playroom storage...work in progress

More storage for the playroom has been on my to do list all year, finally with Christmas approaching I have made a start.   The original inspiration was for a long low cabinet that the tv could sit on (see the post here), but I realised this was never going to deliver enough storage.  
The version below has a lot more storage, taller cabinets with a shelf on top creating space for display, books and instruments.   I think it will be far more practical.  We can still add another shelf or narrow cabinet above the shelf if we find we need even more space.

Next step was to remove the old furniture.  The tv was in a lovely but very deep, impractical oriental cabinet (already gone below), and the old Ikea cabinet as you can see below was literally bursting at the seams.  Note to self, taking apart Ikea cabinets seems to take longer than putting them together.  

Then it was off to Ikea for a very bulky shop: three Besta cabinets (128cm high) and a Besta tv cabinet with drawers and space for all the technology and cables.  
An industrious weekend later and we are looking more organised already!

Of course no DIY is ever accomplished without at least one mistake or set back.  This was the first time I have ever had trouble with Ikea, one of the cabinets was faulty and only went together after a LOT of pushing and pulling and many shavings with my Japanese handsaw.
When that hurdle was finally over I attached the right hand cabinet to the wall, forgetting that we have a pocket door behind that wall.  Hmmm, the result the two neatly drilled holes in the door you can see below.  It could have been worse, I could have screwed it permanently open.

So that's how it's looking right now.  Its been a busy week and I haven't managed to do much more.  I will keep you posted on our progress, can't wait to get it all done.

entrance cupboard with a place for everything...our first ikea hack

Our hallway storage was a mess.  Hats and coats jostled for peg space, a  messy jumble of shoes and a basket stuffed full of school and sports bags  - not a good look at the front door.  Time to make a change.  What do you think of our solution?

The brief:
- narrow space 140cm wide by 40cm deep
- must store: shoes, coats, hats, school bags, handbag, sports bags, hats and keys

The solution
After an intensive few evenings studying the Ikea catalogue (a favourite pastime) I discovered that the PAX cupboard system comes in a narrow 37cm deep version - perfect depth.  It is available in 50cm or 100cm widths.  Our space is 140cm wide so using a 100cm cabinet left us 40cm over.
I consulted the Voice of Reason who agreed we could make floating shelves for the left over space.I decided to put two 50cm cabinets on either side with floating shelves in the middle.  Having the shelves in the center gives the design a more bespoke feel. 
Inside you can see lots and lots of space for shoes, bags, hats and coats.  Outside it would be minimal with baskets for texture and storage, and a display niche for art or flowers.

Installing the cabinets
So far so good.  Off to Ikea to buy the cabinets.  Have you ever noticed that diy's never show how many trips you make to get supplies?  I got all the cabinets but the shoe rack and coat hooks were out of stock.  Another trip will have to be made soon.
The hardest part of shopping for large items at Ikea is getting them onto your trolley and into the car.  Thank you to the kind people who took pity on my feebleness and helped out.

Back home it took a day to assemble the cupboards.  I removed the skirting boards and cut them down to size so that they could be fitted back in once the cabinets were installed.  We attached the cabinets to the walls at the top for extra strength.

Attaching battens for the floating shelves
Here is where the Voice of Reason came up with a very clever trip.  
The problem with Ikea cabinets is they are made of cheap board, often as you screw into them the cabinets rip up a little, not good for build strength or looks.  VOR decided not to screw the battens to the cabinet, but to bolt them to the side using a snap off screw.  Snap off screws are used to attach door knobs to cabinets, available at and good hardware store.

This has several advantages:
- drilling through the cabinet instead of screwing through it is less likely to split the cabinet board
- threading the snap off screw from inside the cabinet leaves the flat head inside, smooth & neat
- tightening the batten to the cabinet with a nut, creates a firm strong base for the shelf
- no pointy bits left over as you snap off the excess screw whatever the thickness of your wood

Note that the battens are shorter than the cabinet width.  They have been measured so that when the shelves are attached the front lip butts up to the cabinet front for a really built in look.  To measure: width of cabinet - width of wood used for lip = length of batten.Making the floating shelves
The Voice of Reason made shelves to fit the space with a lip to create the floating effect.  
There are several ways you could do this but he joined the lip to the shelf with dowels and then filled and sanded the joints for a perfect finish.  With paint the joins are totally invisible.  I could have done this with pocket screws if I had had the Kreg jig (watch this space Kreg jig coming soon).
Finally we attached the shelves to the battens with small wood screws, stood back and admired our handiwork.  I am so delighted with it, it looks custom and expensive and we did it ourselves!

Most satisfying job we have done yet and certainly turned $600 of Ikea cabinetry into an expensive looking bespoke item that totally fills the brief.  Once the interior fittings are back in stock I will be able to show you the soon to be amazingly organised interior, but even without them this project has made a huge difference.  The hall is easy to keep tidy, I can always find my keys, and I spend far less time shouting at the family to tidy up.  

Playroom storage solution...could this be the final design?

The playroom is a mess and it drives me crazy!  It probably drives you spare too!!  We just don't have enough storage and at the end of the day toys are crammed into boxes and the single cupboard and the room just can't be properly tidied.  Playroom storage was on my new years to do list and I haven't managed to resolve it yet.  But I may be a step closer, I think I have the final, revised, redesigned, could it really be the final, design at last.
I would love it to look something like the picture below, but really this is not a design for a family with children and all the toys and craft supplies that come with them.  

I like this one too, the TV looks almost decorative but those open shelves would just be too untidy with toys and its a little traditional for our house.

I like the clean and slightly asymmetric lines of this modern version, and the TV is behind doors which is a bonus, but there are books and special objects on display.

I still love this playroom on Weekday Carnival, one of the best Ikea hacks ever (below).  Hard to believe its Ikea kitchen cabinets put together in a giant puzzle. 

And this library style Ikea hack (below) on Apartment Therapy is another favourite.   They are all very simple, very white, and very uncluttered.

So this is what I have come up with at last.  Cupboards will be clean white with no trim or detailing. There is space for books to be on display, a counter top and wall space on the left where we can display art or family photos, and a whole lot of storage, a lot of it out of the reach of Miss J's sticky little fingers.

What do you think?  Could this be the final one?

| Source unknown  |  via Coastal Living  | via Arch Daily  |  Weekday Carnival  |  Apartment Therapy |  drawings by Eva of Build House Home|

little letters of the season

Autumn is my favourite season, clear warm days, crisp mornings, and cool evenings perfect for fires and cuddling.  Sydney has been glorious this year.

Posts may be slightly slower the next two weeks, its school holidays and there is lots to be done.    I will be attempting my first Ikea hack, finally tackling the shoe problem at the front door.  Miss E and I will be decorating mugs, testing a pin I have had on my diy board for years, and of course there is a birthday to celebrate.

I mentioned before you can now follow me on Bloglovin.  I have been using it myself and am very pleased with how its working - it doesn't spam your mailbox, in fact you can choose not to receive emails at all.  You get a sneak preview of each post, not the entire thing, I like it.  So if you are keen, click here to follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Enjoy the change of season where ever you are, and feel free to add your little letters too.
Dear neighbours don't think I am odd when I collect the leaves from the sidewalk, I am adding them to my compost heap and you should too.
Dear Ikea why can't I order online, I know what I want and I don't have the time for a long ikea trip, especially in school holiday.
Dear school lunches I am enjoying this time apart, there are only so many cheese sandwiches I can make without getting really bored.
Dear Fender why do cats want to play at three in the morning!  Its a good thing you are so cute because being waking up with a cat on my head makes me grumpy.
Dear Ikea hackers you are amazing, I am feeling very inspired and very handy after reading all your posts.  Lets hope my hack is a success and not a pinstrosity.