ikea fabric shopping tote

just wanted to share this update from the shopping sherpa who sent us her zippered pouch made from embellished akseline fabric a while ago. the matching bag is finally done. voila!

link.

peek-a-boo billy

here's a fresh take on the ubiquitous billy bookcase. vincent had a white billy bookcase that he refused to dump or sell when he moved to a smaller apartment. so what's left to do but hack it?

"the hack includes a white billy bookshelf, a small pint of acrylic green paint and two vattern doors. there are two reasons why i used shorter vattern doors. the first is to create a contemporary and unique look. the doors are intended NOT to cover all of the contents of the billy. the overall effect is to give a glimpse or tease of the interesting books i have. the second reason is to avoid installing puller handles to open the doors. by leaving a gap, i can easily open the open doors by pulling on the side.

the center portion of the billy displays dessert plates and hopefully a set of interesting tea pot and accessories, if we eventually find ones we like."

need help choosing bookcases for heavy books

"i'm trying to figure out which bookcase would be best for lots of books (meaning something in which the shelves won't be prone to sagging). the space for the bookshelf is approximately 76" long by 18" deep by 102" high. i have a nice galant desk setup in beech veneer, and would like to match that finish if possible. i'd like the shelves to fill up the space as much as possible." - kristine


kristine,
for heavy books, it would be better to choose shelving made from solid wood. the particleboard bookcases such as the billy or bonde system tend to sag under weight. as for solid wood bookcases, you do quite a few choices, though colour wise, you're not so lucky. the norrebo (pic) in solid birch is a modular shelving system that lets you cover as much space as you want but the colour is not a great match. or you can also try the leksvik or ivar, which you could stain to match your desk.

other ideas?

50 cent cord dispenser

not quite a hack, but if you're ever like linda, who gets her gift wrap ribbons tangled up, this is a nice way to keep your cords organised.

"i went to my favorite little thrift store and bought this glass sugar container for 50 cents. i had a hunch that the ikea string cording that i absolutely love would fit perfectly inside the container, enabling me to dispense the cording with ease as i wrapped a present. and it did! perfectly!"

we have a winner

voting is closed for our "ikea hack of the year 2006" poll. and the winner is andrew's hemnes daybed turned banquette at an overwhelming 43% of votes. congrats, andrew.

second place is perennial favourite, vince's sliding door room divider at 26%. this happens to be the first hack i posted, which sparked off my love affair with ikea hacks. congrats, vince. and i still love you.

unfortunately, i can't give out anything but a warm, fuzzy title. perhaps, i'll be able to save up enough for a nice prize for the ikea hack of 2007. or if anyone knows how to wrangle some ikea gift cards, let me know. heh.

on another note, i'm currently in talks with arash & kelly of genius pad for an upcoming contest. and i'm so excited about it because i can't wait to launch ikeahacker's first contest AND give away a prize. details will be out soon.

announcement: ikea recalls parodi vase

jane plainjanemom sent me a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on ikea recalling the parodi vase (pic). so if you've bought it, you can get a full refund from ikea. seems the vase base breaks off easily and some folks have sustained cuts and injuries. so be careful with it.

check this link periodically for ikea product recalls and a list of items currently recalled.

update: apologies for the error in the credits.

play kitchen for under $200

this has got to the cutest hack ever. zen bliss put together an absolute doll of a play kitchen using parts of the ikea ivar storage system. [via windsor peak press message boards]

"all in, the cost was $200 including all hardware, materials, and a special drill bit to sink the extra hinges on the fridge. the cabinet & tv cart are ivar from ikea, other wood parts are from michael's and pearl art center. i'll probably add shelves or hooks later but i couldn't commit, so for now, the backsplash is bare." link.

did you notice the "oven" with the pull-down glass door? it's made from a photo frame! is that cool or what? thanks, heather, for the tip!