Skip to main content

Mind the gap: Fit IKEA MALM over a tall baseboard

I forgot one thing when I ordered the MALM dresser:

The baseboards in my apartment are very tall and very wide.

So, when I installed it, I had a 4 cm gap between the wall and the back of the cabinet which was not aesthetically possible for me.

As it is not possible to cut the back of dresser at the bottom to leave room for the tall baseboard, I decided that MALM should be raised.

And it was much simpler than I had imagined.

You’ll need:
  • A MALM dresser (mine is a 6-drawer chest)
  • Six oak bed legs (I think five would have been enough, but while I was there …)
  • 6 mounting plates
  • A piece of plywood the size of the bottom of the cabinet (I went to the hardware store next door, it cost me less than 5€)
  • Screws
  • White adhesive edging tape

How to raise the MALM dresser above a tall baseboard

Place the MALM upside down.

Making the MALM fit over a tall baseboard

Fix the plywood onto the underside of the MALM with screws.

Predrill holes for the leg screws (if you have the same baseboard problem as me, make sure you measure that the back legs are far enough from the wall. Otherwise you’ll have to do it again, I know what I’m talking about. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Fix the mounting plates.

Screw in the bed legs.

Iron on the edge banding tape on the exposed plywood edges.

Flip the MALM upright and that’s it. The tall baseboard is no longer an issue.

Making the MALM fit over a tall baseboard

Making the MALM fit over a tall baseboard

I added leather handles that I found on Etsy because I thought something was missing, and am very pleased with the result.

Making the MALM fit over a tall baseboard

~ by Stéphanie

You may also like these IKEA MALM dresser hacks

#1 Extra long MALM dresser

extra large chest of drawers - ikea malm

Stacy’s goal was to take two dressers and make them look like one, big dresser. And she succeeded fantastically. Read more.

#2 Vintage style gold MALM dresser

vintage style gold dresser

Nadia saw a gorgeous vintage credenza with gold accents and have been looking for a similar one for a long time. But she couldn’t find anything nice and affordable. When she decided to do her bedroom makeover, she thought that it would be the perfect project to finally give it a try. See the tutorial.

#3 MALM chest with pull-out laptop table

malm with pull-out laptop table

Otis desperately needed a desk since moving into a rented room. After adding two wardrobes and two MALM chests of drawers he was left with absolutely no room for anything else, so an IKEA hack was in order. Read more.

 

The post Mind the gap: Fit IKEA MALM over a tall baseboard appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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
Post a Comment
Read more

Kitchen renovation reveal: Rhombus wall steals the show

It’s been a while since I did a home tour. If you’ve missed the previous reveals, you can catch up with my Master Bathroom remodel and Guest Bathroom reveal . Today, let’s focus on my kitchen renovation. Hands down, this is the most used room in my home. I spend crazy amounts of time in here, even when I’m not cooking. Just off to the side of the kitchen I converted an awkward space into a reading nook . In the mornings, I sit and read or pray and meditate, before it gets too warm. And on the other side, there’s a work-in-progress plant wall / indoor garden which also takes up a lot of my time. So, all in all, lots of traffic in here, and that’s not even counting cooking and eating time. The kitchen is definitely my favourite room, because the transformation is huge and I love how it turned out. Kitchen renovation: The before House 17 when I first got it, actually had 2 kitchens, which is a very common “Asian” home concept. First, the “dry kitchen”, which is where you make simp
Post a Comment
Read more

IKEA sofa with genius armrest storage

Bet you never knew your sofa armrests were prime storage space. Ok, so the guys at IKEA are the masters of hidden / secret storage everywhere. In fact, one of the things I most loved about the  ESKILSTUNA sofa series was the undercover storage on the chaise lounge, but… what? More than 80 liters of storage space wasted on the armrests? NO WAY! I really don’t understand how they didn’t take that opportunity with several different armrest modules. Mobile chargers, cup / can holders, foldable tables, refrigerators… there’s SO MUCH space in there. I can’t stop thinking on different options! For myself, I went for two designs. First, a “full space” design on the (right) side of the chaise lounge. (The cavity fits two foldable chairs). Second, on the left armrest — a flip open section for “mobile charger / remote control storage / etc.”. Below that, a full-depth pull-out drawer, tall enough to store A4 sized magazines. This is the final result: Full space design, right of cha
Post a Comment
Read more