Computer table with shelf for printer

Materials: Besta, Vika Amon, Lansa, Vika RunTorp, Inreda

Description: The Besta and Vika Amon table top are combined as one. As a cord storage, the Lansa handle was used. The printer shelf is extended via an Inreda pull out frame and standard shelf.

~ Albert Einstein, Austria

Vika corner desk and banish cable clutter

Materials: 2 Vika Amon tables, 7 Vika Curry legs

Description: (This "hack" combines 2 hacks seen here and here at IKEAhackers)
Goal: Remove 1 table leg at inside corner, stabilize with steel plate and organize computer cables rat nest

For desk:
drill, hole saw drill bit
hack-saw
2 "as-is" Vika Amon tables $10 each
7 legs @ 5$ each
1 steel plate ~ $7 at homedepot
14 screws

For cables:
cable management "grommet"
cable ties
wire basket $5 at staples
plastic electric cable organizers to attach basket to table
cable sleeve
PATIENCE!

1. Turn tables upside down
2. Remove inside table leg
3. Position steel plate (lumber connector from Home Depot) longitudinally across seam. Pre-drill holes. (I did 7 on each side)
4. Screw in
5. Flip over
6. Drill out hole for cable grommet
(used a "hole saw bit" to start the hole, then a hack-saw to finish the hole
7. Insert cable grommet
8. Cover bottom of hole with tape to protect wires (for now)

For the cable organizing portion....
1. Mount power strips on the wall
2. Pre-drill 4 holes for wire basket
3. Screw in 2 screws for basket,
4. Fill basket with routers, etc
5. Screw in remaining 2 screws

Voila.

~ gmxray, Boston

Standing Desks on the cheap

Materials: VIKA AMON, PVC, Drill Press

Description: Two inch PVC fits the outside dimensions of the VIKA legs perfectly. At our coworking space, we converted 3 desks to be standing height for the cost of 2 10' sections of pipe, and 8 bolts with nuts. A drill press made creating the holes easy and we even made 5 holes on each leg so they are adjustable.

~ Jacob Sayles, Seattle, WA

Basic IKEA Tabletop into Custom Workstation

Materials: Vika Amon top, Vika Amon legs, Antonius shelf

Description: Turn a basic IKEA desk system into a custom built in workstation using the same construction technique that IKEA uses to create its own pieces.

See instructions for the custom DIY IKEA desk.

~ Chris Gardner

Wide Standing Desk

Materials: Vika Byske Legs (5), Capita Bracket (2 packs), Lack shelf, Franklin 29' Barstool, Vika Amon Table Top

Description: I was just poking around one evening and I came across the motorized standing (adjustable height) desk for around $600. I knew about standing desks but I had no idea how beneficial they could be. I really wanted one but not a small desk for $600.

After a long search for a wide and inexpensive standing office desk, I have decided to combine the following items together: Main desk area is a Vika Amon Table Top 79"x 24", legs are adjustable Vika Byske (5) - I was worried how sturdy these will be at 40" high but they end up working out great.

Now I just needed to figure out a stand for my mac and a monitor. Voila Capita Braket and a Lack 75"x10" wall shelf. Standing ergonomic table is done. Well thanks to my husband who put it all together for me.

I have also purchased Franklin 29" bar chair to sit down when my legs get tired. $29 beats the $600 for the price of the motor to put the table up and down.

Today is day 1 of my cool new desk and I love it. I already feel more productive. I will be glad to answer any questions.

PS: Did you notice that all Ikea workers have a standing desk? :-)

~ Martina, Tampa, Florida

Foldable LAN party tables

Materials: VIKA AMON/VIKA CURRY, hinges, brackets, chipboard, rubber bushes, rope, buckles

Description: At LAN-parties, tables and space are limited. My husband and his gamer friends went table hunting at IKEA and my guy came home with two neat and price worthy tabletops "VIKA AMON" (100x60 cm) and eight "VIKA CURRY" legs.

He takes them with him every time they throw a party, but since the tables were still a bit bulky to carry, he started modifying them. The goal was to fold the table into a "portfolio", with room for the legs inside!

First he cut the tabletops in halves. The tables are hollow with cardboard inside so they needed to be reinforced, and the cut surfaces smoothed. He used chipboard for this purpose.

He then mounted hinges on the backs of the tabletop pieces. Since he wanted to store the legs inside the fold, he used brackets to extend the hinges and make more room, and he attached rubber bushes to keep the legs in place. Handles were made out of rope, and the folded table is kept folded with buckles.

The tables turned out GREAT, and they are very useful - for all types of indoor parties.

Check out the entire description at here. (in Swedish, but if you paste the link in Google translate you'll understand most of it).

See more the Foldable LAN party table

~ Sofia, Sweden

Lift coffee table

Materials: VIKA AMON

Description: I made a coffee table lift (# 1) using a VIKA AMON plate and a trestle (in any hardware store) which I adapted some curtain rods to make it slide (# 3 and #4). So I can transform it into a table to eat (# 2)

~ Noëlle, BOURG EN BRESSE - FRANCE

Cheapest home studio desk ever!

Materials: Vika Amon, Vika Curry, Capita, Lack

Description: I had no room for any of my equipment in my small home / project studio. As you can see from the before picture, everything was just piled up in 2 old desks and the wires were everywhere.

before

I decided I needed a new desk. I was going to buy one online for around £400, but after coming across this site, I decided it would be a whole lot cheaper to build it myself, and it was, almost 10x cheaper!

I used a VIKA AMON table top combined with 4 VIKA CURRY legs for the main desk base. However, the problem with this was that i didnt have enough room for my keyboard and my monitor. I decide to build another shelf using 1 LACK wall shalf and 1 pack of CAPITA legs. Now there is room for my keyboard, my monitor and my speakers, with room left over!

The great thing now it that I don't need to move everything around to use certain equipment. It's all there ready for me. Most of the wires are also hidden underneath the desk, with exception for my USB hub and wireless mouse base!

1 x VIKA AMON Table top - £20 ($31.69)
4 x VIKA Curry - £8 (£12.67)
1 x LACK Wallshalf - £9.99 ($15.83)
4 x CAPITA legs (1 pack) - £8 ($12.67)

Total: £45.99 ($72.86)

~ Simon McKeon, England

Trofast Children's Craft Table

Materials: TROFAST Frame, VIKA AMON table top (L: 40 1/8"), 2 GRUNDTAL rails, 2 MALA paper rolls

Description: I wanted a craft/drawing table for my two kids, which would also store all of their materials.

I have two kids, so I needed a table that can be accessed from both sides. I didn't want a big table that would use up a lot of space in the living room either.

I wanted to use the smaller VIKA AMON, but 22" high TROFAST frames came in only single or triple sections. So I had to cut one section of it.

1. Partially (only two sections) assemble TROFAST.

2. Cut the extending wood, beyond the second section, preferably, with an electric saw.

3. Add the bottom panels and cut them as well.

4. Put the outer side panel on the top of the inside panel, so that the height on both sides will be even.

5. Install the GRUNDTAL rails on VIKA AMON. In order to fit them and still be able to unscrew the pipe to put on a roll, you have to cut the pipes about 1.5" both. Before cutting the pipes hammer the part where you put the screw in inside the pipe, a little bit more than 1.5" back.

6. Fasten TROFAST onto VIKA AMON with screws. We used 10 wood screws.

7. Put the MALA paper rolls on.

8. Put the drawer rails in and insert the drawers.

We actually screwed the tabletop on before installing the GRUNDTAL rails. Later we had to move the tabletop a little bit to the side so that the rail holders would fit on the other side.

The table is very stable. It is a little bit higher that an average children's craft table since total height is 22"+1 5/8".

Final Steps:
1. Introduce the new craft table to the kids
2. Make sure they learn to put away their papers, materials and scraps into the drawer bins.

Optional 1: You can make a bigger table with larger VIKA AMON table top (L: 48 3/8') on top of a complete TROFAST frame.

Optional 2: You can put LEGO base plates on the table and use it as a LEGO workstation as well. I am thinking about adding this feature on by gluing baseplates on a thin plywood I got from IKEA as-is dept and fixing it to the table top with hinges, but I think it will be too much. Maybe I'll just make it and keep it separate/portable.

See more of the children's craft table.

~ Pratik Anne, Chicago, IL, USA

VIKA desk goes glam

Description: My bedroom has various wood finishes represented and I wanted a desk that would look modern and incorporate multiple finishes. I also wanted it to look expensive...and of course I had only a small amount to spend.

When researching /browsing IKEA hacker, I came across the rustic stool seen here.

The burning technique looked cool but a little too light still so I chose to stain and finish for a shine.

Materials:
IKEA items:
VIKA Amon unfinished pine desktop 47x23
VIKA LEIF desk legs
KASSETT boxes, white

Non-IKEA Items:
face mask for dust and fumes
sandpaper, fine and medium grit
rag
small blow torch
1 special-ordered glass top
4 special-ordered glass shelves
8 L-brackets

1. So to begin I sanded the entire top and sides of the desk to rough up the surface for burning (medium grit). I didn't worry about the underside since it's not visible.

2. Turn on the blow torch (local hardware store - $25). This part was nerve-wracking until I started, then it was AWESOME. Very little threat of messing up your project since you sand it all anyway.

3. Lay the torch at such an angle that the flame licks across the surface as you move horizontally. The sap will rise up and burn a bit but don't worry. It's sand-able. Don't go too light with the burning cause it gets dramatically lighter as you smooth the surface with fine sandpaper. I did the whole table twice with a sand in between and one at the end.

4. Then with a wet cloth, I wiped it down and started the staining process. I did two coats of a honey gold stain. Then I sprayed two coats of gloss which must dry in between coats. I stopped when the shine was good (not perfect as I knew I was using glass in the end). Don't kill yourself.

5. I assembled the legs and measured the inside spaces for the glass. Ordered from an online dealer and picked up 2 days later. $120.

6. Measured the same height up on each leg for the L-brackets. Used a level before drilling anything. measure. mark. measure. Level. drill.

7. Placed the bottom shelves on the base, placed the elevated shelves on the L-brackets. I used the KASSETT boxes to hide all my electronic wires since it has the openings at both ends to keep it all cool. And voila! My new desk incorporates a modern feel with the mixed wood finishes and the color is rich. I'm in love.

~ Kelley, Conshohocken, PA

Workspace Plus Storage

Materials: 3 x VIKA AMON tabletop - 78", 3 x EXPEDIT shelves - 2x4, flat braces, drawer pull, 10x1 board, white paint


Description: Our spare bedroom serves so many purposes - home office, sewing/knitting/craft room, guest room - too many to name. And until recently, it was also a catch-all for furniture that didn't fit anywhere else in the house. When we chose to reorganize this space, we knew we wanted lots of desk space and sufficient storage for odds and ends, without losing the floorspace we need for the pull-out bed.

We chose to build an enormous L-shaped desk that wrapped half way around the room using three 78" Vika tabletops supported by three 2x4 Expedit shelving units set on their sides. This allowed about 9 inches of the tabletop to hang over the shelves so every part of it works as usable desk space with room to tuck your legs in beneath it.

We cut one of the tabletops to fit it into the space, but we were able to hide that edge in a corner so you don't notice it. We used a few flat brackets to tie the tabletops to one another. Once the tabletops are tied together, the L shape of the unit supports the tabletops so they don't need to be tied to the shelves.

Because the tabletops are just a bit higher than was comfortable to type, we bought some heavy-duty drawer pulls from the hardware store and a 26 inch piece of 10x1 pine, painted it white to match the rest of the unit and built a pull-out keyboard tray. We used the insides of two of the cubbies to mount the keyboard tray at a comfortable height.

~ E.S.

TV Theater Wall

Materials: Vika Amon table top (black-brown)

Description: It is easy and cheap to have your TV Theater wall. Just make a hole in the table top in order to fix the TV back inside it and place the Vika Amon table top (black-brown, in this case) between the wall and the TV. The TV holders will sustain it. That's all.

~ Jav, Toledo (Spain)

Jeweler's Jam

Materials: (1) Helmer drawer unit on casters, (1) Vika Amon table top, (1) Hyllis shelving unit, (2) discontinued Ikea shoe racks, (1) Lack shelf, (1) Kolja mirror. The only extra hardware needed were some standard screws, drywall anchors and four small L shaped brackets.

Description: I design jewelry and work from my bedroom, where I already have a huge Vika Gruvan desk, an overflow of bookcases and no extra room to spare. So this action-packed little corner was pretty much my only option.

I also had no cash at the moment (Hey, not all of us can be Tiffany) so buying brand new furniture was out of the question, all the Ikea items I used were bought on Craigslist. I think I spent less than $40 total including hardware.

Here's the steps so you too can do the jam:

First, I assembled the Helmer drawer unit. Then, using its height as a guide, I attached the L shaped brackets to the wall. (As you can see in the picture, I used some left over curtain brackets from another project to keep costs down.)

Next, I assembled the Hyllis shelving unit. Here is where I had to work some magic. The table top is wider than the shelves so in order to slide it in place without having to cut the table down to size I had to invert the Hyllis' legs. This seriously compromises its stability, so I had to anchor it to the wall. After that, I slid the table top in place and secured it to the brackets with screws.

Then I hung the mirror (No, I'm not -that- vain, I just need to look at my work!) and the Lack shelf. As an extra bonus I installed a wire/tool dispenser made of L shaped brackets and a steel rod (Costs $2.50 to make). Since I still needed more shelving I added the shoe racks underneath the table. I bought two of them and stacked them, going under and around the Hyllis unit, then secured them with screws.

And that's pretty much it.

Hey, it is not the sexiest of units, but it works for me. Plus it was $40 bucks. Beat that.

~ Sunny H., Chicago

Wall mount computer workstation, pc desk

Materials: Ikea: VIKA AMON tabletop (150 x 75cm), EKBY BJÃRNUM bracket, EKBY JÃRPEN shelf (119 x 28cm), MALM nightstand (white), 2 x DIODER multicolor LED-strips. Non-Ikea: HP Touchsmart600 (computer), Vogel's Wallmount, 2 x Aluminium decorative strips (100cm), One ordinary shelf bracket, 2 hinges, Enermax Crystal aluminium keyboard

Description: First I made a frame with 4 slats on the back of the tabletop to move it about an inch from the wall. Then I made a hole in the tabletop for the flatscreen-wallmount. (The tabletop isn't strong enough to hold the screen, so I put the Vogel's wallmount straight on the concrete wall.) After that I put the DIODER LED-strips on the frame behind the tabletop and hung the tabletop on the wall with wooden slats, a bit like this.

I took the EKBY JÃRPEN shelf and sawed a piece out of it to fit over the tabletop. Then I made a little cupboard for the cables from an old MALM nightstand and screwed it to the EKBY shelf. I made a door in the cupboard with 2 hinges and a little shelf inside.

Then I put the shelf on the wall with one EKBY BJARNUM bracket and one ordinary bracket inside the cupboard.

And as a finishing touch I put the aluminium decorative strips between the EKBY shelf and the tabletop.

I hope you'll like the result!

~ FritZz81, Netherlands