Materials: Besta cupboard (cm)- 128 high x 120 wide; Besta 128 x 60, Besta TV unit 120 wide
We needed to create additional playroom storage and Besta units were a perfect fit for our space and toy boxes. We designed lots of easy to reach storage and a wide display shelf on top of the cabinets for display and a collection of musical instruments.
To hide the sides and tops of the Besta carcasses we created a three sided box for the TV area, and ran the top piece right across all the units. We used a good quality plyboard which has a lovely layered edge detail, with all the cabinets in high gloss white it needed a bit of detail to lift the whole design. Very pleased with the result, nobody would guess its a mostly Ikea installation.
To make your own:
We used Besta 128cm high units and a 120cm wide Besta TV unit as the base. They are easy to install and reasonable on the pocket, and just the right depth for storage, books and the TV. All cabinets cost around $700.
Once they were installed we made the 3 sided plywood box the TV sits in. The sides were joined using my fabulous Kreg Jig, with the holes on the outside of the uprights. All joins are neatly hidden from view.
Attaching the top shelf was trickier because of the weight and length of the piece. We ended up placing the 3 sided box on the TV unit and pulling it away from the wall. Then we positioned the top shelf on the box using the cabinets as a support, see below. You can see the Kreg predrilled holes facing on the outside of the box.
The sides were then attached to the top with the Kreg, working from the back to the front, and sliding the TV stand back into position as we worked. I do love my Kreg!
We love the overall result, it doesn’t read Ikea but the price point was perfect. And we still have the room to add extra shelves or cabinets if we need extra storage. I love the wide display shelf and tv “box”, it makes it look custom rather than flatpack.