Building sitting room storage

Penny_Farthing_2

Hi
I have an alcove about 230cm wide, 36mm deep in my sitting room. I'd like to fill it with something a bit like this

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/

I like the style but not the colour or finish. I'd like to see if I could cobble something similar together in reasonable wood painted cream - for way less cash if possible.

240cm window sill boards with a nice rounded edge are £23 odd in B+Q and I could maybe use kitchen wall cupboards as a carcass behind solid doors (trying to think laterally). T+g as a cupboard backing behind any glass doors?

I'm a bit stuck otherwise.
Has anyone done this before? I'm a bit stuck for doors.
Can anyone recommend a good 'Idiot's Guide' book that might help with this please?
Thanks
PF

Steve_Groves

Hi,

your link didn't seem to work for me. I got a generic page about living rooms and not a specific product.

However, given you are talking about IKEA storage then I am guessing that you are looking at the modular cubbyhole type storage. A nice easy method is to make lots of boxes out of 5 pieces of MDF. If you go to a B&Q Warehouse then they have a cutting facility so you work out the size pieces you need and just buy 1 or 2 pieces of 18mm or 25mm MDF. Simply drill pilot holes and countersink hole and screw together.

An example cutting list in 25mm MDF for a 500mm square hole 400mm deep would be:
2 qty 500mm x 375mm (top & bottom)
2 qty 450mm x 375mm (sides)
1 qty 500mm x 500mm (back)

if you want to make one 1000mm wide then make top and bottom 1000mm x 375mm & back 1000mm x 500mm
if you want to make one 1000mm high then make sides 950mm x 375mm and back 500mm x 1000mm

2400mm x 1200mm MDF sheets are £15 - £18 so very cheap so might be worth an experiment with 1 sheet.

Doors are simply a piece the size of your hole with surface mounted hinges e.g. 450mm x 450mm for the example

Paint with MDF primary, your choice of paint and then some varnish to give a nice hard finish

HTH

SailorSam

MDF is easy to work with and can be painted or stained, if you measure exactly what you want B&Q will make the first few cuts for free, so if you bought one sheet of MDF and got free cuts and whoever went with you bought one sheet and got their free cuts, or made several trips.

Penny_Farthing_2

Sorry Steve when I checked earlier, the picture was still on the one I had scrolled to, which was Page 10 - the Liatorp storage. Basically, it's 2 tall bookcases with 1/2 glass/ half 'wood' doors. There's a shelving 'bridging' unit between the cupboards and above the TV stand. I like the slightly 'cottagey, old fashioned' look of it. Thanks ver much for the MDF advice, though, for the cupboards at the bottom.

Steve_Groves

The hardest part of the project will be the doors so find them and then go from there. The MDF/B&Q approach can be scaled up to the size you would need and will work out cheaper than kitchen carcases. A router can then cut the grooves in the back boards to give the T&G effect you want.

If you want a book then scan on Amazon for "kitchen cabinets". There are loads of books that have 4 or 5 star reviews and can be purchased as used books for a few pounds + P&P. None will be "idiots guide" level but the basics will be covered. I find Jim Tolpin books are fairly good and are easy to read. I've got "Building Traditional Kitchen Cabinets".

HTH

Penny_Farthing_2

That's a sensible way to start, I think. I hadn't thought about using a router either! Thanks for the tip with books. I'd tried Amazon but searched for furniture making and that wasn't specific enough so I'll have another go as you suggested. Thanks again.