Hackers Help: Byllan laptop support turned into a wall-mounted cat napping station. Is it possible?

Jules Yap·
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BYLLAN Laptop support hacked into wall mounted cat bed

IKEA items used: Byllan laptop support (as many as desired) + 2 Ekby Stödis brackets for each Byllan + screws

I have 8 cats and I’m trying to find a way to keep them happy and out of my way (and my chairs, and my sofa, and my desk… haha) so I’ve decided to mount some shelves on my walls to provide the necessary steps and napping stations for them to climb, play and sleep.

Is it possible to take a Byllan laptop support ($14.99 or 12.99 €) like this one:

BYLLAN lapdesk

Product dimensions:
Width: 20 1/8 ” (51 cm)
Depth: 15 ” (38 cm)
Height: 3 1/8 ” (8 cm)
Weight: 1 lb 8 oz (0.67 kg)

AND a couple of brackets like the Ekby Stödis ($0.50, or 0.50 € each):

EKBY STODIS bracket

Product dimensions:
Depth: 6 ¾ ” (17 cm)
Height: 6 ¾ ” (17 cm)
Width: 1 ” (2.5 cm)
Max. load: 33 lb (15 kg)

and use the Byllan as a cat napping station by turning it upside down and mounting it on a wall on a pair of these brackets???

My worry is that the side that should rest against the wall is very curvy, and the outermost points that would touch the wall don’t have much depth, so I’m not sure what would be the best way to attach it to the wall securely. Ideally, I would like to just use this item, and no additional (straight) shelf underneath, to keep it cheap and simple. The Byllan’s size and price are absolutely perfect for this purpose, the cushion is already attached, no need to buy or sew a new one or to velcro it to the shelf…!!!

Please have mercy on my lack of experience (and of any DIY skills whatsoever) and bear with me if this is a silly question, I really need your help to figure this one out.

If it is not possible to attach the Byllan “shelf” to a flat wall because of the bracket angle or for whatever other reason, maybe it could be used at the corner?

~ Mireia

Images: IKEA.com 

***

Hi Mireia

Your idea is possible but I would recommend a longer bracket such as the LERBERG for better support. ~ Jules

Jules Yap
Latest posts by Jules Yap (see all)

7 Responses

  1. Oh, I never realised this had eventually been posted. Thanks Jules! I realise it would be advisable to use sturdier (bigger) brackets, but my original concern stands: The bigger the bracket the more it will stand out from under the Byllan “shelf”, since it is very rounded on the extremes…

    Reply

  2. Here is a link for a cheap metal bracket that could go with that shelf. They would also have them at Home Depot (12″) & other hardware stores, cheap maybe even Ikea. Those would make cute Kitty shelves. If you went the Lack route, look in the ‘As Is’ section they usually have those there or on CraigsLlist. I always bought the big Lack shelves there anyway, that was before they made the little ones. I am sure those would be there as well. Sometimes they have the laptop things in ‘As Is’ too. I also bought those Bjarnum brackets very cheap in the ‘As Is’ dept which many people cut up the boards for Kitty shelves.

    If you mounted them with heavy duty toggle bolts and at least one long screw into a stud, they should be very sturdy for the Kittys. In fact if they are not, I don’t think that cats will jump on them. They should be very cute, happy distracting and post when done.

    http://tinyurl.com/p76gx3x

    Reply

    1. Hi Stephanie! Thanks a lot for your suggestion. However, I did not mention it in my original post but I live in Spain in a fishing village near the French border. I think it would cost me more to have those brackets shipped than their actual price haha. I’m sure I can find cheap ones in the hardware store or a big DIY store we have 15 miles from my home. Another option for the sleeping shelves would be to buy the cheap plywood boards there (I already checked sizes and prizes, they can even cut them to size in the store). The great appeal of the Billan shelf for me was that it is already finished with a perfect cushion on top and a good size for my purpose…

      Reply

  3. You may have more success if you mount the pads with the narrower “points” toward the wall. That would leave a small crescent shaped hole next to the wall, which the cats won’t mind, and will allow you to better brace the weaker part of the Byllan. I agree with Jules, you should use a bracket as long as the cushion is deep at the point where the cushion will be resting on the bracket so that the entire depth is supported. Even if your cats aren’t chunkers, they can land with a fair amount of force.

    That having been said, Shris’ suggestion would be as easy, or even easier, and probably cheaper. The Lack tables and shelves are pretty cheap and you can put self stick carpet tiles on them for comfort and traction.

    Eight cats, huh? Finally, someone as crazy as I am. 🙂 Best wishes on your project.

    Reply

    1. Hi Cat Lover Extraordinaire! Thanks a lot for your comment. Actually, it was my intention to have the narrower points toward the wall, hence my concerns regarding the length of the brackets, because the outer side of those points immediately start curvin inward… I’m not sure they allow for very long brackets. Maybe I should add a really long bracket in the middle to make up for the shorter ones on the sides, but that will probably not look very nice with that crescent-shaped gap. Oh, well, I may have to reconsider the whole thing…

      When I said I have 8 cats, I was being conservative, I live on a hill near the see, it’s not very populated here and there are many feral cats outside. Since my cats are allowed outdoors. Well, the inevitable happened and the feral cats started venturing inside, some have ended up coming everynight for a cozy sleep (I don’t have it in me to kick them out).

      Reply

  4. My husband and I bought a bunch of Lack shelves of various sizes and mounted them according to the directions for our cat. We used the smallest ones as ‘stairs’ and the longest ones up high. Our cat loves them, even without any padding. He regularly uses them when there are lots of things going on so he can keep an eye on everyone. Do make sure, though, that you hit at least one wall stud when mounting your shelves of any sort, to make sure there’s plenty of support for a jumping cat.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Shris!!! I WAS going to use a number of Lack shelves as “stepping stones” to get to the wider “sleeping shelves”, but those seemed more straightforward, so I just limited my request to where I had the most doubts. I’m sure my cats will love to have these extra-high vantage points, but I also need them to use some of the shelves for sleeping, since I don’t even know where els to put them. I currently have three cardboard boxes with cushions and blankets lying around on the sitting room floor, and that is not a “decor” I want to keep for too long :-p

      Also, I need to think long and hard on the “ladder” shelf distribution, so that every sleeping shelf has at least two access paths. I don’t want any Mexican stand-offs high off the ground, or any cat being cornered on a shelf and unable to get back down, since there are some cold-war politics going on within my cat communitym, so I’d rather be safe than sorry.

      Reply

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