DIY guide · IKEA hacks
Keep the frames and lose the flat-pack look. Fill the gaps to the walls and ceiling, add a plinth and new fronts, with plans for BILLY, PAX, KALLAX, BESTÅ and IVAR.
IllustrationWhere to start
An afternoon
Lay one long top across the units, add legs or a plinth and change the handles. An afternoon, and the furniture already looks like yours.
A weekend or two
Frames set on a plinth, fillers scribed to the walls, and made-to-measure doors on the original hinges.
Two to three weekends
A face frame across the front, a cornice to the ceiling and paint over everything. Nobody will guess what is underneath.
Types of ikea hacks
IllustrationBookcases joined with a plinth, a face frame and a cornice, painted with the wall. The classic hack.
See the plan
IllustrationFrames with made-to-measure doors, fillers to the walls and a panel to the ceiling.
See the plan
IllustrationCube shelving on its side, on a plinth, under a cushion. A reading seat with storage below.
See the plan
IllustrationFrames hung on the wall under one long oak top. Looks custom and costs a fraction.
See the plan
IllustrationPine cabinets under a single top, on new legs, with painted doors.
See the planPlans
Each one becomes a 3D model, a cut list, drilling maps and step-by-step instructions, at the size you need.
Three units, wall to wall, with a plinth, face frame and crown so it reads as joinery.
Floor-to-ceiling fronts and scribed filler panels turn three frames into a fitted wall.
Two pine cabinets joined on a leg frame, with a wrapped top and new fronts.
A unit on its side, wrapped in a solid top and plinth, with drawers where the cubes were.
Wall-hung frames under one continuous oak top, with cable routes drawn in.
Fit it to the wall
Set the width of the wall and the system you have in mind. See the frames that fit best, the fillers that close the gaps and the panel up to the ceiling.
Frame sizes as IKEA sells them today; check before you buy. Fillers of at least 20 mm leave room to scribe to the wall.
Before you design
IKEA has changed sizes over the years. Measure your frames before you start. The numbers on this page are the standard sizes of the current ranges.
Measure the wall and ceiling the same way you would for a built-in. The difference between the room and the frames is what gets designed: fillers at the sides, a plinth below, a top box or crown above.
Keep the original doors and add trim, or cover the lot with new fronts. New fronts cost more material and change the look the most.
You don’t have to. Every piece here can also be designed from scratch.
Upgrades
Do one, or do all four.
A frame across the fronts hides the gaps between units, and a cornice carries them up to the ceiling.
Pocket-hole jig, saw
Stand the frames on a plinth: they line up, the floor stops mattering, and the skirting can run along the front.
Saw, packers, spirit level
Fillers between the frames and the walls, cut to follow the wall. The detail that makes it read as fitted.
Compass, jigsaw or block plane
Doors made to your size, drilled for the same 35 mm hinges the frames already use. The biggest change for the least work.
Hinge-cup bit, the original hinges
Materials
| Material | Cost | Stiffness | Edges | Finish | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDF | €€€ | Smooth, paints well once sealed | Paint | Painted fronts, fillers and face frames | |
| Birch plywood | €€€ | Layered edge: show it off or band it | Oil, lacquer or paint | Plinths, tops and fronts with the edge on show | |
| Oak veneer | €€€ | Band with matching veneer | Hardwax oil or lacquer | Long tops and doors that show the grain | |
| Solid oak | €€€ | Solid wood, no banding needed | Hardwax oil | Tops, legs and handles |
Tools
Enough for every first-build plan here.
No saw? Most timber merchants cut sheets to a list. Take the cut list from your plan and pick the panels up ready to drill.
Each one opens up a new kind of build.
Safety
IKEA furniture comes with wall fixings for a reason. Built in, the frames also fix to each other and to the plinth, so the whole wall moves as one.
Something else in mind?
Say it the way you would to a carpenter. Caminu draws it, checks the spans and writes the guide.
Questions
No. Most Caminu projects are built from sheet material, with complete plans for every panel. IKEA frames are one way to start if you already own them.
BILLY, PAX, KALLAX, BESTÅ and IVAR. For anything else, describe the units you own and their measurements.
No. Caminu is independent. IKEA and its product names are trademarks of Inter IKEA Systems B.V., used here only to describe which furniture a template is designed around.
Close every gap: a plinth below, fillers scribed to the walls, a panel or cornice up to the ceiling, and one finish over the lot. New fronts finish the job.
From the blog
Keep going
Show Caminu your room and describe the piece. You get the 3D model, the cut list and the assembly guide.
