwed down through holes drilled into the front cross members. I also used a long bolt, and drilled holes in the upper parts of the seat frames that would let a bolt pass through the two seats, and screwed a 10mm nut onto it to hold it in place.
The only things I would do differently, would be to ensure that both POÄNGs had the same shade of wood.
Technically I could’ve measured things out more, but as it was a unique-ish shape, a lot of it is trial and error.
Attach all 4 pegboards together vertically to form a cube using zip ties at the top and bottom corners.
Cut a piece of MDF (or any wood 3/4″ thick approx) to 12 1/2″ square. Attach the mounting rails that come with the SKÅDIS to the 4 sides of the MDF the same way as a wall mount.
Using the mounting screws/bolts attach the cube to the MDF insert as if you were attaching it to a wall. Turn the cube on to the end that you’ve added the MDF top to.
Cut a piece of MDF to 13 7/8″ square.
This time you have no mounting rails as they only come with one per board but you have the screws/bolts that are meant to level the board to the wall. Use your drill to make pilot holes in the edge of the MDF lining up with the first pegboard hole of the now second row of holes.
Then add the screws/bolts as before. Turn cube over so the MDF with the rails is at the top.
Sit the cube on the wheeled plant stand, you could glue it down but the plant sits just under the edge of the cube so it’s secure.
The reason for the cube to have the rail side as the top is so it has a lip that you can hook non SKÅDIS items such as the SUNNERSTA line designed for the kitchen wall rails.
Combining two IKEA classics to make storage steps.
We had a classic bunk bed with a steel side ladder. The bed is very nice, also because it came as a gift. But we just didn’t like the ladder.
Before …
So we looked up online for some ideas and we saw many examples. The bed, having a very high edge, was too tall for a TROFAST step unit stairs hack and therefore we had to add a STUVA wardrobe to create storage steps.
The railing is composed by 40x40mm well polished poles that are anchored with screws to the IKEA structure.
Since the STUVA structure is not made of solid wood, I had some doubts about its resistance. Even if only a 6-year-old girl had to climb it, I wanted to stiffen the upper structure with a 20mm board well anchored with screws.
Now I can climb that too (I weight 80kg) without problems or creaks.
Having also removed the plastic safety edge on the top bunk, I made a themed railing with 400x100mm boards and 40x40mm poles as a structure, all held together with wood glue and screws. The structure is very solid and resistant.
The structure is fixed with 3 hinges so that it can be flipped down to easily change the sheets. Once in position it is secured by 2 bolts inserted in the bed structure.
In addition, I inserted anti-slip strips on the steps.
I inserted along the side of the railing some LED stripes that light up when motion is detected. It’s powered not by electricity, but by 4 rechargeable batteries. The cables were masked with ducts behind the cabinet.
Before all this I made a simple model in sketchup, then modeled and rendered with blender. This is the finished work.
I strongly thank the user JMC1967 (Easy Full Height Bunk Bed Stairs) for giving me the idea. And much thanks to my friend Guido for helping me translate.
SVALNÄS wall mounted cabinet gets a touch of cane.
While I liked the soft white color of the metal brackets and cabinet doors that came with the SVALNÄS range, my husband thought it was too juvenile for our bedroom.
He asked me to spray paint them in bronze color.
However, after I painted the cabinet doors, I wanted some of the original “airiness” back, so I used the cane.
It turned out so lovely, I am looking around my house for other places that might need the SVALNÄS installed!
Wood Cabinet Knobs with Green patina applied (on hand)
Glass tops for Desk/Cabinet (local glass cutter)
Contact paper for desk drawers and back of Cabinets (on hand)
Assorted hardware (on hand)
Cane doors for SVALNÄS wall cabinet:
Step 1: Paint the Brackets and Metal Cabinet Doors
I painted, in a garage, and kept the brackets/doors elevated with wood blocks under them to ensure an even coat.
Because I painted in light layers—and there were so many brackets—it took about two days.
I chose NOT to paint the small hardware used to attach the brackets to the uprights because I did not want to risk losing those pieces in the process.
Step 2: Attach the Cane Sheets to Metal Wall Cabinet Doors
The cane sheets arrived in one long roll. I laid it out and put heavy books on it to straighten the cane. After a day or so, it still rolled up too easily. Instead, I soaked the cane roll in the bathtub overnight, then laid it out again with the heavy books. That worked!
I originally planned to adhere the cane sheets to the cabinet door fronts, but the caning made the door edges too wide to fit into the appropriate slots when assembling the cabinets.
Instead, I cut the cane sheets to nest inside the BACK of the Cabinet doors which has a lip around it which creates an inset. I first used a spray adhesive, but it was not strong enough to keep the cane in place.
Eventually, I dropped Gorilla Glue (clear) in spots along the cane and, with a pair of gloves on, gently spread the glue across the entire cane surface, pressing the cane firmly against the painted metal door.
After each door was no longer tacky to the touch, I laid it flat and put some heavy pots or books on them and let them rest for 24 hours.
Now, the back of the cabinet doors are now the front of the cabinet doors.
Step 3: Assemble and Install the Uprights/Desk/Cabinets/Shelving
Next, I followed the instructions for the assembly and installation, with two exceptions: I added contact paper to the desk drawers and across the back of the cabinet prior to assembly.
I also used some green patina painted wood cabinet knobs I already had on hand instead of the knobs that came with the desks/cabinets.
I had to add some washers to the screws to get them to fit in the older knobs. After the assembly and installation was complete, I slid the doors into place.
Step 4: Add Glass Tops to Desks/Cabinets
Not necessary, but they help protect the desk/cabinet tops from scratching.
How long and how much did it cost?
This took four days, due to patience
with paint and glue and other time demands. (This does not include time waiting
for the cane delivery.) The additional costs included the spray paint, glue,
cane, and glass tops which all totaled less than $100.
What do you like most about the hack?
The cane-fronted cabinets! Also, my
husband was right: the bronze brackets are much more elegant than the original
soft white.
What was the hardest part about this hack?
Figuring out how to make the cane
“flat” and then how to make it adhere to the metal doors without peeling off.
What to pay special attention to?
If I had not figured out how to flip
the cabinet doors to use the inset of the doors’ backsides, then I would have
been struggling to get a clean and straight cut of whatever material I wanted
to use on the original fronts, which may have ended up “sloppy.”
Looking back, would you have done it differently?
While I LOVE the cane, I could have used some leftover grasscloth wallpaper. It would have been less expensive and reduced the time waiting for the cane to be delivered and to straighten.
I recently hacked up some IKEA IRSTA LED countertop lights. Reason for hacking it was I didn’t pay close attention to the depth of the light panels when ordering.
And it’s too much of a hassle to take them back these days.
I was extremely nervous when I started out, but the hacks turned out to be pretty straightforward and now I have lights I am very pleased with.
Step 1. Find the Right Size For Your IKEA IRSTA Lights
I probably wouldn’t have had to make this mod if I’d measured the available space under my shelves accurately in the first place. The total depth for the IKEA IRSTA lights, with all hardware attached, is about 14-3/8″ from the rearmost mounting clips to the front of the attached lip when tamped down.
My shelves only have 11-7/8″ of space underneath, so I decided to cut the lights down to a total depth of 11-3/8″, removing exactly 3″.
I should note that the LED bar by itself can make a perfectly serviceable sconce light or backlight; if you are very tight on space, consider using just the LED bar, perhaps with a small slice of the diffuser / softener panel covering the LEDs for appearance.
Step 2. Unpack and Unwrap the Diffuser Panels
Be careful opening the box, as I had one light with its panel facing the seam. You can remove the contents and use the box as a work surface if you need to. Finally, remove the protective film from the diffuser so that you can take it apart.
Step 3. Disassemble the Diffuser Panels
You need to remove the side clips carefully; they are somewhat sharp and made of aluminum, so they can cut you or bend if you are too forceful. Wear gloves if necessary.
The three panels are, in order from closer to the metal frame -> closer to the outside: 1. reflective white sheet 2. plexiglass plate 3. light diffuser / softener plate
You will be cutting these three panels, plus the metal back and the side clips, down to size. Set any other parts aside. Do not cut the LED bar or front clip.
Step 4. Mark Out the Cuts
A) Mark the side clips closer to the back end, about a couple inches away from the LED bar clip slots. This will improve overall strength of the diffuser assembly vs having all cuts in the same location.
B) Mark the metal plate towards the front end (the end with the stop against which the diffuser plates abutt) but a couple inches back from the very front; this should help the larger piece support the weight of the diffuser assembly during installation.
C) Mark the diffuser panels at the front end (the end without filleted corners) as the fillets are needed for the LED bar clips, and the front end will be partially covered by the front cover, hiding any imperfections.
I planned to cut 3″ out of all the pieces in order to leave a bit of leeway in my installation.
Step 5. Cut and Clean Up the Side Clips
These pieces can be cut with a rotary tool, a metal circular saw blade, or hacksaw.
Cleanup of the cut ends is important as large gaps will be clearly visible when light leaks between the two pieces. It will also prevent excessive scratching of or catching on the diffuser plates during re-assembly.
Step 6. Cut and Clean Up the Metal Plate
Mark the metal plate for cutting. I found that I got good results from using the excised middle section from one of the side clips as a ruler to mark the cut size here. You will probably end up with the metal plate a little shorter than the plexiglass plate if you do so; as long as they’re within 1/8″ or so this is fine.
I found the front edge cover to make a handy straight edge for marking the various plates as its lower lip is straight and smooth, and as long or longer than the width of the various plates. If you do so, perhaps use a dry erase marker (or have a strong solvent on hand) so that you can clean pen marks off of the lip after using the cover thusly.
I cut this plate with a circular saw designed for light metal; a rotary tool or hacksaw would probably work but with my saw guide I get very straight cuts. Beware of flying metal slivers and wear eye protection!
After cutting, clean up the two edges that have been cut and set the excised section aside. The two matched edges don’t need to make a precise fit but they should be parallel and burr free. Sorry, no pics of the cut metal plate as I got interrupted here; just the complete set of cut parts and LED bar components:
Step 7. Cut and Clean Up the Plastic Diffuser Plates
The reflective white plastic sheet, the thinnest of the plates, can be cut with scissors but I recommend using a utility knife and a straight edge to cut it cleanly.
I tried the score-and-break method on the second diffuser plate and the results were awful. I had chips, shards, and rough sections everywhere (see below). The results using my metal circular saw blade were much better, so I would strongly recommend that approach for both the plexiglass and diffuser plates. They both cut cleanly with a circular saw.
The center plexiglass plate should be a little longer than the other two plates, so that its back edge makes clean contact with the LED bar. If this is not the case, trim the other two plates as necessary. As long as they are within ~1/8″ of the same lengths, it should be fine.
N.B.: If you should accidentally break the plexiglass or diffuser plates, it is relatively simple to shape patches out of discarded material after cutting, and superglue works very well with these materials.
Step 8. Reassemble the Diffuser
You may wish to prepare by cleaning both sides of the plexiglass and diffuser plates with window cleaning solution, as I’ve noticed that fingerprints between the two show up clearly when the light is turned on.
Start reassembly by stacking the diffuser plates in order: – diffuser plate (bottom, glossy face down) – plexiglass (middle) – white sheet (top)
The filleted corners should be mostly aligned, and the back edges should be about even (ideally with the central plexiglass plate protruding very slightly).
Place the two parts of the metal plate on top, with the filleted corners aligned and the front edges of the diffuser plates up against the wall of the front part.
(pic shows side clip attached, please ignore)
Aligning the front edge of one longer side clip piece with the lip of the front metal plate piece, try to sandwich both metal plates and all three diffuser plates within the clip. Make sure that plate alignments stay mostly correct — they can be adjusted later.
I found the easiest way to get each clip on was:
1. Ensuring that the “fat” side was up, slide the “skinny” side under the plates at an angle. The clip piece should be long enough to touch both parts of the top metal plate at once. At this point the clip piece should be rotated ~45 degrees longitudinally compared to the plates; the traction ridges will make it hard to press the clip straight on.
2. While holding the various plates together, lift the whole contraption up until all plates are resting on the opposite side from the clip, and the opening of the clip is facing down toward your work surface.
3. While pressing “up” on the “skinny” side (applying pressure from the diffuser side toward the metal plate side) try to rotate the clip until it is properly seated. This takes a little practice but once you get it the first time, the rest are relatively easy.
Once one clip is on, repeat the process with the three other pieces. They should all go on with the “fat” side on the metal plate side, and the “skinny” side on the diffuser plate side.
The smaller back pieces of the side clips should protrude a bit past the back edge of the metal plate, so that the cut holes in the sides align with the fillets cut into the various plates:
Step 9. Test Fit of LED Bar and Front Clip
At this point I found it useful to test fit the LED bar’s clips against the rear of the diffuser assembly, by alternately putting one side tab into its slot and making sure it seated correctly. Don’t do both or you will have to partly disassemble the side clips!
Also try placing the front clip into position. At this point there is no pressure holding it in place, but make sure that the side clips are not too far forward or back, and that they are both fully seated and don’t stick out much past the end of the front clip.
If any clip piece is too far out of position, try sliding it into place by finger pressure or, in the worst case, tapping with a rubber or wooden mallet.
Step 11. Test LED Bar
At this point it’s a good idea to plug the LED bar into the driver and, using a paired remote or the physical switch, make sure that all the LEDs light and the switches work, etc. It wouldn’t do to mod and install the light only for the LEDs to not work!
Step 10. Finish Installation Per IKEA IRSTA Instruction Sheet
Follow the instruction sheet from here.
Note: once all the screws are in place, it may be much more difficult to install the front clip than during test fitting. One approach is to get one end in place, and then gently tap the rest of the clip into position using the handle of a hammer and a rubber mallet. I used this method on both my installations and it worked quite well.
How long and how much did it cost?
$0 on top of the cost of the IKEA IRSTA LED lights, which were something like $212 including the two panels, driver, and remote.
What do you like most about the hack?
I didn’t have to return anything, and now I have exactly the lights that I wanted.
What was the hardest part about this hack?
Fixing the IKEA IRSTA diffuser panel that I partially broke while trying the scoring method on it.
What to pay special attention to?
Keeping all the cuts straight and near the same size.
Looking back, would you have done it differently?
I would have worn nitrile gloves during reassembly, to avoid fingerprint oil between the diffuser sheet and the plexiglass sheet.
Sophie asks, “Has anyone ever tried to bring that HEMNES solid wood bookshelf to natural?”
***
Hi Sophie
Firstly, I’m not sure the bookcase in the photo is a HEMNES. The legs are a little different from the HEMNES’ straight legs. And the HEMNES top isn’t flared. Perhaps an older HEMNES? I’m not sure.
But anyways, to answer your question. Yes it’s possible to take the solid wood HEMNES bookcase from lacquered to natural. And if your bookcase is solid wood with a lacquered top, you can pretty much follow the same steps.
I’ve seen some pretty examples of it, especially this one. In that hack, Janson removed the white lacquer to reveal the natural pine wood beneath.
Stripping HEMNES to natural wood
Basic steps include using an orbital sander to remove the lacquer on the surface. Start with an 80 grit sandpaper to remove the top layer then switch to a 120 grit to smooth out the wood.
Some prefer to disassemble the item and then sand each piece. I would probably go with that to make sure the orbital sander does a thorough job. If you rather not disassemble it (because we know it can be a pain), then sand the main flat surfaces with a sander and then use a sanding block or sandpaper for those pesky nooks and crannies.
This would probably take up the bulk of your time. Remember to go slow to minimise swirl marks from the sander.
After you’re satisfied with the sanding, give it a good wipe-down to remove the dust.
At this point, some prefer to assemble the unit before staining. Some prefer to finish the stain job before assembly. My personal preference would be to stain before assembly. And assemble before sealing for a smooth finish.
To stain, get a piece of rag and dip a section into the stain of your choice. Then, apply a thin coat, following the grain of the wood. Rub off excess with a dry cloth. If the stain is too light, leave it on for a little longer before rubbing off.
Leave the stain to dry thoroughly (usually 24 hours) before moving to the last step.
The last thing to do is to seal the stain with a layer of polyurethane. Again, wipe down the bookcase to prep the surface. Then, using a foam brush apply as many coats as you think necessary, leaving to dry thoroughly between applications.
After everything cures, voilà! Your bookcase au naturel.
Show us how it looks after.
Happy hacking,
Jules
Hacking may compromise the structural integrity of the item, so please be aware of the risks involved before modifying or altering any IKEA product. Alterations and modifications will also void any warranties or return policies you may have received from IKEA. IKEAhackers.net is not liable for any product failure, injury or damage resulting from the application of suggestions, ideas and hacks featured on this site.
After a few months of COVID related working from home, with no end in sight, we wanted a dedicated work space with a big screen.
Sitting with the wife at the kitchen table happily hacking away is fun, but when both of us have conference calls, or when the kids are around, not much work gets done.
There was no spare room, and we were neither willing to tolerate a permanent work desk in the bed room nor did we want to lose an entire PAX — at most we were ok to lose one drawer.
Luckily a fold out desk with a screen is enough for either one of us. No need for printer, lots of binders or other tools.
We share this space, whoever needs the separate room most gets to use it that day.
Here’s how our PAX looks
Opens up to reveal our fold out desk
Slide out and start working
IKEA items:
PAX frame with sliding doors — in my case the 2 meter wide, 2.36 meter high version. (Could work the same I guess with the 75cm PAX frames, 50cm would probably be useless.)
These have a width of 13mm per slide and are rated for 45kg load.
The PAX tolerates quite a heavy load, might want to make sure it’s screwed to the wall.
The PAX being 96cm wide on the inside, I got the board for the desk cut to 93.4cm x 57cm. I mounted the slides to desk height into the PAX (around 76cm for me, but you may vary according to your liking), flush to the front.
The sides on my PAX are chipboard, this has enough ‘meat’ to hold the slides. This constitutes the basic desk to slide in and out.
Mounting the slides was not very hard to do, but it’s important to measure and work precisely. This step does not tolerate sloppy work. If the slides are not parallel, the desk will not slide out easily – or at all.
Next step was to measure the screen and screen mount.
I wanted to figure out the depth of the screen and mount assembly. I got two boards cut to this height, added a few millimeters to spare.
The higher those boards are, the more space the construction will take later when folded, and the higher the screen will come when unfolded. I chose my boards to be the interior width of the PAX (96cm), and had to take out little corners to make space for the slide. One could also make them the width of the desk board, but I preferred the full width look.
The last board needed is the cover, when folded flat, that houses the screen. I made that one the width of the PAX, and the full extension of my slides – 96x55cm.
I had all the boards cut for me at the DIY shop – perfectly straight and true. I went for glued beech wood (in 18mm) for those boards, which I oiled, because I like the look. One could just as well go for laminated chipboard — no need to treat it, but will have to cover the cut edges.
I finished the desk part by fixing one of the small boards vertically to the rear end of the desk board. As mentioned, I had to make little cutouts for the slide.
I mounted it so that it would be flush with the front of the PAX when the desk was all extended. At this point, I had to mount and unmount the desk board several times from the PAX to measure and check things.
The vertical board will hold up the cover board later. One can either screw and glue this on, or use wooden pins. I went for the pins since there’s no visible screws, but functionally both methods are good.
The cover board is next.
This lies flat when folded and holds the screen. I mounted the VESA mount on to it in such a way that the lower edge of the screen is just above the lower edge of the board, and drilled a big hole in it to route the cables on to the other side of the board.
On the 1 meter PAX, a 32” screen works beautifully, however a 4K screen is required. You will sit too close for comfort with a FullHD screen, it will look all grainy. I know because I tried.
On top of the cover board, above the screen, I mounted the other small board vertically. Again with wood pins, but screws are good, too. When folded down, this board holds up the cover board, so the screen does not touch the desk board.
The fold out desk slides out of the PAX and the top cover is then lifted up.
I fixed the small board not at the very edge, but 2cm in, to give me a handle to grip the entire contraption when folding it up. One could just as well drill a hole into it to get a finger in as a handle.
Next to last step is …
… attaching the cover board with the screen to the desk board – this is what the piano hinge is used for. Again, it’s not extremely hard, but precision is required. The hinge has to lie straight on the edges of the two wood boards, so when one folds the cover up, it sits nice and straight.
Once the entire construction was ready and mounted into the PAX, I made sure that, when pushed in, it lied flat with the front of the PAX and the sliding door closed just in front of it. When pulled out and folded up, the cover board was flush with the PAX.
Using some left over wood, I cut two blocks that I screwed into the PAX for the cover board to rest against, and two magnetic catches to hold it up. The catches are rated for 10kg each, and in conjunction with the blocks mounted lower on the sides of the PAX, make sure the cover board does not come down on its own, and the desk board cannot be pushed in when the cover is up.
Added a laptop holder
As an encore, I added a holder for a notebook computer (which is just an L shaped contraption made of left over wood) and a power socket on top of the cover board. When I get to work, I pull out the board, plug in my notebook, slide it into the holder, and fold up the screen — and I’m in business.
One could just as well mount a small form factor PC like a NUC to the back of it, but in my use case, various company supplied notebook computers are used.
How long and how much did it cost?
This was work — I spent around 8 hours working on it, over the course of a week or so. It was not hugely expensive, the slides cost 20 EUR, the VESA mount was 15, assorted hardware another 15, and the wood around 100. The screen is expensive, but that was needed anyway.
What do you like most about the hack?
The fold out desk is very pleasant to use and set up. Takes me a minute in the morning to convert the bedroom to office, and a minute in the evening to move it back.
What was the hardest part about this hack?
Nothing was very hard, some bits just required precise work.
What to pay special attention to?
It’s important to make sure one takes exact measurements of the thickness of the mounted screen, of the exact position of the VESA mount. VESA is a standard, but the height of the mount varies from screen to screen. Also, the VESA mount may need some extra space to assemble it once mounted to the screen. I tried these things several times before finally fixing them.
I like it. The wife likes it too, so it’s all good.
But users have made small improvements to table lamp and made it even better.
#1 IKEA TÄRNABY frosted
The reason I did this was because I like the lamp, but even with the bulb that was included it can get bright enough to hurt my eyes unless I kept it on a low light level. I wanted to be able to use it on maximum brightness so I decided that I should diffuse the light somehow.
5 minutes later I had the glass taken off. And with the spray can in my hand and after an hour of drying — since this stuff dries incredibly fast — it was back on the lamp and I could turn it up as much as I wanted.
I also personally like the way it looks this way more, but the detail in the edison bulb gets lost in the light diffusion on higher brightness levels.
Next, I used masking tape to block off the inside of the lamp so none of the spray would get inside.
Then I applied 2 coats of the glass frosting spray to the outside of the glass and let it dry.
~ by Noah Frix
#2 Add a diffuser
Snomifox took an easier route to soften the glare from the TÄRNABY lamp. He used a piece of tape like non-woven fabric as a diffuser for the bulb. Just cut to size and slide it into the glass jar.
#3 Make it old school
Enhance the vintage style of the TÄRNABY lamp with a reflector, like the oil lamps of yore. Gismo75 made a reflector holder for the TÄRNABY lamp and it’s available on Thingiverse.
#4 Give it a personalised shade
I have bought a TÄRNABY desktop lamp. Since I do 3D printing, I immediately started thinking about how to modify it.
I have designed a 4 armed bracket that fits in the slot of the glass cover and from this point on, it can hold a lithophane cover.
After the sample printing, it turned out, it has problems so I had to redesign it to a 7-arm bracket. This print succeeded, so with the help of the lithophanemaker I generated a barrel type 12 cm size lithophane cover.
Using a layer cutter, I matched the two objects and generated a g-code for the printing. As for the printing, I used a highly pigmented ABS filament, with 0,1 layer size. The printing lasted almost 40 hours long.
Final results — personalised lithophane lamp shades. I think it is cool.
First, we assembled the two KURA beds in loft position.
We wanted to add two facade pieces to the long side of KURA beds. In order to counterbalance the weight of the planks (1cm thickness), a couple of simple carpentry works needed to be done.
My wife wanted a large desk to work on her Doctorate program. And combining the affordable LINNMON table tops into a floating corner desk seemed like the best solution.
Cut 1×4” boards to length matching the length of the combined tops.
The wall cleat along the length of the table top
Mount the cleats to the wall using drywall screws.
Then, mount the desk tops to the cleats using steel corner brackets.
Steel bracket to fasten the table top to the cleat
Supported the combined desk tops on each end using the closet rods.
It’s a bit hard to see but it shows the cleat painted to blend in with the wall
Because of the wall cleats, we did not need to install a leg in the corner section to support the desk. This gives the desk a floating effect and makes the corner a lot easier to use.
When we picked up the three LINNMON table tops that we used for the desktop surface IKEA was sold out of all colors of the ADILS legs.
Our LA area stores weren’t expecting them for over a month due to the number of people setting up home offices and home-schooling. We didn’t want to delay the install.
I bought simple 1 3/4” wooden closet rods and cut them to the 29 1/2” length my wife wanted for her desk. I painted them white and used the closet mounting ‘cup style” brackets that came with them to hold the legs in place under the tops.
This came out to about the same price as the ADILS legs (which would have been prefinished) and gave us the same ADILS clean modern look. Anyone could easily use the ADILS legs for the same look.
What do you like most about the hack?
The ease of working with the Linnmon tops
What was the hardest part about this hack?
Transporting the 48” corner top in a small hybrid
What to pay special attention to?
Keeping the entire top level left to right and front to back.
With a pencil, she outlined R2’s design on the dresser. It’s no easy task getting every line and curve right. It’s a labour of love.
Some parts of the body which appears embossed on R2, she outlined with a grey Sharpie.
Next, she painstakingly painted the blue and grey parts. She used painter’s tape to help keep the lines within the boxes.
As for R2’s head, she drew a half circle on plywood and cut it out with a jigsaw. She first coated it in grey, then, transferred the face designs on it. Again, painting the face to look like R2.
The plywood head is then attached to the top of the dresser with brackets.
And voilà! R2-D2 dresser. Flanked by fellow droid, BB-8.
The last step is to secure the IVAR cabinet to the wall to prevent any tip over risk.
How long did it take?
5 minutes (drilling 4 holes in the IVAR cabinet and fastening the NORBO)
What was the hardest part of the hack?
Doing this alone, the NORBO table is a bit clumsy and heavy for one person to put up.
What to pay special attention to?
Arrange the IVAR shelves in the cabinet before fastening the NORBERG. Also, secure the IVAR cabinet to the wall so it doesn’t tip over from extra weight.
I would also recommend fixing an extra piece of wood along the top of the IVAR to prevent the screws from tearing out of the IVAR.
You are basically stacking two MARKERAD display cabinets, one on top of the other, adding some legs to the the bottom cabinet, and lights (optional).
Since it’s a fairly square piece of furniture with flat sides, it’s safe and easy to stack, as long as you have a reasonably level floor.
It’s an incredibly simple hack that requires no tools or special skills, other than a pair of scissors. As such, there aren’t really any specific steps other than to add the legs, add the rubber stoppers, install the lights and enjoy.
Basic build (no lighting)
Each MARKERAD comes with four small plastic feet to help level the unit. You will need to install these feet on the TOP cabinet if you intend to use lighting, to create space between the two cabinets and allow the power cable to slip in between the two cabinets and not be squashed.
If you’re not using lighting then you could probably lose the plastic feet altogether, though they may be useful for levelling the top cabinet. And I think the small spacing between the cabinets actually looks quite nice regardless of lighting.
Here’s what I did.
Buy 2 x MARKERAD cabinets. These are limited editions circa 2020 and collection only at time of writing.
Install the tapered wood legs to the bottom cabinet. The ones I bought via eBay came with M8 bolts, the same as the holes already installed in the cabinet, so this is a straightforward add on.
Now to stack the second cabinet on top. Make sure you’ve added the plastic feet supplied with the MARKERAD for the top cabinet, especially if you are using the lighting strips (read separate instructions below)
Get someone to help you lift the second cabinet on top of the bottom one. Once you have the two cabinets stacked and lined up, get someone to lift each side of the top cabinet while you install a sticky FIXA felt pad under each plastic foot. This should protect the bottom cabinet from scratching.
Lastly, simply push the two white rubber stoppers into the two holes of the glass doors.
Done!
Optional lighting
All three LED strips are installed OUTSIDE the cabinets using the nano tape and can be daisy-chained using extension cables.
I only used one extension cable to daisy chain two of them. Mainly because I wasn’t aware of their existence when I first stacked and filled the cabinets. So dismantling it all to add another extension cable would have been a pain.
I’m fairly sure if you did this from scratch that you could daisy chain all three LED strips and only have one mains plug to deal with – much neater.
Because the pine batons have a bit of depth to them, and the LED strips are almost the same height, you can practically hide them from view.
Use the Nano tape and cable tidy grips to install all three on the front, inner edges of the cabinets, two on the bottom cabinet, one on the top cabinet.
For the middle LED strip, make sure you use the plastic feet on the TOP cabinet to create space. Then, trail the power lead out over the back of the cabinet when you are stacking them.
What’s the cost?
Each unit costs £150. The FIXA pads are around 50p a packet. Rubber stoppers around £1 each. The stained legs were around £20 for a set of four. And the LED strips around £15 each, so a total cost of around £370.
The cabinets take the lighting really well as they are glass on all sides. And despite being quite a large object, as it’s largely glass it doesn’t feel big in my space. And I have a low ceiling.
How long did it take to hack this?
It took a while to arrive at the stacked option as I bought one cabinet first then had the idea to stack another later.
If you were doing this in one go it would take maybe 2 hours total.
Anything you would do differently?
If I do anything differently in future it would be to daisy chain all three LED strips to reduce the installation to a single power plug.
The IKEA SNUDDA kitchen turntable: It’s one of those things I’ve always want to buy but am not sure what I’m going to use it for. Have you ever had that dilemma?
If so, here are some ideas on how to use it and not necessarily in the kitchen.
10 fabulous ideas for the IKEA SNUDDA kitchen turntable
#1 A Kitchen Turntable
Firstly, of course as a kitchen turntable. It’s so simple, so cheap and so useful for the kitchen.
Glue a round tray like the SKALA on top of the the SNUDDA lazy susan and you’ll get a handy turntable to use in those hard to reach corners under the kitchen sink. Read more.
Monica from the magazine, Home by Sunset has two wonderful hacks using the IKEA SNUDDA.
You can make a unique round mirror to suit your home decor. Monica stuck wooden teardrops on the lazy susan and painted them white. Glue on the mirror last.
#3 Big red and baby blue clock
One IKEA SNUDDA lets you make two clocks. Not bad for a $13 item. Firstly, lightly sand the top and sides of the lazy susan. Decorate it the way you want to with wooden shapes, stencils, nails — it’s up to you. Paint and assemble the clock as per instructions.
Create a unique piece with Scandinavian prints for a chaotic, whimsical art piece that’ll brighten your kitchen. See custom painted SNUDDA.
#7 A cat tree
The round discs of the SNUDDA is just right for a cat tree. Seen here with STOLMEN poles. Swap the discontinued poles with the ELVARLI. See the full tutorial here.
#8 Pet playground
Remember the good old turning disc on the playground? You can have the same for your Degus or other rodents now. Here’s a different version for prairie dogs. Click for more.
#9 Homework station
Decorate the turntable with paint and washi tape. Next, stick mason jars on top of the SNUDDA with fasteners. Then, fill the jars with stationery for your kids to grab and do their thing. See the full tutorial here.
#10 Wheels
Bet you never saw that coming. But the SNUDDA works as wheels in this coffee trolley table. The wheels are functional so you can move the trolley table around if needed. See the complete tutorial.
How have you hacked your SNUDDA? Let us know in the comments.
Originally published on Jan 4, 2008. Updated with new content.
The valet chair is a useful piece of furniture that lets you hang your lightly soiled clothes or prep a new set for the next day. It’s also a place to sit down while getting dressed and is especially handy for putting on shoes and socks.
More than that, it’s certainly prettier than a pile of clothes over a chair or ironing board.
Here’s my version of a valet chair from an old IKEA MALM nightstand, which is no longer in production. Under the seat, it has a drawer for small items like socks. Very handy!
Then, attach a drawer pull to the back using the original holes. I chose a C-shaped drawer pull so I can hang items off it.
Next, attach a drawer pull to the front drawer.
Place furniture pads under the front drawer to further level the chair.
Then, I whitewashed the valet chair with diluted white paint. This step is optional if you want to maintain the colour of the MALM nightstand. You can also paint it any other colour your wish.
To cover up the holes where the top shelf was, I glued coasters to the back of the seat.
The GULLIVER cost about £65, keyboard tray was about £10
What do you like most about the hack?
It looks exactly how I imagined. It is very functional with lots of space to store my stationery.
It’s also more comfortable than it looks, because I can rest my feet on the lower shelf and the computer monitor is higher up than a regular desk.
So my working posture has improved.
What was the hardest part about this hack?
Putting the screws in the correct place. I had to move a few of them and the tray is not really very straight.
What to pay special attention to?
Making the tray straight was actually pretty challenging.
Looking back, would you have done it differently?
I didn’t have much time to invest on this project. The best way would have to disassemble the top shelf, attaching the keyboard tray separately and then assembling it back into the GULLIVER.
The keyboard tray has annoying lines that makes typing a bit too loud. I would buy a cleaner design.
And other thoughts/ comments that you have received about the hack:
I worked on this one in lock down, so I didn’t have the chance to pop into the hardware store. I would have got some different screws with fitting washers.
Dad makes fabulous dinosaur bed for daughter’s big girl room.
With Baby #2 arriving, my wife and I knew it would only be a matter of time before we needed to evict our daughter Anna from her current sleeping area — the cot bed.
Because we knew that our life would be focused on Baby for the foreseeable future (and I read somewhere that she might resent the new baby if she saw her bed move as an eviction) we decided to ask Anna if she wanted a “big girl” bed, and what kind of bed she’d like.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting the response: “Dinosaur Bed!! Raaaawwwrrrrrr!”.
MDF (2x 6mm, 1x 12mm thick) 1.2m x 2.4m – walls & door
Wood
Pallet Slats – decoration
Sanded Branches – hand rail
Paint (Brown, Chalkboard, Primer)
Decorations – Leaves
Lights
Tools:
Jigsaw
Router
Drill
Paintbrushes
“Projector”
Glue Gun
Dino bed instructions:
Overview
Cut sheets of MDF to size of each side of KURA.
Cut Dinosaur shape into front panel as door and painted.
Painted MDF (outside brown, inside chalk-board)
Sanded and painted the TROFAST unit brown.
Build & attach side panels and TROFAST.
Added safety railing to the stairs (stripped bark from and sanded lengths of tree taken out of garden).
Added guard rails to the top KURA bunk (sanded and stained pallet wood).
Finish with lights in den, wooden edging & leaf decorations
Total spend: £471
Details of Dinosaur Bed Hack
After a good amount of research (we looked into a variety of options from just getting dino duvets all the way to somehow creating a 3D dinosaur somehow that the bed sits inside), we fell into the rabbit hole that is ikeahackers.net and gained a huge amount of inspiration.
I really liked the idea that the KURA bed could be used to create a bed/den combo. And so the design started to take form.
The below was a rough idea of what I hoped to achieve, put together in powerpoint:
To make sure everything was as accurate as possible I ended up building the KURA outside and measuring and cutting the panels. I’m glad I did, as I nearly forgot to add the thickness of the end panels on top of the length of the KURA to ensure the side panels were the right size!
The first piece of proper prep after measurements were taken was to prime and paint the MDF panels. I decided that to create a “Jungle Dinosaur” theme, I’d just use a simple brown on one side (outside). And to add a bit of fun to her den I’d use chalkboard paint on the other side (inside).
I roped my daughter in here to get her a little more invested in the bed, plus she loves painting. (Although I’m not sure this is what she had in mind when I asked if she wanted to paint). While we were at it, we painted the TROFAST.
Making the dino door
Next up was a tricky part – getting the door right.
I had an image I wanted to use but am no artist. So, armed with some knowledge of science, a box, a random magnifying glass I found and my phone I made a makeshift projector and sketched the design onto the MDF. I am both surprised and over the moon with how well this worked!
Projecting the image onto the MDF
I chopped this door out with a jigsaw, painted it, re-did the details, and routed the edges so that it fit in the hole when I closed it. (I also took about 3 or 4mm off the bottom so that it opens and closes smoothly).
Going natural with the handrail
Using pallet slats, and branches of a tree we took out of our garden I got started on the additional details.
My favourite part of the whole bed is the handrail.
I love how well it turned out and it was something of an afterthought. I used a lot of sanding followed by an oak varnish. Despite almost every piece of wood here being from a different type of tree the varnish worked well to bring it all together.
Once the prep was all done (I know! All of this was prep!), it was just a case of moving it into her room and putting it together. It was actually really simple from here: a case of building the bed, screwing in the side panels and sticking/screwing the wooden extras and TROFAST in place.
As a finishing touch I’d bought a lot of fake leaves earlier and armed with a glue gun we had a lot of fun sticking these around the bed. I’d also created a “spy hole” in the side of the den and used these leaves to partly conceal this.
For the Den
I cut out a hole in the side panel that lines up with the tallest step of the TROFAST so that the storage containers can be pulled inside. This can also be used as a makeshift entrance/exit.
To make the den fun and give some light, I bought a remote control strip light (5m) and stuck this around the bed frame. We have practically had a rave with Anna excitedly showing me which colour lights she likes the most.
As another afterthought I used some of the chalkboard MDF offcuts to attach to the KURA frame and make bookshelves. This went down very well with my daughter who now wants all bedtime stories in her den … not so much with my claustrophobic wife though …
The IKEA Dino tent, T-Rex and bedsheets really brought this whole thing together. Our daughter absolutely loves the new bed. And it’s turned her room from a place where her clothes/toys live, to somewhere she enjoys hanging out!
P.S. The triceratops is yet to get horns. These will be 3D and attached to act as the door handles (eventually!)
3D printed add ons take simple IKEA products to next level.
Adam Miklosi, a freelance industrial designer based in Budapest, have been quietly tweaking some of the IKEA products that he has been using the last couple of years.
“My ideas aspire to supplement the original designs and correct the slips I had experienced, with the help of 3D printing,” he says on his Behance site.
The 3D printed add ons aim to solve real problems and with a little bit of “uppgradera” (Swedish for upgrade) and make the user experience more pleasant and efficient.
Firstly, let’s take a look at the NÄVLINGE work lamp, which comes fitted with a high-power LED. Without a shade, the light keeps shining into one’s eyes. Adam’s UPPGRADERA is a simple clip-on lamp shade which can be used for work, reading or mood lighting.
Next, Adam discovered the slippery surface of the KLIPSK bed tray. Drink glasses easily slide across the surface of the tray, causing spills.
His solution is the KL01 mug holder. One or more can be fitted onto the bed tray and positioned alongside the groove.
If you have one of these STAJLIG clothes hangers, you may have noticed your clothes getting creased easily. And over time, clothes may be worn around the shoulders.
Adam suggests upgrading it with a pair of clip-on shoulder pads. The pads get the weight off the clothes, as well as prevent creasing and wearing out before time.
Open source and printable from anywhere
EKOLN is a stone toothbrush holder with no drainage hole. Water accumulates at the bottom and can become a hotbed for bacteria.
Adam made a drying grid that can be placed near the bottom of the holder to keep the toothbrushes elevated. The grid enables constant ventilation and evaporation of water.
Like the EKOLN, water accumulates in the ENUDDEN dish, leaving the soap to sit in water all the time. He fashioned a gridded lid for the soap dish to store the soap elevated.
The CHOSIGT is one of the most popular cheese graters in IKEA, thanks to its smart collection and storage system. However, when grating, a lot of grated cheese falls outside the container.
Not anymore, if you have the CH01 ring placed around the grater. The shield keeps all the cheesy goodness contained.
R2-D2. So this Hemnes dresser hack made me go “beep beep bo bo peep bo peep” which translates to “it’s freaking awesome”. Mary @the_handcrafted_haven made this dresser for her Star Wars obsessed son. Lucky kid. Head to her story highlights for the tutorial. . . . #starwars #r2d2 #diy #ikeahack #starwarsart
