The case for WILLIAM - a BILLY bookcase hack OR everybody needs boxes in their life.

 This entry here is a part of the Toronto Design Festival 2021.

Picture shows Studio Kosnik WILLIAM bookcase prototype, a work-in-progress - a BILLY bookcase hack designed in the aesthetic called 'Accidental Wes Anderson'.  The BILLY bookcase had the back replaced with beadboard; side panels were added as well as 'face frames' and an oversized arch with a crown moulding tops the box.

Finished!!!

Picture shows a very fancy looking BILLY bookcase hack by Karol Kosnik - the WILLIAM bookcase. 

Chapter 1 - The need for storage

People have stuff. Sometimes lots and lots of it. Sometimes they have too much stuff and it becomes a problem. 

Solution? BOXES.

Yes my friends that is most requested item on the menu at Studio Kosnik. No it is not fancy furniture design that people want [although I will often throw in some eccentric element into my design] but rather the superbly organized, well lit, beautifully functional Ikea hacks. I have found the perfect partner in IKEA - essentially they are in the business of boxes - well designed, well sourced.

In fact, Ikea's boxes are so popular that they often sell out of them. There exist shortages of their well priced boxes across many areas of United States, Canada - even European Union has its own issues [BREXIT!!]. Consumers complain of being sold a beautiful dream via the various IKEA planners, be it PAX, or SEKTION, or BESTA or BILLY or EKET..... just sooo many boxes - and then realizing that the item is out of stock and hasn't been re-stocked in ages. Or maybe they live outside of delivery area. Or maybe there isn't anyone in the area to install it - yes, there is a shortage of skilled labour.

Entry point pricing on a box that typically carries a better 'design value' - for example the design for the BILLY bookcase is resolved downright to the shelf pins! check them out! 10/10 - means that many of those boxes paired with the right designer [yes, that is another requirement...] - becomes an irresistible value proposition. How high are you holding your nose in relation to your wallet, huh?** 

What is the box that every dwelling will need? Easy, it's the kitchen box and SEKTION - which is IKEA's second version of the kitchen box; a complete re-design of their previous AKURUM system [for which by the way exists an entire ecosystem of shops making replacement doors] - is an industry leader.

I love telling this story:

So one day we were installing some really fancy fancy millwork for Canada's most famous lawyer - personal residence. I was fresh out of design school and working for a high end millwork company. This place had it all - 'a meellion dollar floor', rift sawn wenge; 'a meellion dollar' kitchen, Italian Boffi; of course there was my 'meellion dollar zebra wood' closet and media unit. The house is absolutely stunning and well designed. Soon I discovered that there was another large kitchen in the basement - an exact look-alike, except it was from IKEA. This Boffi/IKEA thing did not dawn on me right away - both kitchens were nice white high gloss; both kitchens featured great functional hardware, AND at first glance they appeared identical. That's right ~they appeared identical~. Me, quote, unquote, a professional, couldn't spot the difference at first glance. 

Much years has passed since that time - today, almost 15 years later, I've developed a more discerning eye and can spot 'designer' things easier, but this experience is deeply etched in my mind. 

~See? Who knows if you don't tell them? ~

Chapter 2 - The Pandemic

This pandemic has caused a dramatic shift to work from home for a specific demographic and now this demographic needs to be productive at home. There is a lot to be said for a comfortable task chair or a great, 'just-for-me' height desk or nifty filing storage system.  Guess what the backbone of such setups is? If you guessed boxes and slabs then you are right.

Browsing subreddits r/IKEA and r/IkeaHacks will give you an idea of the pent-up demand. Once a blessing - GLOBALIZATION - now a curse as all supply chains are upended and in shock. Geopolitical tensions are also rising and large corporations such as IKEA need to re-evaluate their long term stability of their supply chains. A good example that I always like to use is this: the more expensive and important a SEKTION door the likelier it is made in a stable western democracy. There are no doors made in China [there were!] and HAGGEBY which IKEA's plainest door is made in Ukraine which as far as my understanding goes is currently at war with Russia. 

the 2020 FRIHETEN sofa reupholster project - pandemic edition;

Picture shows FRIHETEN pullout sofa bed 3 seater with an optional chaise on the right. This is the model that I had re-upholstered. Arrows point to the chaise on the left and the hidden/stored away pull out section. 

Chapter 1 - FRIHETEN sofa - IKEA's entry level sofa;

Entry level sofas are there for a reason - to capture the largest market share - and I am certain that IKEA has been successful there. People hate this couch tho. It has a very poor rating - only 2.2 stars [out of 5] - and that includes on the IKEA's own website. I am here to change your mind - the poor rating comes from the wear and tear that occurs during the lifespan of the couch. There are number of elements of the couch that directly contribute to the comfort that the user experiences - the springs, the backer fabric cover, the foam, the batting and finally the fabric cover itself - when these elements break, wear out or shift the discomfort starts. 

Picture shows a well loved, heavily used, fully unfolded FRIHESTEN sofa that had the pull out section deconstructed - the upholstery, the batting, the foam and the backer fabric has been removed to clearly illustrate the softwood frame. 

We've had ours for 6 years now with daily use, including sleeping and vigorous jumping by children [to the point that I thought it is going to break, me, as a furniture maker was worried about labour hours required to fix things]. 2020 with the lock downs has had us stuck at home for a lot longer than we liked, and since the couch is also part the gaming center it has received significantly more use. Then a spring broke - leading to the foam collapsing - and the sofa become uncomfortable.

How long should sofas last? 6 years? 10 years? I would say that our sofa received above average usage, high usage, heavy usage - no two ways about it. Look at this pictorial - this is the anatomy of FRIHETEN sofa -

Picture shows a cross section of IKEA's Friheten sofa clearly outlining each element of the design. Arrows point to the three elements that I recommend upgrading and replacing - batting, foam, back cover fabric;

This is essentially the anatomy of any 'modern sofa' - I know I am generalizing, but you get the picture - 'squarish seats, sides and back + puffy pillows for back rests and side rests' look PLUS whatever legs you get.  It's soft and supportive where most of your butt hits, got some flexible back support and it is comfortable enough that you can fall asleep on it. 

When I was in Design School I got a scholarship to work for Canadian equivalent of Herman Miller - Nienkamper. I spent two months working the floor across various departments - I met some incredible, creative, inventive craftspeople! My favourite department tho - hands down! - was the upholstery. They do some really, really nice stuff - designer stuff too - there is only so many recipes for for modern sofas. 

Theoretically I could have re-created a high-end version of FRIHETEN - built a 'proper hardwood frame', make up better legs [the original are cheap plastic, but the do the job]. And then sell it for a million dollars to the consumer - that's how it works in the high end sofa business. 

But why? For what reason? If this FRIHETEN has not collapsed so far - I completely agree with the designers making the right choices when it came to materials - what would be gained if functionality is not affected? The upholstery frames were European softwood, but well selected for straight grain with minimal warp. The finger joint was strong and stapled properly, adhesive likely used - thumbs up. The torsion boxes for the sofa were rigid and strong - baltic birch for greatest loads, moving onto organic 3/4 particle core for structure with some 1/4 mdf for non-load bearing skins. If I were to optimized a production costs for a 100 000 sofa run I would make the same decisions - nothing in structural integrity is compromised. 

As to the complaints of it 'squeaking', run-aways and 'general wobbliness' - it's all tied to loose hardware. Grab your Allen keys periodically and adjust all fasteners - wood gets compressed and loses that 'tightness' - 1 full turn can work wonders. This is just a function of the incredible modularity and flexibility of the design. If I knew that this FRIHETEN sofa is never coming apart I'd just throw in some silicone beads in the right spots ~and you done~

FINAL LOOK: After 

Picture shows a newly re-upholstered FRIHETEN sofa bed, without cushions, fully unfolded. The sofa looks clean, and plump and the original fabric - which was washed and air dried before being re-installed - looks brand new with minimal wear. 

Something had to be done. We either buy a new sofa or ...... what? How do you go shopping for a sofa in the middle of a pandemic lock down? You tell me. We don't really trust a lot of reviews - point being our FRIHETEN, we loved it, and now love it even more that it is practically ~luxurious~. 

I have to say that my butt has the final say on any piece of 'seating' in my house. So any on-line purchases were OUT.

I knew exactly what to expect from FRIHETEN - it was utilitarian cheap entry model that worked well for us. Can I repeat its success? Can I improve on the design? Can I fix all the flaws that were annoying me, and it seemed a whole bunch of other FRIHETEN owners? 

I know basic upholstery principles of slabs - that all this IKEA sofa is - what if I replace the worn out foam with something that is top-line? Since the original upholstery fabric must have stretched over the years of usage, I figure I can cheat and use 1" thick, quality batting vs. the original 1/2" 'cheap thing'. The synthetic backer over the springs has been worn out - what if I replace it with some heavy heavy gauge cloth that will further provide support and protect the foam from wearing out against the springs? YES to all. 

Picture shows the replacement batten, foam, and the backer fabric all laid out on a bench next to the bare FRIHETEN frame. I just stepped in from the the cold - dang it! it's freezing!

**A note about the ORIGINAL FABRIC:**

It is great. It held up incredible well over the years - even with all the spills and messes. It held up to to all the vacuuming, spot cleaning and 'wash-downs'. There were no snags, tears or rips and the joints were all solid - this is why it made sense to re-use the upholstery. All staples were removed with care to ensure that no damage was done to the fabric - that was probably my least favourite part of the job - long, tedious, and requiring care. But you got to do it.

Picture shows a close-up overhead shot of a staple removal by carefully lifting it with the blade of a flathead screw-driver. Once the crown was lifted, I used basic pliers to gently pull the staples fully out. 

Once they are all gone you can gently peel of the fabric and wash it - I used the gentlest, wool-only cashmere quality organic stuff, pre-soaked for hours.  I kid you not, it came out looking so good and clean and fresh that I was very impressed. It was not stretched by any means [and even if it did stretch I already had a plan in place for that with the thicker, best quality batting, 1" vs. 1/2" original].

I would say that my fabric got 'beyond abuse' or any 'rational use'. Children used to party on it, hard. It was a fort, it was a spaceship with multiple battles and multiple casualties on multiple levels [because you don't necessarily need to 'flip up' the pull out for use; when playing we would often lower it.] We played wrestling - my character was always the same - 'Pencil Pusher'. My signature move was 'the Scorpion' which I followed with 'the Slap Back' - I fully indulged my boys' firm belief in reality of wrestling for those brief periods of time in their life. FRIEHETEN held up so well and that's why I was so distressed about it breaking down. No way was I gonna let go a good friend. 

Peak Pandemic required to literally pull some strings at my favourite upholstery store so they would let me in - I picked a nice, full size foam slab, enough to cover the 3 sections of FRIEHETEN. It almost doubles the price of foam if you get it cut in-house, so you save money by cutting yourself. ALSO - I actually made my foam larger, about 3/4" over all - for a fuller look. It ends up looking 'less crisp' but the thicker batting and oversized foam are super comfortable - or should I say, just the way I like it. 

**Foam density can be a tricky thing**

 Some people like it firm and some like it soft. From the industry insider I know that the mattress business is a one big sham, in a way. Profit margins are ridiculous, competitors are bought out creating near monopolies and a guy who ran an accountability / review website for foam mattresses got sued by the industry - all true. 

For me sitting is a three part move. There is the first initial landing on the fabric - I prefer stiff, curt, utilitarian fabrics [like the FRIHETEN] - they last long and are easy to clean. Leather is not my preferred choice - skin on leather never feels right. 

Second is the 'soft support give' - provided by the batting; I like thick. Original FIREHETEN batting is 1/2" measly little thing - completely wore thru. 

[To be continued]

PAX Reboot - get 10 MORE YEARS out of the closet.

pssst!.... I think a PAX sale is coming up.
Hey! click the PAX label at the bottom to get all my PAX entries!

[picture shows IKEA's PAX wardrobe being hacked - squared and reinforced, glued in and screwed in backs - plywood cross pieces being installed]

 Chapter 1 - A GREAT CLOSET at an amazing PRICE

PAX has been around for awhile now. In fact it has been around long enough that it has gone through some major technical re-designs BUT without changing its overall appearance.

Like what you say? Well, back in the day, PAX was made the old school way, with the IKEA's custom laid-up panels [organic closets! - I used to joke around], cut up, and edged. It was easy to hack back then, because you could easily cut them up into desired dimensions, or 'split them' [I did that!] - I would take the deep PAX and cut it in half, put some custom backs on in and had a 2 sided closet.  

But that was then. Now PAX gables [the verticals] are a high end custom sandwich with cardboard core, particle core strips for strength [where required - so at 'pin locations', tops and bottoms] - you really need to understand how it is manufactured to properly 'hack it'. And I do it. 

But every now and then, I am called to a home where PAX is already installed and has been aging gracefully for 10 years or so. 10 years is that magical number when IKEA's PAX warranty expires and issues start popping up. I want to point out that wear and tear is not covered by IKEA's warranty! The client was so frustrated with her closets that she was ready to throw them out and purchase new ones! I said, 'STOP!', all they need is a little bit of TLC, some hacking, few improvements and they will be as good as new! Of course it helped that the place was going through a total reno and we were able to pull them off the wall, and break them down a bit - but they were totally re-built!

The next post was a long time coming, but I think it will be my most valuable PAX post yet. Warning, it may be long and somewhat technical but it is necessary. If you are thinking of having those PAX closets last longer than 10 years; if you are renovating or new-building and are thinking of doing away with traditional closets and just going with built-in PAX, then this is written for you. I will not be going in to the design aspect of it, simply because that could be a chapter in its own. 

Onto the NEXT POST!

The Designer - Karol Kosnik - but a Maker and Hacker too.

[picture shows an outline of a built it taped out on a wall - part of  Karol Kosnik's  design process]


Chapter 1 - Thoughts on furniture design. 

This is it  - you either make it or you don't - is there a demand for your vision of the world or not?

I do think that every product designer that graduates from a design school - and by 'product' I mean specifically things that people will interact with directly or in-directly - hopes that they have a unique vision - they have 'the' vision for something that will change the world.  And nothing could be further from the truth than furniture designers. 

We all need furniture. We also know well what a good chair feels like, what comfortable sofa is like, what a handsome credenza functions like - in some ways it's the universality of the human experience - our quest to surround ourselves with objects we find beautiful. 

Right now, this weekend it's the ICFF - International Contemporary Furniture Fair - or at least that's what I think the acronym stands for. People I know, contemporaries, friends are there right now, in New York City, presenting their products and ideas to an audience of industry people - architects, designers, people interested in good design. 

I am religiously following the hashtags on Insta - successful furniture in some way is purely visuals - if you are not captured by it visually you are unlikely to explore it further - I've never been attracted to ugly furniture, and had no desire to really test them, UNLESS, they were in a category that 'it's-SO-Bad-that-its-GOOD [things like that do exist, I believe]. Yeezus, some of the designs are good, and I really like some of them, and some I saw thought were just mediocre [so execution is flawless - some people get trapped in that often, focusing on the skill rather than the design; once you are a master of some skill  it is important to still grow and challenge yourself - one way to do it is to design withing your expert field]. 

I just had this crazy idea - that if you can ask about your creation - is it reasonable? and if the answer is 'yes' than it is not art. I think art needs to have an unpredictable component.

But back to ICFF. No way I am ICFF ready. I don't think I have enough of a strength in my ideas just yet, to show, and be very successful. I don't want to sound cocky or anything - but I do want to sound confident. It's been like 10 years since my first show - the first Radiant Dark - we showed Jackie Treehorn, that table that was stolen from me - check my Instagram for that story and the visuals, if tickles your fancy. I remember sneaking some liquor to the opening party that time - and what audacity - we re-used original plastic LCBO bags, they were great and people re-used them for other things too. Why? What artist/designer would sneak some liquor to their own opening? I don't know - I can't remember - I was young and stupid - I can't answer that question, but I am assuming that there was a perfectly logical and reasonable explanation for that. It was a blast! It was a good party! - that's what I remember!

It was a bit overwhelming this Design Week - I did not anticipate such an amazing response, but it only makes me thirstier for another great show. Yea, I had some good and great ideas, but nothing of enough of a calibre to make a serious dent on scene such as New York - that's real big leagues. And I dare not even phantom Milan - yeezus! that is like at least 5-8 years away. But people are doing, so why not?

Chapter 2 - In the mean-time.

When I don't design and build furniture I attend to projects like these. 

[picture shows PAX boxes being installed within a wall cavity]

I am gonna spare you the write up on why I like the PAX - I've written on it extensively [hit the PAX label on my blog]. But the critical key to a successful PAX is the install portion. Plus if you want to make it look like a million bucks than you definitely need to hire me. If your house has gracefully aged - like this one for example - to straighten it out would require tremendous effort, in the process completely wrecking a lot of the finishes  - like old marble floors, built-in cabinetry - which also nicely settled. 

This one is a rescue, the installation already happened - but it was so grotesque [that's the only word that came to my mind; like a bad clown] - that it just needed to be rescued. This portion of the project is just an exercise in keeping things plumb, level and square. The next step will make this project 'pretty' - I am considering how to 'make it look like a million buck$' - ain't nothing wrong with that. Plus there will be some nice custom bookcases to the left. 

*edit: people are upset that I wrote that it is a 'rescue install' - let me state that there are wonderful trades out there who do an awesome job - but cabinetry [which includes IKEA cabinetry] is a special trade. You have realize that in order to install cabinetry properly - for it to not only look good but function properly - YOU DO NEED TO INSTALL it PLUMB, SQUARE and LEVEL. If you won't do that it will not work properly. Sometimes it means having to hack the cabinetry, OR doing some small OR major tricks to get it to sit properly. I've been making IKEA cabinetry look good for ages now - I know what I am doing, I know what is required. IKEA cabinets were not meant to be installed by everyone, yea, sad truth. 

Once I am finished I will upload some pics.

I think it's gonna look really good. 

Ciao!

** BIG EDIT:

Client sent in some finished pics. Here they are. She is still hoping that I will be able to hide that horrible slope in the floor [as referenced to the cabinetry]. And I do have some ideas on how to do it!

Remember, regardless of whether you want just install, build it in, or 'make it look like a million buck$' - PAX  closets are THE BEST DEAL AROUND! And the flexibility of hardware, fittings, shelves, organizers, boxes, baskets, 'hanging-things' means that once the box is installed it can be customized by the end user - no need for expensive call-backs!

[picture shows built-in, add-on bookcases - design meant to blend in with the existing fireplace]

[picture shows a built-in PAX wardrobe with IKEA doors painted to match the trim; the best; best part is the entrance door to the room swings within 1/4" of the decorative side panel and crown. ]

[picture shows PAX wardrobes installed on an un-even, sloping floor]

** there were no arbitrary decisions here. When the door closes on that closet it comes within a 1/4" of the end panel. Yea...there was a lot of planning on how to make it look good. And I think I am successful. Screw off HomeStars!!

How to build a base for an IKEA kitchen ISLAND - will make a VIDEO too.

Chapter 1 - PLANNING is your BEST tool.

You already know the advantage of doing an IKEA's Sektion for the kitchen re-model - addition of a kitchen island. 

Island additions are an amazing opportunity to increase functionality and flow of your kitchen work - smoother and better. It also offers a great opportunity to make a nice design statement - IKEA offers wide range doors and you can get pretty creative with the island geometry with the availability of the large panels in matching finishes - you can now make large surfaces look professional!

AND! AND! 

I saw London Grey from Cesarstone in the showroom at IKEA Etobicoke! Yea....I got to say - Frosty Carrina and London Grey are my two favourite stones. These are 'premium stones' and if IKEA has them means that they can get you probably the best deal around - and you get an amazing discount [max 20%, with 3 appliances - kitchen event ON NOW].

Chapter 2 - HOW do I build my IKEA SEKTION ISLANDS

*EDIT: Here is the VIDEO LINK!

The advantages of my system are as follows:

A] Flexibility! of where you want to install - over any materials. ALWAYS check the floor if you are going to be drilling into it - cables? wiring? piping? YEA! IMPORTANT!

B] Simplicity! Once built, setting your cabinets is a breeze! And knowing that your levels are already established, you are able to focus your efforts elsewhere - like making things nice. Once the base is installed, the 'leveling portion' is done. Use a laser level on runs more than 4 feet. 

C] Creativity! - with my system you can focus your creative energy on interesting kitchen island geometry - open up any fancy Italian design magazine and using the structure you can copy those!

Win! Win! WIN! - that's all I say!

Chapter 3 - the Drawings

A] I am attaching 3 drawings - they are progressive - I hope that they are clear enough - BUT I will supplement with videos - today or tomorrow. 
Let's start with this - 2 boxes side by side. This is a fairly common combination - PLUS I am partial to the 15/15 split - I just think it looks the cleanest PLUS you save on hardware [hardware can get expensive - as much as a SEKTION box! - $50!]

[please note - I omitted the front piece for clarity]

B] The secret of this system is that - IT IS ALL MADE FROM THE SAME DIMENSION plywood piece. Use 3/4" construction grade ply - try picking a nice flat sheet, but don't sweat it if there is some kinks in it. The way the base is built - ORIENTATION of the pieces IS THE KEY - it is SELF SQUARING! 

C] Here is the detail section - so the top portion is actually 'floating' over 'fixed points' - there is a reason why it is done this way. First reason is that this is super easy to execute - build the base and level the four courners - THEN you further secure it to the subfloor. 

January is Design Week, Part 2

[this is retroactive - it was written the day of]

I did it! I did it and I am alive! The last 3 days I've been in the shop till 11 pm and going to sleep at between 1 and 2 am, because I write daily. 

Sorry, no pics. I have to download and edit - and that takes time. 



6 hours to assemble deliver and install a large platform, that had to be very accurate + floor it + edge it. 

The Dinner by Design install went really well. First of all - I got back to my roots....those beautiful floors. This time, first time ever I installed Moncer flooring product - oiled white oak, 6 inch wide, engineered, solid wood [I will write how nicely it is made and how luxurious it is in another entry!]. Just for this job I had my flooring gun serviced - it's been awhile - just so it operated perfectly - I could not risk a misfiring ruining a board - there were no extras. There were 24* rows exactly, all the boards were labeled, in sequence. There was a row A, and a row B. And between row J and K there was a special row that had the boards laid out for notches around the columns - and the columns have no bigger reveals than 3/16th - that's very small. There were special instructions that there will be no trim around those columns - that came from above. And the columns do look very clean and modern - well resolved. Hey! - I only executed someone elses vision on this one - but it was my best execution. I made this crazy looking jig, but it is crazy only because it was efficiently fabricated - 15 min - while for a more 'traditional looking' jig would have taken an hour. 

[aside]

I admit, I felt the pressure. For this successful execution under these conditions, absolutely every detail had to be thought out in advanced and an optimum solution achieved. Like, it turns out the the sprinkler system at the Design Exchange might be triggered by the fine dust that results from cutting or using the router. I had to pre-cut every line of flooring to within a 16th of an inch - in the 200k square feet flooring career, I have never done that. When they said - 'no cutting' I was like - 'So how the hell am I gonna do it?'

Ugghhh.....

Anyhow. 

[back]


But you know what the really cool and very rewarding part of this project was?

I got to work with this really cool and fun team from KPMB Architects. Because other than for the base, flooring, metalworking, they still needed to setup the graphics, wire all the fancy lights, someone had to make tough calls - all under the 6 hour deadline. What a great team! They complement each other so well!  So much fun to work with them! I found it incredibly humorous, when one of them, with a very serious tone and face expression assured me that 'they are a serious firm', they don't consider themselves 'a fun office' - which immediately brought an image of a 'trendy, brick walled loft filled with hipsters on Macintosh computers' to my mind - 'it's about the work'. I was chuckling on the inside for so long. Such a good dynamic and camaraderie - no wonder that KPMB produces such nice architecture - no detail left out - even the envelope that I got with the deposit was really nice and had a watermark [!]. 

I was so impressed with that envelope - it really set the standard.

Any time there was an issue, they always had a solution. Like, where do we find a parking for a big truck? Hey! There is an open lot, just behind a new condo building - fits there*! - and it just around the corner! - so I don't have to drive across the city, as was suggested, and walk back - downtown Toronto, tall truck parking is an issue. Routing** the flooring planks for the columns and the flush-trim bit slices the electrical cord rendering the tool useless - my carelessness - IDIOT! - one of them just goes back and re-wires it so the by the time I get around to the second column - it's all done. I felt as if I had personal assistants on this job - everything was ready for me, passed to my hand - the floor, all million individually labeled pieces, almost laid itself. And it was needed - those 6 hours flew by - success!

Hey! - I Loved being part of their team. I was honoured to work with such a talented, eager and handy bunch of architects and one interior designer. 

I want to do jobs like these. 

At the end of the day - late evening - when I emptied the truck of tools and put them away, adjusted the heat, shut the lights off in the shop - I sighed, looked up at the frozen sky and said to myself - 'This is life. I love it! I'm a fighter and that's the best chance I've got!' Then I snuck into Charles' shop, next door - he was still tinkering with something - said goodnight to my friend and headed home to sleep it all off....Tomorrow is another day...




*we were charged double the money 'because it is a big truck'
**I routed in an adjacent storage room

IKEA Hacking - The cure for the 'Hidden Designer'?

Chapter 1 Chris said, 'Karol you channel Candice Olson'  'Thank you Chris', I said.


Chris is a smart, first time home buyer. He bought a townhome on a 'six year plan' - he will do some strategic work on the house, let it appreciate a little, and then sell it - upgrading in the process. 

He had the kitchen doors professionally refinished. Changed lighting fixtures himself, and did the backsplash in a nice stone with the help of his father-in-law. Selected a cool grey for the wall colour, paying attention that the paint be easy to maintain. He bought the required linear footage of nice MDF crown moulding and painted it proper white. 

As an ambitious individual, he considered doing an IKEA Billy Hack himself - learning as he went along. It was then he contacted me asking me to come look at his space. The space - his living room - had bulkhead that was 15" deep [and as bulkheads are usually built, with a laser I found that it was waving 'in-and-out' and 'up and down'], which almost matched the depth of the deep Billy bookcase. He had that space filled with IKEA Expedit units in dark brown. In the center there was an electric fireplace. He did not like the look. 

See, what Chris did not know, was that he suffered from an incurable condition - something I call the case of 'a hidden designer'.  My experience is that, often, the client leaves most design decisions to me - they trust me. Chris was different because he paid attention to all details - I felt that I had very little wiggle room. He was very specific about what he liked and required help in realizing his vision. I have to say, that I feel I was successful, as in collaboration we achieved savings [we kept the original fireplace] and were able to nicely expand on the design without raising too much end costs*. 

Instead of creating a wall of Billys [the original image that he showed me**, I believe, is the most widely circulated image of an IKEA Billy hack on the web, I see it all the time], we opted to create some 'voids' in the design. Chris has a plan to put some fancy wallpaper/fabric on the back and accent it with lights. We deleted the fourth Billy on the left, shortening the space to a 24" wide countertop, and thus gaining valuable width for the fireplace and a nice TV.  Chris plans to introduce the paint to the MDF - a matching white - and then do a natural stone arch just above the electric insert. Whoa! I said, that is ambitious!

Chris' favourite part of the built-in  -  that floating panel on the back is removable - makes for cabling upgrade on the TV a breeze. Here:

Chris said, 'Karol you channel Candice Olson'
'Thank you Chris', I said. 

That's right! I am not a interior designer - but the one thing that I do real good is a mean design for built-ins - professional IKEA hacking! Great designs done on a budget!

** Here is the image, it's by this really crafty lady -

http://www.centsationalgirl.com - and her 'hack', in my opinion is totally legit. If you follow her instructions you will be able to create built in like these. It is a simple hack - base and crown with covered gables. While it does work for this space, odd dimensions would create an awkward look - the covered gables [verticals] would keep getting wider and wider as needed to fill in the width. I am sure someone who attempts this hack will find out exactly what I mean. 

My IKEA hacks are seamless - they become part of a larger design. I hope it shows. I hack IKEA for the combination of functionality and price. All hacks are assembled to commercial millwork standards - my background is in commercial millwork. And I can make them look any way you want - I can do very modern, classic, arts and crafts, shaker, 'fancy french', even bauhaus. My IKEA Hacks are custom millwork - very well priced. 

To my knowledge I am the first professional IKEA hacker. Virtually all my designs and millwork are based on IKEA products - it being so vast and varied. I have developed a system for creating professional looking designs. Some of IKEA product lines are of such high quality that I decided to hack them to create my own line of super-luxe hacks - KingK + QueenT  - a combination of high end manufacturing with some fancy woodworking techniques.

* in the end it came to a vigorous fencing match and a draw, at which point we agreed on one-to-one barter - your workday for my workday. 

[UPDATE]

Chris painted it!
Here it is! Nice! Ready for Christmas!

Chapter 1

Here is a good IKEA Billy Bookcase hack. 

So, take two Billy bookcases [with doors], add 2 1/2 sheets of MDF, mix in a designer/maker and you end up with beautiful millwork - on a budget.


Chapter 2  - To design or not to design...

IKEA hacking is a very popular endavour these days - considering that a 'woodworking shop hour' can rival that of a 'car garage shop hour'. As a designer and a maker one of my favourite things to do is to browse the IKEA's 'as-is' section - which I always do - and see what I could build with the available pieces. My 'designer mind' wanders from piece to piece, while the 'maker' in me jigs those pieces together for a coherent look and practical function...

I personally admire the IKEA model - there is no other like it in the world.  

Democratic Design all the way!