After years of IKEA KALLAX hacks — with a lot legs added to them — IKEA got it. They finally understood, we want a version of the IKEA KALLAX with legs.

Years ago they offered caster wheels for the IKEA KALLAX but the design was, IMHO, not ideal. The wheel mounting hardware extended beyond the width of the shelving unit which I imagine, led to many stubbed toes.

Now, with this new shiny thing, they may have a winning accessory for the Swedish store’s most versatile piece of cube storage. Personally, I can’t wait to check out the leggy IKEA KALLAX. Get here, quick!

The base is made from steel with an epoxy/polyester powder coating finish. For me, that translates to solid and sturdy. It should have no issues holding up the shelving unit, even when loaded. The downside to the metal material is you can’t trim down the square legs into something slimmer, if you prefer a more delicate profile.

IKEA sells the underframe for $24. Not a bad price and is comparable to a set of 4 metal hairpin furniture legs on Amazon.

Currently, IKEA offers one size to fit the width of 4 cubes across. I hope a base for the smaller unit — the 2- or 3- cube size versions of the KALLAX — is in the pipeline.

As for installation, it seems a breeze. Let’s take a quick look at how it’s done.

How to install the KALLAX shelving unit with legs:

1. You’ll need to assemble the underframe. And the shelf unit if you don’t already have it assembled.

2. Then remove the lower set of screws of the assembled KALLAX and install a special bracket (provided with the base) on to the KALLAX bookshelf.

3. Lastly, place the shelving unit above the underframe and push it into place. This should click and lock the unit to the base. No drilling required and no worries about drilling into any hollow sections.

4. As a safety measure, IKEA recommends securing the KALLAX unit to the wall.

5. And this is how it looks with the underframe. Neat!

Is adding legs a legit IKEA KALLAX hack?

We’ve known all these years just by adding the legs, we can transform the KALLAX bookshelf into something different.  So now that IKEA offers a leg, is it still a KALLAX hack? You tell me.

Anyhow, I welcome it and hope to see more varieties of IKEA legs made specifically for the KALLAX. Until we have more styles, we’ll still need to resort to hacking.

Such as when we want to hack an MCM style KALLAX with hairpin legs.

Or tapered feet.

Read on for the step by step tutorial on adding furniture legs to the KALLAX.

How to add custom legs to KALLAX bookcase:

1. Get a set of furniture legs with metal plates or brackets that you can screw in place. You’ll need at least 4 legs for a 2×2 or 2×4 KALLAX. If you’re using a 1×4 KALLAX as a bench or TV unit with a heavy TV, I’d recommend getting at least 6 legs. (I like this wood with brass accent legs and these triangle legs.)

2. For the placement of legs, place the flat side of the leg mounting plates on the KALLAX and mark where the screws should go. Try to keep as close as possible to the edges of the KALLAX where it’s more solid. (Knock and listen for the hollow parts).

3. Then use a small drill bit to drill pilot holes for your screws. About half the diameter of the screw would be a good place to start.

(Depending on the legs you get, you may need to drill a larger center hole for the leg screw to go through. Be sure to not drill too deep or you might drill through to the other side. Measure the depth required and use masking tape to mark your drill bit to match the level. Check your furniture leg installation guide to be sure.)

The key is to go slow

4. Place the mounting plate over the pilot hole. Then, use a manual screwdriver and slowly secure the plate. (Using a cordless drill may strip the holes too much. You’re not working with a lot of material to begin with.)

5. Screw in the leg to the hardware. Repeat the process for all other legs.

6. Get a friend to help you flip the KALLAX over on its legs.

7. Finish with drawer inserts, door inserts and decor.

8. Stand back and admire your work.

See more IKEA hacks for the IKEA KALLAX shelf or other IKEA storage units.

You may also like:

The post Finally! The IKEA way to add legs to the KALLAX appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

It is true that we get more cat furniture hacks than dogs. Or guinea pigs or snakes and all other pets. Cats win. Period. (So, cat lovers head down to your dedicated page here.)

But that doesn’t mean dog lovers do not hack IKEA. IKEA dog furniture hacks are actually a lot more varied than other pets. 

Not convinced?

Let’s take a look at some of these IKEA dog hacks, that range from beds to crates to feeding bowls. 

I hope they’ll inspire you to hack something special for your furry bestie. And take a moment to share it with us too, so we can achieve balance in the IKEA pet furniture hacking universe.

6 IKEA furniture hacks for dogs

#1 A grand dog bed

One of the most popular IKEA dog furniture hacks are dog beds. Not surprising, as pet beds from the IKEA LURVIG collection leaves a lot to be desired. However, the collection from the Swedish store does feature some lovely blankets and pet-friendly cushions that are great add-ons to the dog bed you hack.

From small to large breeds, we’ve got them. The one of the left — would you believe it — is hacked from a LACK side table. It took on quite a transformation and became this classic dog bed. Isn’t it grand? Full tutorial here.

As for the big boy bed, you’ll need a KALLAX 2×2 shelving unit. Lovely, big comfortable bed. See the hack here.

#2 Bedside dog crate

A crate need not be a cage. But a safe place for dogs to retreat to, like a den if they were still roaming the wilds. Leave the door open for your furry friends to enter and exit at will.

But getting a readymade good looking dog crate is not easy, nor cheap. Which is why Leslie chose the IKEA hacking route to DIY a dog crate that matches her bedroom style.

The end result is a comfortable and pretty bedside crate for her little dog. And as a bonus, it functions as a nightstand. See how she did it.

#3 Elevated dog feeder

This is a simple IKEA hack for big dogs. It elevates their water and food bowl and helps them keep food and water down.

A taller shoe bench from the TJUSIG furniture line is good for tall dogs like Gibbs, Nick’s Argentine Mastiff. See more.

#4 Window seat for dogs

Say woof if you love a window seat.  

Lauren hacked her 6-drawer MALM dresser into a window seat for her dogs to check out passing cars. Probably their favorite activity next to daily walks.

If this isn’t the dogs’ favorite piece of furniture in the entire house I don’t know what is. Because personally, I want a seat on the comfortable cushion too. See more.

#5 Dog steps or perch for small dogs

If you have a small dog or a pup, you may want to hack a dog step instead. 

After watching her puppy struggle to get onto the couch, Courtney took the IKEA crate and made it into dog steps. You’ll need at least 3 of the KNAGGLIG crates. See the tutorial.

For the window perch, you’ll need the 3-step TROFAST frame instead. Pad them with rugs for a cozy lookout. Then in the frame, insert TROFAST storage bins for pet necessities like leashes, brushes and treats. See dog window perch tutorial.

#6 Coffee table for two

Dogs are social animals and love to be where you are. Your furkids want their special spot in the living room too when you’re lounging there.

Here’s how to add a comfortable spot under the LACK coffee table for the 4-legged member of the family. After hacking, finish it with a machine-washable pet cushion from the LURVIG line. See how it’s done.

See more IKEA Hacks for dogs.

Do you have any IKEA hacks for dogs? Share them with us.

The post 6 IKEA Furniture Hacks for a happy Dog’s Life appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Using the IKEA LACK shelf as a floating nightstand is one of the most popular way to use the small shelf. 

Juan Antonio improves upon it by incorporating a built-in light into the bedside table. His goal was to have a floating nightstand with light that didn’t hit his eyes directly when turned on in the middle of the night.

But the light must still be bright enough to illuminate the space. Cause no one wants to bump into bed corners.

IKEA item used:

IKEA LACK shelf 

Other materials:

Slim circular LED downlight (when can be directly connected to 220V)
A small circular switch (able to handle 220V)
Some cable and connectors

Steps to DIY a floating nightstand with light:

First, use the LED downlight to trace out the circle on the LACK shelf. The diameter of the circle should be slightly smaller than the downlight. This now becomes the underside. (Please check that the slim end of the mounting bracket is pointing up.)

Using a utility knife, carefully cut out the circle on the LACK shelf. It will take a bit of force and you may need to score the top repeatedly to cut through. Don’t worry if you don’t get perfectly nice edges as the LED downlight will seal up the edges (which is why the circle should be smaller than the downlight). 

Pop out the cut circle and you’ll see the paper honeycomb structure within the LACK shelf. You need to create enough space for the downlight hardware so remove as much material as necessary.

Next make a hole for the switch to go through.

Wire up the light with cables and connectors. The cable should come out through the back of the LACK shelf. (If you’re unfamiliar with electrical wiring, please consult an electrician.)

Drill holes in your wall and install screws to hold up the floating shelf mounting brackets. Depending on your wall, you may need to locate wall studs and use wall plugs. Follow IKEA instructions for this part.

Lastly, wire up the light and hang the shelf in place. 

Flip the switch and let there be light! 

Bonus tip:

Choose a yellow light for the LED lamp to create a cozy atmosphere to wind down at the end of a long day. White light is too harsh and glaring.

Besides adding a built-in light, there are other possible upgrades for your floating nightstand.

As the LACK shelf is hollow, you can hide a usb charging dock or wireless charger in the LACK shelf to juice up your devices. (Cut a hole on the underside of the LACK shelf to mount the wireless charger inside the LACK.)

If you need more bedside storage, here’s how to use 2 LACK shelves for a nightstand. Add a basket or container between the two shelves to function like a drawer.

Or if you want a more impressive modern floating nightstand, take a look at this cross LACK floating nightstand with light.

Want more ideas? Click to see more IKEA Nightstand Hacks.

The post An easy DIY Floating Nightstand with Light appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

I get a lot of questions on IKEAHackers — ranging from what’s the name of an IKEA item to room ideas and how to hack this and that.

My hope is that I can help with all of the questions. But I’d be the first to admit that I don’t have hands on experience with every IKEA item and some questions are beyond my scope. That’s why we have a Facebook group because many heads are better than just mine.

That said, do keep your questions coming and I’ll try my best to help.

Looking back at 2021, these two questions were the ones that got the most eyeballs. If you’re wondering the same thing, I hope the Q&A will shed some light.

#1 HOW TO DIY A KING SIZE LOFT BED?

This question came from Helena who was gifted a king-sized bed. She loved the mattress but it would take up 70% of the space.

She wanted to know whether it was possible to hack the STORÅ frame to accommodate a king or elevate the TARVA king size bed frame into a loft bed.

I came up with 2 different options for her.

And gave her plenty to think about. Read the entire the Q&A here.

#2 CAN I CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN IVAR DOORS?

This is definitely a question, judging by the number of websites and videos that address this problem.

If you’re unfamiliar with the IVAR gap, it is annoying gap between the two doors that seem impossible to reduce, no matter how you tweak the hinge adjustments.

The solution to fix the IVAR gap may be easier than you think. (Hint: Check out the comments.) Read the entire Q&A here.

Got questions for IKEAHackers? Send them in or ask on our Facebook Group. If you have no questions but a lot of technical expertise, do join us on the group too and share your knowledge. We need you!

The post 2 Burning Questions you wanted answers to in 2021 appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

This post is the result of my own curiosity. I wanted to know what captured the attention of IH readers and the Internet, so I did some digging on Analytics. And I landed on these 3 posts that collectively clocked over 250,000 pageviews.

What surprised me was the top 2 were wardrobe hacks, a shift away from 2020 which saw this lockdown makeover being the most viewed post. Perhaps last year was less about WFH and more about creating an organized space?

Anyways, theories aside … here are the 3 hacks that captured the most eyeballs in 2021.

#1 Fabulous walk-in PAX closet

Still one of the most stunning walk-in PAX closet hack on IH. Erin used PAX frames, mixed in some critical upgrades for a full custom cabinetry look. The hack is intensive and executed beautifully. Not just for 2021, I foresee this one being an all-time favourite hack. See it here.

#2 Built-in PAX closet under sloped ceiling

The space under a sloped ceiling is tricky. It’s not easy to decorate or add storage to but Hugo made it work. He used the PAX range with a lot of careful cuts. He admits it’s a complicated build but the amount of storage it provides more than makes up for it. See it here.

#3 Lovely bed nook with the BILLY Bookcase as a room divider

This studio apartment makeover came in at number 3. Jess hated being able to see her bed from the “kitchen” and vice versa, so needed a cheap way to hide it! And the studio being a rental, she need a non-permanent way to divide the room. The BILLY bookcases worked out so well for her space. Read more.

While you’re here, check out our best 10 IKEA hacks of 2021 or the top 10 IKEA ideas of 2021 that made life better.

And if you hacked IKEA last year or are planning to in 2022, remember to send it to me to share your hack with the world. Who knows, yours might be the most viewed IKEA Hack of 2022.

The post The Most Viewed IKEA hacks of 2021 goes to these 3 appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Last week I revealed the best 10 IKEA hacks of 2021 and now, let’s move on to the top Ideas for the year. They are simpler mods or repurposing, but clever nonetheless.

Some have asked why I created the “IDEAS” category. For one sole reason: to encourage and celebrate creativity, even in seed form. In the era of big, beautiful, Instagram-worthy images and ideas, I want to give voice to simple thought and functional ideas. I love cheering on a useful idea that may help or inspire someone.

And I hope you’ll join me in this. Let’s take a look at the top 10 IKEA ideas of 2021.

Top 10 IKEA ideas of 2021

#1 Coat rack in winter, bike rack in summer

Roxanne stumbled across this clever idea. Two bikes fit perfectly on the RIGGA clothes rack. In the fall, when it’s time to get out the thick parkas, the bikes go into storage. This way they get maximum use out of the RIGGA clothes / bike rack all year round! See more.

#2 Device free dinner idea

Rachel’s family does not eat with their phones on the table. She used the FJANTIG towel hooks, and now everyone hang their phones before dinner. Read more.

#3 Mini drawers for IVAR

Want to store small items in the IVAR unit? Jens found a method to install the IKEA MOPPE mini chest of drawers in the IVAR side unit. No glue or screws needed. See it here.

#4 Indoor plant trellis

Vesna repurposed the KORSMON memo board into an indoor wall plant trellis. After a spray of white paint, the memo board blends into the wall and the plant becomes the main focus. Add more as the plant grows. See it here.

#5 See Through Room Divider

Joe wanted subtle separation between the dining area and lounge. He found the IKEA RISÖR room divider (with its glass removed) just right for the space. Read more.

#6 Add a handy shelf to a floor lamp

Alex made a movable shelf for an IKEA floor lamp. The support can both turn and slide freely along the lamp post. However, when you take your hand off the shelf, after adjusting it into the desired position, the support beneath the shelf blocks itself on the lamp post under its own weight. Brilliant! See more.

#7 Max out the IKEA pull out cabinet

JoepW finds a way to maximize the 20cm wide MAXIMERA pull-out spice cabinet to store even more spice jars. Read more.

#8 Freestanding craft room pegboard stand

Katie didn’t want to hang the SKÅDIS pegboard on the wall as she likes to change her craft room/ dressing room around all the time. So she repurposed a clothes rail, previously used for hanging houseplants, to create a pegboard stand. Details here.

#9 Chalkboard cheeseboard

Whenever they have guests, they always put out a cheese board. Everyone loves cheese, and you can get so creative with all the different cheeses available. So creating a cheese board from the SNUDDA was an immediate idea that Jae had. See it here.

#10 Pop art dresser

Shelley wanted to create something unique and knew that the RAST dressers would be the perfect size to create on. She wanted something colourful that others would enjoy. We agree that Tupac’s image on this dresser made the impact she was hoping for. See more.

What’s your favourite idea? Let us know in the comments below.

And if you have a hack or idea don’t hide it, share it with us.

The post Top 10 IKEA Ideas that made life better in 2021 appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Merry Christmas!

Elly shows us how she turned the IKEA Christmas tree fabric into a 3D wall hanging, complete with presents.

She bought this wonderful IKEA christmas tree fabric over a year ago. It’s available in some IKEA stores listed as VINTER pre-cut fabric.

The initial plan was to make a curtain but the fabric was too long. It would have been a shame to cut it.

Then she got a new much better idea: A 3D wall hanging.

This fabric tree is huge and needs a lot of space on the wall! Including the fabric above the tree and under it, it’s more than 2 yards long and over 1.5yard in width.

3D Christmas Tree wall hanging

Let’s see how it looked at first, without any decorations. The tree looks real enough. But maybe not Christmassy enough.

The first thing Elly made were the christmas packages. She used a range of fabrics with Christmas colours for each of the packages. To give the 3D illusion, she padded the packages in different thickness.

Every package has a zipper, should you wish to remove the cover and padding to wash.

To make it more realistic, Elly tied each package with ribbons.

To hang the packages to the tree fabric, she added 2 stripes of Velcro on each package, corresponding to the exact place on the christmas tree fabric. The Velcro strips need to be precisely placed otherwise the packages won’t fit together exactly.

Next is a rocking horse toy.

She followed a pattern she found in a magazine from way back. But changed the ears a little, added the mane, made the saddle out of leather and added a trace.

The last item is a star. And a teddy bear, which she didn’t sew.

Here you can see the complete wall hanging.

Some lights would make finish it beautifully.

If you want to see how Elly made it or to see more photos go to her blog.

When the season is over, take it down, fold and store away the fabric tree and presents separately.

~ by Justelly

The post The best Christmas Tree when you live in a small space appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

We’ve reached the end of 2021 and tis’ is the season to pick the 10 best IKEA hacks featured on IKEAhackers. And we celebrate the creativity, beauty and functionality of these amazing projects.

Are you ready? Let’s go.

In no particular order, here are my list of top 10 IKEA hacks of 2021.

#1 Derelict to Delightful Laundry Room

Chris ripped out the old laundry room and constructed a spanking new one using METOD kitchen cabinets as the base. Now, the washer and dryer sit on drawer pedestals, making it easier to load and unload. The best thing, each drawer stores a shelf that can be pulled out for the laundry basket to rest on. See the hack.

#2 Murphy Bed in a PAX

We’ve seen Murphy Bed hacks over the years but none as elegantly constructed as this. Kudos to Dennis for turning a guest bedroom into a luxurious experience. Read more.

#3 Portable 2-in-1 kitchen island

Daphne wanted a kitchen island with storage, a large enough surface area and the ability to move it between rooms. To hit all 3 goals, she used two 2×2 KALLAX shelving units instead of one bigger one (2×4). Now she moves one of the two units to the living room or patio and use it as a buffet trolley when guests come over. Mega useful. See the tutorial here.

#4 Most awesome kids’ room

Again, IKEA kitchen cabinets play a major part in this wonderful kids room. Louise made the entire wardrobe and storage section out of METOD kitchen cabinets (similar to SEKTION in the USA).

Then, applied lots of ASKERSUND and BODARP doors for a seamless look over at the reading den, staircase, bed. See it here and be inspired with what you can do with kitchen cabinets.

#5 PAX wardrobe to match Victorian home

Kevin and Sarah wanted a wardrobe that would match the period architecture and trim work of the house. PAX offered the storage they needed, but not the aesthetic. The hack allowed them to achieve both. Read more.

#6 IVAR with Louis Cubes Parquet front

In a year of fluted doors, this Louis Cubes parquet design stood out. Corinne confessed that hacking this drove her nuts. But we agree with her that the end result is kind of cool. See the hack.

#7 Playground at home

Can’t go out and play? Pedro brought the playground home for his son, Bruno.

It was hard work, but the satisfaction was maximum when Bruno opened the door to his room and found his playground. His happy face said it all. We love hacks that make a better everyday life for the little people. See it here.

#8 Watch out for the Dinosaur

The IKEA HOL box has been used to contain many things, the most popular is of course, cat litter. For Darren and Gemma, they transformed it to contain something a lot fiercer. See more.

#9 Kitchen island that stores two 5-foot tables

This is one of those “box busting” hacks. Just because it hasn’t been done before, doesn’t mean it cannot be done.

Because of the open format kitchen, they have no formal dining. So, Tracey decided to make hidden storage in the kitchen island itself to store two 5-foot tables. They slide out the tables to use when they have large number of guests. Brilliant! Read more.

#10 Desk hidden in plain sight

Hacks like this points to the time we’re living in. Many continue to work from home with no end in sight. Emma took to creating a space in the living room where one of them can work from. But also want the option to tidy up after the day’s work. A hidden desk in the IVAR cabinets worked. See the hack.

Which is your favourite IKEA Hack of 2021? Let us know in the comments below.

Missed last years?

See the best IKEA Hacks of 2020 here and all previous years.

The post We have the list! The Best IKEA Hacks of 2021 appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

We bought an INGRUN throw for our bed, but when we got it home we realised that we were disappointed with how it looked on our queen-sized bed. 

We looked again at the photos on IKEA’s website and realised it looked great draped across a single bed or a sofa but the measurements (130x170cm) were too small to drape luxuriously down to the floor on a queen. I tried to arrange it diagonally but still wasn’t happy.

We realised that we should have chosen a different product.

A single sized bedspread would have worked well. However, since I had already torn the packaging, I decided to cut it in half and stitch it back together into a longer, thinner rectangle.

IKEA items used:

INGRUN throw in grey

Other materials and tools:

Sewing machine
Grey thread (matching in colour)
Scissors
Pins

How to configure an IKEA throw for a double bed

1. Fold the throw in half and pin.

2. Cut along the fold

3. Pin the ends of the cut half together. I decided to overlap the edges. 

4. Sew together. I decided to zigzag in the middle of the overlap, starting at the far end away from my cut. 

Later I realised the edges were a bit too visible so I added extra lines of zigzag overlapping the edges of the overlapped fabric. If doing this again I would skip the first line of zigzag down the centre.

5. Trim any mismatched bits – a good reason to start the line of sewing at the far end away from the cut. 

6. I decided that to finish the cut edges, I would copy what Ikea had done and sew a line of zigzag about an inch away from the cut edge, then fray. 

7. My cut line and my line of sewing to make the frayed edge were not very straight, so some of the threads only pull out halfway along. That’s ok – I just trimmed the thread I was pulling level with the threads that were supposed to be there. 

8. Done! 

It took an hour to do (the fraying took the longest) and the throw cost $17 Australian. I already had the thread and sewing equipment. 

I wouldn’t recommend going out to do this hack instead of buying a more appropriately sized bedspread in the first place, but it saved me from having to return the item.

~ by Becky

You may also like these hacks for throws

Throw turned into a rug
Apartment wall covering using IKEA throws
Chair cover from a throw

The post Turning a Single to a Double Bed Throw appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Philippe works for a builder and has designed the last two houses we have lived in. I had a small built-in library in our previous house in Melbourne.

Given my absolute love of books, that library was jammed full, with smaller bookshelves around the house for all the extras. We decided to build by the coast in Adelaide and in order to get a view of the water from the upstairs living area we decided to raise the ceiling height downstairs to 3 metres (just under 10 feet).

My husband looked at the large wall we had (13ft x 10ft, 4m x 3m) and he said “Wow, you could put a library with a sliding ladder on that wall” … which I very promptly held him to.

Before

After

The new house was built during Melbourne’s first Covid lockdown in 2020. I was stuck in Melbourne and Philippe was living in Adelaide and we didn’t see each other for 10 months. So keeping my spirits up with promises of a huge library was a bonus. We won’t mention how much it probably cost to move my book from one state to another!

We looked at purchasing modular bookcase options, or having one made professionally but they were very expensive.(Some options coming in around $8,000 not including a ladder). Philippe is very handy on the tools and had seen BILLY hacks on Pinterest. We decided to give it a go.

But first, planning

I got the IKEA graph paper out and put together a layout design and worked out what we needed. But it turned out to be a bit of fluid procedure. (i.e. At first we weren’t going to extend the GNEDBY around the corner, but it seemed like a good option as we were building). It took more than one visit to IKEA (either in store or online) before we got to the finished product.

Pricing and instructions are for the library bookcases only … but to mention the ladder.

That was another expensive option.

So we got found some ideas and instructions on You Tube. Made the safety handles out of galvanised plumbing tubing painted black, and purchased the ladder hardware from Amazon. All up the ladder would have cost a little bit more than the entire library! (Probably around A$1400).

How we made our BILLY library wall bookcase

We first removed the skirting board from the wall. Following that we put the MALM Desk in place and built a timber frame to the right of that for the BESTÅ frame unit (we used the 180cm x 38cm unit) to sit on. (The timber was what we call 4 x 2 in Aus).

To the right of that frame we built a smaller frame and extended it around the corner for the 3 GNEDBY units to sit on. The frames we built were the same height as the skirting board, which we replaced at the end to give the units a built-in look.

We sat the BILLY units on the BESTÅ unit (2x BILLY 40cm x 202cm, 1 x BILLY 80cm x 202cm and 1 x GNEDBY 20cm x 202cm were a perfect fit for the BESTÅ 180cm width). The other 3 GNEDBY were sat directly on the floor frame we made. We had 1 extra GNEDBY unit which we cut into 3 pieces to use as height extenders to bring them to the same height as the large BILLY units.

Philippe then made a shelf on top of the large BILLY units for the BILLY extender units to sit on. The frame was attached to wall 30cm from the ceiling (the height of the BILLY extended unit), The height of the shelf was determined by the difference between the height of the BILLY units and 30cm from the ceiling.

A fixed shelf for the extension units

The shelving frame was attached the wall, and melamine shelving from the local big box hardware was added for the BILLY extenders to sit on. For the units above the desk, Philippe added some timber onto the wall, added some more melamine shelving and attached the BILLY extenders on top of the shelving. All the units were fixed to the wall and to each other, and the units above the desk were also glued for extra support.

We had 3 extra single BILLY extenders which were cut narrower to fit the space at the very left of the library. We added OXBERG doors to the top BILLY extenders and LAPPVIKEN doors to the BESTÅ frame at the base.

Philippe made some moulding for the front fascias, again from timber, with some decorative carving added using a small router. (I told you he was handy on the tools!) He made vertical mouldings for where the units sat side by side and wider horizontal mouldings to cover the gaps at the top of the extenders at ceiling height, for in front of the shelf that the extenders sit on, and for above the desk to cover the timber that we attached to the wall. We ended up staining the timber, but we did consider painting them white at one stage.

Lastly, we added some ‘fake’ drawers at the base of the BILLY/GNEDBY units to hide the bottoms of the units. Added some nice Hampton looking black handles. These were just pieces of timber cut to size, painted, and again some decorative routing added.

Cost:

IKEA units used:

BILLY 202 cm high…. 2 x 40 cm wide, 1 x 80 cm wide
BILLY extenders 4 x 80 cm wide, 7 x 40 cm wide (Plus 3 x 40 cm which we cut narrower to fill in the gap at the very left of the library)
GNEDBY 5 x 202 cm high
BESTÅ frame 1 x 180 cm x 38 cm high
8 x OXBERG doors
3 x LAPPVIKEN doors
MALM desk

Total cost of the IKEA units, a couple of extra shelves, doors and hinges was about A$1200. (Much cheaper than $8000!)

Timber, melamine and screws were about an extra A$200.

How long did it take?

The whole process took us a while because Philippe works full time. But overall it probably took the equivalent of maybe 2 or 3 weekends (that’s including the ladder which took a while).

What was the hardest part of the library wall bookcase hack?

I think the hardest part of the hack is the design and trying to figure out what you need to fit the space. Instead of finding it overwhelming, we drew up a starting point on graph paper and let it evolve.

We had some good collaboration (for example I initially had only 3 BILLY units on the BESTÅ frame and leaving gaps in between to cover with wide moulding, but Philippe pointed out we could also fit a GNEDBY on there with no gaps which worked out quite well). So, don’t be too fixated on a plan.

What do you like most about the hack?

I think the collaboration and coming up with solutions was the best part of the hack.

Philippe was the one who suggested getting extra BILLY extenders to cut narrower to fill in the gap left to the very left of the library which was much better than my initial plan of just leaving open shelving. He was the one who had the idea of using the extra GNEDBY unit as height extenders, whereas I was just going to use BILLY extenders. We are both pretty opinionated about what we think is right but we had some ‘meaningful discussions’ and came up with some good solutions.

What to pay special attention to?

You need to pay special attention to everything. But I would say that if your carpenter is like Philippe I strongly advise the ‘supervisor’ (me) to make sure the carpenter has removed the sticky labels from all the units before attaching them to the wall. Otherwise you end up balanced on a ladder with citrus oil trying to scrub off very sticky labels from units that are almost 3 metres up the wall.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

Looking back I don’t think there was anything we would have done differently. We certainly have learned through the process. We still have to finish off the library (i.e. covering up nail holes, that kind of thing). And there are still a couple of BESTÅ units to be assembled for another part of the room not connected to the library.

Don’t tell Philippe but I’m already thinking but possible IKEA hacks for our upstairs area. This IKEA hacking business is very addictive!

~ by Trish Rocis & Philippe Muller

The post Building a Beautiful Bookcase Library Wall with BILLY appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Marie-Claude shares her reading nook bench made from 4 IKEA KALLAX units. An easy DIY with a bit of sewing involved. (Unless you hate sewing. In such a case, there’s Etsy.)

It can even work as a daybed for a little guest.  

Read on for Marie-Claude’s simple tutorial.

IKEA items used: 

2 KALLAX shelving units (2×4) — as bookshelves
2 KALLAX shelving units (1×4) — to form the bench
Drawer inserts for KALLAX
Door inserts for KALLAX
DRÖNA boxes

Other materials: 

Foam and fabric to make the cushions
Plywood board
Hardware to fix together the KALLAX

How to hack a reading nook bench with storage

Assemble all the KALLAX units. 

Place them together on the floor, with the two 1×4 KALLAX units between the two 2×4 KALLAX bookcases in upright position

Optional but you can fix all of the units together with different pieces of hardware — L-brackets or straight metal braces and screws. You can also use anything else you see fit to secure the units together.

Next, make the cushions for the bench. 

We cut pieces of foam and sewed fabrics to make the covers. You can also get ready made cushions on Etsy.

Lastly, we attached the cushions to plywood plank to fix them at each places — the bench, the sides and the back. 

And there you go! The perfect spot for family relaxation time with lots of storage space for toys and books.

Other optional pieces would be a reading lamp to supplement natural light, throw pillows and blankets to up the comfort level of the bench seat.  And a rug to complete a cozy reading nook.

~ by Marie-Claude

You may also like these reading corners

#1 Teddy cubby and reading corner

KALLAX unit used as storage and a spot for reading. Read more.

#2 Daybed reading nook with IKEA bookshelves

Jessica shares her IKEA hack — a daybed reading nook — made from 4 BILLY bookcases. It’s amazing how it turned out. Read more.

#3 Create a delightful and cozy kid’s reading corner

I wanted to make my boy a room that he would love and reflect his love of reading and my nostalgia. The seat in the reading corner was made so he could have a snugly corner. Read more.

The post Easily assembled Reading Nook Bench for family and kids appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

On IKEA’s website, they say. “With GUNNÖN gazebo/pergola you quickly create an extra room on your terrace or in the garden. The roof gives cooling shade for summer lunches – and if you are many, combine two for a larger outdoor room.

You can use this gazebo in different ways – freestanding, against an outer house wall, over the main entrance of your home or combine two to cover a larger area, whatever suits your needs.”

When they said it can be used in other ways, I don’t think they were thinking of this — an IKEA dressing room hack.

IKEA Items used:

GUNNÖN Gazebo, dark grey/grey, 238x233cm

Other materials and tools:

Ladder and Hammer

IKEA gazebo to dressing room hack: How did this happen?

Went to IKEA to find multiply clothes racks due to the amount of clothes that needed hanging. Walking around for quite some time I decided to sit and have a rest where the outdoor furniture was in Canberra.

Whilst sitting there I looked up and saw the GUNNÖN Gazebo (dark grey/grey, 238x233cm) and realised I could use it to set up my wardrobe.

I really enjoyed setting this up to display my clothes.

All I did was assemble it as per IKEA instructions inside the room I wanted as my dressing room.

There was no need to hack anything, actually. Once assembled, hang up the clothes up on the horizontal rails on 3 sides, leaving one side open as an entrance.

In the middle, I set up a dressing table and added an ottoman bench. It’s perfect for my needs and is working well.

Other thoughts …

You can omit the fabric canopy, or replace it with other material if you want a softer look or to blend with your decor.

To protect the flooring, consider adding felt pads to the underside of the feet.

The gazebo frame is made of durable powder-coated steel, so it’s maintenance-free and easy to take care of.

~ by Nadene H.

The post IKEA Gazebo made into the dressing room of my dreams appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

We’ve been told IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad decided to use product names instead of model numbers to counter his dyslexia. But I’m sure he never imagined a world of people — almost 80 years later — still trying to pronounce and make sense of his naming pattern.

No doubt, trying to decipher the names of IKEA products is part of the fun of an IKEA trip. They come in handy, including when you need to annoy your girlfriend.

But did you know that IKEA has a small team of people who name the 2,000 to 3,000 new IKEA products released every year?

In the latest clip “Why is it called that?” released by IKEA Museum, product management leader Christina Berg-Overgard revealed all the names have to go through a checklist to meet IKEA’s standards.

For a start, they have to be between four to 12 letters long. And if it features the Swedish letters “å,” “ä” and “ö”, it’s a bonus. They also can’t be a trademarked term or a family name, and of course, it has to be a “nice word.”

Some have shown that most of IKEA product names are derived from:

• Proper Swedish words
• Made-up Swedish words
• First names (mostly Swedish, some Scandinavian, occasional exotic names)
• Geographical names (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian or Finnish.)

So, my question is have they exhausted every Swedish town, city, mountain and lake yet?

IKEA product names vs Swedish tourism

On the flipside, Swedish Tourism Board is fighting back with a campaign of their own. Their argument, “A lot of IKEA’s products are named after places in Sweden. That’s a nice detail for a Swedish company, but it has caused a great deal of misunderstanding.”

For instance, when people think about BOLMEN few think about a beautiful lake in Småland. Rather what comes to mind (and up on the Internet search) is a 99-cent toilet brush. Not very encouraging for tourism.

And now, they urge tourists to rediscover the originals. On the website, they list 21 names they want to reclaim. One of them is the popular KALLAX which is synonymous with IKEA’s cube shelving unit.

Unbeknownst to perhaps most IKEA customers, KALLAX is an actual place.

“It lies in Swedish Lapland, just outside the town of Luleå. Situated by the sea, this little spot is famous for its very smelly fermented herring (called ‘surströmming’ in Swedish). Every year in August, Kallax holds a fermented herring party where VIP-guests and locals celebrate together. So, take a deep breath, bring an open mind and discover the full taste of original Kallax,” states the website.

Certainly gives a different flavour to the hackable shelving unit.

Seems like it’s time to not just bring KALLAX, TOFTAN, NORBERG and BJÖRKSTA home but go experience them for real.

The post What you didn’t know about quirky IKEA product names appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

So we had a 10 year old TV in the family area that eventually decided its time was up and went to sleep. We had a bulky low lying tv cabinet on the floor, which I thought was time, after looking at it for years, to upgrade.

I gave the TV cabinet to my now adult son and sent my husband down to get a new TV.

In my horror he returned with an 85-inch purchase due to apparently it was a deal he couldn’t refuse! (Eye roll)

He whacked it on a bracket on the family room wall and thought she’ll be right.

Now … three months later, frustrated and having gone through every TV stand idea on searching the internet, I still found nothing that I really liked.

We have power point issues, antenna outlet plug issues, light switch and fan switch issues. All due to the size of this TV.

I got quotes in from carpenters and electricians all around the 6k-7k range … (another eye roll).

So I put the thinking cap on.

IKEA items used for my BILLY Bookcase TV stand:

2 tall BILLY bookcases (31 1/2 x 11 x 79 1/2″)
3 short BILLY bookcases (31 1/2 x 11 x 41 3/4″)
10 OXBERG doors (15 3/4 x 38 1/4″)

Being able to play with a wall measurement of 4m long, I came up with a TV stand design using a combination of IKEA BILLY bookcases with OXBERG doors.

To make it work, we needed to lift the TV above the switches and also hide the cables, so I suggested we put wood beams on the wall to leave a cavity and cover with floor boards.

We got light switch brackets to bring them forward of the wall and drilled holes in the bottom of the cabinets for the antenna to reach the outlet.

The sound bar cables and also somewhere for the bass box to hide. We finished it with a pre made bench top cut down to size.

Also finished the top with trim for a built-in look. And left the top section of the two tall BILLY bookcases open for decor and accessories.

The bookcases provide ample storage space for dvds, game consoles and other electronics.

It took three days (and a lot of eye rolling from hubby) to complete. And all up the cost was about $1,400.00.

Also in here, is my first IKEA project built 12 years ago. I jumped straight into a kitchen and it is still standing strong. In that time my five children were much younger and believe me it has endured years of hard knocks but ohhh the memories!

Besides the BILLY bookcase TV stand, I decided to change the bench top of my IKEA duchess that I built six years ago to the same as the TV unit to blend in.

~ by Tracy Swinson

You may also like these media center hacks

Shiplap entertainment center from kitchen cabinets
Custom built-in entertainment center hacked from HEMNES units
BESTÅ media console with wood panels

The post Make a Bookcase TV Stand for 85-inch TV appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

For the last few months I’ve become a big fan of furniture makeover videos on YouTube and felt really inspired to craft something on my own.

As I was both looking for a new weekend hobby and a Christmas present for my younger sister, I decided to makeover a used IKEA RAST dresser which I found for a low price on the German equivalent of Craigslist. 

My main design influence were architectural filing cabinets and I tried to imitate the look of them without having access to a lot of power tools. I took my biggest inspiration from this video.

What do I like most?

My favorite part of the hack are the false drawer faces with the illusion of looking at six drawers instead of three. I loved the surprised look on the faces of my friends when they opened a drawer for the first time and saw the beautiful drawer bottoms which I masked with non-woven wallpaper.

In total, the build took me two weekends and can be recommended to beginners. The hardest part was routing the slots in the front of the drawers. If you do not have access to a router, you can also glue pieces of plywood on the drawer faces to achieve the same look. For inspiration, see this IKEA RAST hack.

Apart from routing, the hack only involves sanding and wood finishing. It is possible to sand everything by hand, but I would advise to buy or rent a random orbital sander.

If you want to replicate the hack with a used drawer cabinet, please make sure that it is not already finished with wood oil. Wood oil can be hard to remove and might hinder a satisfactory application of wood stain and lacquer. 

The hack can easily be adapted to fit your preferences. I’m thinking of further improving it by adding a base plate at the bottom and top as well as adding some brass-colored furniture legs.  

IKEA items used: 

IKEA RAST chest of drawers

Other materials and tools: 

Router with 6mm (¼ inch) straight router bit 
Wood filler 
Random orbital sander (100, 150, 180 grid paper) 
Sanding paper (150 grid) 
Wood stain (water-based walnut stain) 
Glossy brushing lacquer (or alternative wood finish) 
12 drawer handles and 6 label frames 
One sheet of cardboard 
Non-woven wallpaper and wallpaper adhesive (alternatively self-adhesive film or similar) 

IKEA RAST dresser makeover – instructions: 

Routing the drawer fronts

I started by disassembling the cabinet and routing the slots in the drawer fronts with a 6mm router bit (¼ inch). The depth of the slots is roughly half the thickness of the drawer fronts.

Always wear hearing protection as well as safety glasses when using a router. Don’t worry if your slots are not 100% perfect, as little mistakes only add to the charm of self-made projects. 

Afterwards, I filled the holes of the former drawer handles with wood filler.

All pieces (apart from the drawer bottoms and the back plate) were sanded using my random orbital sander. The former owner of the cabinet had used clear lacquer as a finish which I had to sand off completely with a coarser grid sandpaper. The drawer slots were sanded by hand to remove the sharp edges.

Staining the RAST dresser

For the wood color, my decision fell on a water-based walnut stain. I love the rich reddish-brown look and didn’t use oil-based stain as it was not available in my local hardware store. Experiment with the colors and apply the stain you prefer.

During test assemblies, I also quite liked the look of the dark cabinet with natural colored drawer fronts. I tried to make the routed slots a little bit darker than the drawer faces to further improve the illusion of six drawers. 

Applying wood stain is an easy and satisfying task. Apply more coats of stain and let it rest longer before wiping it off if you wish for a darker color. Keep in mind that the lacquer finish will additionally improve the look of your workpiece. So don’t feel discouraged if the dried stain looks a little bit odd or dried out. Some color variations might also make your cabinet look more interesting in the end.

Note that staining pine wood can sometimes result in blotching. You can minimize the risk of blotchy areas by using a pre-conditioner before applying the stain.

As a finish I used glossy brushing lacquer. Raw wood as well as stained wood is not protected against water or scratches so you should always apply a finish. I decided against an oil finish because it doesn’t provide enough protection especially for the top of the cabinet. Additionally, I really like the shiny glow of lacquer.

For health reasons, never apply lacquer in poorly ventilated rooms and wear a respirator.

I applied two coats of lacquer on the visible parts of the cabinet and a single coat for the inside parts.

Installing drawer pulls

I found my drawer handles in a bundle with the label frames on Amazon for 10€ (~11.28 $). For me, brass-colored handles were the most complementing to the stain color. But you can also find a large variety of different colors like bronze online.

To achieve a uniform look for all drawer faces, I made a template out of cardboard in which I drilled small holes at the position of screws. This template was then used to mark the position of screws in the wood for all drawer fronts. 

Lining the drawers

The bottoms of my drawers were covered in soap or shampoo stains and I decided to mask them with non-woven wallpaper. For that reason, I first sanded them lightly with a fine grit sandpaper, glued the wallpaper on top and trimmed off the access when the wallpaper adhesive dried. 

Alternatively, you could use some self-adhesive film (or paint the bottoms) but I was unsatisfied with the choice in my local hardware store. From a price point, the wallpaper was roughly the same price as the self-adhesive film. As it was a 10m roll, I’m currently looking for inspirations for the leftovers.

This was a first-time experiment and I can’t make a statement about the long-time durability, yet. However, for the time being, I’m quite happy with the result.

Another cool idea that came to mind would be to use velvet for the insides of the drawers.

Reassemble the RAST dresser

After the drawer bottoms were finished, it was finally time to assemble the cabinet once again and see everything in its full glory.

I’m really satisfied with the result and think my sister will be, too. I had so much fun during the makeover of the RAST dresser, that I actually bought a second unit that I will transform in a similar fashion for my older sister, soon.  

~ by Maxime

The post Rast Dresser gets a makeover and it’s so good appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

I needed a new bookshelf and love the design and look of IKEA LACK shelves. But I have never had a positive experience with the so-called “hidden” bracket that comes standard with the IKEA LACK shelf, no matter what the shelf length. 

And since this long shelf would be mounted high above the desk where I work, I especially would not — under any circumstances — trust a LACK shelf mounted with the hidden bracket (no matter how securely) to hold more than a few pounds without tipping down at the front edge or actually failing, especially here in earthquake country. 

So I decided to use 4 external metal brackets that together can hold a combined weight of 160 pounds, if installed into studs (as these are). A foot of books weighs about 20 pounds, so 120 pounds of books on this shelf is well within limits.

IKEA item used:

IKEA LACK Shelf (74-3/4” x 10-1/4”)

To securely anchor the brackets to the underside of the LACK shelf (which isn’t solid but a paper honeycomb structure) I used these clever metal hollow door fasteners. These are also useful on the underside of IKEA LINNMON desktops. 

I’m quite pleased with the results. The LACK shelf itself is such a beautiful, simple, sturdy, environmentally friendly, and superbly designed product! 

But I hope my experience gives IKEA customers who love LACK shelves an option to IKEA’s hidden bracket approach, which I think is flawed at best. 

~ by Bruce Williamson

You may also like this alternative way to install the IKEA LACK shelf brackets

Bino, reinforced his LACK shelf to take on double the IKEA recommended weight. He took it from 15 kg (the max. load specified) to 36 kg (about 80 lbs).

Testing with 24 bottles of 1.5 litre water bottles. And passed! Read more.

The post How to secure IKEA LACK shelf to brackets appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

IKEA is looking for a tenant for its 107-square-foot (10 square-meter) tiny apartment in the district of Shinjuku, Tokyo.

The carrot?

A mere ¥99 ($0.88) for rent each month.

Application is open from now till Dec 3. Click here to apply. You’ll need to be a IKEA Japan Family Member and at least 20 years old to apply.

However, there is only one unit up for grabs. Competition will be stiff because every IKEA fan (me included) wants in.

The winning tenant will get to stay in the apartment, fully furnished with IKEA goods, for one-year until January 15, 2023. Besides rent, the tenant will need to pay for utilities and any other expenses for the upkeep of the apartment.

Set up a tiny, cosy apartment in bustling Tokyo

Japan is no stranger to small space living, with 14 million people in Tokyo itself. With this project, IKEA wants to demonstrate how their furniture can transform small places into comfortable, cozy and functional homes.

IKEA and Blahaj (the “real estate shark”) did a great job furnishing this tiny Tokyo apartment and we can pick up a few smart tips from the masters of tiny homes. (Full list of items here)

#1 Effective use of vertical space

On their website, they say, “In a small room, one key is to make good use of the vertical space. By capturing the room three-dimensionally, new possibilities open up in a limited space.”

Which means to consider the entire volume of the space and not just the floor plan. To demonstrate that, they split the room into two levels.

On the first level, you’ll find the entrance, kitchenette, bathroom and living area. A ladder takes you up to the loft where they added a cosy sleeping area.

#2 Use multifunctional pieces of furniture

On the website, IKEA Japan lists the furniture used in this space. They picked some of IKEA’s most hardworking pieces.

IVAR storage system

The tallest IVAR side posts makes use of the wall space and provides flexibility with modular shelves, combination of cabinets, doors, boxes, drawers and more.

One of the IVAR modules functions as a wardrobe with a MULIG clothes bar and a pull-out box beneath, perhaps for shoes?

The second module becomes a workstation / dining area. A SKÅDIS pegboard between the posts helps to organize desk accessories.

MUDDUS drop leaf table

An extendable table between the IVAR posts provides a work area. Pull it out and transform it into a dining table for two.

VALLENTUNA sofa bed module

The single seat sofa can be quickly changed into a single bed for an overnight guest.

MOSSLANDA picture ledges

Adding a KUNGSFORS rail beneath the MOSSLANDA picture ledge is a great idea. It will hold up lights, plants, pictures and more.

TROTTEN utility cart

A mobile storage cart provides additional counter top space when you need it in the kitchen.

#3 A minimal colour palette

Keeping a harmonious colour palette does wonders in a small space. This tiny apartment though full of furniture, looks easy on the eye, in part due to the muted colour palette. IKEA Japan picked natural pine, white and black as the dominant colours. Even accessories like pots are in the same tone — clay or terracotta.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by IKEA JAPAN (@ikeajapan)

#4 Light it up

Nothing spells dingy more than one light bulb, trying in vain to light up the whole room.

Having multiple light sources give a space more depth and interest. In this tiny space, IKEA installed a string of bulbs, a TERTIAL work lamp besides overhead lighting. And a smart addition — the SYMFONISK table lamp with wifi speaker. Light and music in one! Candles are a nice touch too.

And that’s how it’s done. IKEA Japan ends with this: “No matter what space you live in, there’s always a way to turn it into an attractive, comfortable and happy home.”

Apply here before Dec 3, 2021.

Photos: IKEA Japan

The post 4 big ideas from tiny Tokyo ¥99 rental apartment appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Can you add pine cabinets to an old-world kitchen? Oh, yes!

Jennifer lives in a 1937 storybook bungalow. Her kitchen oozes with charm. The only downside is the original footprint is what most of us would consider half a kitchen these days. 

The thing that was lacking was any real storage.

She plans to do an actual remodel, some day, but it’s not something she can do right now. 

“I’m in a historic Tudor revival storybook cottage. So, too modern or industrial doesn’t really work,” she said. “And when I do renovate I want to do a historically accurate reno. So it’s going to be more work and expense than just popping in some pre-made stock cabinets.”

Another challenge is the walls which are hollow terracotta block. This makes anchoring any upper cabinets to it impossible unless you’re working with the original kitchen layout where the framework is already provided for structural support.  

“Also,” she added, “when they retrofitted my house for HVAC, they put the register right in the middle of that long wall. So, it either has to be completely re-routed or I have to have something up on feet that will clear it and allow it to heat/cool the room.”

But in the meantime, she was dying with all her kitchen appliances and stuff spread out among the various storage pieces she had in the kitchen, dining room and basement. So she opted for a more “permanent” temporary solution that would immediately solve her kitchen woes.

Her “permanent” temporary solution was the IVAR, on the other side of the wall.

However, a look around the Internet yielded very few IVAR pine kitchens. So, she documented this for anyone who may want to use the versatile range of solid wood cabinets for a kitchen. 

Laying out the modules

First was to decide on combination of pine kitchen cabinet, shelves and other accessories. She went for an IVAR combination which spanned the length of the wall. She also used two door styles — solid pine and cane.

In the first two modules (from left) she used a combination of IVAR cabinets as base cabinets, topped with shelves to function as a countertop. 

In the first one, she also added a bottle rack and at the base, a pull out storage box.

Module 3 is a niche for her refrigerator. 

The last module is a combination of shelves and bottom drawers. Looks like a fabulous pantry cabinet.

Earlier versions

But it took some time to arrive at this. 

“I started with very different choices. It was originally going to be Kelly green and it had a lot more stained wood. It was trial and error to get it to where I wanted it.”

The worldwide stock shortage didn’t help.

“This was all in progress. I had to wait months to get more than one pair of the cane doors. They were always out of stock. Same with the drawers.”

She adds, “Honestly I took the whole thing apart and put it all back together more than once as I realized what would and wouldn’t work.”

That’s probably the single most wonderful thing about hacking an IVAR pine kitchen compared to conventional kitchen cabinetry. The flexibility to install and re-arrange until it works.

Painting the pine IVAR kitchen cabinets   

She started with a light color, keeping the natural look of pine. But later opted for a darker hue. 

“I started with fancy cabinet paint and it was a mess so I ended up just using spray paint in Coastal Grey.”

The process Jennifer ended with was to first use a spray primer to cover up any knots, then spray on the grey spray paint, and lastly finish with a clear coat spray. 

On the stained pieces she used wood conditioner and then a golden oak stain and clear coat spray finish.

She recommends sanding all the pieces first (which she didn’t!) because the spray paint lifts the grain in the pine wood leaving a less than perfect finish.

Special touches for the coffee station

This is a much needed open spot with a countertop for food prep or the use of small appliances. 

The countertop is a regular IVAR pine shelf. Under the shelf is a new IVAR pine drawer which is great for light, daily use items. 

There’s a USB rechargeable kitchen light fitted on the top shelf. The magnetic knife rack is just slotted inside of the IVAR hooks.

Hanging the “overhead cabinets”

Now what about the two horizontal cabinets above the coffee station and fridge? In case you are wondering, IKEA does not offer horizontal cabinets for the IVAR range.  

The solution? Hang the door horizontally, across the width of the shelves. 

“The hinges on the doors are just basic hobby hinges and I did buy a couple of arms to attach to hold the door open but I haven’t put them on yet. I used the IVAR hinges in all of the vertical doors but they won’t work if you need to hang the door sideways.”

What is the cost of this IVAR pine kitchen cabinet? 

Around $1000 all in. Talk about affordability for all that storage!

What are some challenges faced installing this kitchen?

My floors are slightly uneven which is tough with drawers and making doors fit perfectly. I used shims where I could and just went with as close to perfect as I could manage.

I think it could be problematic if the IVAR kitchen was near a sink or by the stove getting grease splatter. But you could probably do a heavy polyurethane to help with that.

What do you love most about your hack?

It’s exactly what I needed, but I’m also taller than average. My shorter friends can’t really reach anything important when they’re here.

~ by Jennifer Lynne

See other IVAR pine kitchen cabinet hacks:

IVAR instant upper kitchen cabinets
Making the kitchen pop with a pegboard IVAR unit

The post IVAR hack adds storage to this Storybook Cottage Kitchen appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Foolproof method to add a shelf and door to the KALLAX cube.

Here at IKEAhackers, we love the IKEA KALLAX storage unit for its unmatched hackability. And even when it was in its former incarnation — the EXPEDIT — it was an all-time fave. 

The only peeve: more options to section the cubes.

Storage baskets occupying entire cubes were good for larger toys. But when it comes to more organised storage, they fail miserably. 

Of course, there are genius IKEA hacks to address this — such as these fantastic half shelves for the EXPEDIT. Unfortunately, the 2-cube insert needed to make it is no longer available. 

Nevertheless, IKEA heard us and has, over the years, delivered many styles and options for the 13″x13″ (33cmx33cm) cube. You can now add on doors, drawers, inserts for bottles, even a fancy X-insert.

What’s most useful in our books are these half cube dividers, which can be inserted horizontally or vertically.

But that leads to another issue: You can’t fit a door AND a shelf insert in the same cube. Which is a bummer if you have a preference for closed shelving to hide the clutter.

Alternative KALLAX shelf insert with door

Zlatko stumbled upon this smart and affordable solution to add a shelf within the KALLAX door insert. It’s a simple KALLAX hack and such a fantastic idea.

The 3-step instructions:

You’ll need the KALLAX shelving units and KALLAX door inserts (optional). As many VARIERA shelf inserts as needed.

1. Remove door

If you already installed the door inserts on your KALLAX, just remove the door and place the assembled VARIERA shelf within the space.

2. Place shelf inside

The VARIERA shelf insert fits right in.

At 12 5/8 inches wide, the VARIERA shelf insert has just enough clearance for the side panels of the KALLAX door insert.

Two small (5 1/8″ deep) or one large (11″ deep) VARIERA insert fits the depth of the KALLAX unit. 

3. Re-install door

Once placed, return the door back to its previous position. Easy peasy.

If you’re using the VARIERA shelf insert without the KALLAX door, spray paint the VARIERA to match your IKEA KALLAX shelf unit.

And you’re done.

See also:

The VARIERA shelf insert as an EKET cube storage divider

5 unique ways to create IKEA KALLAX TV Stands

A KALLAX storage bench for 400 vinyls

KALLAX shelf unit transformed into a media console

Click for more IKEA KALLAX hacks

The post How to divide the cube WITHOUT the KALLAX shelf insert appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Etsy is my go-to place for IKEA with a twist. In the treasure trove of a site, I often find fun and unique items such as “vintage” IKEA and readymade IKEA hacks, running the gamut of vinyl decals to cute IKEA accessories. An entire industry, seriously.

Which is fine by me.

I, for one, have seasons when I lack the skill or required-attention-span to hack, so if I can get it done for me at a reasonable price, and done well … YES, please!

With the holiday season round the corner and Black Friday in a few days, I’ll point out a few Etsy readymade IKEA hacks that caught my attention.

Ready? Let’s go shopping!

(Links to Etsy are affiliate links. That means if you click through and decide to make a purchase I earn a commission at no additional cost to you.)

What IKEA hacks to buy on Etsy this Black Friday?

IKEA Gear

While IKEA has come up with their own limited-edition range of clothing, it doesn’t even come close to the parody T-shirts on Etsy. Great as a gift for IKEA fans.

SNOWMAN sweatshirt | IKEA Pocket T | Good IKEA T

FRAKTA hacks are always a good idea and head turning. This handmade cap has a pencil holder, perfect for the stubby IKEA pencil. Complete the OOTD with a backpack.

IKEA Bucket Hat with pencil holder | Backpack | Smart Cabinet Mug

IKEA hacks for Kids

Artists on Etsy are constantly coming up with smart solutions for IKEA items. Such as this bestselling footrest for the ANTILOP high chair. It’s so easy to add on to the high chair without the need of any tools. And baby’s feet are so much happier.

ANTILOP footrest | ANTILOP leg wrap | ANTILOP high chair seat

And to complete the look, wrap the silver metal legs with bamboo leg wraps. Then, add a way too cute giraffe high chair seat.

DUKTIG dollbed bedsheet | TROFAST kitchen set | TROFAST Colour Activity Board | Wooden labels

Moving on from the ANTILOP, let’s makeover the DUKTIG bed. Change out the bedding of the DUKTIG doll bed with a new set of quality linens.

Create more play options via the TROFAST bins + FLISAT table combo. Drop in a Colour Activity Board or a kitchen set and voilà, a whole new game.

Lastly, organise the TROFAST bins with lovely custom wood labels.

IKEA and Etsy = Green

The IKEA greenhouse is all the rage on Instagram. This kit is for those that want to convert their IKEA RUDSTA Glass Door Cabinet into an indoor greenhouse.

Convert the IKEA SKÅDIS pegboard into a propagation station with this acrylic or wood holder.

SKÅDIS propagation tube holder | RUDSTA greenhouse modification kit (Alternative cabinets: MILSBO I FABRIKÖR)

Furniture upgrades

Add intricate fretwork to your IKEA dressers and instantly elevate its style.

Swap the plain IKEA KALLAX door inserts for these stylish Art Deco doors with an easy-install hinge system.

Wooden overlay | KALLAX Art Deco door

DRÖNA hand drawn box | BESTÅ bench cushion

Alternatively, choose these hand-drawn DRÖNA storage boxes for a softer touch.

Easily convert the BESTÅ unit into a storage bench with this readymade seat cushion in waffle fabric. Looks absolutely adorable in the playroom.

One of the quickest way to update a room is to change the sofa slipcover. Etsy has so many options for custom slipcovers, you are bound to find one in the colour and fabric you like.

Sofa Slipcover

Happy shopping on Etsy this Black Friday!

The post 20 “Done For You” IKEA Hacks worth checking out appeared first on IKEA Hackers.