Coffee Table (Hack of IKEA LACK)

A couple of years ago we were in IKEA and saw a coffee table for around fifty dollars. Who could pass up such a deal. Well, after two toddlers and people who like to put their feet on the table, it started to get a little wobbly. We got a few years out of it and knew from the looks of the top and joints that it was time to go, or at least be renovated. In this project I renovate our old IKEA coffee table with decoupage and Kee Klamp fittings.

Step 1 Materials, Tools, & SketchUp File

Materials

• (1) Old Coffee Table or Top
• (16 ft) 1 -5/8" fence post
• Kee Lite Fittings:
• (6) L10-7 (Tees)
• (4) L61-7 (Flanges)
• (4) 77-7 (Plugs)
• (16) Screws for Flanges
• Decorating Supplies

Tools

• Pipe Cutter
• Allen Wrench
• Marker
• Tape Measure

Also included below is a Sketchup File of the Coffee Table. See more of these type of sketchup projects in our SketchUp Library.

Comments

[bwalton]

so you know the link posted saying "click here" does not work it is not a link at all.

[kirnex]

Oh man, a great way to cover a tabletop. When done right, it'll last forever. I covered a scratched up veneer coffee table with brown bags about 15 years ago in the exact same fashion, and it's STILL looking good. It's a coffee table finish on steroids.

[owlsVSsnakes]

I'm not an expert on construction or anything of the sort. But if the short crossbars the go the width on each side were staggered so one was low and one was high, the structure would probably be much stronger. The idea is to create a triangle that will shift the load from the 16 screws in the wood onto the thick bars. Of course, you couldn't put things on the bar then.

[homebznez_pal]

i should say the design is great, however seem a little familiar to me though, or is it just the same type of project that i saw. but for a furniture, i should say all in all this one good. board and batten

[edless74]

Checked out simplified buildings website looks like their a big Keeklamp distributor, the brand sold around our are is called Interclamp so much cheaper than Keeklamp, maybe Simplified building should look at importing that brand

[lesliekay]

HAHA, I bought that exact table from Ikea (now priced around $30) and after only 6 months of three college kids and their friends constantly putting their feet up on it, the legs of the table became loose and stripped from the screws, the shelf that goes underneath wouldn't stay on the tiny little pegs that are supposed to hold it in there (because the legs were broken) and the entire table ended up getting trashed in the dumpster because it was totally unfixable at that point and was scratched, dented and very unstable. However, every other piece of furniture I've gotten from Ikea (my full-size bed, my huge couch, my kitchen table and chairs, TV stand, shelving, and much more) has been perfect and I've never had a single problem with them! I've even taken everything apart and put it all back together when I moved! Anyways, nice job on the project, wish I'd seen this sooner and maybe I could have saved what was once a very nice coffee table (we've resorted to using a footstool from Ikea as a 'table' haha)

[AcceptableRisk]

Not to be an ass or anything, but isn't this a bit of a conflict of interest? This user's name is named simplifiedbuilding and they're recommending $100 worth of pipe and fittings from www.simplifiedbuilding.com to fix up a $50 coffee table. I mean, sure the thing looks better than it did before, but I can't help but feel this is a thinly veiled corporate shill job.

[jg_hitzert]

This is my twist on the Ikea Hack. These were coffee tables that I tore the legs off and used to top off my kitchen island. They are covered in glitter infused bar top resin over hot rod flames.

[jg_hitzert]

I used a couple of these coffee table tops to cover my kitchen island. I painted flames and covered with glitter infused epoxy bar top. It worked very well.

[mrgibby]

those legs gotta be wreaking havoc on that rug.

[simplifiedbuilding]

Hi there, actually there are plastic pipe caps on the ends.. the table "glides" quite nicely across the rug. You're right though.. without the caps, it would be a disaster!

[sysadmn]

Clever - certainly stylish enough to blend in many decors. As nice as the Kee Lites are, I still can't make myself pay those prices. I can understand paying for quality for safety railing, but a $50 coffee table?
L10-7 ~ $7 x 6 = 42;
L61-7 ~ $9 x 4 = 36;
don't know what the 77-7 runs, but the L84-7 ~ $3.50 x 4 = 14
I guess around $100 is not too bad for furniture that should last a lifetime, but there is an element of sticker shock.

[theRIAA]

thats like $100 in tees, flanges, and plugs

[Boondoggle]

Beautiful decoupage work! Kind of inefficient recycling, though. With 85 bucks worth of Kee-Klamps in there, I might've pitched toward more standard hardware. Or skipped the legs and hung the decoupage for art's sake.

[ewilhelm]

Having been traumatized in my youth by IKEA furniture, I've gone in the totally opposite direction. However, it's nice to see the made-to-be-disposable stuff can form the base of something nice.

[mikesty]

Rock on for recyclables :)

[meddler]

Wow, heck of a job, looks great! I am a firm beliver in reusing things. I hate to see something thrown away if there is still a use for it.