BESTA floating glass bar table By: Ralf Elfving

Materials: BESTA legs, BESTA unit, Capital brackets

I wanted to find a modern and original yet practical solution for a kitchen table for my studio flat. Wherever I looked, I found none that appealed to me. So I decided to hack one myself.

I used one BESTÅ unit (001.340.52), two sets of BESTÅ LEGS (601.965.13), two sets of CAPITA brackets (400.511.96), as well as one glass top, paint, lighting, screws and bricks.

I wanted the unit to bring some ambience to the room, and decided to build in a floor lighting system. Start by drilling a hole in one of the BESTÅ walls/sides that allows a power-chord through. This allows you to easily change the light source in the future. I also fitted a remote control unit so I can easily switch the lights on and off.

I then painted the inside with two base layers of white paint, and then two layers of black/graphite paint to sit well with the colors of my kitchen. For those without a steady hand or the patience, use carpenter tape around the sides if the BESTÅ unit that you tear off before the paint dries. This gives you distinct lines, even if you’re a bit sloppy with the paintjob around the edges. You can also spray-paint the unit, but I quite like the roughness and texture of the paint as it reminds you of it being a DIY-unit.

Once the last layer of paint has dried, it’s time to assemble the unit starting at the bottom. Attach the legs if not already done, and fit the cable extension before you attach the wall/side pieces. As the unit won’t be mounted or be up against a wall, I had to do something about the lack of stability.

I screwed these angular-shaped pieces of metal to the inside of the base and the sides, four in total. Installed the lighting and slid an original BESTÅ shelf into the desired height. This is where the feet will go once you sit at the table. Afterwards I realized extra support underneath the shelf would be useful, to make sure that the shelf sits steadily.

Attach the top and screw on another four angular-shaped metal parts. After this we’re looking at a redesigned BESTÅ unit, and it’s dying for the last finish – the floating glass top.

Place the CAPITA brackets upside-down in the desired place, and mark or drill in the inner two holes of each. Fit screws and a suitable disc and bolt on the other side/underneath. Fill the upper part of the CAPITA brackets with something that helps you avoid scratching the glass as well as adds friction to keep the glass top in place. I used some plastic foam, but also considered using some sort of chemical plastic as fill. Gently lift and place a suitable glass top, I re-used one from a coffee table that I knew would not break.

The unit is still a bit wobbly, so I would add some additional components to make it more stable. The glass shelf sits tight against the wall between the windows, which helps a lot. I’ve used it for 6 months now, and it’s survived without any special treatment.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1fZVcUw From Ralf Elfving

Desktop Shelving By: Thomas Letherby

Materials: GALANT desks, IVAR shelving, two plastic shelf brackets and some boxes

Thomas squeezed two IVAR uprights at both ends of his desk and used boxes to fill the gap to match the length of his two Galant desks. Lots of storage and space to mount my monitors.

More instructions and photos here.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1fWZaNP From Thomas Letherby

Diamond Tufted Kulla Pendant Lamp Ottoman By: John Crozier

Materials: KULLA Pendant Lamp

I was at IKEA going through there As-Is section and came across 2 Kulla Lamp shades for $5. These things are seriously sturdy, which made me think outside of the box about what else they could be used for.

I actually published my own blog post about how I turned these into nicely upholstered Diamond Tufted Ottomans. The blog URL is here.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1hwJD4Q From John Crozier

Hackers Help: Need a hack for the FREDDE Workstation By: Hugo Perry

I am a young teen and have a tight squeeze in the corner of my room. I really love the FREDDE Workstation but its 140 width and I only have 120! HELP!!

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/OyqFlG From Hugo Perry

RAST: Rustic Modern Update to Bedside Tables By: Pdsquash83

Materials: RAST 3-drawer chest

We did two different bedside tables with the same basic idea for both

1) First assemble the stands without the drawers

2) Using a foam roller, apply a layer of white paint to all outward facing surfaces

3) Next take the outside surface of the drawers and use a rasp, hammer or other device to create little divots in the wood. This gives it an aged, “reclaimed” look. On one of them, we made deep gouges in the wood which turned out very nicely.

4) Stain with your choice of color (this is American by Minwax)

5) Repeat with as many coats as you want to achieve the right depth of color

6) We used wipe-on polyurethane to seal the stain.

7) We then added little metal studs to each drawer (where the holes for the original handles would be) with wood glue. You can also fill this with wood putty, but we liked the look of these old-fashioned square nails

8) We then added some style in the form of cast iron hinges and brass corners to the outside edge. We chose custom drawer pulls, all from our local hardware store. Be sure to test out your “flair” before using it–the drawers don’t close perfectly because of the hinges, but we felt it wasn’t noticeable.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1eLdBA2 From Pdsquash83

LACK Coffee Table Standing Desk By: Kendra

I had been using a makeshift standing desk for a couple of months, but since I haven’t missed sitting, I decided to look for a permanent solution. The IKEA LACK Coffee Table desk is perfect – it fits dual monitors, it has a bonus interior shelf, and it looks great!

M A T E R I A L S

LACK Coffee Table – $19.99

EKBY JARPEN shelf – $14.99

EKBY BJARNUM brackets – $10.00

Four 1.5″ screws (I’m guessing on the size…I just used what I had)

Screwdriver (I used the old fashioned kind because I’m a “hoss”)

Circular saw (’cause you’re ’bout to have to cut a board)

Grand Total: $44.98!

S T E P S

Step 1: Put together the LACK coffee table to specifications

Step 2: Saw EKBY JARPEN down to 35″ (so that it’s roughly the same length as the coffee table)

Step 3: Measure the height at which to apply the shelf to the front of your coffee table. Ergonomically speaking, you’ll want it at about the same height as your hips. For me, that was ten inches from the bottom of the lack to the top plane of the shelf.

Step 4: Attach EKBY BJARNUM brackets and EKBY JARPEN shelf to the coffee table according to the specifications in the EKBY BJARNUM package. This is where you’ll need four screws (they don’t come with the brackets). I was nervous that the hollow legs of the LACK would cause the brackets to be unstable, but they’re not. You don’t need any special wall-mounting screw stuff if you don’t have it…just a screw and a screwdriver – it’ll be golden, seriously – it’s the sturdiest thing I’ve ever built. If you’re still nervous, get a wall mounting screw and use those instead.

Step 5: Once the brackets and shelf are in place, screw the four tiny screws that come with the EKBY BJARNUM into the bottom of your self for stabilization (per the directions).

Step 6: Place your monitor(s) on the top shelf, your keyboard and mouse on the front shelf, and anything you want on the interior shelf.

See more of the IKEA LACK Coffee Table Standing Desk here.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1p3J9pR From Kendra

Hackers Help: Duktig stove LED without batteries? By: Christine

Hi there,

My toddler girl loves her DUKTIG-kitchen. And she loves the lights of the cooktop even more. But I am tired of replacing those batteries nearly every day.

Did anybody already replace them with a power supply?

TIA!!!

Yours,

Christine

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1gueZGY From Christine