The VERY first thing we purchased and installed when we moved into our house was our media storage/shelves from Ikea. And when I say we, I mean my in-laws, because it was our housewarming gift (thanks guys!) and because my father-in-law installed it (merci Poppa Terr!).
I work for a home builder and so I know how much these things cost when done by a profesional millworker. Something like this would be around $5000. Ay chihuahua! Our version cost just over $500.
I've had lots of questions about it from friends and readers so thought I'd give a bit of a run down.
Firstly, there are loads of media units at Ikea that are already put together (no, not assembled because what would Ikea be without the annoying little bubble man on the one page instructional showing you how to put together your newly acquired furniture?).
But, there are sets that are essentially "pre-bundled", and then there are just random separate pieces that you can buy and use to make your own wall unit.
Luckily, Ikea has a fantastic Besta planner that allows you to build your wall unit online and add doors, frames etc and prices it all for you. This was really helpful for us when trying to decide between buying a bundle or buying all the pieces separately. At the end of the day, I was so happy we went with the Besta pieces and were able to make it work with our space.
My father-in-law (with help from hubby's bff) built a platform for the 2 base pieces to sit on, and then the shallower bookcases of the same product line were used to frame the TV. Everything is secured to the wall for extra stability!
I wanted to de-Ikea-fy it, so I grabbed my tub o'spackle and filled the little holes on the inside of the cabinet once I had placed the shelves where I wanted them. I didn't sand or paint, I just made sure to fill the holes very flush and then waited to see what they looked like when dry. And amen, it worked! Hubby had no faith in me at all, but I'm glad I did it.
It is FAR from finished (which is sad because we've had it for 2 1/2 years) but I do have some great plans to make it look even more custom. I plan to use some crown moulding along the top so that there is no gap (gap is shown with phtoshopped trim in first pic), and perhaps some trim on the side to help it look more "built in".
I am DYING for some intricate hardware a la chinese chests/dressers but haven't found any I like for little moolah. Any resources you can recommend?
Lastly, I have some FABULOUS stacked quartz tile that I would love to install to the back of the cabinets and behind the TV. I have been waiting to pull the trigger because a part of me doesn't want to waste my beautiful tile in this home because a) it would be great to have it for our eventual future fixer upper, whenever that may come (hoarder?) and b) it will certainly be a bit tricky if we DIY, or costly if we hire a pro, and I'm worried that doing it won't bring much if anything to our property value since we're in a townhouse.
What do you think? Should I just bite the bullet and do it? Or do something less permanent and costly and line the back with fabric or wallpaper and/or paint? Let me know your thoughts!
xo
J