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IKEA illuminated bookshelf – Let there be light!

This is the story on how I built a BESTÅ + LACK illuminated bookshelf.

illuminated bookshelf IKEA BESTA and LACK

It all started because I had an empty wall in my living room and needed to decorate it:

before

before

We looked into several possibilities and came up with a decision to make an embedded bookcase. Settled the design and asked around for prices (custom design furniture). Well … we soon changed ideas…

The next best thing was: IKEA!

Since the wall is 3 meters wide (sorry to all the imperial viewers), I could fit a 1.9m LACK shelf together with a 1.1m for a perfect fit.

Simulation model:

We shuffled around our IKEA store and found a set-up that could work but one thing is seeing it in the store and the other is seeing it at home.

So … we simulated the layout on Photoshop … (very basic simulation, I mean …)

plan
 IKEA Items used:
 Qt Model Type Size Price Reference
1 BESTÅ Structure 180x40x64 89 € 702.998.79
1 BESTÅ Structure 120x40x64 50 € 102.458.46
5 BESTÅ Shelf 56×36 5 € 002.955.54
5 BESTÅ Hinge 5 € 802.612.58
5 SELSVIKEN Door 60×64 30 € 802.916.32
1 BESTÅ Glass 180×40 30 € 502.953.06
1 BESTÅ Glass 120×40 20 € 402.953.02
1 BESTÅ Structure 180x40x38 69 €
1 BESTÅ Structure 120x40x38 30 € 602.458.44
5 BESTÅ 60cm 5 € 302.848.46
5 BESTÅ Hinge 5 € 802.612.58
5 SELSVIKEN Door 60×38 20 € 202.916.30
3 LACK Shelf 190x26cm 20 € 502.821.82
3 LACK Shelf 110x26cm 9,99 € 902.821.80
Other materials:
  • 3×5 m 5050 LED strip 60 led/m
  • 12V 150 W Power Supply
  • LED dimmer
  • 4×2 m L-shaped plastic rail (for hiding the LED strip)
  • Electrical wire
  • Cable trunking
Assemble the cabinets

Put together BESTÅ frames and high gloss doors. Lay the glass top over the cabinet frames.

assembling BESTA
Assemble the shelves

Put together three rows of a 190 cm LACK shelf next to a 110 cm one.

installing Lack
Illuminate everything

Glue the plastic L-shaped rail to the shelves with wood glue. After it dries up, use the LED strip’s self-adhesive to install the LED strips inside the rail.

adding LED strips - illuminated bookshelf IKEA BESTA and LACK
adding LED strips

Install the power supply hidden inside a cabinet. Then, wire it to mains and the other end to a dimmer. (Test output voltage on low voltage side before wiring the LED strips).

adding LED strips - illuminated bookshelf IKEA BESTA and LACK

The dimmer will then connect to all the LED strips through a thin cable tray next to the side wall.

adding LED strips

Plug the LED strips in parallel and test each one before moving to the next one.

Glue the last LED strip to the back end of the BESTÅ cabinets and patch it to the dimmer also.

illuminated bookshelf IKEA BESTA and LACK

Et voilá:

illuminated bookshelf IKEA BESTA and LACK

(See the cable tray at the end next to the wall? Almost unnoticeable).

Hope you like my illuminated bookshelf.

~ by Luis

The post IKEA illuminated bookshelf – Let there be light! appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

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