IKEA Hackers

VIKA ALEX in the PAX

2012-05-26T14:34:00.001-04:00

Materials: VIKA ALEX, saw, and drill or glue

Description: I was looking for a chest of drawers to put in my PAX. It should be about half of the body in width, with the appropriate height and nice looking. So I came across the Vika Alex chest of drawers, with the perfect width and the same depth as the PAX! It was only a bit too tall. No problem, I have a saw! :)

So, I decided to just reduce it to the 3 top drawers. I sawed the sides and back and just followed the IKEA instructions to assemble it. As a nice side effect, I got a second chest of 2 drawers by just assembling the remaining pieces and using the base as the top of the new chest (I drilled 6 holes on the top of the sides and used the six screws from the base to attach the top).

Result: two perfect and sturdy chests of drawers for my PAX.

~ Carla

Standing desk with Utby legs

2012-05-26T11:27:00.001-04:00

Materials: Vika Amon top, Utby base, Ekby Jarpen shelf, Capita legs

Description: I too have joined the standing desk movement and my back has never felt better.

My first attempt was to construct my own desk, inspired by several I had seen online. I made a frame out of pipe segments. It was thin, but strong, and looked really cool... except for the top.

I failed to realize that all those desks I had seen online were made by people who just happened to have that antique farm door laying around, or the perfectly sized varnished piece of vintage driftwood just sitting in the garage without purpose. I had no such thing, so I just slapped down a sheet of plywood.

I made two miscalculations-- one, I decided I need storage so I added some blocks to the top and then a second sheet of plywood to make some cubby hole action. Second, I had to add feet to the whole thing so it wouldn't gouge up my hardwood floors. The shelf and feet added a good 6 inches to my initial design. Didn't seem like a lot, but after working at the desk for awhile I started having back and should problems. It was just too high.

I turned to Ikea Hackers for ideas on what to replace my failed construction with. I found most of the desks fell into three common categories:

1. Desks that were a bunch of things stacked on each on other. While functional, I just think it looks a little too clunky junky.

2. Great hacks using Expedit as a platform. While these all seem super functional have nice lines, they are also very HEAVY looking. My personal taste leans toward furniture that is as open as possible. I like rooms to feel spacious, even if they aren't. Blocky furniture seems to just make a room feel smaller. Having an Expedit at waist level under my workstation didn't feel right to me.

And...

3. Desks using Vika tabletops. These felt like the best solution for me since the Vika comes in a lot of sizes and finishes. The problem is, the base. Most of the legs intended for these tops don't extend as high as I would need them. The various solutions to this issue I've seen around seemed like they might be a little too unstable or have the same issue as #2 above.

My ultimate solution was not a hack, so much as combining the right pieces together. I discovered that the taller Utby bar table was just right for my arms-- but I didn't like the heavy, darker top design for the base.

I used a birch effect Vika on the Utby base instead. The Utby base is metallic and open, but makes use of a crossbar to actually make it as solid at home as it is on the showroom floor (which NEVER happens).

While perfect for my arms, it was not high enough for my eye to monitor line. I almost got a simple monitor shelf, but realized that there was Ekby Jarpen-- same birch effect and same width as the Vika. With a set of capita legs it made for a perfect sized shelf that created storage space below, and a shelf for my monitor and hard drives above.

The end result was exactly what I wanted-- simple, the right height, stable and not overly clunky/blocky.

With sales tax, and a simple Franklin stool for the end of the day when I get tired, the whole endeavor was just over $200.

~ Seth, Los Angeles

LACKed a 3 tier display

2012-05-26T07:11:00.000-04:00

Materials: 5 Lack side tables, 2 sets Capita legs, 1 Ekby Jarpen shelf

Description: Working for a small business means we don't have a lot of money to spend on fixtures, especially since most fixtures for retail are way over-priced. We needed a 3-tier display and in retail fixture catalogs nothing was less than $300. We've been using Ikea as a less-expensive alternative for our fixtures and having become a fan of Ikea Hackers I decided to see if I could create something myself.

I purchased 5 LACK Side tables ($9.99 ea) in black-brown. I put together 4 of them as normal for the base. The fifth one I added the Capita Legs in the 8in size ($14 for 4). I just drilled them into the bottom of the LACK table in place of the regular legs. For the top tier I used an EKBY JARPEN ($14.99) shelf that had been cut down to about 1ft square. Add some paint to the unfinished sides of the EKBY JARPEN shelf, then attach the second set of Capita legs to this.

What makes it great for business is that it's really versatile and allows for quick changes. All told I only ended up spending $92.94 and got a great looking display out of it.

~ Joe Robles, Austin, TX

DIY bubble chandelier from JARA lampshade!

2012-05-25T15:45:00.001-04:00

Materials: Lampshade, scissors, sisal rope, acrylic balls, gold leaf, grey paint.

Description: At first I painted the lampshade with my favorite grey paint.
Then I coat the inside of the lampshade with gold leaf. I left it a little bit messy and shabby looking.

After installing the bulb holder I wrapped the cable with sisal rope and glued it.
After that I had a little help with hanging it in my bedroom ;)

That how it looked without the bubbles.

And here are they stepping in the game;)

And here is the Lamp in my room, in my reading nook;)

See more of the bubble chandelier.

~ Pudel - design, Deutschland

Ancient lamp hack

2012-05-25T10:01:00.002-04:00

Materials: Januari, Ancient beam

Description: I've been browsing through IKEA HACKERS a lot lately, because I moved into a new apartment. One idea caught my eye and I decided to try this for my own apartment.

I found a ancient oak beam from the house which was build at the spot where my parent's house is located right now. It was build in the 17th century. The small piece of that oak beam was laying around at our attic.

I sanded the beam to get all the dust and dirt off. Then I cut the beam into three segments of different lengths. I took a drill and drilled through the middle of the beam, so that you can pull a cable through.

I unscrewed the Januari apart and attached a new longer cable to the lamp. I modified/shortened the metal pipe and pushed it into the drilled hole. I attached the bottom part under the lowest piece of the oak beam and voila, the lamp is done!

~ Joachim, Würzburg, Germany

A long one for cat lovers

2012-05-25T07:15:00.000-04:00

I know not everyone likes cat hacks, so if you fall into that category, please feel free to sit this one out. This post lists 4 hacks
- DIY cat shelves from Bjarnum shelves
- A cat tree from Expedit shelves
- A kitty litter from a Corras bedside table
- A hallway cat litter & food hideaway
- A Birkeland cat litter
~ Hiding a litter box in the hallway

Meow!
~ Jules

DIY Cat Shelves

Materials: Ekby Jarpen shelves and Ekby Bjarnum brackets, Flor carpeting and glue

Description: We were pretty much either unimpressed with a lot of the cat trees out there or AMAZED at the cost of the ones we were impressed with. So we decided to make our own. Here are the steps:

1. Mapped out a practical layout deciding which shelves would be loungers and which would just be steps.

2. Cut the Ekby shelves to size.

3. Cut Flor carpeting to size and glue to shelves.

4. Attach shelves to the wall.

Easy peasy. And our cats LOVE IT!

See more of the Cat shelves.

~ Lizzie, Santa Monica, CA

Expedit cat tree

Materials: Expedit shelves , L-brackets, area rug, padding, staple gun, screws, wall anchors , and power drill

Description: We had hacked a 4x4 Expedit bookcase to make an entertainment center. With the left over parts I made a kitty tree to replace a store bought one that took up too much floor space.

I used a long cross shelf and 3 small divider shelves. I pre-drilled holes in the long back and attached the smaller platforms with two screws a piece. I staggered two of the platforms so my kitty could easily jump to the top.

On the top again using a pilot hole I screwed a platform that was square with the edge of the back. I added L-brackets for support

I wanted my kitty to not just be laying on a hard surface covered with carpet so I bought some foam padding used in packing plates and stapled it to the platforms. I then covered the padded platforms with carpet cut from two 2'x4' cheap area rugs. I had enough carpet left to make a vertical scratching area on the floor level.

I then hung it on the wall with drywall anchoring screws. I didn't have to pre-drill any holes because there was holes left from the wooden pegs.

I covered the screws with small pieces of electrical tape because the screws were silver colored.

~ Kristyn, Pennsylvania

KITTY LITTER FROM BEDSIDE TABLE

Materials: Ikea "Corras" side table

Description: Over the weekend, I picked up an awesome Craigslist find - a discontinued Ikea side table slash soon-to-be incognito kitty litter.

The entire construction time came in just under 30 minutes and cost less than $20. This is how I made it.

SUPPLIES:

-Ikea Corras side table ($15 from Craigslist)
-2 hinges
-8 screws (for hinges)
Drill

I removed the four casters by removing the screws fastening the casters to the underside of the table. Then I made the shelf into a door by attaching two hinges to the front of the table.

Since the shelf came with the table, it was a perfect fit- no need to trim or resize. I didn't mind the visible hinges, but you could buy hidden cabinet hinges from the hardware store.

Then I placed the litter box inside as so:

The cat accesses the litter box from the back of the side table, which rests a about eighteen inches from the wall. To clean the litter box, I can access it from the front by opening the newly installed door. So far the kitty seems to like his new digs!

See more of the kitty litter.

~ Fran Laks, Brooklyn, NY

Cat Litter & Food hideaway

Materials: 2 Faktum fan cabinet, 2 Applad doors

Description: I wanted to hide the cat litter positioned in the corridor, and I thought that it would have been great to find a way to make also the cat's food bowl inaccessible to our greedy Jack Russell Terrier!

I dug into the Ikea website looking for a cabinet that could fit the place where the litter initially was and found the Faktum kitchen fan cabinet: I bought 2, in order to use them vertically one on the other.

We mounted the cabinets and first thing, with the help of a friend and the right tool, we cut out the entrance on the side, cat head shaped. Then we cut the inner passage between the two cabinets.

We mounted the 2 Applad doors; then we applied 2 layers of felt pads under the cabinet that stays on the ground so that the door could open without scratching the floor; lastly we put some double-sided tape between the two cabinets, so that they could be stable together.

I'm planning to add a shelf inside the upper cabinet to store food and bowls.

~ Laura, Italy

BIRKELAND for Cats

Materials: Birkeland nightstand, hammer, wide chisel (or something with a blunt edge), glue

Description: Inspired by other Ikea hacks I've seen for hiding litter boxes I decided to make my own. I chose the Birkeland nightstand because the inside was the exact size of my cats litter box, and the height was perfect for beside the daybed in my spare bedroom/den. I started by building the nightstand as instructed. The hack comes when you get to the door. Lay the door on the floor, backside up. With a blunt edge chisel bang apart the frame of the door, removing each side one by one.

Be careful not to break the dowels that interlock the frame together. Once the frame is apart just take away the middle panel and put the frame back together. Use a little bit of glue in the dowel holes to ensure it's strong enough without that middle panel. For added privacy attach a sheer piece of fabric to the inside of the door (I just taped it). Now just hang the door as instructed and voila! A super simple nightstand/litter box home.

~ Nicole R, toronto, canada

Hiding a litter box in the hallway

Materials: Besta, TOFTA doors, cat flap

Description: Since I had my cat's litter box in the living room, right in front of the entrance, and there is no other place to put it, since the cat sleeps in there, I decided I had to find a way to hide it.

The perfect cabinet fitting the rest of the furniture (and containing the litter box) was Besta.

The hack consisted in making two holes: a hole in one side of the cabinet, to install a cat flap (bought in a pet shop), and another in the back for a ventilation grate.

Then we put the litter box in one half of the cabinet, while the other half is used to store cat food, brushes, and the like.

Ginger did not mind at all the change, and now if you don't notice the small window in one side, you really cannot tell the litter box is there.

~ Vale, Roma

Ironing time and light in tuna sauce

2012-05-24T15:37:00.000-04:00

Materials: that light, that clock, a iron, a Campisi tuna fish can

Description: Mom gave me a iron even though she knew I would never iron: I added that Ikea light on top of it, perfect for boring books.

Campisi is a marvelous fishermen shop down to Sicily, their products rule: I had that as a base for a broken clock.

Both of them have been there for ages, Ada told me about Ikea hackers. Make love and hack.

~ enrico russo, naples

Window Shelf for Dog

2012-05-24T13:56:00.000-04:00

Materials: Fabian Shelf, Irma throw, Irma cushion, a generic wood board, shelf bracket, paint

Description: 1) I first cut the Irma cushion open and glued the filling onto the shelf, then wrapped the case around the shelf, pulled tightly and glued together underneath

2) Next I assembled the shelf.

3) I measured and cut the board the line the shelf, leaving one side open for my dog to jump onto the shelf.

4) I then nailed together the 2 pieces of the board to each other (L shape), and then painted it.

5) Next I nailed the board to the shelf. At this point the shelf has 2 sides covered by the board, the back open ready to attach to wall, and one side open for access to jump onto shelf.

6) Finally I found studs in the wall and attached the completed shelf, reinforcing with the shelf bracket underneath. Added the Irma throw and voila!

My dog (chihuahua) LOVES his shelf and spends most of his day in it.

~ Michelle, Ontario, Canada

Cool speaker friendly Besta doors hack

2012-05-24T07:47:00.000-04:00

Materials: Besta cabinets, wood framed doors with Home Depot Metal Screens

Description: Ok, so my wife and I bought 2 Besta cabinets and glass panels to hang our TV and store our sound components. We were gathering all the various pieces in the warehouse and of course the doors we wanted were not in. So we brought it all home anyway and proceeded to assemble.

As I was hacking up the cabinet backs to run speaker wire (many posts already about that) she asked if we could put speakers in the cabinets so we didn't have to look at them. Well, we could but once we went all the way back to Ikea to get doors, once the doors were closed, it would block the sound. So here is what we did.

I took measurements of doors we wanted off the website (which ended up being 1/2 longer than the cabinets so don't take web site measurements as accurate was first lesson). Then I made 4 picture frame squares to those dimensions and routed a grove around the inside edge of the back.

Then from Home Depot, we bought squares of metal sheeting with perforated holes, and cut them to fit the grove I routed in the frames. We then went to fabric store and bought black fabric to put behind that. Then I cut some rails to hold it all together. We used European hinges and VOILA ! Cabinet doors that hide speakers, components and allow sound to come out and remote control signal to go in. Needless to say we were very proud of ourselves, and we saved a trip back to IKEA. Oh yeah and we painted them all white to match cabinets.

~ Justin Drury, Lexington Kentucky

EXPEDIT Half Shelf from Wine Rack

2012-05-23T15:34:00.000-04:00

Photo: IKEA

Materials: EXPEDIT Bookcase, HUTTEN 9-bottle wine rack

Description: I have a 4x4 Expedit bookshelf which I also use for the storage of my cups and plates. Originally, each of the cups/dinner plates/glasses etc. had their own pod but I realised it was an inefficient way to store them.

I decided I needed shelves.

I didn't want something that would permanently screw into my bookshelf, in case I changed my mind later or moved house and had room for my cups and plates elsewhere.

I discovered that the HUTTEN 9-bottle wine rack is the perfect width (33cm) to fit inside on of the pods of the EXPEDIT bookshelf.

1cm needs to be cut of the top/bottom of the wine rack for it to make it 33cm tall so it slides perfectly into the EXPEDIT pod.

Adjust the shelves by drilling new holes to the desired heights (or don't if it works as is).

Slide the hacked wine rack into your EXPEDIT pod.

I also used two small pieces of MDF to stop my glasses from falling through the wine rack gaps, but this is optional (and thick cardboard would also work).

I painted mine using a tub of BEHANDLA black glazing paint.

See more of the wine-rack turned Expedit shelves.

~ Ashleigh, Australia

Creative IKEA desk

2012-05-23T11:33:00.001-04:00

Materials: Stolmen, Capita, Vika Amon

Description: Use two Stolmen chests, with Capita legs, and four Capita bracket and one Vika Amon.

~ Pasquier Nicholas, Nantes - France

Lillangen end unit as coffee table with storage

2012-05-23T09:29:00.000-04:00

Materials: Lillangen end unit

Description: 4 Lillangen unit combined together

~ Pasquier Nicholas, Nantes - France

Built-in kitchen Ledberg

2012-05-22T15:23:00.000-04:00

Materials: Ledberg (2 units)

Description: I wanted to put LED lighting under my kitchen cabinets on the cheap, so I bought 2 Ledberg units. But once home I encountered 2 problems:

- I wanted the switch on the bottom of the cabinet, and I also wanted to use the power socket inside the cabinet. But the Ledberg switch and power converter are fused on the wire, so I would have to make a hole in the cabinet at least as large as the power switch.

- The cabinets I wanted to add the lights to are 120 cm wide, but each Ledberg is 75 cm.

The last problem was easy to solve; some calculation assured me that a single Ledberg power supply could safely power 4 (and probably even 5) sections, so I made one long strip powered by just one of the power supplies (I used the remaining 2 sections and extra power supply to add backlighting to my PC monitor).

To solve the other problem, I initially considered cutting the wires, because I didn't want to disassemble the cabinet. But then I found that the power switch is made of 2 halves that are friction-fitted together, and can be pried apart with a bit of care. The switch component remaining on the wire after that was small enough to fit through a reasonably sized hole.

~ Eli, Belgium

Malm storage bed

2012-05-22T14:50:00.001-04:00

Materials: Malm, Borken

Description: I was Googling something (don't remember what) the other day and came across IKEA Hackers! It's wonderful to see how creative people can be, and I've got a lot of new ideas for my own home.

I would like to contribute with some of my own hack's. Usually, the ideas are mine, but the handiwork is mostly done by my boyfriend, Björn, so in these cases.

The bed is done with 2 MALM (his and hers, clothing storage), MDF, wallpaper, paint and some moldings.

The pet bed below is a Borken children's chair (from Bolagret)and an IKEA stool. I removed the top of the stool and placed it under the chair, where the chair was broken and voila; A bed for our wonderful cat.

I don't think you can find this stool at IKEA anymore, but i think you can do something like this using IKEA's products anyway. Cats like their bed a bit higher than dogs so perhaps you can do this with IKEA's own petbeds and their stools?!

~ Jill, Sweden

There's a leg in my wall

2012-05-22T11:51:00.000-04:00

Materials: Vika Amon screw-able table leg

Description: My son wouldn't sleep in his bed. Nothing helped. Every night he would crawl into our bed, and as charming as that may be, I would often find myself cramped in his toddler bed back aching and head busy with finding a solution to these ongoing sleeping arrangement... Well one night an idea came up! Instead of shouting Eureka, I screamed Ikea....

The next day I went to the store and bought a simple office table leg (the one that has a screw-able leg Vika Amon), I screwed the plate onto the wall right above my son's bed, bolted the leg, and stretched a yellow cotton fabric over his bed (I tied the fabric onto the sides of his Ikea toddler bed). My son now has a tent he refuses to leave.... needless to say I got my bed back!

p.s. The leg can be easily removed when not in use, the plate, however remains on the wall and can be painted on - or covered see photos below.

See more of the over bed tent.

~ Miki Steiner, Tel Aviv

Spider lamp from FORSÅ

2012-05-21T15:19:00.000-04:00

Materials: 8 FORSÅ table lamp, 1 BLANDA BLANK Serving bowl d = 20 cm, 1 BLANDA BLANK Serving Bowl, d = 8 cm

Description: This is not a usual home made Ikea hack. As a designer I wanted the product look professional, so I turned to locksmiths to put the parts together and have them painted.

I bought 8 Ikea FORSÅ table lamp, and only used the arms and the heads. A custom-made cylinder is holding them and a Blanda Blank Serving Bowl (20 cm, painted black) is hiding the wires. A black hollow shaft is connecting the lamp to the ceiling, the cover at the end is also a Blanda Blank, but the smallest one.

See more of the Forsa Spiderlamp.

~ Petra Nikoletti, Budapest, Hungary

Stokke KinderZeat solution

2012-05-21T10:28:00.000-04:00

Materials: BEKVAM Step stool, SNILLE (seat only), NEDDA chair pad, countersink drillbit, glue, 4x crosshead screws

Description: On a trip to the UK, my little boy had the use of a chair not too dissimilar to Stokke Tripp Trapp which costs well over $300 here in Australia.

He loved being able to use the step to climb in and out of a 'Big Boy' dining chair and sit at the table with Mummy and Daddy so here's what I came up with...

Step1:
Assemble the BEKVAM Step stool ($14.99) as normal

Step2:
Glue (normal PVA wood glue in this instance) the NEDDA chair pad ($0.99) to the top of the stool, trimming the excess off with a pair of scissors.

Step3:
Mark 4 holes in a square formation on the flattest part of the SNILLE ($7) seat and drill a pilot hole through each - get a countersink bit and make recesses on the holes.

Step4:
Line up the seat on the top of the NEDDA covered step and drive 4 countersunk screws through the seat and straight into the wood - make sure these screws are long enough to hold the seat but short enough to not poke through the other side.

Hey presto, a Stokke Tripp Trapp inspired, Kiddy-Climb-In dining chair for less than $25 AUD and about half an hour to put it together.

~ Duncan, Australia

Retrofitting a PAX into a closet

2012-05-21T07:34:00.000-04:00

Materials: PAX wardrobe , LYNGDAL doors, wood trim, mitre saw, table saw, chop saw, nails, screws

Description: After looking at PAX wardrobes and also at several nice hacks here, we decided to remove our 1950s built in closet and replace it with a set of PAX wardrobes.

Our closet measured 58" across, so two 29 1/2" wardrobe pieces would be close. We decided to maximize the closet so we chose the taller wardrobes. To make these fit, we had to enlarge the opening of the original closet by cutting up several inches, and also taking the plaster off the left side of the closet. We reframed the top of the space to fit the wardrobes.

We also wanted to maximize the space by setting our PAX pieces all the way in this deep space, which was 8" deeper than the wardrobes, so we needed to trim out the space and give a finished look. We decided to use sliding doors to save space, and we liked the look of the LYNGDAL doors. Because the doors are meant to install directly on the wardrobe, we had to hack a new installation process.

We built a new top header and attached the rail across the front. Because our opening was 1/2" smaller than the rail, we had to cut the rail to fit with a hacksaw. We discarded the side pieces that come with the doors, and measured down to built a rail across the base. We also built a small deck to match up to the base of the cabinets, as they are slightly elevated from the ground level. This took a lot of calculations, and after installing the doors, we discovered we were 1/2" too high and 1" too forward, so we had to take down the doors and redo the trim.

We decided to add interior chests on both sides - this will be our guest room and we'd like our guests to have plenty of place to put their things!

See more of the retrofitted Pax wardrobe.

~ Laurie, Long Beach, CA

Lack moodboard

2012-05-20T15:37:00.000-04:00

Materials: 2x Lack shelves, chalkboard paint, nails, Duct tape, glue

Description: After moving to another place we had 2 Lack shelves which we didn't use. Throw away was not an option..

(Instead of the Lack shelves you can use any other boards)

Here's how to make one yourself: Paint your Lack shelves with chalkboard paint and glue them together. Organise your life with pictures, notes and write special messages..

~ Fraser

Kitchen waste sorting cabinet

2012-05-20T11:24:00.000-04:00

Materials: 2 x FAKTUM 40x70cm cabinets, 2 x NEXUS 40x70cm cabinet doors, 2 x RATIONELL Deep fully-extending drawer+damper, 2 x VINNA 320mm handles, 4 x SLUGIS plastic bins

Description: I needed a comfortable way (and space) to sort waste materials in my kitchen, so I decided to build a stylish cabinet with sliding drawers.

Since I already had a custom small table built from a pine table top and two VIKA KAJ legs, I had an empty space to fill. So I bought two FAKTUM wall cabinets and placed them horizontally, and stacked. The only hack here is on the drawers. Since IKEA doesn't make drawers for the 70cm cabinets, I took two 80cm drawers and cut them to fit in the cabinets. Also I had to make custom holes to apply the drawer guides. Finally, I applied the NEXUS cabinet walls to the drawers with other custom holes.

~ Salvatore Carotenuto, Giffoni Valle Piana, Salerno, Italy

Help kickstart the largest IVAR hack

2012-05-20T07:58:00.000-04:00

Materials: Ikea Ivar Chair

Description: Our Ikea hack could quite possibly be the largest Ikea hack ever! This summer we will be constructing a 1000 square foot pavilion made of 400 Ikea Ivar chairs arrayed and stacked in a 3-dimensional sine wave surface rising above the ground in Freedom Park, Atlanta Georgia. It's public art, but also usable in that people can actually sit on it to socialize and spend time in the park sitting in the chairs.

The design is very particular to the Ikea Ivar chair because the slightly bent angle of the seatback creates a special texture to the sculpture. And the fact that the Ivar chair is constructed with 2 full prefabricated side pieces allows the transfer of load vertically from chair to chair down to the ground in a monolithic, continuous way; the prefab sides act each as bridges, unlike other chairs where the legs are independent of the other elements. The Ivar is optimized structural unit and texture. The other advantage is also the flatpack design made by Ikea. Transporting 400 chairs would be impossible without the flatpack. And the simple assembly is also what makes this chair the perfect chair to be a construction unit for a public pavilion.

We construct SEAT by additively attaching chairs to each other, using wooden wedges and threaded rods to bridge the gaps between the legs and seatbacks. First a central spine arch is made to which all of the "suspended" chairs are then "hung." Where the chairs touch the ground they are cast into two concrete pads which anchor the pavilion.

Our idea is that from afar, SEAT will appear like a foreign object in the landscape. Closer yet, SEAT will reveal its unique geometric texture created by the special shape of the Ivar chairs. Upon approach, the audience will recognize the compositional objects, and the dexterity with which the chairs are repurposed for art. The audience will be free to sit upon, inside, and underneath SEAT, exploring it as a personal garden playground.

Conceptually, we're responding to the idea that chairs really are remarkable pieces of furniture. When you think about the loads they are required to carry, both dynamic and static, in supporting people of all sizes and dimensions, you realize just how strong they actually are. But of course we don't think of them as structural components, we just think of them as chairs. Their domestic identity overwhelms almost any other interpretation of their use. With SEAT we're turning that identity inside out using chairs as a whimsical element of structural sculpture.

We're also trying to drum up some help to realize the project. So I'm sending along our Kickstarter campaign. We know it's a tough time to help, but it's also a tough time to build. Maybe some of your enthusiastic readers could lend us a hand. We tried Ikea, but they weren't interested unfortunately. Anyway, it really could be an amazing hack! Thanks for your time and hope you like it.

See more of the 400 IVAR seater.

~ Brian Brush, Atlanta, GA

Toilet library

2012-05-19T15:10:00.001-04:00

Materials: Ikea bracket EKBY STÖDIS + chipboard

Description: Simple way to create "Infinite" storage system. Material for the production: atypically ready chipboard and EKBY STÖDIS brackets.

Watch out! Console does not always right angle!

~ Dusan Koclik, Slovakia, Bratislava

Colourful paper-organizer

2012-05-19T11:47:00.000-04:00

Materials: SPONTAN

Description: I just pepped up the old magazine-holder SPONTAN. I glued on some beautiful gift wrapping with glue lacquer, and now it fits my creative corner.

~ Lili, Denmark

Corner & Extra Tall Standing Desks

2012-05-19T08:37:00.007-04:00

Materials: Expedit shelves, Vika Amon corner desk top, Capita legs, Capita brackets

Description: I've really wanted a stand-up desk for sometime and although there are lots of great Ikea hacks posted for this, they either didn't have enough storage room for me, were the wrong height, or just weren't my style. So, after looking through the Ikea website for HOURS, I came up with my own hack.

Materials:
2 Expedit 4x2 shelves - $59.99 each
1 Vika Amon corner tabletop - $47.50
3 packs Capita legs (4 legs/pk) - $10 each
3 packs Capita brackets (2 legs/pk) - $14.99 each
6 3/8" x 3.5" bolts - <$3.00

Instructions:
1. Put the Expedit shelves together following the included instructions
2. Add the legs, 6 on each Expedit
3. Put the Expedits in place in a corner. There are obviously a few ways to do this. They can either meet at a point so that all 8 openings on each shelf is visible/usable, or like in my case, one of the walls was not long enough to do this so we ended up covering up 2 of the openings for a more flush L-shape.
4. We did not fasten the Expedits together, although this can definitely be done using some brackets from a hardware store. We used some tie-down straps to hold the 2 shelves taut while we completed the project.

5. You'll need 2 people - one person to hold the tabletop in place and the other to mark where the 6 Capita brackets should go. A NOTE ABOUT THE BRACKETS, WASHERS AND BOLTS: The bolts that come with the brackets are not long enough to go through the top of the Expedit shelves. You'll need to pick up six 3/8" x 3" bolts from a hardware store and either some washers to replace the silver ones that are welded to the bolts that come with the brackets OR like my husband, you can hammer the bolts out of the washers and use the original ones.
6. Once you've got your marks made on the Expedit shelves, you need to drill pilot holes. We used a small bit first to get the hole started and then used a 3/8" bit to finish the hole.
7. Install the Capita brackets onto the Expedit shelves.
8. Set tabletop in place and finish installation of Capita brackets.
9. Stand up, work, ENJOY!

~ Julie U, Austin

Simple L Shaped Standing Office Desk

Materials:
1 x Expedit 4x2 shelving unit (501.030.86)
1 x Expedit 2x2 shelving unit (801.352.98)
1 x 59" Vika Amon tabletop (800.711.64)
1 x 47 1/4" Vika Amon tabletop (601.170.16)
1 x Lack shelf (101.590.99)
3 x Ekby Tore brackets (101.687.20)
5 x Expedit casters (601.699.77)
10 x "L" brackets (available at the Ikea stores)

Description: I wanted a standing desk for my office, but all of the decent ones seemed pretty expensive. I found a decently-priced and simple solutions by hacking together a couple of Expedit shelves and Vika Amon tabletops.

1. Put together the Expedit shelves, but do not attach the casters yet.

2. Take the 59" Vika Amon tabletop and place it upside down on the floor.

3. Turn the 4x2 shelf unit on its side so it sits horizontally. Position it in the middle of the 59" Vika Amon talbetop.

4. Use six of the "L" brackets and screws to secure the Expedit shelf to the tabletop.

5. Attach three casters to the bottom of the Expedit (which is currently the top of the unit).

6. Repeat the same process with the 47 1/4" Vika Amon tabletop and 2x2 shelf Expedit, using the remaining 4 "L" brackets and 2 casters.

Turn over your completed desks and arrange in an L or any shape you see fit.

7. (Optional) I created a shelf on the smaller of the two desks using the Lack shelf and the Ekby Tore brackets.

I've used this desk for about 6 moths, and it's the perfect height for me (I am 5' 10") when typing at the computer, etc.

I also bought some faux leather magazine boxes that I stick into the shelves for added storage space. I'm not sure IKEA sells these any more.

~ MDS

Extra Tall (but Adjustable) Standing Desk

Materials: Vika Artur trestle, Vika Amon desk top, Ekby Alex wall shelf/drawers, Lack wall shelf, Capita bracket

Description: When we moved into a new office this past summer, I had a chance to Ikea hack the perfect standing desk. I've been using this set up for about 6 months and it's been ergonomically sound and I'm quite happy with it. I'm taller than most people at 6' 5" so it was a bit more of a challenge to get the exact height I needed, but this desk is adjustable so will work for nearly anybody. Here's my desk and some of the thought that went into building a desk with my perfect working height 1 of 45 inches. For ideal ergonomics, you need to have your elbows bent slightly greater than 90 degrees. To get this height, measure from the floor to where your wrists wrest when your elbows are slightly obtuse of 90 degrees

The most important part of a standing desk are it's legs. Being much higher than a standard table makes it tough to find something solid and adjustable. The Vika Artur trestle has a max height of 36 5/8" and a wide base which makes them surprisingly sturdy for how lightweight they are. The shelves help structurally but also give organizational space. The trestles are adjustable and can work at a variety of heights including a normal sitting desk if you find yourself needing to go back to sitting.

The table top I went with is the Vika Amon that is 59" wide by 29 1/2" deep. Don't go with anything smaller since the trestles have a depth of 27 1/2”, but you could likely get away with going larger. I would recommend a solid wood top like the Vika Furuskog over the Vika Amon since it's extra weight would provide more stability and the solid top will allow you to securely screw, drill, or attach anything into it -- which I did.

I had to add a small hack to get just a few more inches to my ideal keyboard height. I found some decent looking doorstops at the local hardware store and used them in between the trestles and the table top to add a few inches. I screwed the end of the doorstop into the table top and, after removing the plastic cap on the doorstop, put the metal piece that remained in the holes in the top of the trestle, which fit perfectly and was secure enough to hold the top in place.

I added the Ekby Alex wall shelf on top of the desk for storage room as well as to gain a few extra inches height that I needed for my perfect vertical keyboard position. The size of the shelf provides just enough depth at 11" to comfortably host a keyboard but isn't quite long enough to store a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper lengthwise inside the drawer, which is frustrating. The shelf just sits on the table and isn't fastened because on long days, I can slide the shelf back on the desk and move my keyboard and trackpad down onto the table top which is the perfect typing position for when I pull up a stool.

Between the 36 5/8" tall trestles, the 1 3/8" thick table top, the 4 1/2" drawers, and the 2 1/2" doorstops, I had my perfect working height of 45 inches. Now I needed to get my monitor high enough.

I wanted to have a solid, functional riser that could work with any monitor configuration even though I was planning on getting the yet-to-be released Apple Thunderbolt Display. I made the riser with a Lack wall shelf on top of the Capita bracket. This gave me enough clearance that I would have decent monitor positioning and wouldn't strain my neck looking down at a display.

This build gave me adjustability to get the ergonomic working height I needed, the stability to pound away at a keyboard all day without the desk wobbling, and all together a great looking and functional standing desk.

See more of the extra tall standing desk.

~ Nick Wynja

Compact Besta Standing Desk

Materials: Besta System, Vika Amon Table, Capita Legs

Description: Inspired by all the existing hacks on this site, I also wanted an Ikea Standing Desk.

I didn't like the fact that with existing hacks, the folders and other stuff were visible. Fitting a complete Expedit shelf with doors and drawers would have been to expensive. So I used the Besta System.

Items Used:
Besta Legs (3x) 15 €
Besta Bench (2x) 80 €
Inreda (2x) 24 €
Besta door (2x) 20 €
Besta drawer (2x) 14 €
Besta push opener (2x) 10 €
Vika Amon 150x75 29 €
Capita Legs (2x) 32 €

224 €

I especially like the small compartment at the top. The fully extending drawers would have been easier to access, because the table top is a bit in the way.
The table top is placed on the Capitas, so that the back Capitas are matching with the reinforced part of the table top. Therefore screws could be used. The front Capitas are glued with double-faced adhesive tape.

~ simon, germany

Good golly, Godmorgons galore!

2012-05-18T16:32:00.000-04:00

Materials: Godmorgon wash basin stands, wood dowels, spare wood

Description: I found a stack of Godmorgon wash basin stands in the As-Is section on clearance for dirt cheap, so I picked up as many as I could fit in two car loads. They are good quality, and have great soft-closing drawer slides with extra dividers to put in the drawers, and I thought they wood make a great dresser (or two).

I stacked three two-drawer Godmorgons and two four-drawer Godmorgons to make some great looking sets of drawers.

First, I assembled them as per instructions.

Then, I drilled 6 mm holes in the tops and bottoms of the stands to attach them with dowels. Remember to measure twice and drill once so the holes and dowels match up. Also, remember you don't need holes in the very top or bottom surfaces once stacked. I then put in 6 mm wood dowels (without glue so they can be easily unstacked for moving) and attached them to each other.

Finally, I made a top for each with some spare MDF that I had and mounted it on dowels mounted horizontally at the correct depth for the top to mount flush into the dresser.

I also made a bookshelf to go on top of the office drawers using spare wood for the shelf, cut up an Ikea Bygel metal rail for the book ends, and finished the legs with some metal feet from another Ikea project.

~ Dan, Adelaide, Australia