what to use for trays in ikea alexa cabinet

Want to create your workplace with a lot of drawer storage at a low price? This post is for yous. I'm sharing how I DIY my home office desk congenital-in with Ikea Alex desk and drawers hack, plus an Alex drawer organization DIY!

Although I'thou very passionate almost DIY, sometimes it could be challenging to find time and acquire certain skills, and so if you are not ready to DIY yet, I've rounded up my favorite desks with drawers that are super affordable and also looks dandy.

You can read my recommendations in this post.

Besides, for more DIY ideas to make your habitation beautiful and role, exist certain to follow me on Instagram!

How to Hack Ikea Alex Drawers Quick Video

Here'southward a video trailer of this projection so you become an overview on what I did.

You can watch the full length video which is embedded later in this post. Just gyre downwardly and you'll find it near the Instructions.

If the video doesn't work hither, you tin can lookout man it on YouTube hither. I'g posting DIY videos on my channel on a regular basis, so subscribe if you like to meet more videos like this!

Home office infinite planning with Ikea Alex desk and drawers

About the space

Get-go of all, I want to talk briefly nearly my home office floor plan, so yous can decide which part of this DIY you want to apply to your ain space.

I've shared the space in depth on my home role renovation programme post , but to epitomize: My home office is 11ft by 11ft, and it is intended to be used primarily every bit a habitation part and craft room and occasionally every bit a guest chamber, given it is one of the only two bedrooms we have in our 1000 sqft house.

Why Ikea Alex desk-bound hack? How much does information technology price?

To maximize the workspace and achieve a custom look, I decided to create a congenital-in desk.

I accept consulted with a local custom cabinet visitor before I committed to doing an Ikea hack, and they quoted more than than $3000 with some limitations on the drawers and tabular array acme materials.

Whereas the Ikea Alex hack is well under $500 which includes all the materials, with tons of drawers and customization possibilities. So the reply is clear – Ikea Alex Hack!

Desk congenital-in design with Ikea Alex drawer and Ekby Alex shelf hack

Before I got right down to the DIY office, I used SketchUp to create a 3D model of this desk built-in and figured out the dimensions.

This pace is totally optional merely I like viewing the space in 3D to make sure my plan will piece of work since I have not seen any design like this before.

Here'south a render. After tweaking it multiple times I'g pretty happy with the design solution and the amount of desk storage.

With the window on the wall and closet door to the correct, I couldn't make the whole desk-bound go wall to wall.

Instead I dedicated sixty% of the space to a long desk with two Alex drawer units with drib file storage, and use the remaining space for a sewing nook which is lower than the desk to adapt the window, and shallower depth so it won't cake the closet door.

You can see in this rendering that the sewing table is adjacent to the closet door casing.

To add more storage, peculiarly for the sewing nook, I decided to add 1 Ekby Alex unit to each table elevation.

As a result, the sewing table is only broad enough to let me to attach the Ekby Alex shelf with drawers(46 ⅞"), leaving enough space for the desk area to let my husband and I work side to side.

Hither'due south all the furniture pieces I bought from Ikea for my home part born desk and sewing nook:

• two 10 ALEX drawer unit with drop file storage
• 2 ten EKBY ALEX shelf with drawers

There'due south two configurations for Ikea Alex drawer unit, one is with a driblet file storage drawer, and the other one replaces the file drawer to two shallow drawers.

I picked the drop file configuration because I desire to continue my file organized in my home office instead of having a dissever file cabinet.

Ikea Alex Ekby hack video

This brusque video will give y'all an overview of how to programme your infinite with Ikea Alex drawer units, besides every bit walk you through the DIY process.

I recommend you lot to watch information technology and read through this blog post for the full DIY instructions to brand your dream habitation office come true.

As well yous tin subscribe to y'all Youtube Channel if yous like to lookout man more videos like this. I usually mail service video first before posting a weblog post. So consider SUBSCRIBE 🙂

Step by pace instructions on Ikea Alex desk-bound congenital-in hack

Assemble Alex drawer unit

First, I assembled both Alex drawer units fully merely leaving the drawers out. For Ekby Alex shelf, I assembled the drawers and the frame, but left the top of the frame out. This is because subsequently I volition attach the top frame to the desk-bound tabletop offset.

For drawers, I assembled them fully but didn't put them in the frame. Leaving the drawers out will make the future installation easier, which I'll explain in the later steps.

DIY custom forest tabular array top for Ikea Alex desk

Now it is time to prepare the tabular array pinnacle which volition sit on those Alex drawer units, plus another table top for my sewing nook.

If you want to buy a table top, you can get Ikea tabletop such as Linnmon . If you like a wood finish similar me, there are also some affordable wood table top options, such as this walnut terminate tabletop, or this cute light wood table elevation.

For this project, but I decided to DIY my own custom tabular array top for the following reasons:

1. I wanted a wood table summit because the natural wood grain hides clay and scratches pretty well
2. Ikea Linnmon tabletop is simply shy of a couple inches from my desired length.

In terms of table top material, I bought ii ¾" thickness PureBond plywood from my local Home Depot. I chose this specific plywood because it has a very fine finish and is formaldehyde-free.

I picked the scarlet oak finish for the cute oak grain. They too take maple and birch finish bachelor.

Hither's how I created the thick and sturdy table acme using the plywood:

i.Attach 2 plywood together.

First I did some rough cut to the plywood then they are roughly the size of the desk and my sewing tabular array; This too allows me to save some extra materials for a tiny backsplash as seen in my photos.

My firm is old and the wall is curved. With the backsplash pieces I tin embrace the gap.

I used wood mucilage and 1 inch screws to attach two plywood together. After giving them ane day to dry and cure, I cut them to size with a round saw .

When y'all cutting them, be mindful of which side volition be facing up since the saw blade has a direction which volition outcome in 1 side being rougher than the other side. I also encourage yous to use painter's tape to protect the cutting line before cutting in social club to achieve a sharper cut edge.

You might want to get out a little wiggle room when you cut and trim them shorter later to ensure the unabridged congenital-in will become wall to wall without any gaps.

2. Add forest veneer record

Now the table top is cut to size, I applied ane one/2 inch wood veneer to the edges which will be seen, and trim with border band cutter, and then polish the border with fine sanding newspaper.

In my case, I covered the forepart edge and the correct edge. I also applied veneer to the backsplash pieces. I used red oak veneer and then the entire piece will look cohesive when I stain them afterward.

Subsequently the veneer, information technology looks like a solid wood piece rather than something that is made of plywood.

3. Staining

This step is optional as y'all can seal the table top as is by applying a few coats of sealer.

For my table meridian, I wanted a lighter and grayer color, and so I mixed and matched several water based stains from Varathane, and landed with a finish that is Weathered Oak + Sunbleached + white wax .

Then I applied iii coats of water based sealer.

This sealer is actually my go to forest sealer as information technology is water based, then piece of cake to clean and besides doesn't change the wood colour.

Don't forget to stain and seal the edge with wood veneer besides.

Gather desk born with Ikea Alex drawer units

Now information technology'south time to set the desk built-in. I beginning placed the table top on the 2 Alex drawer units.

At this point y'all can slide the drawer unit so they lineup with the tabular array summit nicely. Once I was happy with the location, I attached both drawer units to the surrounding wall.

I originally had baseboards every bit part of the DIY vertical shiplap wall project, then to make the drawer units flush to the walls, I cutting my baseboard using Ryobi multi tool attachment to remove parts of the baseboard.

To add back up for the super long table top, I add a 1 inch thick piece of wood and adhere it to the wall stud.

And for the sewing table, I used 3 pieces: i piece to the dorsum wall, just like the long desk-bound; 1 piece attached to the Alex drawer to the left; 1 slice attached to the correct side wall.

supporting board for desk-bound

supporting boards for sewing table

Try to attach them to as many studs as possible for maximum forcefulness. I used Stud Buddy to discover studs, and marked the studs with painter's tape.

Alternatively you can utilise the Ikea Adils leg to back up the center of the desk but I want to keep a clean look and besides to brand certain there's enough infinite to hang the pencil drawers.

Once you lot are certain with the placement of tabletop, Yous can secure it in identify.

Since the tabletop is already placed on the Ikea Alex drawer units, I used a few L brackets to attach the table to the wall – in my case, it is attached to the horizontal forest board right beneath tabletop.

Add pencil drawers (Ekby Alex shelf with drawer hack)

Before adding the pencil drawers, confirm that you are able to comfortably fit your legs. The infinite is perfect for me.

However,  my husband is 6'2″ and he is not able to comfortably fit his legs nether the pencil drawers. If that'due south the case for you lot, you lot volition need to decide whether you want to go without the pencil drawer, or raise the desk a few more than inches to fit comfortably.

At this step, I will embrace those tabular array top supporting boards with past Ekby Alex shelf.

Remember at the furniture assembly phase I recommended leaving the top off? This is the pace it will be useful 🙂

I starting time attached pencil drawer top frame to the table top with 1.five inch screws, and then added the residue of the drawer frame, following the installation manual came with Ikea. Once I attached the entire frame to the table top, I slid in the drawers.

The aforementioned method applies to the sewing table. Every bit an additional footstep, I secured the pencil drawer frame to the left and right supporting boards. This is made possible due to the pencil drawer is sandwiched correct between the supporting boards.

You tin can come across in the photo above that at that place's gaps between the Ekby shelves and Alex drawers. Don't worry, we will make full the gap in the adjacent step ?

Add filler pieces, then pigment over

Now it is fourth dimension to fill the gap betwixt the Ekby shelf and Alex drawer unit.

I covered the front and bottom sides of the gap with ¼ inch MDF boards. I basically glued some scrap pieces to the left and right side of the inner gap, and glued the filler piece to them. aforementioned method applies to the lesser filler piece.

Here's what information technology looks like subsequently painting information technology over:

I and then covered visible seams with speckle . I didn't comprehend it completely because the Ikea Alex series has it seams between each board, so I was basically embracing that look.

And so information technology is fourth dimension for the painting job. I first primed it with Zinsser Bulls Eye primer which works not bad with Ikea laminated finishes.

Then I painted the entire built-in with 3 coats of Benjamin Moore Moonshine ( the aforementioned as my wall paint color). I did use a different sheen and product line within Benjamin Moore for durability : satin terminate from their Avant-garde line.

That is the entire procedure for the desk built-in!

Side by side I'll talk near some upgrades you tin can do to it, such as DIY organisation dividers for Alex drawers, plus how I modified the chair top for my sewing nook since it is lower than normal table peak.

Alex drawer organization DIY

Almost of my sewing storage will exist in my home office cupboard , and then I wanted the sewing pencil drawers to exist able to hold as many almost used tools as possible without having to visit the cupboard.

For the material, I used 1/4in MDF boards, which is the leftover from this project – in the filler pace.

I first by measuring the inside of Ekby Alex drawer, and decide on how many slots I desire for this drawer. I then cutting them to size and glued them with forest mucilage .

My recommended acme for the divider is 1.five inch. The reason is each drawer has a cutout serving as drawer pull and you probably want the divider to be below that. Also avoid having any divider in the cutout office.

You lot tin run across in this photo below I left the center free of divider so I can pull the drawer open without touching the divider.

I waited 24 hours for the woods glue to dry and cure. So I painted it white to lucifer the inside of Ikea Alex drawer. Since information technology is entirely held by gum, exercise handle information technology gently until it safely arrives within the drawer.

Ane thing to note is Alex drawer won't come all the manner out, unlike drawers from Ikea kitchen cabinet line. Just something to continue in mind while you design the drawer divider for arrangement.

Conform chair height for sewing table

To avoid running into the window, my sewing table is lower than a normal table. So information technology is a chip challenging to find a chair at the right height.

So instead, I made the chair shorter. I hunted downwardly a leather strap stool for only $10 from Facebook Marketplace and cut all four legs 3 inch shorter.

I picked the stool for its slim leg shape, then no one can tell I have cutting it short. This is a photo I took before I trimmed the legs:

and you tin can see there wasn't not enough room between the stool and drawers.

And this is after I trimmed the legs and I can sit comfortably in this sewing nook:

Thanks for following all the way to the terminate of the mail! I hope you detect some ideas and tricks from this Ikea Alex desk hack!

Actually this tutorial was requested multiple times since I posted a sneak peek on my Instagram folio so here you go 🙂

To check out my sewing/crafting cupboard which is too an Ikea hack, you can find it hither .

More DIY Ikea Hacks

DIY IKEA Banquette Seating Built-in | IKEA Havsta Hack

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DIY Window Seat with Ikea Nordli Drawers

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