25 Customising Furniture Projects in a Book by IKEAHACKERS.NET

Book review originally published at tssreviews.blog




ISBN 978-1-780-89844-5

IKEAHACKERS.NET 25 Biggest and Best Projects

Published by Century

Paperback Published 10.09.2017


CONTENT


Introduction of the projects

Note from Jules Yap (the author and founder of IkeaHackers.net)

25 main Chapters

One page acknowledgements re: contributors

About Jules Yap

photograph


RANGE OF INFORMATION

Jules Yap and other contributors present twenty five ways to redesign, modify and re purpose existing IKEA pieces.

Yap has worked at bringing DIY hackers of IKEA product in one place: IkeaHackers on the net. This is the first time (and the reviewer believes it to be true) that projects have been presented in book form.

Projects involve the following subjects: design, redesign; planning and measuring; furniture assembly; DIY., technical know how; tool use (some projects include electrical drills and jigsaws); basic carpentry (some projects more advanced); fixing; wiring and painting, observational narrative; people’s working practices; Scandinavian styling. Projects (chapters) are presented by Jules Yap and who she describes as her ‘partner-in-hacking’ Martin Wong, or are by a guest contributor(s). A small paragraph profiling each contributor appears. These profiles include case studies, many of which present a home space problem or a interior design dilemma that the contributor(s) once faced and the steps they took to solve or enhance a room by adapting IKEA furniture to fit or style, or by them taking existing IKEA product and giving it a different function; or by the making of something completely new and completely unique. Contributors are from wide spread places in the world and possess varying levels of DIY capability. Finished projects still retain a contemporary Scandi finish and style because of the nature of the source material.
8/10


QUALITY OF INFORMATION

Information is from a DIY-ers perspective and not that of an industry expert. This is a basic instruction book and provides no teaching. It’s an ideas book which allows some degree of creative license.
7/10 


MAIN BODY
25 main headings:
• Beautiful BILLY BESTA Behemoth
• Modernist Tea Trolley
• Hexagon Shelving Unit
• Kitchen Island
• Half-Wall Lamp
• Sweet STOLMEN Window Seat
• Custom Spotlight
• Double Murphy Bed
• Headboard Storage
• String Sided Cabinet
MALM Chest with Pull Out Laptop
Built-In Home Office
Bookshelf Sofa Table
Easy TV Unit
Junior Double Loft Beds
Corner Bookcase
Mid Century-Style Media Cabinet
Cabin Bed with Hidden Den
Hanging Lamp
Working Together Dual Workstation
Suspended Shelving
Headboard and Picture Tree
Mudroom Bench
Brick Cottage Dollshouse
Disguised Laundry


Under each heading the original IKEA product is identified, followed by the material requirements to reuse and alter into its new format. Then Step by Step numbered instructions over 3 to 6 pages depending on the project size
8/10


STRUCTURE AND LAYOUT

The Kitchen Island project by contributor, Sofia Clara from Switzerland, features on the front cover in a lifestyle shot. This is a paperback book measuring 19 x 1 x 23.5 cm – 120 Pages. Headings and Sub-headings under Main Body. Main text is in a fine font. Contributors have examples of their completed projects in full colour photography
8/10


PHOTOGRAPHY AND DIAGRAMS

Photography has happened after the pieces have been made and so the completed projects are showcased in staged shots. There are better examples of art editing work out there. This book contains many full page/half page images and smaller pics – photographer is Martin Wong in the main.

How to Do instructions are backed up with a large amount of quite detailed diagrams, again by Wong, and must have taken many, many hours to produce

8/10


CONCLUSION: IKEA has always been a design leader rather than being design led, but the consumer knows IKEA makes competitively priced furniture and that’s the main deal between this global giant and its global customers. In regard to this book, the contributors/makers are using their new pieces in their own homes which is a perfectly okay thing to do. Reviewer cannot comment on the quality assurance considerations or performance monitoring of items that have been re-presented, revamped, redesigned as part of a new business selling transaction, certainly IKEA has a waiver and it reads Note: This book is not affiliated with, authorised or endorsed by IKEA . Yet innovative people, like Yap, will always be looking at basing a business on the proven success of others and the trend for customising furniture is never going away; we think it has been slow to filter through to flat pack versions. Yap’s concept is credible, it supports the reduce, recycle, reusemessages which are mighty fine principles we should all be on board with. Reviewer notes that many of the projects include IKEA lines that will have continued longevity or availability i.e. BILLY, MALM, HEJNE, STOLMAN, LACK, BESTA, SOFIA, METOD, BUMERANG, so sees this book holding its relevance for some time to come.