When I first moved to Seattle, I moved into a house built in 1907 that I’m pretty sure was never updated since then. Needless to say, we had counter-space problems. As in, “seriously, where is the counter?” space problems.
So my roommates and I decided to hunt for some options that we could make ourselves to add some counter-space for as little money as possible. We stumbled upon this idea. And decided to go for it.
And when I moved to my new apartment, I made it again and added the hardware. Now, we use it as a “we-have-no-where-else-to-put-our-microwave” microwave stand.
Here’s how I did it. First you need two IKEA Lack tables. These bad boys are awesome and only $8. I used one I had left over and a new one for the bottom. The first hack I made, we used double stick tape to connect the legs of the top table to the bottom table. The second time I used a hot glue gun. I’d definitely recommend going the tape route, because the hot glue can make things uneven.
The table I used on top was damaged, but that didn’t matter because I covered it with a cutting board my dad made me. If you don’t have a handy-dandy dad to make you one, I wouldn’t recommend buying one because they are pricey. Instead, I’d try paper in a cool print and then cover it with contact paper. The U-District book store has some cool, large printed paper and contact paper can be found at target or craft stores. (Bonus: if you use contact paper, it will be easy to wipe off if you spill on it.) One extra thing I added to my microwave stand was a Bygel bar in front to hang dish towels from.
Getting to IKEA from the U-District is possible by bus and free for us Huskies with the U-Pass. But keep in mind you have to haul home everything you buy, so I’d advise begging finding a friend with a car and making the trip that way.
The best thing about this project is the price. Here’s a budget breakdown for you:
2 Ikea Lack tables: 1 used = free, 1 new = $7.99
1 Ikea Bygel rail: $2.99
4 screws for the rail: 4 x .30 from True Value in the U-District = $1.20
Wood table top = Free from dear-ol’-dad
Grand total = $12.18, not bad for a functional microwave stand.
Have you done any ikea hacks to save space? Let me know in the comments below.
-Sarah
Rainy Day DIY 