The Magic Ingredient for Your Next IKEA Hack Is Only $36
Searching for IKEA hacks online takes you down a wonderful rabbit hole of ways to create custom furniture using IKEA’s bestselling kits, including the KALLAX storage units, BILLY bookshelves, and HAVSTA cabinets — all DIYer favorites.
If you have a few HAVSTA DIY projects saved on your virtual to-do list, then you need to keep this other tip in your back pocket for future builds: Menards sells a wooden countertop that fits perfectly — and I mean perfectly — on top of three HAVSTA cabinets.
How an 8-Foot Menard’s Shelf Can Help You Nail an IKEA HAVSTA Hack
“If you’ve put three HAVSTA cabinets together and want a wood top, Menards carries one that is the exact right size … and kiln dried for $35,” the creators behind the IKEA Hack & Home Tips Facebook page wrote in a recent post. (In lumber lingo, kiln-dried means the wood has been processed to remove moisture, which makes it stronger, more durable, and less likely to warp.)
The Menards board is 8 feet long, and three HAVSTA cabinets combined total 7.96875 feet — almost a perfect fit, so you won’t need to do any sawing to create the perfect sideboard. Another option? You could place one HAVSTA cabinet at each end of the board and leave the middle open to create a desk for your home office or crafting space.
The wood board comes unfinished, so you can stain or paint it to custom-match your project. The DIYer who shared this tip painted their HAVSTA cabinets teal, Sherwin-Williams’ Refuge. (If you’re wondering about the skeleton decor on top of the cabinet, that’s from Pottery Barn.)
However you decide to hack your HAVSTA, having a perfectly fitted countertop at the ready can make the process so much quicker and easier. For even more inspo, check out this IKEA HAVSTA hack.
Buy: IKEA HAVSTA Cabinet with Base, $270