An IKEA Speaker, a Light Strip, and One Seriously Good Idea

Sound? Checked.
Light? Checked.

Prolific IKEA hacker, Bjørn Aksel Storkaer, merges the SYMFONISK speaker with ambient LED lighting. The result? A sculptural linear light-and-sound piece that’s practical and beautiful.

“I had a Philips Hue Signe Floor lamp that didn’t work anymore. I figured that it would be nice to have a similar lamp with a speaker mounted to it,” Bjørn says of his brainchild.

That’s when he decided it was time to give his trusty speaker a serious glow-up. The best part? The entire hack cost less than $35 — if you already have the SYMFONISK on hand.

If not, the speaker itself will run you about $180, making this a smart upgrade for existing owners rather than a budget-friendly sound-and-light hack.

What You’ll Need

• SYMFONISK Wi-Fi Bookshelf Speaker
• VATTENSTEN LED Lightstrip
• Aluminum channel for LED strips with diffuser
• Strong double-sided tape or strong glue like Tec7

DIY Linear Lighting That Sounds As Good As It Looks

Step 1: Frame the Light

Remove the self-adhesive backing on the VATTENSTEN LED light strip and install it in the aluminum channel.

Step 2: Soften the Glow

Close up the channel with the supplied frosted glass (or acrylic) cover over the front to diffuse the light and lend it a warm glow.

Step 3: Mount It to the SYMFONISK

Use a strong adhesive like Tec7 or industrial-strength double-sided tape to attach the LED light profile directly to the back of the SYMFONISK speaker.

You can also opt for a removable option like Sugru, should you want to cleanly detach the light from the SYMFONISK speaker in the future.

Where exactly? Bjørn attached the light vertically, extending above the speaker. But that’s definitely something you can customize to your preference. Whatever works with your space.

And while Bjørn used the IKEA VATTENSTEN lightstrip for this build, Philips Hue strips work too — if you’re into smart lighting control via your phone or voice assistant.

Linear In Shape And Sound

All in, Bjørn spent around $35–$40 on the materials. Not bad for a custom vertical light-and-sound unit that ticks all the right boxes.

It’s a pretty simple hack and it looks nice even at daytime, and gives you great atmosphere when it gets dark.” Bjørn concludes.

So if you’ve got an old SYMFONISK speaker lying around, flip the switch for this lighting hack.

Inspired?

Drop us a line if you recreate this in your space or take it even further. We’d love to see how you remix sound and light in your own IKEA-hacking style. Share it with us!

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NEXT: More hacks from Bjørn Aksel