The iconic POÄNG is one of the most popular armchairs in IKEA and with good reason. It’s comfortable, with timeless good looks good. And you can bring one home for less than $80.
The POÄNG’s bent wood armrests is its most striking feature and the area we’re focussing on today. Let’s see how we can make further improvements to it.
POÄNG armrest too hard?
#1 Use a foam padding
Julian bought ribbed foam padding to add extra cushioning for his elbows when watching TV, playing games etc.
He recommends using strong double sided tape to stick the padding to the POÄNG armrest. And to wrap it around the inside edge.
A padded aluminium splint works too and can be removed without damage to the armrest. Colours, however, may be limited. Unroll, flatten and cut two 10″ lengths from either end of the splint. Round the edges and and fold them over the POÄNG armrest. See the full tutorial.
Need to work on the POÄNG?
#1 Laptop stand
The POÄNG armchair is, on all counts, very comfortable and ideal for watching TV or reading. But at times, you’ll want to snuggle down and work on your laptop. Here’s how to add a laptop stand to the POÄNG armrest.
A 3D printed clip on flat tray that fits the IKEA POÄNG. You can attach it to the armrest of the chair and use it as a mouse pad or just to place your snacks and drink. Get it here.
With the armrests, you can’t slide the POÄNG under the table. Or perhaps you just don’t like armrest? To remove the arms of the POÄNG, here’s the tutorial for it.
1. Assemble the six KNAGGLIG crates as per instruction EXCEPT leave the bottom off of two of the KNAGGLIG crates. And install the bottoms upside-down/reversed on the other four units.
This will create a flat top and bottom for smooth joining of the two stacks you’ll be making. You’ll need to use a spade bit to create a counter sink on the four holes of each bottom – I used a 1/2″ spade bit for mine.
2. Stack three KNAGGLIG crates — 2 with bottom, 1 without bottom – so that the one without bottom is in the middle and the one on top is upside-down.
Once satisfied with the placement, glue them together. I used a rope wrapped around from top to bottom with a trucker’s hitch as a clamp. But you can always use a bunch of heavy books on top as a “gravity-clamp” until the glue dries. I used Gorilla Glue, but most any wood glue used for joinery should work.
3. Repeat step 2 with the other 3 KNAGGLIG crates. You can set both stacks up at the same time to dry.
4. Once the glue is dried and cured (I allowed 24 hours for the two stacks to dry and cure), remove all the slats on one side of both stacks. This will be the front of the bookcase.
Word of caution:
Somewhere between 2018 and 2019, IKEA has started to glue the planks of the KNAGGLIG before tacking them to the frame pieces. This has made deconstructing more difficult especially if you intend to re-use the planks in other projects as I did with these.
I’m rather proud of the console barndoor (pictured below) I made out of 8 KNAGGLIG planks reclaimed from this bookcase project. There were 18 planks so I was able to make 2 barndoors. Some changes that IKEA does I just do not understand.
5. Take one of the unused KNAGGLIG bottoms and drill four new holes near the four pre-drilled holes. Using these newly drilled holes, attach this bottom piece to the end of one of the two stacks with the two ribs of the bottom directly against the stack. This will be the bottom of the book case. Now attach the EKET legs to that new bottom. It should look like this:
6. After setting the stack upright on the EKET legs, place the second KNAGGLIG stack on top. Glue into place. While the weight of the top stack should suffice, you may want to place some heavy books or other weighty objects as a “gravity-clamp”.
Making shelves
7. While waiting for the glue in step 6 to dry and cure (at least 8 hours but 24 hours is better), go ahead and cut the HEJNE shelves down to size.
I cut the HEJNE planks to 16-5/8″ long and the end pieces were cut to 8-7/8″ long. That made for a snug fit that almost didn’t need screws for support – almost.
The cut end piece made a convenient template for drilling the screw holes for shelf support.
8. Once the glue in step 6 has dried, time to put in the downsized HEJNE shelves. I used my template to place the shelf support even with the bottom edge of the middle plank on the side of the two stacks.
It is easier to actually drill all four holes and insert the screws far enough in that it just takes a turn or two to keep the shelf in place as you screw in all four screws.
9. Once you’ve got all eight screws put in for both HEJNE shelves (one for the top KNAGGLIG stack and one for the bottom stack,) they should look something like this:
That’s it … the finished crate bookshelf project:
For me, KNAGGLIGs are like LEGOs for adults and IVARs are like Erector sets.
Outdoor trellis comes indoors as a lighted room divider.
As many of you do, due to COVID-19, we spend most of our time at home.
We wanted to make the home environment more cozy and charming and designed a lighted room divider. Our project is called Velumen.
We wanted to take a simple and inexpensive object and reimagine its usefulness and beauty. One that could enter any home for not too much money but for great effect.
With our room divider you can easily create an inspirational private space in your apartment, even if it is small.
2. With a foot placed on it to secure it in place, use the back of the hammer to pry the support wood from the 5 planks.
3. Now that you’ve separated the two support pieces, take your wire cutter and clip away all the nails poking through the bottom.
4. Next take you hammer and finish the job by hammering them until they are no longer visible.
5. For good measure take your sandpaper and go over the support planks one more time to ensure no nails poke through. If you can’t get rid of your nails completely, don’t worry, cover the bottom of the wood with duck tape or a similar film to protect your floor.
6. Take your ruler and find the center point of the support piece. Making a mark with your white pencil.
7. Take your hand saw and cut that support piece in half. These will become part of the base of the Velumen Room Divider.
8. Next take the planks from the TORDH shelf, and place them on the floor. There should be 5 in total.
9. Take two of the planks, placing them end-to-end, creating a longer 39” surface from the two 19.5” planks.
10. Do the same thing with the next two planks. Placing the new 39” surface parallel to the first one you placed.
ASSEMBLE THE BASE
11. Take the two halves of the supporting piece you cut and screw them to the underside of the two long planks, connecting them with about an inch gap between.
12. Take your GRANHULT brackets and place them on top of the two 39” surfaces that you made from the four planks.
13. Align the edges of the GRANHULT brackets with the outer edges of the two long planks in order to find the proper distance to screw them in place. But don’t screw yet!
14. There should be a gap between the two long 39” surfaces that’s around an inch.
15. Take that last plank from the TORDH shelf and measure off 5 inches.
16. Take your hand saw and cut off those 5 inches. This piece will be used to screw the base planks you just prepared for securing. Keep the remaining 14.5 inches, we will use that later.
17. Now that you have your 5 inch piece of wood, place that under the two long blanks, and begin to screw them into place. Use two screws at the end of each plank for a sum of 8 screws total.
18. At this point you should have the wooden base entirely secured.
19. Next take the GRANHULT Brackets and place them 5 inches from the outside edges of the name wooden base.
20. Take 4 more screws and secure both brackets in place, using two screws for each bracket.
21. Congratulations! The base is complete.
INSTALL ASKHOLMEN TRELLIS INTO THE BASE
1. Take your ASKHOLMEN Trellis and lie it flat on the floor, adjust the length of the freely folding trellis until the squares between each wood piece form 90 degree angles.
2. Take the leftover 14.5’ plank and screw that to the center of the fourth row of the trellis, securing the proper angles of the structure. Use two more screws for this. This will serve as a handle as well!
3. Now that the trellis has been secured, mount it into the brackets. To do this, slide the edges of the rellis into the cavities on both brackets. This should hold the trellis in place reliably.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed the trellis.
PREPARE PAPER LANTERNS
1. You can prepare paper lanterns by laser cutting the material or by manually cutting it (the second option is doable, but will require much more time) . Use this pattern or make your own!
You want to laser cut or manually cut these four shapes:
3. Email Adobe Illustrator file to a laser cutting facility of your choice asking them to laser cut 35 cubes (one cube consists of four above mentioned shapes). So you will need to laser cut 70 shapes out of chipboard and 70 shapes out of Vellum.
4. After getting your cuts done, assemble your 35 cubes, by glueing together these details in this order:a) Chipboard box with glue tabs and vellum cover with glue tabs b) Chipboard box without glue tabs and Vellum cover without glue tabs c) Form a cube by glueing part a and part b
5. Congratulations! You have prepared your paper lanterns.
INSTALL PAPER LANTERNS INTO THE TRELLIS
1. Take your paper lanterns and place them into every available hole of the trellis. Subtracting the three filled by the 14.5” handle that secures the trellis’s rigidity, there should be 35 holes to fill.
2. To finish off the piece, take your lights and string them through the tops of your lanterns or in whichever way works easiest for the lights you have available.
3. Congratulations you have finished your Velumen room divider.
How long and how much did it cost?
Breakdown of Time
Construction of Base: 30- 45 min
Mounting Trellis: 15 min
Building Lanterns: 6 hours with one person
Threading lights: 15-20 min
What do you like most about the hack?
Vellum paper reveals the underlying pattern of the lanterns when either sunlight or the lights inside shine through it. The natural flow of transparent Vellum paper masks the rigid structure of the chipboard lantern.
What was the hardest part about this hack?
The hardest part was assembling the lanterns. They are extremely simple to build, but we would recommend grabbing a friend to help you so that you can finish folding the lanterns faster.
What to pay special attention to?
Pay special attention not to tear the paper of the lanterns when you’re threading the lights. When I did it, I stuffed at least 2 lights into every lantern and I had to gently fold down the flaps so that I wouldn’t tear the corners with the cords on the string lights.
We used the IKEA LEDLJUS light initially, but the easiest light to use is the Icicle type hanging light. The longer sections of wire between each strand make it easy to hide them behind the paper, and the bunchings allow easy allotment for each lantern. They’re also less expensive.
Looking back, would you have done it differently?
We would have purchased another TORDH shelf. For this design we really made every piece of material count, but in the future, that extra supply of clean planks could make fabrication a lot easier. Also, we would rethink the placement of the handle so that all 38 holes of the lighted room divider can be filled with lanterns.
~ by Jane Voronovich, Tirth Engineer, Shayn Jackson
More photos of the VELUMEN lighted room divider (click to enlarge)
The space under a sloping ceiling is always a bit of a challenge. Costantino has an attic with a sloped ceiling where he wanted to fill with bookcases and free up the living room.
His bookcase of choice was the cheap and very hackable BILLY. However the BILLY is not modular, unlike the PLATSA system which lets you position frames like a step bookcase.
The only solution was to hack.
Admitting he was not skilled at carpentry, Costantino kept it simple.
His plan: cut the two sides into different heights and forget about a sloped top.
Here’s what happened on first attempt. It looked promising.
And the second.
Sloped ceiling bookcase hack
How-to:
First, measure and measure.
Then, he marked the cut lines on the BILLY side panels. Be careful to correctly mark the left and right panels. Cut the side panels with a jigsaw. For a cleaner cut, he recommends using a blade with finer teeth, set at a slower speed and to exercise more care in removing the masking tape from the cut lines.
And after completing the first bookcase, place the upright of the second BILLY side by side with the first and mark the cutting line. Otherwise you may get two sides with one or two millimetres difference, which would be a pain to fix.
Without the top panel, the BILLY was wobbly. Costantino shortened the top piece and positioned it lower as a top shelf.
The last step was to cut the back panel. Measure the top position at each side, draw a line and cut with a cutter on the white side (not the brown).
Secure each module to the wall with appropriate wall fixings.
Lastly, he joined the bottom of one BILLY to another using metal joiners (leftover from a previous PLATSA installation). You can also screw the units together through the dowel holes.
All in all, he’s stoked with the results. The bookcases look good and fits perfectly under the sloped ceiling.
A folding screen is a quick way to divide a room and create private spaces. IKEA currently sells the RISÖR room divider and that’s it. Nothing much in this department.
But fret not, it’s easy to make one. The IVAR side units are perfect for this DIY project and can be customised to function as more than a privacy screen in so many ways.
Then I placed one panel next to another and attach them together with hinges. I used 3 per joint.
Place the panels flat on the fabric. Cut fabric to size for each panel. Fold and staple the edges to the IVAR post. Pull the fabric taut for a smooth finish.
~ by Corinne
IKEA made one too some time ago. See their version pictured below.
#2 A charming partition with cane webbing
Photo: LivetHemma
This lovely one is from IKEA’s discontinued DIY blog, Livet Hemma. Instructions are lost but you can refer to this IVAR cane headboard post for a similar tutorial.
Love this gorgeous knotted screen from My French Twist. Despite how complicated it looks, she reassures us that it consists of one basic knot (excluding the Lark’s Head Knot at the top.) That makes it so doable, even for macrame noobs. Tutorial here.
The same folding screen frame but staggered with the addition of the shorter side unit. Which makes for a more interesting formation, if prefer a varied height. Emmeline added a plank across the rungs to form a shelf. You can certainly add more planks for more shelving. Read more.
Partial cover that still lets light through. Alternate with fabric and twine or any kind of yarn you like.
Some pointers before you begin:
The 20″ IVAR side units would be more stable with its wider footprint. Bear in mind, if you choose the taller units, it may wobble or topple easily when opened too wide. Please note that this project may not be suitable if you have small children (or cats!)
I’m coming back with what I love the most, giving makeovers to old stuff and making them not just nicer but also giving them a new purpose.
I had an old IKEA footstool laying around my home for a while (so old it’s already discontinued). The cover looked not only worn out, but it didn’t match my living room color-scheme at all.
It also had the sole purpose of existing and taking precious space from my tiny living room.
Therefore, I have refreshed it using stuff I had at home and turned it into a beautiful footstool with storage for my blankets.
3. Per mark, drill a hole using the 2mm bit and screw a 3x12mm through the square brackets. The hole will guide the screw through the wood and prevent it from from splintering. The brackets won’t be seen from the outside.
4. Measure and extract the inner shape of the stool.
5. Cut such shape in a 5mm plywood board. Pro tip: if you use a jigsaw, you can use a wooden strip as support to ensure cutting a straight line.
6. Use the leftovers to thicken the area where the screws will be. Glue them with CA and place the screws.
7. Using an old KIVIK couch cover, my mom (thanks mom!!) upholstered separately the cushion (including its base board) and the main body.
8. The edges are tucked in and stapled to the body walls and legs.
9. Screw the hinges to one of the walls and the cushion’s board.
The result is just awesome!
It matches perfectly the couch cover and the living room theme as well as serves as storage for those blankets that come in so handy in the cozy evenings of pjs and Netflix.
Whose cubes? Louis Cubes is named after King Louis XIV as the design was very popular and widely used during his 72 year reign as the King of France. The pattern can easily take on a mesmerizing 3D effect. ~ Canadian Woodworking.
Basic wood veneer in maple, walnut and cherry Painter’s tape Sanding block 180 grit Lacquer Thinner
How to upgrade the IVAR doors with Louis Cubes
First, I paid somebody to laser cut my veneer into 60/120 degree diamonds.
Back to the IVAR cabinet, I assembled the frame without attaching the doors.
Then, scuff sanded my doors with 60 grit sandpaper.
When I got the diamonds back, I taped together my Louis Cubes with some blue painter’s tape.
I had some help.
Next, I rolled some wood glue onto the IVAR doors. (The less glue the better. This was a gigantic pain in the neck and cost me like 2 ruined doors with bad results.)
Carefully, I transferred the cubes onto the door.
I bought 400 million clamps and clamped the door against a piece of flat wood for 45 minutes. What I ended up using was just another IVAR door.
I smashed out some wrinkles in the veneer and bubbles individually with more clamps and some leftover floor tiles I had. I let dry overnight
Then, I sanded the surface with 180 grit paper over a block (sanding sponges or soft sanders are a no-no).
I painted on a thin layer of lacquer thinner mixed with lacquer.
I smashed out some MORE wrinkles that formed from the moisture in the lacquer when the surface was mostly dry.
Again, I sanded lightly with 180 and covered with another lacquer thinner/ lacquer mix.
But there are times we need a back panel for the KALLAX. Such as when we use it as a media console. Closing up the back of the KALLAX immediately hides the ugly wires and power sockets.
Or when used as storage and we don’t want stuff to fall behind the cubes.
What are our ideas for a KALLAX back panel?
Let’s take a look at these 12 unique options.
#1 Cardboard
It’s the cheapest, most available and easiest option for a KALLAX back panel. This IKEA hacker use the cardboard box the KALLAX drawers and inserts came in.
It’s as simple as cutting and folding the cardboard to the right size.
Then slot them into the cubes. A strip of double sided tape will help keep them in place. Make a few holes in the cardboard for wires to go through. Decorate the cardboard if you don’t like them plain.
#2 Fabric
This can turn out nicely, depending on the fabric you choose. And so very easy to do. All you need is enough fabric to cover the back of the KALLAX and Velcro.
Put the soft side and crunchy side of Velcro tabs together, peel the backing off one side. Tape down the Velcro on the back of the KALLAX, pressing firmly for adhesion. Repeat in as many sections of the KALLAX back as needed.
Lay the fabric out on top of the KALLAX, good side down with 2 edges as close to lined up as possible. Peel the backing off 1 corner Velcro and firmly press the fabric to it. Pull the fabric taut and repeat till the whole piece of fabric is secured. Trim off excess if any.
Cane webbing is expensive. Whilst, burlap which has a similar look, is more affordable. For the back of the shelving unit, it’s perfect.
It’s pretty simple to do. Cut the burlap to size and staple it to the back of the KALLAX.
Posh Pennies used it to create a set of doors of the KALLAX. It looks fab and will look just as good behind the cubes.
#4 Wallpaper
How to cover up the back of the IKEA KALLAX? Lay it down on its face. Spread the wallpaper across the cubes. Pin with tacks or staple the wallpaper to the frame and middle dividers. Bam! Totally transformed.
If you’re using the KALLAX inserts, you can also wallpaper the backs. Like so:
#5 Acrylic sheets
Acrylic sheets in gold can give the KALLAX a luxurious update, especially if you’re thinking of using it as a bar. You can get the sheets cut to a custom size at a plastic shop. Stick them on with double sided mounting tape.
And with good reason. It’s affordable and it can be painted or stained. Emmeline suggests 1/4″ plywood, cut to size and nailed to the back of the cubbies. Nothing’s going to fall behind the bookcase, ever.
That’s right. For an industrial style, staple chicken wire to the back of the KALLAX.
Spray paint the wire for a classy finish, like how Rebecca did.
She framed up the wires as doors for the KALLAX. This step would be optional for the back of the KALLAX. See her hack on Livingetc.
#9 Pole wrap
Fluted panels are all the rage now. There are various ways to achieve the look: wood dowels, MDF even foam. But for the back of the shelving unit, a pole wrap is the easier way to go.
A pole wrap is strips of wood veneer stuck to a flexible backing. It’s a fluted panel, ready made.
Best thing is, it can be stained or protected with polyurethane to bring out the natural wood beauty.
To make it fit your KALLAX, cut the plastic backing to size with a box cutter. Then use a miter or table saw to run through the veneer strips. A fine blade is recommended.
Use construction adhesive to stick the veneer side to the back of the KALLAX. Clamp down and let it cure. The beautiful fluted panel will show through the cubes.
#10 Beadboard
Jen shows beadboard works really well too. Cut the beadboard to fit and paint them. Then use Liquid Nails to stick them to the back. That’s it! See the full tutorial.
There are panels ready made for the KALLAX, sold by this Etsy seller, if you rather leave the hacking to the experts. The veneer panels come with special fastening elements and screws. They are screwed into an existing KALLAX compartment without the need to pre-drill.
IKEA offered a KALLAX-SKÅDIS door, which led me to think a pegboard would work for the back too. This idea will be most useful for a KALLAX unit that isn’t pushed against a wall. Then, the pegboard in the cubby and at the back of the unit will be accessible.
Photo: IKEA.com
You can use the SKÅDIS pegboards but you’ll need to trim them down a bit to fit the KALLAX size. Any regular pegboard will work as well.
And there goes my 12 ideas for a KALLAX back panel.
Hope you get some ideas here, Stacy. Let us know how it goes. We’ll love to see what you do with yours.
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.
The saying still holds true, “One’s man trash is another man’s treasure.”
Trammell repurposed a set of SULTAN LÖDINGEN bed slats salvaged from the trash into a chair.
He says, “Amsterdam’s trash is full of renewable resources, if you have the right bike to carry it home.”
Photo: Trammell Hudson/ Twitter
The SULTAN LÖDINGEN slats are made from layer-glued birch veneer to provide supply support, Despite its curved form, it is surprisingly strong.
And you can take it apart to make interesting stuff like this chair.
Photo: Trammell Hudson/ Twitter
Repurpose bed slats to curvy chair
He first dismantled the slats from the beams. Then, with a jigsaw, shortened them for the seat. These cut slats are then glued to the shortened beams and fixed with screws.
Photo: Trammell Hudson/ Twitter
Photo: Trammell Hudson/ Twitter
The same process is repeated but with longer slats for a high back chair.
Photo: Trammell Hudson/ Twitter
The slats on the left and right go all the way to the floor to serve as legs.
Photo: Trammell Hudson/ Twitter
Trammell also used the slats for the brace at the base of the chair. With the curved legs, I reckon there would be a bit of “bounce” when one sits on the chair?
For the remaining slats, he fashioned them into a hanging sculpture.
Photo: Trammell Hudson/ Twitter
Surprising what you can do with trash.
With a bit of ingenuity and elbow grease, we can keep stuff out of the landfill.
Want more ideas?
If you have bits of bed slats left over, you can repurpose them into a bathmat/ duckboard.
Or a simple wooden jewellery organizer which you can fasten behind a door. Space saving and tidy.
And they are made for a vertical garden. Just hang the bed slats on hooks and dress up with plants. I used pots with hooks. If I were to do this again, I get a self-watering version.
I replaced single-glazed sliding doors that divided the sitting room and dining room with a sliding KALLAX bookcase. For one “door”, I used two 2×2 cubes and one 2×1 unit.
As we already owned 4 separate KALLAX 2×2 cubes and they seemed to be exactly the same width as the internal doors, we thought it might be possible to stack them.
With one additional 2×1 KALLAX they almost matched the height of the internal doors.
Sliding KALLAX bookcase doors in closed position
First, still a work in progress but let us show you how it looks from the dining room, when the units are pushed together to close up the doorway.
And the units pushed apart to enter the living room.
We can access the storage cubes from both sides — from the dining or living room — which is so very useful.
What I like most is, when viewed from the living room, when closed, it looks almost like a built-in unit.
IKEA item used:
2×2 KALLAX units x 4 1×2 KALLAX units x 2
Other materials:
3M mounting tape 50x50mm mending plates 30mm casters x 8 Sliding door rail system
How did we hack the KALLAX into doors
I figured four 30mm fixed casters would sufficiently take the weight of each stack.
These were purchased for £1.75 each (x8) and screwed in place.
I placed a 2×2 KALLAX unit on top of the casters unit and held it in place with 3M mounting tape. Then, for additional security, I got some square fixing plates 50x50mm and screwed them to the joints of each KALLAX.
The final 2×1 unit was added on top and the sliding wheel bracket screwed to the top. I repeated this for the second “door”.
I still need to buy some battens about 40-40mm by 10mm to make an L shaped shroud to hide the rail.
Unladen the sliding bookcase doors move quite easily on carpet but as can be seen on the photo, the carpet is hideous.
We replaced it with a wood laminate floor. And it rolls without issue.
As we wanted to be able to put books on either side of the rooms I took apart 4 LEKMAN boxes and stuck them together with some more double-sided 3M tape.
I placed these halfway into a cube and taped them in place. This lets enough light through and is sturdy enough to prevent books being pushed through.
I did consider the official grey dividers but they aren’t deep enough. (Very strange design choice).
The only disappointment was that the 2x1s are slightly slimmer than the 2×2. Other than that, it works like a charm.
Wooden battens (L-section) – buy 2.5 meter long battens that you will cut to the desired length Optional: Wooden batten (flat) to reinforce the frames 4 x Hinges (2 for each door) Raffia matting (natural) Wood glue
1. I started with positioning the 2 BILLY bookshelves side by side where I wanted them to be.
2. Then, I took measurements of the frames and decided where I’d like to position the doors. (Do take into consideration how the doors will be fixed to the shelves as it may add a few millimeters to the measurements.)
3. Next, I built the 2 wooden frames. I used a miter saw to cut the battens (L-section), fixed them together with glue and reinforced the joints with staples. (If you don’t have a miter saw, you can use a handsaw with a miter box.)
4. I cut the raffia mat to fit the frames and fixed it in place with a staple gun to the wooden frames. (Make sure the staples are not too long – in my case I chose 5mm staples because the battens were rather thin.)
5. Optional: I didn’t do this but you might consider reinforcing the frames on the inside with a wooden batten (flat). This will make the frames stronger and easier to attach the screws for the hinges.
6. I measured where to position the hinges on the doors, which was 10cm from the edge.
7. Lastly, I installed the hinges on the doors and then fix them onto the BILLY bookshelves. You will need a drill for this step.
For the bottom shelves I fixed a flat 2mm wooden batten along the bottom of the BILLY frame to compensate the ½ centimeter gap between the bottom shelf and the sides of the frame. Have a look at the picture below and you’ll understand.
How long and how much did it cost?
Half a day and less than 50€
What do you like most about the hack?
It looks trendy and stylish.
What was the hardest part about this hack?
To fix the wooden frames to the shelves because there were very light and thin.
What to pay special attention to?
Depending on the thickness of the battens you choose for the doors, you might have to pay extra attention to the hinges. (See picture for Step 7)
Looking back, would you have done it differently?
Strengthen the wooden frames to make them less fragile and easier to fix.
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
before
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.
router slot
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.
staining in progress
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.
Cardboard template for handles
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.
wallpaper chosen
wallpapered drawer bottom
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.
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.
Faux drawers at the base of the BILLY bookcases
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!
I was inspired by other BILLY bookcase hacks so decided to hack my own version. Here’s more information on the BILLY bookcase hack I made for my daughter’s 9th birthday.
Wooden board for top and bottom White Paint Wallpaper Wallpaper adhesive
How I transformed the BILLY bookcase into a custom cabinet
First, take the two side panels and mark where to cut. I cut them just below where the bottom shelf is screwed on.
Then, I sawed wooden boards for top and bottom. The length follows the length of the BILLY bookcase. As for the width it includes the thickness of the doors.
For the top panel, I cut the wood at a 30° angle.
Next, I sanded the wood to a smooth finish.
I painted the wood boards with white acrylic paint for wood.
The last bit of hacking was the back of the BILLY bookcase. I ordered photo wallpaper to match the size of the bookcase. Put it on the back with wallpaper glue.
Then it was business as usual, assembling the bookcase using the steps in the IKEA assembly manual.
The bottom and top wooden boards are screwed to the top and bottom of the bookcase with 4 screws.
The last step was to screw on the IKEA NANNARP legs to the bottom wood panel.
And there you have it, a BILLY bookcase hacked into a bespoke cabinet.
~ by Wouter Kersschot
You may also like these:
#1 Add new DIY rattan doors to the BILLY
I could not find a piece of furniture for my living room that can contain my many books and did not look like an ordinary bookshelf.
Looking at the popular BILLY bookcase, I thought it would look amazing against new DIY doors with a natural material.
Raffia was my choice and it turned out fabulous. Read more.
#2 The best 14 IKEA BILLY hacks for every room in your home
We made a list of the best IKEA BILLY hacks to celebrate the world’s most beloved bookcase. Read more.
When the oil is completely dry, I slid my console table into the gap. It fits perfectly.
When I need to use it, I slide it out from under the pine wood top.
How much did it cost?
The whole project was very affordable. It cost me the 2 KALLAX units (25 euros each). Other cost incurred are for the pine wood at 30,00 euros and the oil costs 8,00 euros.
What do you like most about the hack?
I like it most because it’s simple, very functional and nice to look at.
What to pay special attention to?
Pay attention when you screw the wood top to the KALLAX. As you may already know KALLAX units are not solid. Use long but slim screws.
Looking back, would you have done it differently?
Maybe I would spend more time sanding down the pine word for a perfectly smooth surface. It’s still not too late to do so. I’m sure I will do it … later!
There are times we need a back panel for the KALLAX. Such as when we use it as a media console. Closing up the back of the KALLAX immediately hides the ugly wires and power sockets. Or when used as storage and we don’t want stuff to fall behind the cubes. Let’s take a look at these 12 unique options.
HY put together this compact IKEA kitchen island with just 4 items, with a budget of RM300 (approx. USD70). See the IKEA KALLAX compact kitchen island hack.
If you are familiar with TikTok, you definitely have seen a version of this DIY tile table that went viral. I think the IKEA LACK side table is the perfect size for this hack.
Position tile sheets on the table top, to see how you would like to lay them out.
STEP 2
Wipe your table with a wet cloth to make sure it’s clean. Then, take the adhesive spreader and put the adhesive on the table. Choose the spreader that has V-notch.
STEP 3
Put the tile down on the tabletop and gently but firmly at the same time, press the tile to the adhesive. Wipe all the access with a cloth. Try to use something that doesn’t have too many particles (like paper towels don’t work, for example, since they leave small fibers behind and it’s not a good look).
STEP 4
Tile the table top is relatively easy to put together, fun starts at tiling the legs. What worked for me was to add a painters tape to the tile on the legs to prevent it from sliding down.
STEP 5
When the adhesive is completely dry, and oh you’ll know when it is, it’s time for the next messy step – grouting! Cover the tile table with a grout.
STEP 6
Leave the grout to dry and polish the tiles. Use the soft cloth and polish the tiles, one by one. It’s very important that you don’t touch the grout if it’s not fully dried yet.
STEP 7
Apply a grout sealant if you plan to use it outside so you don’t ruin your beautiful work.
How long and how much did it cost?
1 day, about $40
What was the hardest part about this hack?
I’ve learnt the hard way that you should wipe as much grout as possible while it’s still wet.
Watch the video below or instructions on my blog for the full tutorial of my TikTok tile table.
MDF sheet, strip wood, strong adhesive, skirting and filler (all from B&Q) to create the ‘built in’ style — approx. £60 MDF strips (left over from a previous panelling project) — approx. £20 Primer for MDF — £20 Colour match emulsion from my favourite Decorating Centre Online – £21.99
Total Cost £341.99
How to hack IKEA built-in living room shelves
This was how her space looked before the BILLY hack.
before
She built the BILLY bookcases and stood the frames in position before fixing them to the wall.
Then Claire made a strip wood frame for the gap between the top of the bookcases and the ceiling. She then attached MDF sheets to the front of the frame to cover the gap.
#1 Thicker frames
Next was a genius step that gave her BILLY built-in display shelves a luxurious style.
She glued MDF strips over the joints between the bookcases and to the shelf fronts for a thicker appearance. Claire also filled the gaps along the sides of the wall.
Then, she added a skirting board to the base of the unit to hide the individual bookcase bases.
#2 Filled up holes
The next step is tedious and often overlooked but it made a huge difference.
She filled all the pre-drilled shelf dowel holes to get rid of the ‘flat-pack’ look. All the gaps and joints in the mdf panels are also covered with Polyfilla.
Once dried, Claire sanded the MDF and filler to give a smooth finish and applied two coats with MDF primer.
The final step was to paint the whole thing. When the paint dried, it was all ready for styling et voilà!
We had the opportunity to rent an apartment in Tampa to be near family. Since this was a second residence for us, we had to purchase most of the furniture.
We, of course, headed first to the local IKEA, but then we fell in love with an entertainment center (not IKEA) with slate accents. So I set out to make the pieces we purchased from IKEA match!
I started with the TRULSTORP coffee table in white. I really liked this table because it is sturdy and we work from home (or apartment :)) so this offered an additional workspace.
I assembled the table but did not attach the liftable surface. I glued and then used a brad nailer to secure 3” x ¼” wood boards the sides of the table surface to frame it.
Next, I used a grey wood polystain to try to match the grey stain on the entertainment center. The polystain seals and stains in one step, and I used only one coat, which leaves streaks of white show through, looking like wood grain!
Then I used peel and stick slate tiles to fill in the rest of the table top, taking care to match the thicknesses so that the surface is as level as possible. (No spilled cocktails!)
You can only purchase a case online, but my local Home Depot had them in an individual sheet, for $3.99 ea. I used about 10- 15 sheets.
Once I finished tiling the table, I grouted it with black non-sanded grout that I had on hand.
Once we received the entertainment center, I quickly realized the stains did not match. The entertainment center had much more of a brown undertone, so I restained the table right over the grey! Here is the finished slate coffee table.
Slate side table
I also purchased the VITTSJÖ laptop stand to make a side table.
I removed the glass and purchased a blackboard/ whiteboard that I cut to size for the base to the tabletop.
Grouted and sealed:
Matching mirror with slate tiles
I then used the leftover blackboard, wood and slate tiles and some mirror tiles that I had from another project to create a mirror to match:
Actually, I made many pieces to go with the entertainment center and coffee table.
I was on a roll but am only showing pieces that used stuff from IKEA.
The initial plan was to have floor to ceiling alcove units next to the fireplace so Claire hacked two IKEA BRUSALI cabinets and placed them on the left and right.
The problem arose when it came to add the open shelving on top. The BRUSALI had been discontinued (aren’t we familiar with this issue!) and the closest match came from the HAVSTA range.
The HAVSTA was slightly wider than the BRUSALI with a width difference of about 1cm.
But she thought it was possible to marry the BRUSALI cabinet and HAVSTA shelf unit into a cohesive built-in living room cabinet.
It needed a lot of thought and careful planning but in the end, Claire successfully joined the two different units together. Definitely, a custom cabinetry hack with a dose of derring-do.
BEFORE: The space with BRUSALI cabinets in the alcove
AFTER – built-in living room cabinet on both sides of the fireplace
Built-in living room cabinet with IKEA HAVSTA + BRUSALI
This is so much easier if you’re using the HAVSTA storage combination instead of a BRUSALI base and HAVSTA shelf unit at the top. In any case the BRUSALI is no longer available, so the HAVSTA storage combination is it.
Picture lights MDF wood strips Half-moon cabinet handles Postal tubes Paint Primer Caulk Wood glue (No More Nails)
Here’s what Claire did.
Part 1: Hacking the HAVSTA
1. Reposition the middle shelf
The IKEA HAVSTA comes originally with a fixed middle shelf and 2 adjustable shelves. I wanted to create a more bespoke look as these units are more for aesthetics than function. I have plenty of shelf storage from the previous BILLY bookcase hack.
After spending a lot of time sketching out various shelf configurations, I settled on having a large open display area — a space to set a tall lamp or vase. I really wanted this open shelving section to be in the middle of the unit. That meant the fixed, structural shelf in the middle had to go.
The fixed middle shelf has to go
Fortunately this was an easy problem. It just required a couple of new drill holes (you can use the holes in the centre as a guide and just bring them down to the first shelf height).
2. Adding picture lights above the shelves
In order to elevate the style of an IKEA hack, I wanted to add some lighting. I’ve seen a set of pretty brass picture lights and thought they would be perfect for this project.
To install a light above the HAVSTA units, I needed a sturdy base to attach to the backplate to. I’m not a builder and I don’t like to waste, so I always build my stud work frames with odds and ends of wood that I have left over from other projects.
I used screws to attach both the frame to the top of the HAVSTA shelf units and a piece of wood to the ceiling each side to ensure they were sturdy.
3. Wall anchors
Next, I secured the HAVSTA shelf units to the wall, anchored into studs.
4. Closing up the top
Once the units were fixed to the wall, I cut MDF panel to size and covered up the gap between the top of the units and the ceiling, The panels were secured to the frames. I’d pre-measured where I wanted to the picture lights to go, marked out the template for the backplate of the light and made the hole that would be required (by the electrician) to bring the wires through from behind.
Part 2: Matching the BRUSALI
5. Closing the gap
As the HAVSTA unit sits on top of the BRUSALI base cabinet below, there is an obvious step where it meets the bottom shelf below. I had a couple of pine shelves which I wasn’t using and happily they were the perfect size to fill this gap and give an overhang on each side to add to the ‘built-in’ look.
If you don’t have shelves hanging around, you could easily pick up some wood from your local hardware store and many of the big chains will even cut them to size for you.
6. Adding a few bespoke touches
I added some MDF strips around the edges of the unit to give the final piece the look of bespoke cabinetry. The strips lent the appearance of thicker wood on the unit and allowed me to balance out the width difference between the top and bottom units,
7. Caulk, sand and paint
Once the additional MDF strips had been glued to both units I filled any gaps with filler and waited for it to dry. As these panels had been installed previously I painted straight onto them. I also filled the predrilled holes for the shelf supports to go into. Once the filler had dried I sanded lightly to ensure the surface was really smooth and painted.
8. Attention to the sides
I added a small panel to cover the gap on the top side of the cabinet. I made a cut in the coving and slid the panel into it and then glued the other sides. Once the glue had dried I caulked and gaps and primed and painted so you couldn’t see the panel and the side looked like it was formed of one continuous piece.
9. Handles
I replaced the BRUSALI knobs with some beautiful half moon shaped handles.
10. A bit of texture
I’m a bit obsessed with adding texture to my interiors and love reeded and fluted furniture. I wanted to add a twist to this project by using postal tubes to create a softer, rounded reeded effect. This step is optional as it may not be suited to everyone’s taste.
11. Finishing Touches
Once the units were completely built in, I went over them meticulously filling in any gaps and cracks I could find and them painted the whole thing from top to bottom in the paint I had chosen.
Done!
Now the units really looked like they are custom built-in living room cabinets with more of a luxe feel that the standard IKEA furniture.
The most popular small table from IKEA is the LACK side table. But it isn’t always ideal in terms of style, size and storage.
Greg hacked his own small side table from items he found in the IKEA As-Is. Just as easy as assembling a LACK.
#1 Small table from IKEA drawer front
We were looking for a small table for our front room but could not find anything of a suitable size. When we came across a STENSUND drawer front and four PERSHULT shelf supports in the Bargain Bin at our local IKEA, we found our solution.
Not really a lot to say about the construction other than:
Make sure the screws are not too long for the wood
With the size of STENSUND drawer, we had to overlap the legs slightly and offset one side compared to the other – but it doesn’t show in the finished piece.
Use a few washers to maximise the amount of support from the PERSHULT brackets.
Took me about 15 mins for the whole build.
And here we have our small table from IKEA odds and ends.
We like the appearance from the STENSUND drawer rather than a plain piece of wood. The same idea can be applied on any other drawer front or piece of wood.
Hope you like the result.
~ by Greg Toland
#2 LACK small side table with shelf hack
We needed a small table next to the couch. So we bought an IKEA LACK side table and built a smaller shelf underneath.
Here’s a shot of the shelf under the LACK side table. It’s hidden shelf to put our remote controls.
