Martin Cooper

Just a browse on the Pinterest shows the IKEA TARVA nightstand doesn’t get as many hacks as its larger counterpart, the TARVA dresser . To us, this cute bedside table is an oft overlooked gem and can be transformed in so many ways . The TARVA nightstand is as IKEA as can be. It has simple lines and sturdy structure. Designed with a drawer and an open shelf for easy storage of your bedtime essentials. Photo: IKEA.com Size wise it’s dainty but still large enough for a table lamp and a glass of water. It is made of untreated pine wood. Which means it will readily take on oil, wax, lacquer, paint or stain. And to sum it all, it retails for $39.99. A hard price to beat. Ready to give this little beauty a try? Join us on this round-up of IKEA TARVA nightstand hacks #1 Paint and stain Photo: Thrifted Nest Photo: Thrifted Nest Leah from Thrifted Nest used painters tape, stain and paint to give the nightstand a total new look. I love the whimsy mustard triangle on

I’ve always wondered whether IKEA designer Maria Vinka , had Nintendo’s Donkey Kong in mind when she created the IKEA LUSTIGT wall shelves. Perhaps a mere coincidence but gamers immediately saw a stomping gorilla and bent girders in Level 1 of the classic Donkey Kong retro bitmap game . A Japanese gamer @miki800 went the extra mile to make the quirky IKEA wall shelves look a real Donkey Kong. Which is awesome in any game room or kid’s room . Let’s take a look at how she turn the IKEA LUSTIGT into Nintendo’s Donkey Kong shelves. Photo: Miki800 Materials: IKEA LUSTIGT wall shelf Paint brushes Marker pens Paint Accessorise with: Drum pencil holder Toy wood barrel 8-bit figures DIY Donkey Kong shelves First, paint the shelves a bright red. She mixed red paint and light blue paint to get the right shade. Photo: Miki800 Let the paint dry and give it another coat, if necessary. When paint has fully dried, flip it to the side and use a black permanent marker to d

An interesting question popped up on our FB group . Stacy asked, “Has anyone put a back on their KALLAX shelving unit? What did you use?” Well, glad you asked. The KALLAX shelving unit comes with open cubes, which is why it makes such an awesome room divider . But there are times we need a back panel for the KALLAX. Such as when we use it as a media console . Closing up the back of the KALLAX immediately hides the ugly wires and power sockets. Or when used as storage and we don’t want stuff to fall behind the cubes. What are our ideas for a KALLAX back panel? Let’s take a look at these 12 unique options. #1 Cardboard It’s the cheapest, most available and easiest option for a KALLAX back panel. This IKEA hacker use the cardboard box the KALLAX drawers and inserts came in. It’s as simple as cutting and folding the cardboard to the right size. Then slot them into the cubes. A strip of double sided tape will help keep them in place. Make a few holes in the cardboard for wire

Long before it became popular on TikTok, we’ve been featuring IKEA platform bed hacks made from IKEA EXPEDIT shelving units, and later, KALLAX units.  Why a platform storage bed? It’s not surprising that it is one of the most enduring IKEA hacks and is replicated again and again. Firstly, you can have it in various configurations — from King to Single bed size. Secondly, it is a very affordable way to get a bed AND storage. It’s awesome for a small space as you could probably fit your whole wardrobe in there even. Lastly, it’s not all that hard to do. If you can handle assembling a KALLAX , you can do it.  Styles may have changed, yet the steps to hacking a simple bed frame remain the same.  How to make an IKEA platform bed? Step 1: Assemble Materials Into Platform Assemble the shelving units and place them in the right formation according to your required bed size. Anchor the units together. Step 2: Make the middle Add support for the mattress. You can use wood slats, plyw

Up until the last edition of the IKEA Catalog , its release was an annual event we looked forward to. I miss it. The excitement of leafing through 200+ pages of inspiration and ideas. Bookmarking pages to come back to them later. Then running to the store to see the new products in person. Guess I’m not the only one. This year’s excitement is replaced with a #throwback, thanks to Household Quotes . They researched the recently-released archives of IKEA catalogues of each era, pinpointing trends and styles from the past 70 years. The team then produced realistic digital renders for every decade, arranging the pieces in a classic s0fa-armchair-coffee-table living room setting. And the result is a brief history of IKEA Living Rooms in 90 seconds. Trends with staying power The MCM style of 1960 is still going strong. The ESBJERB armchair (which the EKENÄSET is a close cousin) and RIO coffee table would fit beautifully in a modern living room. Will IKEA consider bringing them bac

We love the better acoustics, standard E27 bulb socket and changeable shades. Just a few months ago, IKEA and Sonos unveiled a picture frame speaker . Now, they’re at it again — giving a much needed upgrade to the SYMFONISK range they launched in 2019. When the original SYMFONISK table lamp speaker debuted in 2019, it was met with a lot of excitement. It marked their first collaboration and the first time we saw a lamp that played music. Two years later, as hoped, the new version of the SYMFONISK table lamp speaker promises an even better sound experience and updated, customizable designs. Photo: IKEA.com “Since launching the first SYMFONISK table lamp speaker, we learned a lot about how and where they are being used. For example, a lot of people use the lamp speaker on a nightstand. Which led us to create a new, slightly smaller lamp base. We’re now also offering customers more design choices, making the lamp speaker a better fit for their individual homes”, says Stjepan Be

The IKEA FLISAT children’s table is quite a smart little thing. See those white covers? It’s a secret compartment. Open them up and you’ll fit 2 TROFAST storage tubs snug under the top of the table. Your child can reach in and get his or her LEGO bricks -– and then — most importantly, sweep everything down into the bin to clean up. Or at least that’s what we all hope the kiddo does! It’s also perfect for sensory play. Instagram is full of ideas on what to add to those tubs to maximise them. Think of filling them with rice, pasta or chickpeas, you name it, to develop fine motor skills. Read on to see how you can make the $50 table work harder for so much more fun. #1 Simple mod turns the IKEA FLISAT into a Play & Craft table Lauren has a very simple yet practical hack to turn the FLISAT children’s table into a play table with more storage and better organisation. Materials: Photo: IKEA.com FLISAT table with TROFAST tubs ONSKLIG change table containers Wood bracket