Materials: Ekby Alex
Description: I have a big question. I really want to use the Ekby Alex as a small suspended desk in my studio apartment BUT it's too big. I only have 100 cm and the shelf is 120 (don't know in inches).
Is there any way to shrink it? Honestly don't know how to face the drawers...
Maybe you guys with more hacking experience than mine can help me out and/or sort something similar..
~ Chiara, Milan, Italy
"One way is to saw off one side of the shelf and reattached the end bit to form a shorter shelf. If you are not keen or don't know how to resize the drawers, why not just keep one drawer and leave the shorter side as a cubby hole? It'll not look as balanced but it's a simple solution." ~ Jules
ciao chiara vedo che sei di milano quindi posso parlare in italiano!io credo farei cosi: estrai i cassetti e togli 10 cm per lato dalla struttura.cosi avrai la struttura ridimensionata.per quanto riguarda i cassetti ovviamente avrai un eccedenza.per fare una struttura bilanciata potresti toglierla, con lo stesso principio di prima, da ogni lato del cassetto. supponendo che dopo aver tagliato la struttura, ti avanzino 8 cm per cassetto, non dovrai far altro che togliere 4 cm da ciascun lato di ciascun cassetto può sembrare un po laborioso ma trovo sia la cosa migliore per avere una struttura bilanciata e simmetrica.spero di essere stata chiara (non è un gioco di parole :-P)
ReplyDeletefor all the users: i suggested to chiara to resize the structure 10 cm right and 10 cm left. she could resize the drawers the same way so she can have a balanced structure
Just to make it more work, wouldn't she have to trim both sides of each drawer to keep the handle area balanced?
DeleteGiusto per rendere più lavoro, non avrebbe dovuto tagliare entrambi i lati di ogni cassetto di mantenere la zona manovella bilanciata?
si è quello che intendevo e le ho detto di fare. it's just what i said to chiara..
DeleteThe Ekby Alex is a nice piece, but IMHO shortening it is not doable without ruining it (especially the drawers). You could put the drawers on top of each other, but then it loses the distinctive horizontal look.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a 100cm clearance, you may instead buy a couple of Malm bedside tables and put them side by side (each is 50cm wide) like this:
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2010/06/hacking-malm-nightstands-in-workstation.html
Honestly, I don't think it'll be worth it... Chopping off 10 cm at each side, redoing the drawers, redoing the finish.... it won't be a hack as much as a complete rebuilt. I suppose you could take off 20 cm in one side, like Jules suggested, and make do with one drawer, but is that really what you're after?
ReplyDeleteIf you want a mini-desk with two drawers then you could do it with two shelves (cut to fit) and two box-like containers. You can use the left-over pieces from the shelves to "close the gap" at each side, if you want. That'll involve less work than redoing the Ekby.
anna you're right, rebuilting the ekby it's a big work..i suggested that because i think that could be the best way to resize it and keep the structure. i think if chiara is able to do that we will see a very great hack.it's a great challenge too!it's up to her now! ;)
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me what the height and depth is of the drawer.
ReplyDeleteGuys first of all thank you for all the suggestions. Unfortunately I am unable to re-size the shelf by myself as I have never hacked the drawers before. The idea of two malm is not bad but there's no white version (my despair).
ReplyDeleteI guess the best solution would be 2 simple shelves plus a couple of baskets :/
I had the same problem :
ReplyDeleteIt is not very complicated, there are just 5 boards to be cut. At first, leave the drawer aside. Then, you cut 2 trays, that of the top and that of the bottom of a single side. For the drawer, I reduced fairly the face on each side to have always the notch in the center. I cut the bottom (where we want) and the stocking. You assemble the whole and it is good. The only problem, it is the cut of the trays that leaves a track, it would be necessary to stick a field to make well, but mine is stuck on the wall thus we do not see the cut part. If I have time, I would send you a photo.
(sorry for my english... i f you understand french, i can explain better )
Also, a possible solution is to saw two PAX shelves - the 1 m wide ones (http://www.ikea.com/ro/ro/catalog/products/70215120/) and to screw them together with two strips of wood painted white. At least, it doesn't cost much, so if it doesn't work out, you have very little money to lose. And to saw is not that difficult, and to paint even less. And then, use two or three BYHOLMA baskets (http://www.ikea.com/ro/ro/catalog/products/70173691/) as drawers.
ReplyDelete