My First Ikea Hack

So my apartment has come a long way since those empty photos you saw in this post (things happen when you live in a place for 6 months). So the next several posts are going to be a somewhat chronological presentation of projects I've um...managed since moving here.

I have a love/hate thing with Ikea products. I love how cheap and modern-looking they are, but I also hate how cheaply made and COMMON they are! Seriously, everyone has an Expedit shelf or a Lack table somewhere. Speaking of which....*blush*...so I bought a Lack TV console/table thingy. Here's what it looks like in the catalog:

Looks like a Lack. But it had clean lines and I was desperate to get my TV out of a box on the floor. I decided to try to pump up the sophistication level by replacing the legs with the ever-popular Capita legs from Ikea.

It was pretty simple from here. Instead of attaching the Lack legs, I simple marked where I wanted these guys to go and screwed them in.

Using the original leg as a measuring unit.

I chose to bring the legs in toward the middle more for a hint of mid-century retroness (that's what they're calling it these days, right?). And here's the final product:

Not bad, not bad. The wood still looks fake as all fakiness, and it's quite a bit deeper than I wanted, but it works. Here's what the area looked like before Boyfriend moved in:

I do believe almost everything in this photo is from Ikea (bad Stephanie, BAD!!). I'm working on it. I also still have to do something about those wall-warts on top...yuck.

Post-Boyfriend, the TV is now huge (though it works), the plants have died, and just yesterday two ENORMOUS black speakers moved in, courtesy of Boyfriend's parents. They are just...so big and SO black. I cried a little when I saw them in place...literally (I'm not joking). Pictures to follow. I've been Googling non-stop for ideas on how to hide monster speakers without cutting holes in the wall and stashing them in there. So if you have any, please. Help me.