The last part is to stick the cushion to the shelf so that it doesnt move when people sit down. I didnt include the tool cost because most of those I already have on hand. Measure and cut your upholstery material. After letting everything dry overnight, we sanded the spackle and got to painting. The base piece of MDF that Im nailing in the photo below increases stability and will give the illusion of an inset cabinet doors. OPTIONAL: you can add a sheet of cotton batting or an old cotton bed sheet under your upholstery material- this adds breath-ability and a smoother finish to your seating. We gave it a few coats of white paint. With the lid in place, we were able to fasten the top to the cabinet boxes. When I designed the base I made sure that there will be at least one vertical board around the middle of each unit to make it easier to attach. It's only 45cm wide so not big enough for this, but perhaps there's another project it might come in useful? You can see that this 24 frame fits my entire wall snuggly. If the video doesnt work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. you made my day . I created a custom book nook to fill the extra space because I want this window seat built-in to be wall to wall. Welcome to Make Calm Lovely! This cute little bench was created using the smaller sized IKEA Skogsta bench. By painting the legs and base, and adding a macrame-type wrap, it creates a stylish boho style bench. We used these knobs and this template (its worth every penny, promise!) Theres a wall outlet that will covered by this Ikea window seat, so adding bench top power strip allows me to still have access to the power and also plug in any appliances such as humidifier, laptop chargers, etc. I got this unit in white color. This step is pretty straightforward! DIY Ikea window seat with storage. Ive also got some Ikea drawer organizers which fits pretty well inside the drawers. Otherwise the drawer is really easy to install. 31+ Clever IKEA Kallax Hacks to Organize your Entire Home, Online Acrylic Painting Courses for Beginners, DIY Kitchen Pantry with Ikea Billy Bookcases, DIY Kitchen Pantry made with Ikea Billy Bookcase, DIY small bench for small spaces {IKEA hack}, DIY Ikea Craft Room Pegboard Organization, 40+ Couples Painting Ideas For The Perfect Date Night. I have a wall outlet that is right behind one of the drawer units. I also love that bench top power strip is pretty hidden, so most of the time things still look tidy when Im not charging anything. Thank you for a great DIY tutorial! Then, after a trip to our Michigan home, we realized that a storage banquette like the one we built there was the solution. I then put all the Nordli drawer units on top of the base. This upholstered bench hack is very easy to do, you can choose the colors of fabric to match your bedroom decor, and it will last and add a pretty look to your room. You can see the complete DIY hack here. If you buy your MDF from Lowes or Home Depot, they provide the first 3 cuts for FREE! To make the plushy soft seating cushion youll need some type of high density foam. how much weight can the bench hold? I assume adding the MDF boards will help improve the structural integrity. Here are 12 beautiful and stylish benches that upgrade and hack existing IKEA pieces into something more magnificent. With 4 Nordli drawer units, I have about 14 inch empty space. No specifics. You want to make sure the bench will fit before you buy it. My house is really old so the walls are curved. This is the perfect bench that is pretty enough to be on display in an entrance hallway. Heres a 1-min video trailer of this project so you get an overview on what I did. They look great, but they cost a fortune to hire someone to make a built in version. And if youve ever searched for high density foam in your typical craft boutique, it isnt cheap. A DIY like this will take on different forms in every unique space, but we hope this tutorial inspires your next build! It matches the IKEA cabinets perfectly! You can see the complete hack here. I find this gives smoother lines and looks less bunched up. It contains NOTHING useful. :) They look a lot like these!ReplyCancel, Im always to impressed with your tutorials and you choices. IKEA HACKS, DIY PROJECTS, CRAFTS & MORE FOR A LOVELIER LIFE! I did cut the second board so it is narrower. amzn_assoc_linkid = "96f2a746b03f42b4f16b6d519f000e54";
It is just what I have on hand. And most importantly, I hope you feel empowered to make one yourself. Because I have a wall outlet that will be covered by the window seat, I want to reroute it somehow so I can still have access to it. Also tools are something that you invest once and use them over and over again. This cute little bench was created using the smaller sized IKEA Skogsta bench. By painting the legs and base, and adding a macrame-type wrap, it creates a stylish boho style bench. I have planned to cover the 24 base, so I cut out some baseboard to size using a miter saw. Your email address will not be published. Sometimes, the answer is right in front of our faces! It comes in two different sizes. For this hack I used the larger sized Skogsta bench. This is an easy hack for Skogsta, that turns a hard wooden bench into a pretty upholstered bench. In this hack I had wanted a softer looking bench for my bedroom, for a space in front of my windows that was bare, and just needed something. 3 of them have doors that swing open (Kallax inserts) and the 2 others are durable plastic boxes (LEKMAN box) that slide out. With four of those and all the materials to make the customization happen, and we got the whole project done under $400. I used some 24 boards to build long rectangles with braces that the Ikea Nordli dressers can sit on. Note: Well address the construction of the hinged top later (in step 5) as that was built once the box was secured in place. Clamp your cabinets together so theyre aligned as perfectly as possible, then screw them together using 1 1/4 screws. The good news is that it looks more like a built in bench. The MDF spans the entire run of cabinets and as you mentioned, adds a lot of strength to the unit. The hinged lid is a two-piece structure that utilizes a solid support under the joint. First pull the tracks out, then place the Nordli drawer and slide it in. You can do a quick search on Upholstery material on amazon or google to find someonline upholstery textiles. Im super glad I chose the vinyl! You dont even need to sew anything! As long as your opening is minimum 58 wide, you should be fine. But as our family has grown and changed, it simply wasnt suiting our needs anymore. If youre not in Canada then thishigh density foam on Amazonwas almost the same in price and the cheapest Ive found online, yet! So this time, Im sharing another Ikea bench seat DIY, but for my bedroom window seats! Thanks for such a well documented tutorial! Then there are the pieces of furniture and shelving that IKEA sells that can be turned into benches, especially the popular and versatile Kallax unit. This built-in storage cabinet is so useful in any room of your home. Your email address will not be published. This beautiful colored bench hack uses the IKEA Nornas bench. The bench itself is a long solid unfinished wooden bench that can be used both indoors and outdoors. If your heart is set on a nice pattern to give your room a pop, then you wont find a big selection of patterned vinyl out there. Great job! Please consider sharing on your favorite social media! Mid Century style legs have been added, and baskets (all available from IKEA) placed for ample storage. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";
From 0.5 inches thick to 3 or 4 inches thick. Of course, if you have an Ikea close by, then you can pick one up there make sure to check out the As-Is section first! You will need a piece of MDF or thin plywood board for the bottom part of your cushion, and it will need to be cut in the exact measurements of your bench top. If you want your seating bench to be comfortable to sit on and look more polished, I would recommend 3 inch thickness or even 4 inches. Thanks so much!ReplyCancel, We always talk about how there are a few quality levels at IKEA. Please share, thanks!ReplyCancel, Theyre thin sheets of plywood with alphabet letters in the corner! I assembled Ikea nordli dresser units following their instructions manual, kept the box frame and the drawers separately. Well also be sharing every last detail of the completed project and the rest of the updates in the room once that cushion arrives. Moving it is not easy I would say as it is super heavy and long, but we did it! A friend of mine dd this hack and used patterned shower curtains for the cushion. 14 IKEA Hacks that are so Chic & Stylish! I created this video walking you through my DIY process, and highlighted a few key points to make this project successful. Update: I made a mistake here that I used green wood instead of kiln dried, so my bench top actually shrunk a bit since the DIY. Since we were using prefab cabinets, we were left with a few extra inches of space, so the cabinet array was centered on the base with filler panels to be added later. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Question about load-bearing I dont see the max load for these Sektion cabinets on the Ikea website. 21 Gorgeous Ikea Desk Hacks you can do on a Budget! A bench is a really useful piece of furniture and decor in your home. I had to remove part of the Box moldings and baseboard, so that the window seat bench top can touch the back wall, and book nood will be flush to the wall. I am sorry you didnt find value of it. I will use the remaining space for a small book nook. I have made the mistake of not setting the white switch to the off position and that made it impossible to lock the drawers to the track. Hi Anne, yes we did staple the fabric first followed by the vinyl - just to make sure everything was smooth and taught. I ended up finding the older version of the Kallax -the Expedit which is a little longer and fit perfectly in my space. Plus having drawers just makes it so easy to access things within. There are IKEA benches that are designed to be used as benches, that can be hacked (such as painted and more). This is another great bench hack using the Kallax unit. This hack creates a gorgeous banquette style seating area, that is so perfect for a breakfast or dining nook. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi there, Im Kelin. This beautiful and functional window seat is created using the IKEA Nordli 2-drawer chest. As you can see it is not just beautiful, it is incredibly functional and so stylish too. Amazon sells a similar version of the Kallax for a similar price! Seriously one of the best IKEA hack tutorials Ive seen. Any molding can be used here based on the style of the space or the look youre after. To slide in the drawers, I basically followed the Ikea instructions. Especially if your looking to save time and want more convenience. It doesnt look like you had 4 inches of overhang. Also I dont have any other furniture on that wall so Id like it to fill the vertical space more by having a slightly higher appearance. Here is another hack using IKEA Besta. This fitted bench is made using IKEA products. Pretty little leather pull handles have been added, which gives a plain bench a decorative stylish touch. And most recently, its been dubbed the snug! Next time offer your customers something that is actually of value and dont scam them. You wont regret it it might even unleash the Ikea Hack beast in you- it totally did for me! The thin generic cotton fabric, when used in a project like this, will start to wear and possibly rip. This is because the seat portion of the benches tend to get lots of use, and all that wear can be harsh on thinner cotton fabrics. This site uses affiliate links. It was pretty snug to the wall so we didnt attach the bench top to the nordli dressers below it. In the picture below, I was using scrap pieces of foam leftover from another project, which also works- just make sure that the foam is glued securely to the MDF. Just remember to take the thickness of the trim into account when calculating the difference between the base and the cabinets (or box) for the toe kick. It uses a couple of IKEA basic storage units, and the magic part is built around it. It takes a little bit of work, but it is so worth it in the end! Walls are rarely square, so be sure to measure in a few places to ensure that the top sits nicely on the cabinets. UPDATE: Ive had this Ikea bench hack in my kitchen for almost 6 months now, and it still looks new, even after some spills. Hi Jasmine, We have a toddler too and I can imagine a lot of jumping on the bench with a couple of adults sitting on the unit.ReplyCancel, We certainly cant speak to the actual load bearing capacity of the cabinets, but we can say that this thing is STURDY! We chose to use our nailer here for the least visual impact inside the cabinets, but screws would have worked just fine. We will always disclose sponsored posts in the text and by using the sponsored' tag. I could have cut and paste this crap directly from your site. This part usually requires 2 people. Ive also considered other drawer and dresser units from Ikea, but their Norli dresser units offer the most flexibility in terms of width and height.