We bought some IVAR cabinets to make a customized wall unit for our living room.

Again, maybe not a very high-tech or impressive hack, but there might be some useful tips in here for someone looking for a similar solution.

We played around a bit with the configuration, trying different options (see GIF), ending up with our final customized IVAR.

IKEA items used:

• IVAR cabinet 80x30x83 cm (4x)
• IVAR shelf 83×30 cm
• KNAGGLIG crates 23x31x15 cm (as many as you like)

Other materials used:

• Wall anchors
• 170° opening hinges
• Primer and paint

Tools:

• Spirit level
• Drill
• ⌀35mm forstner drill bit
• aw
• Painting supplies

Customized wall mounted IVAR cabinet

First off, this cabinet is cheap. It is cheaper than buying only the wood from the hardware store if you are considering making something similar yourself.

This is great and saves you a lot of time, but also manage your expectations on the quality of the wood. There are a lot of corrections in the wood, some more noticeable than others (see pictures).

They are not on the front faces of the doors, but on the cabinet side walls all around, on the shelves and on the inside of the doors. If you are planning on painting later, this might not be a problem, but just something to keep in mind.

The good side out

I inspected all of the wood before assembling and made sure the best looking pieces are on the outside of my configuration and on the most visible parts.

And the worst looking ones are assembled against each other and thus not visible. (Since the cabinets are sold in cardboard boxes, you cannot check the wood before buying it, as I did when buying IVAR shelves.)

Wall mounting bar in the IVAR

We screwed the cabinets right into the wall (using suitable wall anchors of course). I read some comments on the cabinets that there is no system supplied/available to hang them (like for other (IKEA) cabinets there apparently is?)

But the cabinet has a structure which makes it suitable to hang it right onto the wall, like the instruction manual also shows. There is a reinforcing wooden bar at the top off the back with screw holes already in place. This bar will carry the cabinet.

Adjusting the IVAR gap

Second critical note I read online in several hacks and comments/reviews on IKEA’s website, is that there is a big gap between the 2 doors. I admit that when I first assembled the doors, I was also a bit disappointed by the size of the gap, but; it CAN be fixed by tuning the hinges!

Of course, you can also solve it by adding a strip of wood at the back of 1 of the doors, but I preferred to not have a fixed order in which to open and close the doors.

I tuned the hinges, again according to the manual, and in my opinion the gap is acceptable now. Since the initial gap is about 0.5cm big, I was afraid that tuning the hinges, bringing the doors closer together, might give a noticeable gap/step on the hinge-side of the doors (between the door and the outside of the cabinet), but in my opinion, it is acceptable.

So, to close the gap:

• loosen the screw that connects the hinge on the door to the mounting plate in the cabinet. Make sure it is loose enough (or completely disassemble it from the mounting plate) so there is enough room for the second screw to be screwed in.
• when this first screw is loose, you can screw in the second screw. This screw will give the door an offset to the mounting plate in the cabinet (I quickly damaged the cross in these screws making it hard to screw them, I ended up using pliers to grab it on the outside and turn it in)
• now, re-attach the first screw to secure the hinge back on the mounting plate

If you do this for all 4 hinges, you get, in my opinion, an acceptable gap.

So far everything is according to the manual, no hacking involved

New hinges for wide opening

We also wanted to put the TV in one of the cabinets. Only issue is, the hinges of the cabinet only allow for a +/- 90° opening angle. This will limit the visibility of the screen, so I decided to replace the hinges.

The IKEA hinges, even though they are branded ‘IKEA’, are actually BLUM hinges, so I bought BLUM 170° hinges. Hinges from another brand will probably also work fine, but I have good experience with fitting these hinges onto this cabinet.

When buying hinges, make sure to buy:

• full overlay hinges; so the door will cover the sidewall of the cabinet

• the opening angle you want (I choose 170°)

• screw-on hinges; there are other systems available (depending on the brand called things like inserta/fix/impresso), but they require more precise drilling. With screw-on, you can just screw into the wooden door. IKEA actually also sells 153° hinges (UTRUSTA), but they have the inserta system, so I did not use those.
• mounting plate, I picked clip top ‘wing’ mounting plate 0mm plate height with system screws. These mounting plates and screws fit right into the existing holes for the original 90° hinges. 

Like I said, the mounting plates fit right into to cabinet where you would otherwise use the hinge provided with the cabinet. The hinges on the door require a bit more work. The original hole in the door is ⌀25mm, the new hinge requires a ⌀35mm hole.

Because I had to make a new bigger hole, not centered to the original hole, I made a very simple jig which worked perfectly. In a scrap piece of wood, I drilled a ⌀35mm hole all the way through the wood. I then attached another small scrap piece of wood to this first piece.

Drilling new holes for hinges

According to specifications of the hinge manual, there should be 7mm between the edge of the door and the start of the hole (‘TB’ dimension between 3-8, with mounting plate height being 0 and door thickness of 18mm, this results in 7mm).

Unscrew the 2 bars on the inside of the doors (they were interfering with the jig and also with the new hinge). Place the jig on the door with the strip against the (hinged) edge. Center the ⌀35mm hole in the jig and the ⌀25mm hole in the door. Firmly fix the jig to the door with some clamps and start drilling the new hole. The jig will keep the drill bit in the right location. 

Be careful not to drill too deep by regularly checking if the new hole is at the same depth as the original hole.

When you reach the right depth, fit in the new hinge and make some small pilot holes for the screws.

Now, attach the hinges to the door and re-attach the wooden bars back on the door (I had to move them a bit to prevent interference with the hinge). Next you can clip the hinges on the doors onto the mounting plates in the cabinet. If needed, tune the hinges to fit the door in place. Now your doors can fully open

Customized shelves for IVAR

When we had this unit finished, we realized that the whole thing was a bit too clean and closed, and we wanted to add some open shelves. Again we experimented a bit with different setups and ways to create open shelves (see GIF). I will shortly explain some of the ideas we had since it might be of help or inspiration to someone.

Option 1: 2 cabinets 1 set of doors

When you have 2 (or more) IVAR cabinets on top of each other, you can use any of the dowel hole positions to attach the hinge mounting plates. This way you can place 1 set of doors partly covering 2 cabinets, creating some open shelves around it. No drilling or other modifications needed!

Option 2: Cutting the doors

Another option we considered, is cutting the doors so the doors will no longer cover the complete cabinet behind it. When cutting the doors, you will cut off the hinge-position, so you will need to make new (⌀25mm) holes in the doors to re-attach the hinges.

If you would align this new hinge position with a new position for the mounting plate in any of the dowel hole positions (see above), this option will require a minimum of modifications and effort.

Option 3: Adding a open area

3. In the end, we decided to move one of the cabinets a bit higher onto the wall, creating an open space between two of the cabinets. The sides of this opening, I covered with some wood.

I used a IVAR shelf to cut some pieces since this is the same wood, same thickness, same depth, so it was really easy to just cut 2 strips to close the sides.

I attached this strip to the cabinet wall below is and on top of it with some pocket hole screws to have the most invisible way of attaching them together. Basically, the strip is not a structural part of the whole wall unit, both cabinets are hanging on the wall by themselves, so you could just put the strip in there with some nails/glue/tape/whatever. 

Once we were happy with the configuration, we decided on painting the cabinets, using a slightly different color for the inside and outside. See the end result below.

Painting the IVAR

Midway in the painting process:

Painting finished:

All done. Our customized IVAR cabinet.

Pocket holes attaching the strip on the open shelf part:

Original hinge:

170° hinge:

Also, I customized some KNAGGLIG crates to better fit the IVAR cabinets.

For a complete how to on modifying the KNAGGLIG crates, please see the following post on IKEAhackers:

~ by Pauline (Utrecht, The Netherlands)

We have a guest/library room with two BIRKELAND pieces and needed a matching magazine stand for our file holders.

BIRKELAND chest of drawers (discontinued) | IKEA.com

The plan was to hack the more streamlined KALLAX to match the design of the BIRKELAND.

The result is a matching movable magazine stand that also works as a “work area” or standing desk to read or to work on other projects.

KALLAX 2×2 shelving unit | IKEA.com

The hack has the following IKEA items:

• 2  KALLAX 2×2 shelving unit
• 24 FJÄLLA magazine holders
• 2 packs of RILL casters

Specially ordered items from Bauhaus/ Home Depot:

• 4 corner moldings 
• Plywood board approx 70  x 70 cm for bottom of the KALLAX unit
• White board with white edges approximately 90 x 90 cm (check the size of trim, to make it fit) as the top plate
• Paint stir-sticks from the paint department

DIY movable magazine stand

Fixing the top plate

First, I drilled a few screw holes in the KALLAX to attach the top plate.

I drilled 4 holes (blue dots in drawing below) as close to the vertical wall as I could. (refer to 1)

The drawing above shows drill holes for one KALLAX unit

The two center holes (pink dots) have more or less no supporting material on the inside. So, I made the hole large enough for a screw head to come through on the inner side. (refer to 2)

Once I completed the drilling, I was ready to attach the top plate (white board).

I found it easiest to lay the top plate (white board) on the floor. Then, position the two KALLAX units (back to back) on the top plate.  

After that, I measured carefully so that the KALLAX units would end up at equal distances from the edge on all sides. (as evenly as possible).

There is a slight height difference between the vertical walls and the top and bottom panels. So I cut paint stir-sticks into approximately 5 cm long pieces, drilled a hole through the centre and placed them between the gap to compensate for the height difference.

After checking that all positions and levels were right, I screwed the KALLAX units to the top plate. I left as small a gap between the two back-to-back KALLAX units as possible.

Installing the bottom plate

Then I put the bottom plate (plywood) on top of the two KALLAX units and centered it the best I could.

I wanted the wheels to be as invisible as possible, so I positioned them as far inwards as I could. 

I pre-marked with an awl where the wheels would sit.

Then I pre-drilled with a small drill and screwed long screws through the wheel mount, plywood and into the KALLAX unit. 

By doing this, I got no visible screws on the inside shelf, and the same screws were used to hold the wheels in place as well as hold the assembly together.

The magazine stand is heavy with all of its content so I put 8 wheels to support the weight.

The last thing was to glue and nail the moldings in place. This finishing touch gave the KALLAX the BIRKELAND style.

And with the help of a friend, we turned it over as a finished product.

It’s a pretty good match to our BIRKELAND pieces.

~ by Tommy Leo

A lovely bed nook with the BILLY Bookcase as a room divider.

I hated being able to see my bed from the “kitchen” and vice versa, so needed a cheap way to hide it!

Here was how it looked when I first moved in:

Before

Before

Quotes for a partition wall came in too expensive, plus it’s a rental, so I decided to use the BILLY bookcase as a room divider.

Related: See this guy’s striking IKEA makeover during lockdown

IKEA items used: 

• 1 x BILLY Bookcase, white, 80x28x202 cm
• 3 x BILLY Bookcase, white, 40x28x202 cm
• MATILDA Sheer curtains, 1 pair, white, 140×300 cm
• 1 x IRJA Curtain rod set, white, 140 cm

Other materials and tools: 

• 6 x metal braces
• 12 x small screws
• Primer – white
• Paint – white
• white polyfilla
• screwdriver
• hammer
• 3M sticky wall hook
• plastic coated curtain wire to desired length (the one with the loops at each end)
• 1 x screw hook

DIY IKEA bookcase room divider

First, I primed and painted the backs of the bookcases as I’d be able to see them from the bed. You could also use adhesive wallpaper, or leave as is.

Then I constructed the bookcases and configured the shelves. I put them in position and used metal braces along the top and middle to join them together and stabilise them.

For the curtains, I threaded the curtain wire through the IRJA curtain rod so that it would stay rigid (rather than sag in the middle). The rod also makes it nice and slide-y for the curtains.

I stuck a strong 3M hook on the wall, and screwed a hook into the bookcase on the opposite side.

Partition in progress

I removed the curtain tabs, folded over and sewed into a rod pocket instead.

Then, I hemmed the bottom to the correct length.

Popped the curtain on the rod, hooked each side and voila! A cosy bed nook that doesn’t distract your eye when in the rest of the flat  

Whilst being in coronavirus lockdown, I have been filling in the empty dowel holes on the bookshelves with a little white filler, smoothed down with a credit card.

Covering up the dowel holes

They can be popped out with a nail if you want to rearrange the shelves in future.

How long and how much did it cost?  

Two days to prime and paint (optional), plus a few hours of construction.

Total cost:  146 EUR plus 50 EUR Delivery from IKEA, 30 EUR on sundries. Total: 226 EUR

What do you like most about the hack? 

It’s so simple, relatively cheap, makes the other side feel more like a living room and can be easily moved or reconfigured!

What was the hardest part about this hack? 

Nothing hard, filling the little holes has been blissfully mundane and repetitive.

What to pay special attention to? 

I made sure to put heavier items on the shelves at the bottom for more stability.

Gracias!

~ by Jess

BILLY bookcases are awesome as walls for a temporary room.

Working from home is becoming a reality for more and more people. But not everyone has the luxury of a dedicated room for a home office.

In Carolina‘s case, they carved out a spot in their living room to fit in a work space.

To create the faux walls for the room, they chose the BILLY corner unit. The genius bit was using it inverted.

BILLY bookcase corner unit | IKEA.com

Here is their living room before creating the BILLY room.

Related: Making a PAX room in the living room

IKEA items used:

• 80cm wide BILLY bookcase x 3
• 40cm wide BILLY bookcase x 1
• 80cm wide height extension unit x 3
• 40cm wide height extension unit x 1
• OXBERG doors x 7

Other materials:

• MDF
• Wall paper
• Knobs
• Trim and moulding

What they did was to assemble the BILLY bookcases and set them in place. They were positioned to face out, with the backs creating the walls of the office space.

For light and ventilation, they trimmed the thin boards for the back of the BILLY bookcases to make a “window” at the top. The extension units were assembled without the backer board.

View the hack process video below:

Related: How to make a BILLY bookcase secret door

They also left a gap in the first 80cm bookshelf to create a nook for the printer and storage. This is accessible from the work area.

For a flat wall, they closed up the back of the BILLY bookcases with MDF boards and wallpapered them.

Next, they added trim to all the exposed edges and moulding at the top. Baseboards completed the built-in look.

At the front, the corner sections were also closed up with MDF and trimmed out.

And the faux room “walls” are done.

This is how it looks from inside the home office.

Final touch was to stick on LOTS mirrors to the back of the BILLY bookshelves for a light airy feel.

Follow Carolina on @lgh18

Turn a plain IKEA LACK side table into a conversation piece. Take it from a regular coffee table to a living centerpiece, a beautiful succulent table.

IKEA items used: 

• LACK side table

LACK side table | Buy on IKEA.com

Other materials and tools: 

• Measuring tape
• Duct tape
• Pen and cutter
• Plastic wrap
• Expanded clay balls (LECA)
• Cactus soil
• Succulents

DIY succulent table instructions: 

Step 1: Define the planting area

The final planting area for the succulents must be drawn out. In order to obtain the most accurate template possible, it is advisable to work with a measuring tape.

Related: A stencilled accent table for succulents

We decided on a planting hole with a length of 30 centimeters and a width of 23 centimeters. These dimensions leave enough space for the plant to be staged, as well as a sufficient margin for regular use. For example for placing glasses.

Of course, the shape and size of the subsequent succulent bed can be individually adjusted. So smaller planting areas are just as possible as imaginative shapes.

Step 2: Cut out the plant area

After the drawing, the space for the succulents must be cut out.

To make the cuts particularly straight and precise, you can lay out the measuring tape along the interface and fasten it with adhesive tape.

With a cutter knife the line can be cut straight like on a ruler.

When all four sides of the drawn rectangle have been cut out, you can carefully lift the cut out tabletop with the blade of the cutter and remove it.

A honeycomb-shaped cardboard appears underneath. In this layer, move the cutter knife along the sides. Then, remove the cardboard from the table as neatly as possible.

Step 3: Waterproofing

Next, insert a plastic film into the hole that was just created. This is particularly important for the succulent table. If not, it would swell after a few weeks due to the moisture of the irrigation water.

Therefore, when lining the hole it is extremely important to make sure that the film has no holes or tears. Also ensure the plastic covers all parts of the hole created. If you want to be on the safe side, use a small tub or bowl instead of a film.

Step 4: Repotting

After the space for the plants in the table has been prepared, you can start preparing to repot the succulents.

First, fill the hole in the table with expanded clay balls (aka LECA). This improves the drainage properties of the later substrate and thus ensures that the risk of waterlogging is reduced. This drainage layer is particularly important when planting a succulent table. As there are no drainage holes through which excess water could run.

Next, fill to about half the hole with cactus soil.

In contrast to normal potting soil, this is more suitable for the cultivation of succulents. Cactus soil is better adapted to succulents’ soil and nutrient requirements. And thus, offers them a more optimal environment for growing.

Now the individual succulents can be carefully removed from their old pots. Remove the old soil which sticks to the root ball of the plant. But be careful with the fine roots of the plants. They should not be damaged under any circumstances.

The plants freed from their pots can now be arranged in their new home. Once the right arrangement has been decided on, fill the remaining gaps with cactus soil and lightly press on in. Excess soil on the table can only be carefully removed from the edge by hand or with a damp cloth.

Step 5: After care

After the succulent table has been completed, proper care of the plants is particularly important, as repotting is a major burden for them.

For this reason, the plants should not come into contact with direct sunlight during the first week, as this will stress the plants.

In addition, succulents should only be watered a week after repotting to relieve the weakened roots.

Once the first few weeks have been successfully completed, the succulents prove impressively why they are so popular.

If you offer them a bright, sunny place, the robust plants hardly need any maintenance. In fact, excessive watering can even harm the plants. For this reason, you should always make sure that the plant substrate is completely dry before each new watering.

Head to my blog for the complete tutorial and more succulent care tips.

~ by Janie

We used the IKEA KALLAX modules to build a room divider with a desk.

The main structure is a KALLAX 4×4 unit propped up by two 1×2 KALLAX units. Together they work perfectly as a room divider with an integrated desk.

The materials we used:

• 1 KALLAX 4×4
• 2 KALLAX 2×1
• 2 drawers insert for KALLAX
• 1 door insert for KALLAX
• 1 wooden frame built from a wooden beam (6 x 3.8 cm) 139 x 68.5 cm
• Glue
• Small saw to half the wooden pins

Room divider desk instructions:

Step 1

Firstly, assemble the two units of 2×1 KALLAX and set aside for later.

Step 2

Then, assemble the 4×4 KALLAX but only half of the interior to create the space for the desk.

Related: KALLAX units turned into high-impact room divider

Here we sawed the wooden pins in half (provided by IKEA) to prevent them from sticking out of the panel above the desk top. The pins were originally used to connect the horizontal with the vertical pieces, which we have omitted in the build.

Step 3

Next, glue the 4×4 onto the 2×1 units. You can also add some L brackets to join them together more securely.

Step 4

Screw together the wooden frame, paint it in the desired color. Place in the KALLAX framing the open desk space. This is to provide additional support for the upper 2 rows of the KALLAX. (If you want a flush finish, make this frame in a wood board equal in depth with the KALLAX.)

IMPORTANT! As the room divider is very tall and narrow, it is vital to attach the room divider to the wall with secure fixings suitable for your wall. We used screws.

Step 5

The last step is to insert the drawers and doors as desired. 

And finished!

~ by Leendert and Nienke

First things first, I wouldn’t have been able to do this Double POÄNG without looking at a previous Triple POÄNG article by Ian Fish.

Mine is similar, but different at the same time. Thank you so much, Ian, for the inspiration.

I kind of did this in two stages — the initial build, with the old seat cushion. Then, the second stage, where I refined things a little.

I initially thought of joining two POÄNGs together, as I already had one, and I was due to get some cats, and it seemed that the POÄNGs were cat proof. (The irony was, I didn’t realise I was allergic to cats, until I got them, and had to give them back to the cat charity).

Also, I thought it would be nice to have some furniture that was a bit quirky, and a bit different. 

IKEA items used:

• Two IKEA POÄNG frames (one of the frames was second hand)
• Two IKEA POÄNG cushions (Hillared anthracite)
• Also made extensive use of donor bolts and screws out of the two POÄNG

POÄNG armchair | Buy on IKEA.com

Other materials and tools: 

• Drill and steel bits
• Measuring tape and some things out of Screwfix (You could get these out of any local hardware store)
• Easyfix A2 Stainless Steel Hex Nuts M6 100 Pack
• Easyfix Bright Zinc-Plated Countersunk Machine Screws M6 x 50mm 25 Pack

I used various “flat/slot, and star screwdrivers, Allen key hex fitments too.

Initially I used a hacksaw, but thought it was a bit clumsy, so ended up using an electric saw.

Double POÄNG hack 

Without further ado here are my instructions for a Double POÄNG armchair.

I dismantled both POÄNGs. I then worked out I would need a centre support — this meant I needed to saw/cut one of the “arms”, into two pieces.

Then, I bored holes into the new centre support, so that I could bolt the other part of the arm onto the centre support piece. 

I angled the other part of it, so that it would act as support for the two seats. 

Next, I drilled through the two seats, and put bolts and nuts in, to secure them to the centre support piece.

I also joined the bottom rear of the frame (rear cross members). It was a bit crude, cut a bit of wood from one of the arms, and used four bolts and nuts to join it all together.

As for the front of the chair, I drilled two big holes, for self-tapping screw things (I screwed a couple out of the side of the seat frames) for the long bolts. And I had to do a bit of trimming down on the wood to get it all levelled out as best I could.

The bolts screwed down through holes drilled into the front cross members.
I also used a long bolt, and drilled holes in the upper parts of the seat frames that would let a bolt pass through the two seats, and screwed a 10mm nut onto it to hold it in place.

The only things I would do differently, would be to ensure that both POÄNGs had the same shade of wood.

Technically I could’ve measured things out more, but as it was a unique-ish shape, a lot of it is trial and error.

~ by John Stuart 

Related: See more POÄNG hacks

SVALNÄS wall mounted cabinet gets a touch of cane.

While I liked the soft white color of the metal brackets and cabinet doors that came with the SVALNÄS range, my husband thought it was too juvenile for our bedroom.

He asked me to spray paint them in bronze color.

However, after I painted the cabinet doors, I wanted some of the original “airiness” back, so I used the cane.

It turned out so lovely, I am looking around my house for other places that might need the SVALNÄS installed!

IKEA items used:

• 5 x SVALNÄS Wall Upright
• 2 x SVALNÄS Desk
• 2 x SVALNÄS Cabinet
• Assorted SVALNÄS Shelves

SVALNÄS workspace combination | Buy on IKEA.com

Other materials and tools:

• Hammer
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Level
• Drill
• Rust-Oleum Satin Bronze Spray Paint (Home Depot)
• Cane Sheets (for Chair repair) (Amazon)
• Gorilla Glue (clear) (Home Depot)
• Wood Cabinet Knobs with Green patina applied (on hand)
• Glass tops for Desk/Cabinet (local glass cutter)
• Contact paper for desk drawers and back of Cabinets (on hand)
• Assorted hardware (on hand)

Cane doors for SVALNÄS wall cabinet:

Step 1: Paint the Brackets and Metal Cabinet Doors

I painted, in a garage, and kept the brackets/doors elevated with wood blocks under them to ensure an even coat.

Because I painted in light layers—and there were so many brackets—it took about two days.

I chose NOT to paint the small hardware used to attach the brackets to the uprights because I did not want to risk losing those pieces in the process.

Step 2: Attach the Cane Sheets to Metal Wall Cabinet Doors

The cane sheets arrived in one long roll. I laid it out and put heavy books on it to straighten the cane. After a day or so, it still rolled up too easily. Instead, I soaked the cane roll in the bathtub overnight, then laid it out again with the heavy books. That worked!

Related: Missed out on the STOCKHOLM rattan cabinet? Make this instead!

I originally planned to adhere the cane sheets to the cabinet door fronts, but the caning made the door edges too wide to fit into the appropriate slots when assembling the cabinets.

Instead, I cut the cane sheets to nest inside the BACK of the Cabinet doors which has a lip around it which creates an inset. I first used a spray adhesive, but it was not strong enough to keep the cane in place.

Eventually, I dropped Gorilla Glue (clear) in spots along the cane and, with a pair of gloves on, gently spread the glue across the entire cane surface, pressing the cane firmly against the painted metal door.

After each door was no longer tacky to the touch, I laid it flat and put some heavy pots or books on them and let them rest for 24 hours.

Now, the back of the cabinet doors are now the front of the cabinet doors.

Related: Make a chic cane headboard in a matter of hours

Step 3: Assemble and Install the Uprights/Desk/Cabinets/Shelving

Next, I followed the instructions for the assembly and installation, with two exceptions: I added contact paper to the desk drawers and across the back of the cabinet prior to assembly.

I also used some green patina painted wood cabinet knobs I already had on hand instead of the knobs that came with the desks/cabinets.

I had to add some washers to the screws to get them to fit in the older knobs. After the assembly and installation was complete, I slid the doors into place.

Step 4: Add Glass Tops to Desks/Cabinets

Not necessary, but they help protect the desk/cabinet tops from scratching.

How long and how much did it cost?

This took four days, due to patience with paint and glue and other time demands. (This does not include time waiting for the cane delivery.) The additional costs included the spray paint, glue, cane, and glass tops which all totaled less than $100.

What do you like most about the hack?

The cane-fronted cabinets! Also, my husband was right: the bronze brackets are much more elegant than the original soft white.

What was the hardest part about this hack?

Figuring out how to make the cane “flat” and then how to make it adhere to the metal doors without peeling off.

What to pay special attention to?

If I had not figured out how to flip the cabinet doors to use the inset of the doors’ backsides, then I would have been struggling to get a clean and straight cut of whatever material I wanted to use on the original fronts, which may have ended up “sloppy.”

Looking back, would you have done it differently?

While I LOVE the cane, I could have used some leftover grasscloth wallpaper. It would have been less expensive and reduced the time waiting for the cane to be delivered and to straighten.

~ by Lorelei

The MARKERAD glass door cabinet is a really nice, simple piece of modern furniture made from solid pine.

It has a really nice pop of colour on the ‘nail’ shaped orange handle for the glass sliding doors.

before

My only issue is it’s a bit low to the ground and the holes in the glass sliding doors allow dust in.

So this is a relatively low cost and simple fix that really elevates the unit, in my opinion.

after

IKEA items used:

• MARKERAD display cabinet x 2
• FIXA felt floor protectors x 4

Other materials / tools:

• White rubber money-box stoppers x 2 (eBay)
• Tapered wood legs, M8 bolts, 20cm, Mahogany Stained x 4 (similar on Amazon)
• Parlat LED strips x 3 (Amazon)
• Parlat LED strip extension cable x 1 (Amazon)
• Cable tidy clamps (Amazon)
• Nano gel tape (Amazon)

Elevating the MARKERAD cabinet

You are basically stacking two MARKERAD display cabinets, one on top of the other, adding some legs to the the bottom cabinet, and lights (optional).

Since it’s a fairly square piece of furniture with flat sides, it’s safe and easy to stack, as long as you have a reasonably level floor.

It’s an incredibly simple hack that requires no tools or special skills, other than a pair of scissors. As such, there aren’t really any specific steps other than to add the legs, add the rubber stoppers, install the lights and enjoy. 

Basic build (no lighting)

Each MARKERAD comes with four small plastic feet to help level the unit. You will need to install these feet on the TOP cabinet if you intend to use lighting, to create space between the two cabinets and allow the power cable to slip in between the two cabinets and not be squashed.

If you’re not using lighting then you could probably lose the plastic feet altogether, though they may be useful for levelling the top cabinet. And I think the small spacing between the cabinets actually looks quite nice regardless of lighting.

Here’s what I did.

Buy 2 x MARKERAD cabinets. These are limited editions circa 2020 and collection only at time of writing.

Related: IKEA changes its logo for Virgil Abloh’s MARKERAD

Install the tapered wood legs to the bottom cabinet. The ones I bought via eBay came with M8 bolts, the same as the holes already installed in the cabinet, so this is a straightforward add on.

Now to stack the second cabinet on top. Make sure you’ve added the plastic feet supplied with the MARKERAD for the top cabinet, especially if you are using the lighting strips (read separate instructions below)

Get someone to help you lift the second cabinet on top of the bottom one. Once you have the two cabinets stacked and lined up, get someone to lift each side of the top cabinet while you install a sticky FIXA felt pad under each plastic foot. This should protect the bottom cabinet from scratching. 

Lastly, simply push the two white rubber stoppers into the two holes of the glass doors.

Done!

Optional lighting

All three LED strips are installed OUTSIDE the cabinets using the nano tape and can be daisy-chained using extension cables.

I only used one extension cable to daisy chain two of them. Mainly because I wasn’t aware of their existence when I first stacked and filled the cabinets. So dismantling it all to add another extension cable would have been a pain.

I’m fairly sure if you did this from scratch that you could daisy chain all three LED strips and only have one mains plug to deal with – much neater.

Because the pine batons have a bit of depth to them, and the LED strips are almost the same height, you can practically hide them from view.

Use the Nano tape and cable tidy grips to install all three on the front, inner edges of the cabinets, two on the bottom cabinet, one on the top cabinet. 

For the middle LED strip, make sure you use the plastic feet on the TOP cabinet to create space. Then, trail the power lead out over the back of the cabinet when you are stacking them.

What’s the cost?

Each unit costs £150. The FIXA pads are around 50p a packet. Rubber stoppers around £1 each. The stained legs were around £20 for a set of four. And the LED strips around £15 each, so a total cost of around £370.

The cabinets take the lighting really well as they are glass on all sides. And despite being quite a large object, as it’s largely glass it doesn’t feel big in my space. And I have a low ceiling.

How long did it take to hack this?

It took a while to arrive at the stacked option as I bought one cabinet first then had the idea to stack another later.

If you were doing this in one go it would take maybe 2 hours total.

Anything you would do differently?

If I do anything differently in future it would be to daisy chain all three LED strips to reduce the installation to a single power plug.

~ by Simon H

I started this project because I’ve always wanted a mantle for hanging Christmas stockings. Et voilà! Here it is — the IKEA faux fireplace mantel. Finished and ready for Halloween. 

I wanted something simple and easy to put together without too much carpentry skills required. So this is something that requires a very limited number of power tools and 3 cuts with a circular saw. 

The inspiration came from Pinterest where I have seen a similar faux fireplace with storage. The only difference was that the upper part wasn’t a drawer, but a door. 

IKEA items used: 

• METOD wall cabinet frame white (30x37x80cm) x 2
• VEDDINGE door white (30x80cm) x 2 (this is the plain door front that I have used)
• UTRUSTA shelf white (30x37cm) – 2 sets (One package comes with 2 shelves)
• UTRUSTA hinge with built-in damper for kitchen 110 ° – 2 sets (this package comes with 2 hinges)
• METOD wall cabinet frame, white (80x37x80cm) x 1 (for the middle part)
• MAXIMERA drawer, medium, white (80x37cm) x 1
• VEDDINGE drawer front white, (80x20cm) x 1(same model as the door fronts)
• UTRUSTA Push opener x 1 (instead of handles)
• LINNMON Table top, white (150x75cm) x 3 (one for the bottom and 2 for the top)

Other materials and tools: 

• 8m of Styrofoam wall molding that has a high density (so it behaves like wood)  
• 1 roll of wallpaper (wash brick patterned wallpaper)

Faux fireplace mantel IKEA hack

It all started with planning on paper and using the IKEA kitchen planning tool. 

IKEA’s METOD kitchen range is so customizable and you can find all the dimensions and exact parts you need in the IKEA kitchen planner. 

So, I needed cabinets that were 37 cm in depth.

Then on the sides, 30cm wide cabinets with shelves and in the middle a 80cm wide cabinet with drawers.

You can remove from the plan the drawers you don’t need (in my case the bottom two drawers were deleted so that the shopping cart is accurate).

To remove the drawers you go to the right side menu to “Customize” and then you have the drawers in the order they are shown in the plan top down. Just remove the fronts and also the drawer system as well. 

During the planning process I realized that I don’t need the base and the legs of the base kitchen cabinets. So I switched from base cabinets to wall cabinets (37cm depth and 80cm height).

For the middle one I selected the one with doors and then Customized it and removed the doors and the shelves.

Plenty of options to customize your faux fireplace mantel

If you don’t want to do the door molding yourself you can choose doors that already have a molding design to them. Plenty of options to choose from. Also if you want to go on black that is possible as IKEA has the METOD frames on wood like black. 

Then in the planning tool you get the list of items that you need. You just need to select from the list the items that you need (as in this planning exercise more items are listed than the needed ones). You can create your own shopping cart or favorites list by copying the article code from the list in the planning tool. 

I placed the order at IKEA and collected it from the store. (For pandemic times click and collect seemed the safest option for me). 

Start assembling

Then I started assembling the furniture.

For phase two I needed the circular saw to do the clean cut on the table tops. Here I had some help from my partner. 

He helped reduce the depth of the LINNMON table tops from 75cm to 42cm. So the bottom and the top goes over the cabinets 5cm in the front and sides (no need for the back). 

Wallpapering the back

After I had the base and the top done the wallpaper was next. For the base and inside the fireplace / middle cabinet, I used a white wash brick patterned wallpaper. This goes perfect with my entire living room design. (I have light grey walls and most of the furniture is white). 

Phase three was applying the molding.

I chose to apply the molding myself to create more of a fireplace look. I purchased Styrofoam wall molding that has a high density (so it behaves like wood). For cutting the molding I used a hand saw and a device that helps you to keep the cutting angles precise. 

Finished and ready for Halloween. 

How long and how much did it cost?

3 days after work activities (2-3 hours every day). My faux fireplace costs around 340 EUR / 390 USD.

What do you like most about the hack?

The hidden storage.

What was the hardest part about this hack?

Cutting the wall molding.

What to pay special attention to?

Planning phase is key. 

Looking back, would you have done it differently?

I would have gone for IKEA fronts with a lookalike finish (cutting the wall molding was a hassle).

See my complete tutorial here.

~ by Cristina

BILLY corner bookcase installed without the angled unit in the middle.

I came up with a solution for my home office that would enable me to use two 80cm and one 40cm wide BILLY, all with glass doors.

Now this would all only FIT into my office space if I could position the BILLY bookshelves at 90º degree right angle to each other.

The standard IKEA BILLY corner unit (pic below) would not work in this space.

IKEA BILLY corner unit | IKEA.com

I also wanted all to have height extensions as an open book and manual display.

Inventory of IKEA products

• 2 x 80cm BILLY bookcase in veneer white Birch
• 1 x 40cm BILLY bookcase in white
• 2 x 80cm white height extension
• 1 x 40cm white height extension
• Extra Glass Shelves for 40cm BILLY
• Extra Glass Shelves for 80cm BILLY

Door list

• 8 x MORLIDEN Glass door, aluminium 40×97 cm
• 1 x MORLIDEN Glass door, aluminium 40×192 cm

Tools & Materials List

92 x 18mm 5.4m 3.5inch x 3/4 inch DAR Primed Finger Jointed Pine Moulding*. 2 Lengths required. (* Measure height of BILLY with height extensions less 1 mm to get length of timber)

Stanley 8m Tape Measure | Zenith 8G x 30mm Countersunk Rib Head Chipboard Screws – 100 Pack | Staedtler Medium Carpenters Pencil | 250ml PVA Wood Glue | 18V Drill Driver Kit

600mm Aluminium Spirit Level | Empire 180mm Laser Etcher Rafter Square | Wall Anchor Setting Tool | Wall Anchors| Mitre Box And Saw Set

The solution I roughed out in sketch paper.

3D Sweet Home helped me visually place the BILLY bookcases into the small office and see whether it was workable and doable.

The Application also helped me maximize bang for storage outcome for space occupied.

Related: Alternative IKEA BILLY bookcase. Using the BENNO for the corner

Here’s how I made my IKEA BILLY corner bookcase:

My solution is to make a 90 degree wood bracket using pine moulding. For a neat finish, this bracket should be as tall as the entire BILLY corner bookcase plus extensions.

To make the bracket, secure the two pieces of wood to each other at 90 degrees using screws.

Then, secure the two BILLY Bookcases to the wood bracket from the back of the bracket into the bookcase. Use wood screws to secure the bracket along the entire height of the bookcases. Be careful to leave a 3/4″ margin in front to allows the doors to open.

When it’s all fixed and in place, add the doors as per IKEA instructions.

Progress pictures

I also used the recommended fixing to walls by IKEA for BILLY bookcases. These were bracketed to the wall with the supplied wall brackets. They were fixed with firm anchoring with steel crimped bolt threads into plaster board with 1/2 bolt threads. See picture of tool crimper and plaster fixers used.

How long did it take and what’s the cost?

The cost of materials came up to less than $20AUD, not including the BILLY bookcases.

And it took about 16 hours to do modifications.

What was the hardest part of this hack?

The hardest part of the hack was adjusting the IKEA hinges so that the doors would not jam against one another.

I kept the top door gaps linear and the spacing even via careful hinge adjustments.

Here it is, my 90 degree corner BILLY bookcase finished and in place.

What do you like most about the hack?

I love the result as it is neat and tidy. And keeps my things dust free.

The display is outstanding and makes use of space efficiently in my small home office.

This modification stands as one of my BEST renovations in my 40-year history.

I love making the home a place of peace and excellence for easy living.

My partner is amazed at the result.

My daughter thinks it is outstanding.

~ by Ross Brisbane

A cosy candle fireplace to set the mood for 2021.

Happy 2021!

I’m back after a week’s break. It was refreshing to be away from my devices and reconnect with family and friends. I hope you had a wonderful time closing the year and ushering in the new one.

To be honest, 2021 is still up in the air for me. I’m still calling this year, next year. (The brain is slowly, chugging on, still processing 2020.) So I’ll take my time to ease into all this newness rather than jump right in. The plan is to take this first two weeks to reflect, pray and move with more intention than reaction.

Will 2021 be more of 2020? No one knows.

I’m not looking for that certainty. Rather, I’m looking to faith which gives my inner world an anchor when all is an ever changing landscape.

I pray you’ll find your inner footing too.

And with that let’s kick off 2021 with this very doable candle fireplace hack from Annalisa.

~ Jules

A candle fireplace from two LACK tables

IKEA items:

• LACK side table x 2 (55 cm x 55 cm)
• Old LACK table legs (optional, to raise it)

Other materials and tools:

• Wooden slats of various sizes
• Double-sided adhesive scotch tape
• Corrugated sheet panels to cut out
• Hacksaw
• Scissors
• Matt white adhesive paper
• Contact paper brick effect
• Wood screws
• Wood glue
• Wooden profiles and wooden inserts
• White paint for wood

How to:

I wanted to create a candle fireplace using two LACK tables that I already had and on which the TV was already placed.

before

I removed one front leg from each table and joined the two tables by fixing wooden slats underneath so that it became a single large table. (You can also use the rectangular LACK table (90 x 55cm). For my case, I used the two square ones because I already had them).

Related: Faux fireplace mantel from kitchen cabinets

Then, I raised the table by 10 cm using the removed LACK legs. I attached them with glue and tape. Let the glue dry thoroughly. (You can also use pieces of wood to raise the height of the fireplace.)

After that, I cut out the corrugated sheets, obtaining suitably sized panels to put both inside and outside. And also some for the front to create the frame. (Click the photos below to enlarge and see the process).

I lined the bottom panel with a faux brick effect double-sided adhesive paper. Then, on the two internal side panels, I lined with white double-sided adhesive paper.

The internal faux brick panel I placed it inside but not too far, but a little further on, using scotch tape and pieces of wood as separators, so the fireplace is not come too deep. Then, I applied the internal side panels.

I applied the white double-sided adhesive paper to cover the tables externally and on the upper side, taking care to make it adhere well without bubbles.

Then, I applied to the front and lateral frame profiles and wooden decorative pieces which I already painted with white paint.

Lastly, place battery operated flameless candles in the fireplace.

~ by Annalisa Rizzo from Pisa, Italy

Here’s the crate bookshelf that I made just previous to the KNAGGLIG/ HEJNE magazine rack.

IKEA products:

• Six (6) large KNAGGLIG crates
• Two (2) HEJNE shelves 30-3/8″ x 11″
• One (1) EKET Base on Legs 13-3/8″ x 9-1/2″

The EKET Base on Legs appears to be discontinued, but never fear, IKEA offers another product that I would have used had it been available before.

Tools used:

• Power Drill
• Jig saw

Instructions for KNAGGLIG crate bookshelf:

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.

~ by Darren Remington

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. 

IKEA ITEMS USED:

• $24.99 – IKEA ASKHOLMEN Trellis
• $10.00 – IKEA TORDH Outdoor Shelf
• $13.00 – IKEA GRANHULT Bracket 2 pack
• $15.99 – IKEA LEDLJUS Outdoor String Lights (or any **replacement with 35+ lights)

OTHER MATERIALS:

• $1.00 each – Chipboard 18 x 24” (19 sheets)
• $6.29 for 50 18x 25” sheets – Vellum
• $1.99 – 1” Self Boring Screws x 14
• $1.99 – 0.5” Self Boring Screws x 4
• $1.00 – Sandpaper

TOOLS USED:

• Hammer
• Drill
• Wire Cutter
• Ruler/ Measuring Tape
• White Pencil (or similar writing utensil)
• Hand Saw

VELUMEN Lighted room divider directions:

CONSTRUCT THE BASE

1. Lay the TORDH shelf on the ground.

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:

• Chipboard box with glue tabs
• Chipboard box with glue tabs
• Vellum cover with glue tabs
• Vellum cover without glue tabs

2. Download this Adobe Illustrator file. Or use this pdf file for manual cutting. Central square of the cube is 4×4 inches.

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.

before

IKEA item used:

• IKEA BILLY bookcase x 4

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. 

See the full tutorial on Github.

~ by Costantino

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.

#1 IVAR fabric folding screen

Materials and tools:

• IVAR side units x 5 (20″ x 70″)
• Wood putty for holes in vertical beams
• Wood stain
• Polyurethane
• 2 1/2” hinges (3 per joint)
• Cotton fabric (approximately 2 yards per 2 panels)
• Stapler

I actually broke down the side units and modified their width to about 17” but it wasn’t really necessary.

Then, I filled the holes with putty for a more finished look.

After the putty dried, I sanded and stained the posts. Lastly, sealed them with polyurethane.

Related: How to hack a renter-friendly room divider

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.

#3 Macrame it

Photo: MyFrenchTwist

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.

#4 Add a shelf and plants

Photo: Emmeline Foxley

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.

#5 Jewellery display and privacy screen

Photo: Pinterest

A wonderful idea for the bedroom or dressing room. It’s a screen that works double duty as a jewelry holder. See more.

#6 Folding screen with pockets

Photo: IKEA.com

IKEA gives us this idea of a screen with pockets! I can see it work in the home office, craft room or to shield off the entryway.

#7 Solid screens

Photo: Livet Hemma

Another one from Livet Hemma. For more privacy, screw on solid wood panels onto the IVAR side units for a total cover up.

#8 Make it with twine

Photo: Pinterest

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!)

Shop IVAR side units here.

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.

IKEA items used:

• Discontinued SOLSTA PÄLLBO fabric footstool (current production one is BOSNÄS)
• An old KIVIK couch cover

Other materials and tools:

• 3x12mm wood screws x 36
• 20mm square brackets x 8
• 30x40mm piano hinges x 2
• 2mm drill bit
• Drill
• Phillips screwdriver
• CA glue (optional)
• 5mm plywood board
• Measuring tape
• Upholstery stapler 

Footstool with storage instructions:

1. Take out the cover and disassemble the top board that holds the cushion in place.

2. Measure the width of the main legs and mark in the middle. You have to mark twice per leg, in both the inner sides of the leg.

Related: Give a little chic storage to the PÄLLBO footstool

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.

See my other hack – a headboard with lights.

~ by Diego Pintos

I decided to make this change because I like to customize objects. Adding the cube shelf lighting to the KALLAX took me a couple of hours.

The total cost is €67.73.

IKEA item used:

• KALLAX shelf unit (42×147 cm) 
• KALLAX Insert with door
• TRÅDFRI Dimmer kit E27

Other materials:

• Transparent synthetic glass to size, and frame it by fixing it with the  cord cover

Cube shelf lighting steps:

Buy a KALLAX shelf (42×147 cm)

Related: Light up the KALLAX

Mount a KALLAX Insert with door (33×33 cm) in the lower compartment.

Insert a TRÅDFRI Dimmer kit E27 in the second compartment.

Cut the transparent synthetic glass to size, and frame it by fixing it with the cord cover.

What was the hardest part of the hack?

The hardest part was cutting the synthetic glass, and you have to be precise.

My friends and my aunt loved it.

See complete tutorial on my blog.      

~ by Massimo DI Giovambattista

I had two old LACK tables that were left over from a house remodelling.  Both the IKEA LACK tables took a couple of hours to upcycle.

The comics were a free gift from the thrift shop and the Mod Podge cost 8 dollars.  

The tiles and grout were left from a bathroom makeover but had a value of 20 dollars. 

The thing I like most about the hack is the personalization.

The tiles make the LACK look beautiful and different, completely change up the table.

The comics upcycle was great because it can be done as a project with your kiddos. 

IKEA item and materials:

• White LACK table
• Grout
• Glue
• Mosaic tiles
• Comics
• Mod Podge
• Hairpin legs

Upcycle with tiles

Place the tiles to the table with glue. These small mosaic tiles fit really well with the LACK size.

Add the grouting to the surface and make sure it goes into all the spaces between the tiles. Then wash the grout left on the surface away. 

The hardest part about this hack was making the tiles fit perfectly. 

Upcycle the IKEA LACK with comics

Cut the comics and place them on the LACK table with Mod Podge. Add enough to cover the whole surface.

Let it dry and then add another coat of Mod Podge all over. 

Take off the legs and add hairpin legs instead. 

~ by Karoline Dahrling Hughes 

Move over HEMNES, IKEA HAVSTA is taking over.

The quote for a bespoke bookcase was over £3K. We rolled up our shelves and hacked ourselves an IKEA HAVSTA built-in bookcase. We love that we get the bespoke looking finish for the IKEA price!

Watch the transformation on our Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jo • The New Front Wall • (@thenewfrontwall)

The project took around a week and cost about £1200.

IKEA items used:

• 4 x IKEA HAVSTA storage combination

HAVSTA storage combination | Photo: IKEA.com | Buy on IKEA.com

Other materials and tools:

• MDF
• Saw
• Drill
• Screws
• Decorators caulk
• Wagner paint sprayer
• Paint primer
• Paint
• Varnish
• Door handles

IKEA HAVSTA built-in bookshelf hack instructions: 

1. Assemble the IKEA HAVSTA units. (We decided to omit the back lip of the shelf. Refer to photo above of the original HAVSTA to see it.)

Related: IKEA HEMNES built-in: Trim and moulding does wonders

2. Screw the units to each other.

3. Then, place an MDF piece across the bottom to create a uniformed looking “plinth”.

4. Add MDF to each side and across the top of the units using batons.

5. Add the coving across the top so it looks like a continuation of the wall.

6. Use decorators caulk to hide all the joints.

7. Next, remove the doors for ease of painting.

8. Prime the units and mdf. (You can can use a paint sprayer or do it by hand.)

9. Paint the entire unit. We used a sprayer and saved loads of time.

10. Seal the paint using a clear paint varnish.

11. Put the doors back on.

12. Add new handles.

Done!

What was the hardest part about this hack?

Realising we needed a primer after we started to paint!

What to pay special attention to?

Take time to practice using a sprayer before starting as there is a bit of knack to it!

Looking back, would you have done it differently?

Sprayed the whole unit with a primer first!

~ by Jo @thenewfrontwall