IKEA Hack

When we bought our bed frame from Ikea, MALM bed frame, we had in mind to eventually add the side tables from the same series.  I really liked the set which included 2 shelving units ~with 3 shelves, a 2-in drawer and a glass top~ and a long hollow piece, as long as the bed frame, which would go between the wall and the bed.  The shelving units were on wheels, and you could bring them in and out of the long piece, therefore hiding the shelves behind the bed. 

Here is the set.  This was taken in our bedroom, before the bed frame went in front of it.

However, at $150 for this three-part set, we could not afford it right away.

A month later, we went back to Ikea to look for lights and, oh what a surprise, the MALM bedside sets were on sale for $50!!! ~yes a $100 discount~  Now, that was a good deal!  

~They must have been discontinued because I can't even find them in their catalog anymore...~

So, Hubby and I looked at each other and started getting ecstatic!  After sharing ideas, we decided to get 3 of them!!  Yeah, we're crazy sometimes!  We needed furniture at the time, and these looked so practical we just had to get them...

In our house, one of the MALM piece is indeed behind our bed ~it's official purpose!~ The bed frame is black whereas the back piece with the shelves are cream, but I don't mind it!

The other two sets have already had several other roles in our house.  Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the previous functions, but for instance, one of them used to be in our dinning room, against the wall under a window.  I had glasses and other little items needed in that room on the shelves and  flowers on top.  It was pretty and fitted very nicely in the dinning room, but then we switched all our rooms around, therefore loosing a space for the MALM piece.

Last week, we changed things around in the house again.... ~it seems to be what we do best!~ and so far, this is my favorite use of the shelving units.

We superposed the 4 remaining shelving units to build a library in our lounge.  I adjusted the shelves to my needs, even removed one shelf in each side, and now have a more convenient storage space for our books, magazines and miscellaneous items that belong in this room. 

Because they are placed on the carpet, the top pieces are not quite stable and would lean a bit forward.  I drilled each one into the wall to prevent them from falling over!! 

  

The screw is completely hidden behind the top shelf, which is the 2-in drawer. 

"Ok, so that's nice, but what did you do with the long pieces that are part of the sets?", you may ask... 
Good question!  :)
I placed one of them behind my desk to make it deeper and bigger.  

 Now, I have more room to work on! Finally!

And the other one is in the TV room.  It's our "media center"!  We have the TV, cable box, DVD player, surround sound on top, and all the cables, plugs and power outlet trips hidden in the hollow piece.

**The stain on the floor is paint... probably from the walls... not sure.  It was there when my Dad removed the carpet in that room.  It's actually all over, and we could probably sand the floor down, but we are not owners, so not for now!

I just love to re-purpose pieces of furniture that we already own and make new use out of them!  It's a lot of fun for me!! :)

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