This furniture walkthrough stays in the order the work happens.
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Have you ever gazed at a room design for hours on end? Just waiting, watching, and hoping that the inspiration bug would bite you? I found myself in this very predicament; one week before my guest room would finally see a long term guest and the room still practically a blank slate. Pouring over photo after photo of memorable bedroom designs lead me to one real stand out consisting of a direct update – but where to begin?
Good Morning Bekob-aholics!
Christina here; all the way from Designing by Numbers, a blog where I endeavor to find inspiration in other’s home designs and implement creative options in my own space. I come to you today to share a little story of how an inspiration shot became the catalyst for change in my guest room.
As you can see from the photo above, my hubby and I did manage to check off all the basics for the room – bed, bedding, side table, dresser, lighting (um.. no.. no window treatments though; that’s a whole other story) – although it was still lacking any sort of style. My biggest pet peeve was the puny little side table, dwarfed by a double bed and oversized dresser (yes, the ginormous dresser must go, but again, another story… wow, this room is turning out to have a wealth of stories). I believe I studied just about every guest room design available – go ahead, quiz me – when I finally discovered a real gem via House & Home:
While my inspiration was a little more feminine than I was going for, I was certain I could incorporate the elements of the design into my own scheme. So I stared, and imagined, and stared some more at this photo – when finally, something started to emerge, to catch my eye…
Something, so familiar…
A table that I’ve seen before; but from where? AH HA!
Why Ikea’s Lack table, of course! How could I have been so blind!? The modest-cost friendly, contemporary, little Lack would be well fitted for this space! Well, that is until hubby and I got to Ikea and realized what a low profile the Lack actually had (argh, just a touch too short!)…
Time to go back to the drawing board I suppose; or was it? The Lack was just slightly lacking in the height that I had hoped for (hmmm, is that why Ikea called it the Lack?), but I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It really had the look that I liked, and the space on the table top is fantastic. Then inspiration really hit me hard – if one Lack is good, two must be better!
But, how? you ask? It’s very direct really:
| 1. | Measure out your ideal height for the Lack(ing-in-height-no-more) table – hubby and I decided that 25 ¾” would be the magic number. |
| 2. | Take your second Lack and cut those little leggies down to size (tip: apply painter’s tape where you will be making your cut in order to prevent the veneer from chipping). Just don’t forget to account for the thickness of the table top on that other Lack (2”) – for us, this meant cutting the 15 ¾“ legs down to 6 ¼“. |
| 3. | Assemble the mini Lack as per Ikea’s usual pictorial instructions. |
| 4. | Grab some wood glue, or even just a glue gun, and secure the bottom legs of the normal sized Lack to the table top of your newly constructed mini Lack, and voila! |
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A stylish Lack method that brings your night stand to new heights – complete with a middle shelf and all the table top real estate you can dream of! Finish off the shelf with a great little basket to hide away books, magazines, or even the remote control for the TV. Add a graphic guest towel topped with a tray to corral a bedside carafe and a few accents, and don’t forget the greenery to welcome your guest. A new lamp with a more prominent profile better highlights this elevated table creation.
This is a very direct and quick project that won’t break the bank but will give you a custom piece that adds real impact to a room design. This is also a well fitted example of finding an inspiration shot, choosing an element that you are drawn to, and making it work! By focusing on the side table that I really wanted I was able to pull the rest of the design inspiration together. And my guest just loves it, by the way!
What about you, what do you think of my latest creation? Have you made any innovative tweaks to any furniture recently? Do you have any modest-cost friendly, and stylish, tips to share in updating a guest room?
I hope I have given you a bit of inspiration to try something new in your home. Thank you to my gracious hosts, Cassity and Justin, for inviting me to share my project today, and thank you all for reading. Please feel free to drop by for a visit with me at Designing by Numbers anytime.
Take care,
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( image source 1, 3, 4 and image source 5 )
 Christina is the author of the blog Designing by Numbers, where she takes inspiration from design and incorporates creative elements into her home decorating, often in an economical and hands-on way. While she is not formally trained in design, she has the passion, creativity, and motivation to work towards building the home she desires. Join Christina here at Bekob for her monthly contributor spot and at Designing by Numbers for more decorating inspirations. |
