Description: I've been inspired by an IKEAhackers Post from Chris, who did a fantastic job on his Besta-based media center.
But instead of going with the Framsta Panels, I decided to go for a realistic looking DIY cement stones wall with a couple of light spots on top, hidden in a Besta Burs rack.
But let's start with the base. I used a couple of white Besta cabinets with black doors and drilled holes in their walls, to be able to hide all those wires from the AV equipment, lighting etc.
I also installed a bright RGB LED into the Besta cabinet on the left, to light up the wines and glases stored in there.
I screwed a couple of drywalls to my existing wall in the living room, on which I glued the cement stones bought in my local hardware shop. The stones wouldn't stick for very long when glued directly to the wallpaper, also I wanted to be able to remove the entire wall easily.
I left a little space free of stones so I could wall-mount my TV. What I forgot (and regret) to build is a little channel below the TV to hide the wires. As it's not possible to do this after gluing the stones on the drywall, I decided to use a aluminum panel to hide the wires of the TV. I won't forget this the next time building such wall ;)
The last thing I did, was drilling four holes for the light spots into the Besta Burs rack (I had to buy two Besta Burs racks, as they're sold in black or white only. But I definetly wanted a white corpus with a black door). I picked some dimmable 'Paulmann' spots from the local hardware store which can be mounted into walls or in this case, into the rack. So everything is hidden in the rack itself... the bulbs, cables etc. The power cable to the lights is hidden within the drywall.
So that's it... one of my best IKEA hacks so far =)
What IKEA materials I used to build this:
1x Besta Burs rack, white
1x Besta Burs rack, black
2x Besta cabinets, white (120x40x38cm)
2x Besta Tofta Doors, black
1x Besta cabinet (60x40x64cm)
1x Besta Tofta Door with black wooden and a glas-part in the middle
7x Besta Legs
Non-IKEA materials:
Drywalls
Screws + Screw anchors
Paulmann light spots
Decorative (cement) stones
Dry adhesive for the stones
And two days of time :)
Total cost of this project was a little above 1100,- Euro ...but worth every cent and hour!
See more photos of this project.
~ Jens, Stuttgart, Germany
Wow this is amazing, very professional finished look.
ReplyDeleteDon Draper approves.
ReplyDeleteGreat job. Looks like a pro did it.
ReplyDeleteContent is King. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteOmg! Love this! Looks awesome.
ReplyDeletethat's really really fantastic!!! luv it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments =)
ReplyDeleteI added a couple of photos to my dropbox, if you want to see some more pictures from the "making of"
http://db.tt/nFO50BSv
Cheers,
Jens
What is the name of the decorative stones and dry adhesive that you used?
Deletehi jens amazing,have uv got email please because i have to ask u please thanks,kostas is my name.
DeleteVery nicely done. The only thing that bugs me is that you didn't use the drywall in the back to create a cable duct. It would have been even sweeter with a free floating screen.
ReplyDeletethis bugs me too! I simply forgot to create such a cable duct... damn x)
DeleteBeautiful.
ReplyDeletehow much did this end up costing you for the decorative stone? I really like this look
ReplyDeleteI paid about 200 Eur for the stones and the drywalls. The 'real' stones are a lot more expensive (and heavier)
DeleteHack of the year candidate for sure! Absolutely stunning.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea on the drywall too for all us renters out there
This looks great, and I had no idea there even existed such a thing as artificial stacked rock. Nice. What type of feel/weight does it have? Like, flimsy or solid...? Plastic-ish? I can't even imagine it.
ReplyDeletewell, the stones feel like stones ;) they're made of cement/plaster and not of plastic. The total weight of the wall is around 250KG, so that's why I used quite a lot heavy duty screws to fix it on the wall ;)
DeleteCheers - Jens
I am so doing this one day! Very nice :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks great but I don't get the hack part especially with the Ikea elements. The Besta units are being used and assembled they way they were intended save for a few holes
ReplyDeleteI'm seeing a Billy-Benno library 2.0 here, great DIY project but a hack, not so much
Great work, beautiful set up. Just one questions about the stones. I imagine you had to cut a few to fit them correctly on the drywall. Was it difficult and what did you use to cut them to size?
ReplyDeleteHi... I just had to cut the stones on the very right side to have a clean finish.
ReplyDeleteI used a simple saw (actually I used one that is designed to cut metal) as the stones are made of concrete. I don't know if that's the most correct translation, but it's almost the same stuff the doctor uses when you break one of your bones ;)
Cheers - Jens
Thanks for your reply Jens.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, great work.
Danke.
This looks like an awesome showroom look! I'm inspired!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Jens
Can you link to the white Besta cabinets? I can't seem to find ones on the Ikea site that match those dimensions
ReplyDeleteHi Kyle... this is the besta cabinet article from the german IKEA website: http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/20102149/#/60134049
DeleteHi Jens
Deletewhich doors did you use for the besta cabinet? I cant find them...:) (german IKEA Website please) :)
The Besta Tofta doors... 60x38cm / black --> http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/40186591/#/00186593
Deletecan you please post your shopping list.
ReplyDeleteEg. http://www.housepoint0.com/wp-content/uploads/besta_shopping_list.png
Thank you.
Hi Jens,
ReplyDeleteawesome work you did there! I was thinking about doing something similar a while back (that is, put my TV on the wall and have the wall decorated with exactly those kinds of stone). So you'd be doing me a HUGE favor if you could tell me where exactly you found those stones(i.e. what is your "local hardware shop"), since I wasn't able to find anything like that. I live in Hamburg btw.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Hi Matt,
DeleteI searched quite a long time to find the right stones for me. I sticked to the Limburg stones from Klimex then, which can be found at Hornbach in Germany... even in their online shop:
http://www.hornbach.de/shop/Verblender-Klimex-Limburg-Creme/7620500/artikel.html
Cheers,
Jens
Hi Jens,
Deletegreat, thank you so much! I'll pay Hornbach a visit over the weekend :-)
Hey Jens
ReplyDeleteGreat DIY stuff
Can you please help me understand the things you bought out of Ikea on your pictures ?
I think i got it wrong, but dont you have too many things listed ?
1x Besta Burs rack, white (I dont see this one)
1x Besta Burs rack, black ( This is the top unit (?))
2x Besta cabinets, white (120x40x38cm) (both of the cabinets which the TV stands on)
2x Besta Tofta Doors, black (??)
1x Besta cabinet (60x40x64cm) (the one with the planets and the glass door)
1x Besta Tofta Door with black wooden and a glas-part in the middle (the glass door)
7x Besta Legs (all Cabinets legs)
Hope you can help me understand.
thanks
Erez
Hi Erez,
Deletesorry for the confusion ;)
I got two Besta Burs racks, as I changed the cover plates/doors of them. That's the only way to have a Besta Burs with a white body and a black front. The second one is not on the pictures as it resides in my bedroom :)
The black Besta Tofta doors are attached to the Besta cabinets (white cabinets, black doors). Have you had a look at the dropbox archive? (http://db.tt/nFO50BSv) I've put together quite a lot pictures... those might help you to understand which parts I mixed together.
Have fun with your Bestas... let us know how things are going! =)
Ciao,
Jens
Hi Jens, thanks for the reply
Deletei saw the dropbox project, its awesome! (thank you !)
I just have few more questions
Shouldn't there be 8 Leg Packs ?
as for the Tofta Doors are they 60*38 ? if they are, there should be 4 doors and not 2 am I right ?
if there are only 2 what are thier sizes ? can you link me to Ikea website ?
I almost got everything I need for this project from Ikea
now I am still looking for the wall stones, cant seem to find them In Tel Aviv.
Thanks
Erez
P.S
Deleteis there any way i can communicate you via Email or something ?
if do please let me know or contact me via
mightydu@gmail.com
Thanks
Love this hack. For those folks in the US, Lowe's has a similar stone veneer solution. It's made by a company called Airstone. http://www.lowes.com/pd_376368-35760-CLSCF_0__?productId=3594594. You can also go to their website to see better pics of the stones: www.airstone.com
DeleteHallo aus Nurnberg! thanks for all the info! its exactly what i was looking for! couple of questions though...1) how did you attach the dry wall panels to the wall? is the TV mount attached to the wall through the dry wall? or did you cut an area in the dry wall ?
ReplyDeletethnks!
Karl
Hallo nach Nürnberg!
DeleteI screwed the dry wall panels to the wall. Make sure to get heavy ones that are able to carry all the weight.
There are plenty of photographs in the dropbox that show how I actually attached the dry walls to the wall. The link is in the article above (http://db.tt/53EmDCDZ).
The TV mount is attached to the wall through the dry wall. This should work for you as well, if you make sure to get the right screws and anchor bolts!
Have fun =)
Jens
Hi Jens,
ReplyDeletegreat work. You give me a lot of inspiration for my own stonewall project. But I also want to know, how exactly you fixed the TV at the wall. And can you please tell me where did you bought the rack for the wine bottles?
Thanks and Grüße aus Köln
Tobi
Hi Tobi,
Deletethe wine rack is from eBay... I had the luck to get it for just 1€ =)
Regarding the TV... please have a look at the photographs stored in the dropbox account (http://db.tt/53EmDCDZ) It's a standard tv mount that you also could get from eBay. Just take care of the 'vesa' mount system and that your mount is able to carry the weight of your tv.
I used some heavy screws and anchor bolts from the local hardware shop instead of the standard screws that ship with the tv mount...
Grüße aus Stuttgart,
Jens
Hi Jens,
ReplyDeletegreat work! What kind of glue did you use to fix the stones to the drywalls ("Rigips")? When I look around similar solutions on the internet, they use OSB-Boards ("Pressspaanplatten").
Is there any specific reason you chose drywalls?
Best, Florian
PS: I loved this hack so much, I have thoroughly planned the same for my living room and will go to the hardware store tomorrow :)
PS2: I think its also better to leave little gaps in between the drywalls for cables.
PS3: Will post pictures when done :)
Hey Florian,
Deleteto glue the stones I used a ready-to-use tile adhesive (Fließenkleber).
I didn't use the OSB boards as they're normaly coated and the adhesive might not work as good as on drywalls. Also there is a little risk that the wood might absorb some water from the adhesive etc, so it might bend.
Also the drywalls are cheaper and thinner :)
Hope to see some pictures of your new wall soon!
Cheers,
Jens
hi jens ,ur hack is amazing,have uv got any email adress because i want contact with u please???thanks,costas
ReplyDeletehi jens amazing hack,have uv got any email addres so i can speak with u please???thanks costas
ReplyDeleteHi Costas,
Deletefeel free to post your questions etc right here, so everybody can benefit from it =)
Ciao,
Jens
ok no problem but i have so many questions and my english is not so perfect.my email is genovezosfrostas@hotmail.com. please if u can send me.thanks,u think that if i buy the besta burs rack in white and i paint only the door black,u think that will be the ame black??
ReplyDeletehi jens,thanks for write me back,u think if i paint the dour black will be the same like besta doors??i mean from besta rack.??
ReplyDeleteHi Kostas,
DeleteI'm not an expert in painting such an object, but in my experience it's hard to achieve the perfect glossy look of the painted besta burs rack.
You would need to grind the original door to remove the old paint and to have a sticky ground for your new paint.
Maybe this would work if you buy a spray paint can and paint your door in your desired color and then add a clear coat for the glossy look. But it's difficult to get a perfect finish without any enclosings or drops wihtout professional equipment...
Cheers,
Jens
Greetings Jens,
ReplyDeleteLet me first tell you how much I appreciate sharing your great work and now much you have inspired us.
One quick question (how much is the distance between the lower rack and the top one ) the stone space.
and how much is the thickiness of each stone you used.
Regards,
Hi,
Deletethanks for your appreciation =)
The distance between the top of the lower rack and the bottom of the top rack is 130cm in my case. If that's the figure you were looking for?
The stones vary in their thickness. I think they're between 1cm and 3cm thick. The lenght and width vary too, just the height is always the same. This variation is good to get a natural looking result and nothing that seems to repeat after every few stones.
Have a good time buildung your stone wall!
Cheers,
Jens
Hello Jens,
ReplyDeleteI love the work you did and I am currently putting together many of the pieces you have in your work.
My only question for you is when it comes to the Besta Tofta Doors. You have written you used 2 of them that are 60cm x 38cm, but I am wondering should that be 4 doors or am I seeing something wrong? Thank in advance and again great work.
Hello Jens,
ReplyDeleteReally like what you've done. Im inspired to do the same. But I have very small living room (11ft by 15ft). How big is your room. Im just afraid it would not look good on ours.
Thanks,
Joseph
While that certainly looks fantastic, I couldn't help but cringe at the fact that you spent all of that money to get it to look good while skimping on some awful home theater in a box speaker system. Maybe I'm weird but I'd prefer home theater performance over appearance. Now go out and get an emotive pro/amp combo and a definitive technology procinema 1000. You're welcome.
ReplyDeleteHi, great job! I was wondering: in the 22nd picture in your dropbox folder, you can clearly see that you cut off the top part of the drywall. How did you do that? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIgor
Hello Jens,
ReplyDeleteReally like what you've done. We're inspired to do the same.
We have a lot of questions about the stones, so could you please contact us on Bjarke_skov@hotmail.com
From Denmark :)
Hello Jens,
ReplyDeleteYou've done a great job, very great!
Maybe getting a new appartment soon and i am going to build this to.
Can u tell me which Wallmount is good? Maybe Yours? I got a 60" LG TV and wont got an bad Mount for this construction.
Hope u can help me :)
Greetings from Aachen Germany :)
Wow! What a fantastic job you did. I was just looking for stone type tiles to put on my wall to create something for my TV and a Dimplex electric fireplace. So google led me to your photos. Thanks for sharing. Lots of inspiration and a good example of the stone wall look.
ReplyDeleteThanks from New York City.
dsl
Wow. What a great job you did! I was doing google searches to see pictures of stone walls, because I wanted to do something simliar to what you have done. Your photos give me great inspiration and now I'm convinced NOT to use wallpaper but go for the actual stone tiles. I wanted to add a Dimplex electric fireplace so have to see if Ikea stuff will work with it. Anyway, excellent work and thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteDiane