After making our own barn door and saving hundreds of dollars, it was time to move on to furnishing the room. What better way that a trip to IKEA!?
Most of the furniture choices were made back in the designing stage of this project and I mostly kept to that plan when making my furniture purchases at IKEA.
I wanted a LOT of work surfaces. I use the craft room for almost all my crafting. There are a few messy crafts that get done in the kitchen (such as glass etching, because I need a sink), or in the workshop (like the barn door, because of the tools available in there), or outside (such as spray painted projects or basket weaving). But for almost everything else, I work in the craft room. My husband does his own sewing when he makes costumes so he also needs some work surface in the crafting room periodically.
Another work surface I need is photography and videography space for this blog.
There were two white cabinets that I already had in the room that I have had for almost 20 years. They were probably Home Depot purchases. They are in great shape and are a part of the final plan for this craft room.
In my furniture purchase, I bought components to make three work surfaces at which we can sit down, one work surface at which I can stand, and a fifth work surface that we still have to build (the drop-leaf roll-away table – this will be the next post in this series). There are also a few pieces just for storage. All together, I spent almost exactly $1000.
IKEA Pieces Used in This Project:
- 1 KALLAX Shelf Unit 2×4 cubes (Link)
- 2 KALLAX Shelf Unit 2×2 cubes (Link)
- 1 ALEX 9 Drawer Unit (Link)
- 1 ALEX Wide Unit on Casters (Link)
- 3 ALEX Drawer Units (Link)
- 3 ALEX Drawer Units/drop file storage (Link)
- 3 LINNMON Table Tops (Link)
- 1 LINNMON Table Top (Link)
- 4 OLOV Legs (Link)
I made a list of all these pieces that you can print off when planning your own craft room makeover. The list is in a PDF format that you can download and print from my Resource Library.
Additional Items Used
I did not want to permanently attach the LINNMON table tops to the ALEX units because I wanted to be able to easily move them when I wanted to add or change window treatments, to do periodic deep cleaning of the room (where you move furniture to vacuum and dust behind everything), and the “someday” when I rip out that ugly carpeting and put down hardwood floors. So, I bought non-skid pads that completely cover each of the ALEX units. We have had zero issues with the LINNMON table tops. They do not slide around at all, not even with the vibration of a sewing machine.
Home from IKEA
It took me two trips through the store and checkout to get all the pieces (I went shopping alone) and I managed to get everything into my car (a 2016 Ford Escape). Once home, after resting because some of those pieces are really heavy, I got everything into the craft room and positioned the boxes around the room in the places where they would eventually be set up.
Let the Assembly Begin!
This was my first ever IKEA purchase and I had no idea how IKEA furniture was assembled. It was so easy! The assembly drawings were so easy to follow. Some people struggle with the assembly instructions and some have no problem with them. I think my analytical mind helped. My undergraduate degree is in Mechanical Engineering. I “get” these kinds of drawings.
Starting Slow
I started with the easiest thing to assemble. I did the smaller LINNMON table top with the OLOV legs. It was just a matter of screwing the leg plates to the bottom of the table and attaching the legs to the plates. The legs are adjustable so I set them at their tallest height because this is the table on which I will do my photography while making things. It is a height at which I can stand to do my projects while taking photos and videos. With the table top attached to the legs, the table is 36 inches high.
Learning IKEA Drawers
The wide ALEX unit on casters came next. I picked that to be next because that unit slides under the photography work surface. In that ALEX unit, I store big flat things. Right now, it holds large stencils, rolls of decorative papers for photography backdrops, some rolls of vinyl (until I make vinyl storage), my 12 x 12 cutting mats for my Cricut (those are in the top drawer and quite handy there). Large pads of paper such as 11 x 17 grid paper and vellum (for doing hand sketching during design). On top of that ALEX unit sits poster boards of various colors and designs for more backdrops.
Assembling the drawers was easier than I expected and that unit went together quickly. I tucked it under the photography table and moved on.
Narrow Drawer Units
I put together just one of the smaller ALEX units, the one with the file storage, so I could see how that assembly was different from the wide ALEX unit. That was fine and I didn’t have any issues. What I really wanted to do was the tall unit!
Tall Narrow Storage – All the Drawers!
I do not know why I was most excited about this unit. I think it was probably because I was now going to have all those drawers for all those smaller things that just ended up in multiple places all over the craft room and other rooms.
This 9-drawer ALEX unit sits in the corner. It contains things that do not get used every day but now all the things that are in there are all together. I have a drawer that is all machine embroidery thread and another this is all my serger threads. My husband has one drawer for all of his small plastic drafting tools like triangles, rulers, templates, guides, and so on. Those were always all over three different rooms before. Anyway, you get the idea.
Yes that unit is tucked away in a corner. Again, we do not need to get to it all the time so having it out of the way is not an inconvenience.
Shelves!
Moving to the other side of the room, I assembled the larger KALLAX unit, the one that is 2 cubes by four cubes. That was pretty straight-forward and is a perfect fit against that wall. Someday, above that unit will be a peg board. I will get some 13 x 13 fabric drawers for some of the KALLAX unit openings.
Completing the Work Surfaces
The last pieces to assemble were all of the smaller ALEX units. These units are the supports for the three larger LINNMON table tops. By this time, I’m a wiz at assembling these drawer units and they went together quickly!
These next few picture show you all the work surfaces.
And this is one last picture that shows you my set-up for doing photos and videos of my craft projects.
The Rest of the Assembly
Yes, there are still two more pieces that I have not shown you. They are the two KALLAX units that are 2 cubes by 2 cubes. While I did assemble them the same day. They are parts of the next project where we transform them into a drop-leaf roll-away work table. That post is next!
You can get the furniture listing/checklist of everything I bought at IKEA plus patterns to all my DIY and craft projects in my Resource Library by signing up for my weekly newsletter.
Remember to pin this to your craft room organization or home decor board on Pinterest!
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