My Ikea Life Improvement Project(s)
"Not for the rich, but for the smart," is how Ikea has branded itself through the years. If you spend a little time on Pinterest, you'll find that the motto is changing, as high end designers have come to embrace the endless options a clever Ikea hack can offer even the most discerning customer. This week, Domino magazine posted an article about clever DIY Ikea hacks - you can read it here.
When the search for the perfect sideboard for my dining room led to a dead end, I decided to take my search to Ikea. I must admit to being intimately acquainted with the inner workings of Ikea. In my bedroom, I have a wall of "built-in" Pax closets that are finished off with vintage PE Guerin hardware that was a hand-me-down from my parents. The cabinets are elegant and serve as a fine substitute for expensive custom woodwork. So, for my dining room project, I was not surprised to find myself in the kitchen cabinet department at Ikea. Since I am more of a conceptual person (i.e. not so good with a drill), my skilled carpenter-friend, Andy, did most of the heavy lifting. Here's how we did it and what you will need if you wish to recreate this super stylish piece:
Ikea Akurum wall cabinet frame, size 36 x 39
Ikea Abstrakt high gloss door, size 18" x 39"
My wall is over 120" long, and I wanted a full length sideboard for a more contemporary look, so I had enough room for three Akurum cabinet frames. I also wanted these cabinets to hang on the wall, but because my walls are stucco and old, we decided that we would need to put feet on the cabinet to support its weight. I decided on these wooden bun feet, which we ordered in pine and stained a rich, dark ebony, the same color as my floors, so that the cabinet would still have the illusion of floating.
We went to a local lumber yard and chose a single piece of poplar wood because it was long enough to cover the entire length of the cabinet. We got a second piece of poplar because Andy, being a true artist (it helps if your carpenter is also a theatrical scene builder) suggested putting a trim piece around the edge to give the top a more finished, polished look. The poplar went to Andy's workshop where he stained it, along with the wooden feet, to the same deep ebony color. We applied two coats of stain and used a satin finish varnish to seal it.
Note: the cabinets are 12 1/4" deep. The poplar top we got was just about 13" -- with the added 1/2" trim around the edge, it sits perfectly on the top of the cabinet with just enough of an overhang to be flush with the face of the cabinet doors.
The final steps were assembling all of the pieces. Be mindful of the fact that almost all Ikea products are made of particle board or MDF and you have to be extremely careful when screwing the hardware into the surfaces. The key to making their products look great and last a long time is proper assembly. Believe me, I've learned the hard way!
For the hardware, I used some extra drawer pulls from Bungalow 5 -- I have a few pieces from their collection and had just enough extra to use for the sideboard. Here's a look at the final product.
