Skip to main content

Barcelona studio apartment so cosy after this 2-day hack

A lovely bed nook with the BILLY Bookcase as a room divider.

I hated being able to see my bed from the “kitchen” and vice versa, so needed a cheap way to hide it!

Here was how it looked when I first moved in:

bed - before

Before

sofa - before

Before

Quotes for a partition wall came in too expensive, plus it’s a rental, so I decided to use the BILLY bookcase as a room divider.

Related: See this guy’s striking IKEA makeover during lockdown

IKEA items used: 
Other materials and tools: 

DIY IKEA bookcase room divider

First, I primed and painted the backs of the bookcases as I’d be able to see them from the bed. You could also use adhesive wallpaper, or leave as is.

Then I constructed the bookcases and configured the shelves. I put them in position and used metal braces along the top and middle to join them together and stabilise them.

metal brace

For the curtains, I threaded the curtain wire through the IRJA curtain rod so that it would stay rigid (rather than sag in the middle). The rod also makes it nice and slide-y for the curtains.

BILLY bookcase room divider

I stuck a strong 3M hook on the wall, and screwed a hook into the bookcase on the opposite side.

BILLY bookcase room divider

Partition in progress

I removed the curtain tabs, folded over and sewed into a rod pocket instead.

Then, I hemmed the bottom to the correct length.

Popped the curtain on the rod, hooked each side and voila! A cosy bed nook that doesn’t distract your eye when in the rest of the flat 🙂 

BILLY bookcase room divider

Whilst being in coronavirus lockdown, I have been filling in the empty dowel holes on the bookshelves with a little white filler, smoothed down with a credit card.

BILLY bookcase cover up holes

Covering up the dowel holes

They can be popped out with a nail if you want to rearrange the shelves in future.

How long and how much did it cost?  

Two days to prime and paint (optional), plus a few hours of construction.

Total cost:  146 EUR plus 50 EUR Delivery from IKEA, 30 EUR on sundries. Total: 226 EUR

What do you like most about the hack? 

It’s so simple, relatively cheap, makes the other side feel more like a living room and can be easily moved or reconfigured!

What was the hardest part about this hack? 

Nothing hard, filling the little holes has been blissfully mundane and repetitive.

What to pay special attention to? 

I made sure to put heavier items on the shelves at the bottom for more stability.

Gracias!

~ by Jess

The post Barcelona studio apartment so cosy after this 2-day hack 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