DIY Built-In Media IKEA Wall Unit with Extra Storage
DIY Built-In Media IKEA Wall Unit with Extra Storage created from an IKEA bookcase. Get a build in look on a budget and even install it yourself.
Looking for more IKEA hacks? Create a flat front file cabinet made from an IKEA Kallax. Or go for a high class IKEA hack look with these projects. Or dress up a Tarva chest too.
Hello, Remodelaholics! I am Tamara back again from Provident Home Design where I share home DIY projects and decorating ideas on a budget! I truly believe you can achieve a magazine beautiful home on even a tiny budget.
I recently turned my kid’s messy basement playroom into an organized, cool kid’s hangout retreat (they actually want to spend time down there now)!
We needed more storage for the kids toys and a way to hide a couple of steel beam supports in the finished part of our basement (about 200 sqft).
Both the mess and the beams were major eyesores which can be observed in the photo below!
The solution to these eyesores was building a Media Wall Unit with lots of toy storage! I built it around the beams so that they would be hidden killing two birds with one stone!
Media Wall Plan
I was inspired by this media wall system and absolutely love it… see it at Pottery Barn Kids (affiliate link).
BUT I had no where near $1,700 to spend on it. I did have $100 to spend and that’s how much it cost to make the entire media wall unit shown below!
Believe it or not this project starts with 2 Ikea Gersby Bookcases (only $25 each)!
So let’s begin!
Bookshelves Building Tutorial
Follow these steps to get this IKEA wall unit media center look.
Build the Bookshelves
1. First, put the Ikea bookcase together following the instructions in the package (it is very simple). At this point you can leave off the removable shelves.
2. Next, you will begin making the box part that attaches to the bookcase so you will need to get the box pieces cut.
Below are the measurements I used for each side of the box (not including the top). I used particle board which is very sturdy but less expensive than wood.
3. Hold the left side piece of particle board next to the bookcase as shown below and with a drill screw a screw into a small piece a wood or MDF so that there is a screw in the particle board and one in the bookcase holding the two together. Do one on the top and one on the bottom.
4. Repeat the above step for the right side particle board portion. After the left side and right side boards are attached it will look like the photo below.
Optional: If you want your cabinet box to have a bottom now is the time to slide it in as shown above. Otherwise the bottom will just be the floor surface it is resting on.
5. Next we will be attaching the front of the box. We will do this by using L brackets or corner braces on the inside front corners of the box.
Tip: Walmart has a really good price on their “Corner Braces”. They sell a 4-pk. for around $2 (other places it’s $4-$6).
Position the front piece over the sides pieces and place a bracket on the inside corner and screw it tight making sure the corners line up well.
Repeat on both sides!
6. Now comes the top of the box which will be how the box opens. This piece will be 24″ x 23″ (I got 24″ x 24″ inch particle pieces at Home Depot for only $1.28)! The top piece will slide to the back of the bookcase so it will need to be trimmed on the sides as shown below.
I used my jig saw to cut the top piece particle board along the cut lines I had made with my ruler and pen.
7. Apply caulk to where all of the different pieces of wood meet.
Now make another one and then you will have completed the shelves part of the media wall unit as shown below.
As you can see above we now need to make “the bench” part of the the media IKEA wall unit. I also added an extra shelf to the bookcase but that was just in order to fully hide the steel beam supports.
Bench Building Tutorial
Hello! My name is Tamara and I am the author of Provident Home Design, a blog devoted to deals, DIY, and design. I'm a big advocate for getting "the Look" for less and love to share lots of tips on the subject! Currently i am turning my builder blah home into my own one (or 5 or 6) DIY projects at a time.
