Sunday, August 5, 2012

Former Lack to Corner Shelf Hack

I had been looking for a small corner shelf to fit between my dresser and the door in my bedroom.  The wall is only about 17" deep, and finding a suitable shelving unit was proving difficult.  I've always been a fan of IKEA Hackers, so I wondered if maybe there was a product at IKEA I could hack to fit the space. 

When the lack side tables came on sale for 50% off back in January, I bought 4 of them.  My goal was to cut them down to a square size, and stack all 4 on top of each other to make some shelves.


Cutting the tables was challenging since they are mostly cardboard inside.  They were cut to 16" on two sides to make a 16 x 16 square.  The two cut edges will face towards the wall so you won't see them.  The two finished sides will face out into the room.



The legs were attached with glue since the original holes were cut off on three corners.  The uncut corner leg was screwed in normally.  I put 4 legs on the table serving as the bottom shelf just for stability.  The other tables got only 3 legs so the front of the shelving unit would be open and not obstructed.



Then, each table was glued on top of another.  We had the makings of a four-shelf unit!


For extra stability, long brackets were used to secure the legs and the table-top once it was built.  The unit was attached to the wall in the corner with some wall-mounting brackets to prevent it from falling over (not shown).


It turned out just as I had hoped!  I cut some bristol board to fit on the bottom of the top table so it would appear dark (otherwise, it was just particle board and really noticeable since it was so high.  I plan on painting it down it road, the bristol board is a temporary fix!)  And the best part, it only cost $20!




20 comments:

  1. I had triangular LACKs and stacked them for a corner shelf, iirc. But yours is much more proper! I like it.

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  2. I love it! Thanks for posting this and the details. I might have to try this.
    Nancy

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  3. It's stellar! Can't wait to give it a go.

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  4. This is fantastic! Simple and clean. I may have to do this in my office. Great job.

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  5. that is a great hack and diy! might also be fun to paint the entire piece too, what do you think?

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    1. Definitely! My room is a black and white theme though so the dark fits in nicely. But painting would be such an easy thing to change up!

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  6. This is awesome! Thanks for the tutorial. What paint color do you have on your walls?

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    1. Hi Sally,
      I only moved in to my place about 3 weeks ago so it's still just builder basic flat white paint!

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    2. Hah! You've done more in 3 weeks than I've done in the near 2 years I've had my place. Nice work.

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  7. This is the best hack I've ever seen! Fantastic idea! :) Thank you!

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  8. Melanie, Do you think this will hold if I didnt cut the tables down and just left them 21 x 21 inch ? also what kind of glue did you use?

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    1. Hi Kellie,
      It should probably hold, but best to test it out yourself to see. I just used regular wood glue!
      ~Melanie

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  9. Was looking for a corner unit for a walk-in wardrobe. i want to put cupboards either side. This looks just the job.

    Thank you,

    Dave (Liverpool UK)

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  10. What a fabulous idea! I am going to do this in the next couple of weeks. I can't find anything available for a corner in my bedroom that doesn't look cheap and flimsy, or like it belongs in a bathroom. What did you use to cut it down, and do you have any tips to make it less challenging? I was thinking of using a handheld circular saw or a jigsaw as I don't have a table saw set up at home. Would either of these work? I certainly have the space in the corner for 21"x21", do you think I'd be better off leaving them as is, or will it be too tippy?

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    1. A circular saw would probably work. It's cardboard on the inside which makes cutting the tables a bit weird. I made mine 21X21" since that was the width of my wall. I'm sure you could leave it as is, but you could always stack them and do a little test before you start cutting! Good luck!

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  11. did you use all 4 tables to make this ?

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