DIY Project: IKEA KALLAX Sideboard
Take IKEA hacking to the next level with this easy, show-stopping DIY IKEA Kallax sideboard. Anybody can now make their own designer-look furniture pieces for a small fraction of the price you’ll pay in stores. Which means... You can now afford the looks you love!
Kylie writes: A second lounge room in our home was calling for a sideboard - something chic and a little bit glamorous to make the room feel more formal and to match our black piano. After shopping around for months, I still couldn't find the right piece so the solution was to take matters into my own hands. As always, I chose IKEA as my starting point, this time using a four-by-one IKEA Kallax cube unit as the basis for the project.
Assemble the IKEA Kallax unit
This whole project takes about three hours from start to finish and the most time-consuming part is assembling the flat-pack - notwithstanding the shopping trip to IKEA!
Follow the instructions supplied by IKEA to assemble the Kallax unit and door inserts.
Attach after-market furniture legs
Once the unit is assembled, you're ready to add legs. Furniture legs are available from hardware stores or specialist online retailers, include eBay dealers.
I selected 'Estelle 480' from Pretty Pegs in Sweden (75 Euros/AUD$120 per set of four legs.) The Estelle 480 is 480 mm long, which is appropriate for a sideboard, credenza, hall table or entryway console. Choose a shorter leg if, for example, you're making a TV bench or record player console.
Pretty Pegs legs come with mounting plates and self-tapping screws. You MUST use mounting plates to attach legs to your Kallax unit (see below.)
I positioned the first mounting plate near the corner of the unit and used a cordless drill to push in the screws, then repeated for the remaining three mounting plates.
After screwing the legs into place, Hubby helped me right the furniture onto its fancy new pegs!
Attach Lux Hax Styl-Panels
This project features Styl-Panel 1118 in mirrored gold to suit IKEA Kallax door inserts. Apply adhesive strips (supplied with your order) to the back of each panel and gently press into place.
TIP: IKEA hinges are tunable. Use a screwdriver to adjust each door so that they sit straight and operate freely.
Optional: Add handles
Some of our Styl-Panel designs obscure the pre-drilled handle hole in the Kallax door insert. To add handles you will need to drill the Styl-Panels. Don't worry - both our aluminium and foamed PVC panels are very easy to drill!
