IKEA hack! We created a DIY leisure system utilizing the IKEA’s BESTA Planner for a customized look that may be accomplished in a weekend!
After we first moved into our new home, filling up the lounge felt like a frightening (but tremendous thrilling!) process as a result of it was a giant, white, open house:
our lounge on the day we moved in
We introduced in our furnishings, which helped a bit, however we knew we wanted one thing vital on the TV wall, each for storage functions and so as to add some visible curiosity. That little aspect desk simply wasn’t going to chop it!
We knew we wanted one thing pretty substantial to take up house on that wall, however after all we wished it to look stunning as effectively. Whereas I used to be visiting our native IKEA, I occurred to search out the right answer.
7 Easy Beginning Factors: A Information to Beginning an Overwhelming Organizing Undertaking
Click on the button under to request your copy of the free information, and prepare to get organized!
Methods to Create an Leisure Unit with the IKEA BESTA System Step-by-Step
This put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks. For extra info, see my disclosures right here.
We in the end determined to go along with the IKEA BESTA system and make some modifications to present it a extra customized built-in look. (As a result of actually, who doesn’t love a superb IKEA hack?!)
1. Use the IKEA BESTA planner.
Our first step was to use IKEA’s BESTA Storage Planner to recreate the scale of our lounge and design a 3D mockup of our customized built-ins. We went by means of a number of variations, looking for an association that match our imaginative and prescient of what the house would seem like AND creating some cupboard space, which was severely missing in our earlier lounge setup.
Listed below are among the variations we didn’t select:
After taking part in round with the totally different choices and designs for approach longer than we most likely ought to have, we lastly settled on this setup:
This model gave us the storage we wished, labored effectively in our house, and undoubtedly supplied visible curiosity for that huge, clean wall!
2. Select the BESTA items on your DIY leisure unit.
IKEA BESTA items we ended up utilizing:
You’ll be able to see IKEA’s present door choices right here; we used the HANVIKEN door fronts. Listed below are the measurements of the doorways/drawer fronts we used:
- 2- 23 5/8″ x 25 1/4″ Doorways
- 3- 23 5/8″ x 15″ Door/Drawer Fronts
- 2- 23 5/8″ x 10 1/4″ Drawer Fronts
We liked the unit as-is, however we knew we wished to present it a extra customized, built-in look. Our plan to attain this included:
- Including crown moulding to all three high sections
- Elevating the unit off the bottom so we may have baseboards operating from the wall across the sides and entrance of the cabinets
- Including wood trim items to fill any seen gaps
- Including drawer pulls and {hardware}
As a result of we began this challenge within the midst of the Christmas season, we labored on it a bit bit at time over the interval of some weeks. From begin to end, although, this might all be performed in a single weekend, together with the additional trim work.
Since Donnie was the mastermind behind truly assembling and constructing every part, I’m going to let him take it from right here…
3. Assemble the BESTA built-ins.
I began by assembling the BESTA flat-packed cupboard frames. This felt like a small job after assembling all the IKEA cupboards throughout our townhouse kitchen reno!
Constructing a Base for the Decrease Cupboards
As soon as I had put the cupboards collectively, I added some plywood to the underside of the bottom cupboards to boost every part up above the baseboard degree in our residing room. This was so we may ultimately tie in our present baseboards to the baseboards that will go across the backside of the leisure unit.
The entire plywood items I added sit flush with the cupboard from besides within the again. I needed to depart room so the cabinets would sit towards the wall and never stumble upon the baseboard.
My desk noticed was packed away, so I had the man on the dwelling enchancment retailer rip down a sheet of three/4″ plywood into the little “strips” of plywood I would want to assemble the cupboard bases.
As soon as I had all of my plywood items, I used my little Kreg Jig to create some pocket gap joints. To make the joints as robust as potential, I used to be certain to drill my pocket holes in order that I wasn’t screwing into the top grain of the wooden. I at all times glue the joints as effectively.
After I added the bases for all three ground shelf models, I additionally measured the places of our shops, cable hookups, and all the HDMI and community cables coming down from the TV, and used an oscillating multi device to create cutouts behind the unit to accommodate the cords.
We have been then prepared to slip the models into place. The recessed base body sat properly over the prevailing baseboards.
For every week or so, the bottom cupboards sat alone beneath the TV. Although I knew we nonetheless had a whole lot of work to do, it already appeared like a giant enchancment!
Attaching the Aspect Cupboard Items
The subsequent step was so as to add the cupboards on both aspect of the TV. The BESTA system is modular, so with every shelf, IKEA consists of little brackets to affix cabinets collectively.
It was straightforward to set the cabinets on high of one another and click on the little metallic brackets into place. The brackets helped to be sure that every part was lined up correctly.
After clicking the cabinets into place, we may rock the highest shelf backward and insert little double sided sticky foam pads to maintain the highest shelf from sliding round.
4. Anchor the IKEA BESTA shelving to the wall.
Subsequent, it was time to anchor the cabinets into the wall. Much like after we have been putting in our townhouse’s kitchen cupboards, IKEA supplies a rail system on which to anchor the cabinets. I like this as a result of I’ve at all times discovered that with out a rail system, it’s exhausting to get cabinets completely degree and precisely the place you need them. It’s simply too exhausting to maneuver one thing that huge and heavy up on a wall.
The rail system makes it straightforward to verify I put in the rail completely degree and precisely the place I wished it to be. I used one rail on every of the aspect high cabinets, and I made certain to tie every rail into not less than one stud in order that it was good and durable.
After the rail was put in and leveled, I used to be in a position to dangle my shelf straight on the rail, line up the anchor factors with the holes within the entrance of the cupboard, and fix it with the supplied screws.
The deeper cupboards above the TV have been up subsequent. I related three rails collectively for the highest three cupboards and hooked up every part simply as I had for the aspect models.
As soon as every part was hung and in place, I used cupboard screws to anchor all the cupboards to the cupboard instantly adjoining. It secured every part collectively and made one huge, stable unit. I used a couple of dozen cupboard screws in all.
5. Set up cupboard fronts and drawers.
At this level, we may start including cupboard fronts and drawers. The IKEA directions made it straightforward to put in all of the hinges and cupboard doorways in addition to drawer fronts and slides, and every part match collectively completely.
6. Add crown moulding.
Like I did a number of years in the past with Abby’s workplace workplace bookshelves, I made a decision so as to add crown moulding to the highest of the leisure unit to present it a extra built-in look. We determined to make use of Windsor One Classical Craftsman Crown Molding, which is identical moulding we’re planning so as to add alongside the ceiling line on this whole house.
For the crown molding, I wheeled out the miter noticed and acquired a Kreg Crown Jig to assist with all my crown moulding cuts.
Sooner or later I’m going to chop crown with none kind of jig. When you notice that the noticed mattress is the ceiling and left is correct and proper is left, it turns into straightforward to visualise every part. The important thing to chopping crown with out a jig is to firmly set your piece towards the noticed base and fence on the proper spring angle, after which clamp a assist board to your noticed so that every one all different items are seated completely earlier than making any cuts.
As soon as the crown was minimize, I used a multi mark device to set a constant depth for the bottom of the crown to take a seat all the best way across the cabinets.
I then used my 18 gauge brad nailer to connect the crown to the cabinets.
As soon as the primary piece of crown was hooked up, I added wooden glue to the nook earlier than I nailed within the adjoining piece of crown in order that the corners don’t separate over time.
I continued this course of till I had added crown moulding across the whole high part of the leisure unit.
7. Set up baseboards on the IKEA BESTA leisure unit.
After I completed the crown moulding, it was time to sort out the baseboards. We wished it to look as if the baseboards ran from the wall after which out and across the backside of the built-in cabinets.
A number of issues made this a bit troublesome…
First, once I elevated the cabinets on the plywood base, I made every part flush with the entrance of the cupboard body. I didn’t consider that the doorways would stick out away from the cupboard body. If I hooked up baseboards on to the bottom that I constructed, they’d look virtually recessed once I put in the doorways. To compensate for this, I used some ripped down 1x5s to construct out the entrance of the bottom to be flush with the cupboard doorways.
Second, it was troublesome to match our present baseboards. I took measurements and sketched out the profile of our baseboards, however once I went to the house enchancment retailer, I couldn’t discover something that matched the profile completely. I used to be capable of finding one thing shut, although, and I doubt anybody however me will find yourself noticing the slight variations!
Utilizing a coping technique, I used to be in a position to run the brand new cupboard baseboards proper into the prevailing wall baseboards. As a result of the baseboard profiles didn’t match precisely, it wasn’t an ideal match, however I used spackling to fill in any essential gaps.
The remainder of the baseboard set up was fairly easy with my miter noticed, brad nailer, and many wooden glue for out of doors corners.
After I put in the baseboards, the one factor left for me to do was fill the nail holes with spackling, sand, caulk all gaps, and paint the trim. I additionally added some knobs and cup pulls, after which it was on to Abby’s favourite half– the gorgeous stuff!
8. Adorn the open shelving.
I liked the built-ins even plain, however I feel including the decor items actually gave it a completed look! We used a coloration scheme of aqua, white, grey, and metallics to maintain every part wanting cohesive. Then I added some fake greenery all through.
I actually love how the built-ins make the room look extra “completed” and approach much less stark!
Let’s take yet another take a look at the earlier than and after:
IKEA BESTA Constructed-Ins: Closing Ideas
This challenge undoubtedly took some planning, time, and energy, however the ultimate end result was effectively value it!
We ended up spending lower than if we might have bought a big leisure unit, and we have been in a position to create the precise measurement and form we wished. Utilizing the BESTA system for this challenge was additionally approach much less work than if we might have tried to construct the whole factor from scratch.
Replace: It has now been greater than 5 years since we constructed our customized IKEA leisure system, and it’s nonetheless holding up superbly! It’s the right centerpiece to our lounge, has tons of storage, and I like to embellish the open shelving for every season. We’d do one other IKEA BESTA challenge in a heartbeat!
Have you ever accomplished any enjoyable DIY tasks just lately? I’d love to listen to about them within the feedback!
Customized IKEA Leisure System: Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Thanks a lot for following alongside! Hope you’re having an exquisite week!
This put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks. For extra info, see my disclosures right here.