IKEA does not sell fireplace furniture, at least, I have yet to see one. But many IKEA hackers have made their own fireplaces — electric or faux — using IKEA items like the BILLY, kitchen cabinets and BESTÅ. And they do add all sorts of cozy vibes to the room.
But before you DIY a fireplace, do check out all necessary safety requirements. Fire and heat is not to be taken lightly and you should always follow installation guidelines from the manufacturer of the appliance, your fire insurance standards and building code.
Let’s take a look at 2 ways you can use the IKEA KALLAX for an electric fireplace:
#1 Compact, portable IKEA electric fireplace
I wanted to insert an electric fireplace bought in Dec ’20 in a modern style furniture. And I wanted to use something easy to modify and was affordable.
IKEA items used:
- LACK Black Table 200.114.08 (6,99€)
- KALLAX Black Shelf 602.758.12 (39,99€)
Other material used:
- Black grid 460mmx80 (5€ in Hornbach)
- Electrical Firesuite “Lingga” 460mmx655x135 (88€ in Bricodepot)
Related: Faux fireplace mantel, all ready for stockings and more
DIY electric fireplace furniture:
Assemble the KALLAX shelving unit without internal shelves.
Install electrical fireplace inside KALLAX using the longer internal KALLAX board.
Saw the LACK table into 2 parts (145mm each).
Assemble the 2 parts of the LACK table with LACK table legs (inversed).
Drill on the top of KALLAX shelf in order to insert black grid.
What’s the cost and how long did it take?
Fireplace furniture’s cost is 52€ + Electrical fireplace 88€.
It took 6 hours to create and build this furniture (design, preparation, assembly, sawing, screwing)
What do you like most about this hack?
That it was easy to create and realize properly.
What was the hardest part of this project?
Sawing and screwing properly.
CAUTION:
When the electric fireplace is in Heating mode, do some necessary test to ensure there’s no overheating of the furniture and risk of fire. You might need to add aluminum protection inside the furniture to reduce fire hazard. Never leave the fireplace on unattended.
~ by Franck Gaté, France
THIS ELECTRIC FIREPLACE FURNITURE HACK MAY POST A FIRE RISK. PLEASE DO NOT REPLICATE IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ENSURE SAFETY OF THIS HACK.
#2 Fireside Dreaming with IKEA KALLAX
I decided to hack the item because I didn’t want to pay for a custom-built piece of furniture and I couldn’t find anything with a suitable gap in the middle for the electric heater.
Here’s how it turned out.
IKEA items:
Small KALLAX 2×2 unit x 2
KALLAX drawer insert x 2
KALLAX door insert x 2
IKEA wicker boxes – (can’t find name on website)
Other materials:
Merbau laminated panel 2200X600X26mm
How I made an electric IKEA KALLAX fireplace:
I constructed the two KALLAX units as per instructions. I constructed the 2 drawers and doors and inserted into the KALLAX units.
Then, I inserted two wicker boxes into the bottom sections.
I placed the heater into the centre of the two KALLAX units, then cut the laminated merbau panel so that it fit across the top.
It needed to be cut so that it didn’t stick out too much at the front. I then wiped the wood with some furniture polish; it made it a bit darker so that it matches the floor – and protects the wood!
Heat won’t be a problem as all the heat emerges from under the front of the heater.
Total Cost – about $380.
Time – about 2 hours to construct
The thing I love most about this hack is that it looks SO beautiful and is EXACTLY the right size that I needed.
Nothing very difficult about it.
I would not have done anything differently as I’m VERY happy with it and have received many compliments about this hack!
~ by Mary Wren