This furniture walkthrough stays in the order the work happens.
Kicking off our IKEA to the Max week, we’ve got Suzy from Real Happy Space here to share her brilliantly straightforward IKEA method industrial shelf — for the well fitted blend of modern and rustic, metal and wood! We set our guests up with some Q&A’s to make it straightforward to get to know them and their projects — be sure to go visit Suzy, too, because you’ll love her projects! See all the IKEA to the Max posts here (and all our previous IKEA posts here), and be sure to subscribe by RSS or email to get updates for every post.
How to: IKEA method Industrial Shelf
by Suzy of Real Happy Space
Tell us about you and your site. What’s your go-to part of DIYing, and what are some of your go-to projects?
Hey fellow Bekob readers! I’m very excited to be here sharing my Ikea method with you guys today.
I started my blog, Real Happy Space, to share my handmade home and decor projects (and spare my husband from listening to me yammer on about my latest option). I love upcycling items, recycling scraps and tweaking something store-bought to make it uniquely well fitted for our home. Two of my go-to projects so far are this penny starburst mirror and this wooden bench I pulled off the curb and transformed.
Which IKEA piece(s) did you method? and why did you choose that (over another product, or building from scratch, etc)?
We have a small corner in our dining room that needed a furniture piece to provide some nice storage and display, but we also wanted to keep a few items out of reach from our mischievous toddler. The room already had a wood dining table and wood dresser, so I wanted a touch of metal to contrast those heavy wood pieces. In a nutshell, we were in need of a modest-cost-friendly storage solution for a small space, so Ikea was a natural choice.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I always look at the least expensive options first and then work my way up. When I came across the Hyllis shelving unit I knew I had found “the one.” It was the well fitted size for my space and you can’t beat that $15 price tag. Yes, at first glance it didn’t look like something I wanted in my dining room, but that’s where the hacking part comes in.
What did you do?
To dress up this basic shelving unit for my dining room, I first gave it a couple coats of matte black spray paint. It took two cans to cover the whole thing.
I wanted to make the shelves look a little more substantial, so I added wood planks to the shelves. I first cut 1” x 12” boards to the correct length (23 9/16″ for the bottom three shelves and 23 10/16″ for the top shelf). Next I ripped the boards to the correct depth (10 5/8″ for the bottom three and 10 13/16″ for the top shelf). After the stain and poly was dry it was time to add them to the shelving unit.
With the metal shelves completely assembled, I loosened the screws slightly for the bottom three shelves, then simply set the shelves in place and tighten the screws back up. This kept the wood snug in place.
To attach the top shelf, I aligned the wood on top of the metal shelf and used clamps to secure it, I then unscrewed the metal shelf, flipped it upside down and placed it on my work surface. I used a drill to make four holes in the metal and wood, I then used screws to secure the wood to the metal. Lastly, I camouflaged the screws with a touch of spray paint.
Would you do it again? Why or why not? and if yes, what would you do differently next time?
I would absolutely do this method again. I actually just bought another Hyllis and have plans to “method” that one too! The only thing I would do differently would be to spray paint the shelving unit in pieces, rather than painting it after assembling it. I think that would probably be a more efficient way to paint it.
How much time did the project take?
The total assembly time was probably only a couple hours, but there was a lot of time spent waiting for paint and stain to dry.
What was the total final cost?
All in, about $50. The shelving unit was $15, I spent about $10 on spray paint and roughly $25 on wood. I used Aspen, but I probably could have saved more money by using pine. I already had stain and poly on hand.
Any tips for other DIYers or IKEA hackers?
There are so many ways you could customize this piece by using different paint or stain colors. I love that it’s so inexpensive, so you’re not risking much. Why not go out on a limb and try something totally different?
Update, 3/29/18 — Reader Features
Three of our readers shared their versions of it this week over on Facebook. Michelle is using a similar industrial style shelf in her kitchen:
And two other readers, Stacy (first pic) and Shanna (second pic) took the method one step farther to make a wide media shelf, well fitted for decor and the TV! (Just be sure to anchor any shelf like this securely to the wall, for the safety of both your TV and your fellow house-dwellers.)
Suzy, thanks so much for sharing with us!
Bekob, go visit Suzy at Real Happy Space for more great projects — you won’t want to miss her master bedroom makeover (love the storage wall!)
And be sure to subscribe by RSS or email to get updates for all our #IKEAtothemax posts so you don’t miss what’s coming up…
