Skip to main content

IKEAhackers book sneak peek: Who’s behind this DIY Cabinet?

I’m counting down the days. Folks, lift off is near. And leading to the launch I’ll be slowly lift off the veil and share how the book came about.

meera-pendred-2Top most, the IKEAhackers book is collective elbow grease. Nineteen IKEA hackers from all over the world contributed towards it. And today, I’ll like to introduce you to one of them – Meera. She’s a passionate DIYer and the creative force behind Arty Home. She lives in a sweet 1930s house in Nottingham, UK with her husband and their two sons.

The house was the nudge she needed to awaken her creative soul. “Buying a home with my now-husband ignited the creative spark in me. In a bid to create a beautiful and personal home on a budget, I found myself trying out things that I’d never done before: sewing, crafting, giving old unloved furniture a new lease of life and hacking store-bought items,” she says.

In a bid to create a beautiful and personal home on a budget, I found myself trying out things that I’d never done before.

I picked her fabulous DIY cabinet for the book because it’s a simple yet gorgeous upgrade for the METOD kitchen cabinet. It’s also fairly easy to pull off, without major power tooling.

DIY cabinet mid century style from IKEAhackers book

Meera uses it to store her DVDs but I can see this cabinet housing books, toys, craft material and so much more. And most importantly, this handsome fella will brighten up almost any awkward nook. For the book, Meera further expanded on the instructions to make it easy for DIYers of any skill level to follow.

Here’s what she has to say about her DIY cabinet hack.

Jules: How did you come up with the idea for the DIY cabinet? What was the problem/ issue you had? And how did hacking resolve that?

Meera: I needed a DVD storage cabinet in one of my living room alcoves but I struggled to find a stylish, practical and affordable one that would fit my narrow alcove, so I decided to make one out of a kitchen wall cabinet.

My inspiration photos for a storage cabinet all had a similar theme: wooden doors, white outer frame, slim black handles and mid-century style splayed legs.

The 80x80cm METOD kitchen wall cabinet was the perfect size for our requirements and I loved the rough sawn oak texture of the HYTTAN doors, so they were my starting point.

J: What do you like most about your hacked IKEA item?

M: Besides the fact that it is perfect for my style and storage requirements, I love that my friends have commented (unprompted!) that it is a lovely cabinet and been very surprised when told that I made it from a kitchen cabinet!

I love that my friends have commented (unprompted!) that it is a lovely cabinet and been very surprised when told that I made it from a kitchen cabinet!

J: Why do you hack? And what do you enjoy about IKEA hacking?

M: I usually have a particular vision for what I need or want in a space, but it’s not always possible to obtain this from a store-bought product or have it commissioned affordably. So I start by looking for products that come close to matching my requirements. IKEA is usually a fantastic starting point as they have a vast range of products with different options at great prices. I find it immensely satisfying to get creative with an off-the-shelf item and turn it into something that’s just right for my style and practical needs.

J: Where do you find ideas/ inspiration for your hacks? And how do you go from idea to final product?

M: Pinterest and creative blogs are my primary sources for inspiration. Once I have my idea and have figured out which IKEA item(s) I’ll need, I follow up with research to work out the materials and method that I need to achieve a high quality and durable final product. I couldn’t do without the internet and the online creative community. There are so many ideas and tutorials on anything you want to learn about. After the hack is all planned out, I’m all too eager to just get on with it!

The pursuit of creativity is now a way of life for me, that is when I’m not chasing my kids! My style is still evolving and is inspired by my kids, nature, my roots in Kenya and of course the global creative community on the internet. I love that there is always something new to learn and to get excited about.

J: What’s one advice you’d offer to newbies?

M: Research (read or watch tutorials to learn about the methods and materials that will give you a high quality finish on your hack) and plan (“measure twice, cut once” as they say).

Love the cabinet? Get the book and hack it.

sneak-peek-17

Buy IKEAhackers book on Amazon Buy IKEAhackers book on Barnes & Nobles Buy IKEAhackers book on Indiebound

What’s in the book? Details in this post.

Pre-order now and get 5 bonus hacks from me.

To get the “Hack it, Jules” ebook, all you need to do is:
1. Buy a copy of IKEAhackers.net 25 Biggest and Best Projects from Amazon, Barnes & Nobles or Indiebound.
2. Forward a copy of your receipt to ikeahackers@gmail.com
3. We send you the pdf!
4. Available only for pre-orders until August 15.

ikeahackers-book-preorder

The post IKEAhackers book sneak peek: Who’s behind this DIY Cabinet? appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WOW! Internet Plans

bbernard/Shutterstock About WOW!  WOW! (also known as Wide Open West) offers cable, fiber and DSL internet, phone and television services for customers in nine states providing services to over 7 million people . You can find WOW! internet in metropolitan areas like Montgomery, AL, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, and 16+ other markets. There are WOW! Internet package choices with speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) to fit your streaming, gaming and browsing needs. WOW! Internet: what you need to know Check out this quick-reference guide for the most important things you’ll want to know about WOW! internet prices, speeds and availability.  WOW! products Cable, fiber and DSL internet, TV and phone WOW! internet speeds Up to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) WOW! internet prices Plans starting at $59.99/mo. WOW! availability 19+ markets in 9 states Contract required? Contracts are required for promotional pricing *As of 03/12/2020  WOW! intern...

Hackers Help: How to attach headboard to ESPEVÄR mattress base?

I’m trying to figure out if a headboard can be attached to an Espevar Mattress Base , and how to accomplish that. I’m looking at a standard metal headboard (because I just prefer the look of curved metal to what IKEA offers) and am not interested in a slat base with just a mattress on top, and a wall mounted headboard is not an option due to renting. Thanks for any help! ~ Amy *** Hi Amy I’ve not seen the ESPEVÄR in person but I believe it is possible to attach a headboard to it. From the website, the ESPEVÄR looks like a regular wooden slatted mattress base under a bed base slipover. As to how to attach it, that will depend on the fittings on the metal headboard. So you will just need to get the right hardware to secure the metal headboard to the wooden frame. And make some small openings on the slipcover to let the fixtures to go through. Jules Photo: IKEA.com Try these free-standing headboards for size A lime green and white headboard that takes centerstage in the r...

SKÅDIS: 5 ways to make the IKEA pegboard even better

IKEA introduced its own pegboard system, SKÅDIS, two years ago and I’d say it’s one of the best systems IKEA launched in recent years. I love how super customisable it is, with a growing range of accessories that help keep things organized. It works everywhere, in your wardrobe to bathroom . Probably anywhere you have a flat surface to hang it up. Photo: IKEA.com SKÅDIS pegboard system See it on IKEA.com But no matter how perfect a system, you can trust IKEA hackers to improve on the SKÅDIS. And they’ve settle these 5 issues you may have faced with the handy IKEA pegboard. Read on for their fixes. 5 IKEA SKÅDIS issues and fixes #1 Expensive hooks? You’ll need quite a number of hooks and accessories to fill up the SKÅDIS pegboard, and Kenyer was shocked at how quickly they all added up. So he figured he could make his own hooks to save cost. Photo: Kenyer Over at Instructables , he shows us how to twist copper wires into the SKÅDIS hook shape. It works s...