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One Swedish Apartment, Two IKEA hacks!

Hejsan! One thing I've learned over the years, is never walk around a flea market (or IKEA for that matter) and see everything at face value. Instead, see it for its potential! Love the shape of a cabinet but not sure about the wood? Paint it. Love the legs of a table but dislike the top? Change it. There is SO much you can do! Just look at the bed in the home of Hanna Söderström. Hanna loved the shape of a second-hand bed frame but wasn't keen on the heavy, dark wood, so she painted it in a wonderful grey to blend in with the walls - and it gave the piece a whole new lease of life in the process! 

For a more simple approach, take the IVAR cabinet from IKEA. It's become one of the most hacked items in the collection, and you rarely see a Swedish home without it. In this lovely open-plan Gothenburg apartment, it pops up twice, can you see where? Enjoy the tour, there are plenty of other ideas to steal too! 

I love the layout of this open-plan living space - it has a zone for everything! Pay special attention to the lamps too, which include the Formakami pendant* and Panthella table lamp* - both fabulous! 

It's amazing what a single branch from the garden / surrounding area can do for a space - plus it's free!

Styling tip: it's hard to find really tall indoor plants without paying through the roof. Place larger plants on stools to give the illusion of height and keep it from marking the floor (at least, until you've lovingly nurtured it to grow to the ceiling!). This teak round stool* is similar.  

IKEA IVAR cabinet hack number one: the exterior has been painted in a fab salmon pink to add a touch of colour to the children's bedroom. The shade also helps to tie the bedroom in with the hallway. It's also been given new legs (available from companies such as Pretty Pegs). 

IVAR cabinet hack number two: in the hallway the same cabinet has been adapted with a ribbed front and new pine legs. If you're a bit of a dab hand, you can easily recreate this look with wood from your local DIY store. If not, try companies such as Superfront - who make cabinet doors, handles, knobs and legs for IKEA furniture. 

Sidenote: I updated an IVAR cabinet in Liv's room. Note that it was originally designed to be wall mounted and can be unsteady when you attach legs so make sure you fasten it to the wall to avoid injury to yourselves and objects! 

Styling tip: Sometimes hallways are just too narrow / small to add a load of furniture and can feel a bit bare if painted one shade. Wallpaper like this one, helps to add interest without cluttering up the space. 

Do you like to hack furniture? If so, please do share your tips / favourite hacks in the comment section and inspire us! 

I loved hearing the debate on wrinkled / non-wrinkled bedding in the comment section on Friday! What are your thoughts on this? 

I'm about to shoot off to photograph a beautiful autumn piece in my sitting room (keep an eye on instagram tomorrow to see what it is!) - but before I leave, here are a couple of other homes you might like: 


Vi ses imorgon! 

Niki

This home is for sale via Alvhem. Photography: Henrik Linden, Styling: Grey Deco Interiors

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5 Clever IKEA Hacks to Steal From a Danish Home

You might recall the name Puk Munch Sjeldan from my feature about a tiny Copenhagen apartment that's big on handmade design a while back. That apartment is now occupied by her daughter Luna, so the Dane has turned her hand to her own home - transforming it room by room into a wonderful living space. Dating back to 1904, and located in the suburbs of the Danish capital, the family home is full of fun, quirky pieces, pops of colour as well as books and art. But it's Puk's IKEA hacks that really caught my eye! Here are five ideas to feel inspired by: 

1. Designer Table
Puk added a 90 cm x 190 cm sheet of plywood (painted white) over an existing GÖRAN table using angled metal brackets to transform a budget fold-away piece into a sturdy designer table! 


I couldn't see any hacks in the sitting room area - but knowing Puk there are no doubt some lurking somewhere. I couldn't resist sharing a couple of pictures all the same, as it's so unique! Love the blue 'bold stool' by Moustache in particular, how about you?

2. PAX wardrobe with customised doors
A friend of mine pointed out that the issue with IKEA wardrobe doors is that they never extend all the way to the floor (which would give them a much cleaner look). Puk solved this by adding her own, longer ones, using plywood cut with a circular saw (you can also ask your DIY store to do this for you). She matched the holes with the original PAX wardrobe doors so that she could reuse the hinges. See more details about the hack here

It may not be an IKEA hack - but I can't tell you how important it is for your neck and back to ensure your screen is at the right height when you're working from home. I love how Puk has used a stack of books to give her laptop a lift! 

3. Striped stool 
Puk took 30 minutes to transform a little FROSTA stool into a designer seat using a layer of foam / polyester batting, fabric and a staple gun! See all the steps in her Instagram 'DIY' highlights on instagram if you'd like to know more.  





4. Bed with storage
Puk and her beau used the IVAR 3-drawer dresser to create a bed with oodles of built-in storage. Looking at the DIY steps in her Instagram highlights (you can also find a tutorial on YouTube here), it's one for the more hardcore DIYers among us, but it's fun to know it's possible with a little work! 

No DIY hack to be seen here in the bathroom (that I know of), but it's always nice to share more of someone's home for inspiration! 

5. Hallway storage
I spy a set of four MOPPE storage chests mounted on the wall to create a larger storage unit that's also slim enough for narrow spaces. Perfect for all those bits and bobs like keys, wallets etc! You could also paint them to match your walls so they really blend in. 

Did any of these DIY IKEA hacks catch your eye? 

I love the table - GÖRAN is only around 40 euros and a piece of PLYWOOD / MDF is also very budget friendly. Such a great idea! 

You can see more of Puk's home and discover more IKEA hacks / DIY ideas over on her instagram

Feeling creative? Here are a few other ideas: 


Vi ses imorgon! 

Niki

Photography: Puk Munch Sjeldan

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