Materials: Expedit 5x5 (1), Expedit 1x5 (6), Inreda shelf (2), Lack coffee table (1), Lack 1x4 shelving unit (1), plastic shelf supports, acoustical cloth, table saw, drill, glue
Description: Our family room is quite long, but not wide enough to accommodate additional chairs without the room becoming too overcrowded. Our wish list for this room was extensive: a place to permanently house the TV components, stereo, hide the TV wiring, book shelf for storage/display and additional seating for larger family gatherings. The impossible dream .... could one piece of furniture meet all these needs, and of course, not break the bank. We already had th e Expedit 5x5 shelving unit, and during a visit to a friend's place, noticed the Expedit 1x5 shelving unit placed horizontally on the floor was the same height as a stool. This was the AHA moment..... an Ikea hack of Expedit units to fulfill all our needs!
Step 1: We began scouring websites & 'As Is' sections for used 1x5 Expedit units
Step 2: Two additional power outlets were installed, one behind the television and another outlet 24 inches above floor level to power all the TV components and speakers. Then we installed 2 low voltage cabling boxes at approximately the same heights to feed cables, etc between the TV and it's components.
Step 3: We disassembled 3 of the 1x5 Expedit shelving units to remove one of the vertical supports from each unit. This gave us the space to house the wider TV components and bass speaker.
OK, now step back and figure out how we're going to assemble this Mega-Expedit unit. A picture is worth a thousand words!
With plan in hand, onwards to manoeuvre the 3 shelving units into place (vertical supports removed). Unit #1 sits on the floor under the TV, flat against the wall. Unit #2 also sits on the floor pushed up against unit #1, and unit #3 is stacked on top of unit #1. The Bass speaker is deeper than the Expedit and removal of the vertical support allowed us to push it further back and achieve a flush look at the front. I also wanted a built-in speaker look, so stapled acoustical cloth around a wooden frame and pushed it into place. Friction prevents it from falling out. Then we cut the Lack coffee table lower shelf down to size. It became the shelf that separates the TV & stereo components, allowing for air circulation. Simply drilled 4 holes on the sides and pressed in dark brown shelf supports purchased from a big box store. So far I'm liking the look!
Next we placed shelving unit #4 on the floor (just the regular Expedit 1x5 with all it's vertical supports) and pushed it beside unit #1. Stacked the 5x5 on top, and placed the last regular Expedit 1x5 in front of that. At this point we were pretty amazed nobody was crushed or injured and still had all 10 fingers and toes. The 5x5 shelving unit has been secured to the wall, in the event someone using the bench seat leans back. A bit disconcerting to feel something that large moving!
The hazards of an older home are that the walls are no longer square or plumb and the more you tried to push/pull shelving units together, the larger the gaps became. We decided to deal with gaps in one place, closet to the wall �" easier to hide with casings or baseboards. The Lack coffee table's top portion would be used for this. Two pieces were cut to the same size as the Expedit end piece. One was placed on the floor by the speaker area, and the second was siliconed (glued) to the unit that housed the TV components. It also gave the overall unit a more symmetrical look, as you see 2 thicker pieces where the units are pushed against each other.
I was inspired by many other built-in bookcase hack ideas, and wanted this mega unit to have that built-in look as well. Often there's a portion (or both sides) of a bookcase that is less deep, and since we still had a bit of space on the right hand side of the room it was time to cut down the last Expedit 1x5. Using a table saw, we ripped the top, bottom and 1 side piece to 9.5 inches wide. The same depth as extra Inreda shelving we had from a different project. Re-assembled the top, bottom and side and bolted it to the wall. Only lightweight, decorative items will be placed on the recessed shelving but it's still bolted to the wall studs. Oh, and yes the top, bottom and side pieces are hollow, but we saves the particle board pieces and glued them back into place to add stability. The Inreda shelves were cut to length, holes drilled into side supports, and and inserted more dark brown shelf supports.
The finishing touch .... crown molding. The old 1x4 Lack shelving unit is slightly longer than the newer Expedit 1x5. Easy .... a few more table saw rips and just lay it on the top of the entire bookcase. Am still hunting for the perfect dentile molding or something to give it a more dressed up appearance, and same can be said for baseboards along the bottom of the bench. The cushion needs final touches on the sewing machine, shelves need to be stylized, but overall we are VERY pleased with the outcome.
Now if I can only find 3 more of those discontinued baskets!!
~ Marika, Vancouver
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