status: inprogress

Introduction

In our living room, we are using Ikea’s IVAR system. Ikea’s IVAR is a versatile and customizable shelving system that has become a popular choice for individuals looking for flexible and functional storage solutions. Introduced by the Swedish furniture giant Ikea, the IVAR system is known for its simplicity, durability, and adaptability, making it a favourite among DIY enthusiasts and homeowners alike.

The IVAR system primarily consists of solid pine wood components that can be easily assembled and configured to suit various storage needs. Its modular design allows you to combine different elements such as shelves, cabinets, drawers, and more, creating a personalized storage solution that fits seamlessly into your home or office.

The IVAR system offers the convenience of assembling your custom elements, as exemplified in our current project. Over the years, Ikea has introduced a diverse range of cabinets, but we sought one that harmonizes better with the existing cabinets in our living room. Our primary objective was to ensure that the cabinet’s design aligned seamlessly with the rest of our furniture, particularly by opting for a flat door design rather than one with a milled handle.
Besides that Ikea offers only IVAR Cabinets with a standard height of approximately 80 centimetres. However, this height didn’t suit our needs, prompting us to embark on the journey of crafting our custom cabinet.

Requirements

The cabinet will fit in an IVAR system of 80cm x 30cm

The cabinet has the following measurements.
Width = 80cm
Height = 40cm
depth = 30cm

The middle plank can be adjusted more to the top or to the bottom.

For his project, we use standard IKEA IVAR system planks to have the same wood as used for the rest of the IVAR system

We decided to use screws to mount the cabinet similar to some of the cabinets delivered by IKEA. You can decide to use other methods then you have to look carefully at which holes should be drilled. before starting to drill add the holes you need for your method

Plans

We have designed the cabinet in Fusion 360.

Build

step 1 Cut the planks

The first step is to cut all the planks in the correct sizes according to the drawings. The standard IVAR planks contain metal strips for hanging the planks in the shelving unit. Before cutting the planks it is advised to remove the metal inserts of the planks used for the doors, the sides and the middle plank. This is needed to avoid hitting the metal parts with the saw since we are cutting some parts directly behind the metal strip.
Then we used our circular table saw and cut all the parts to the correct sizes according to the plans.

step 2 mill the slots

The next step is to prepare the planks for mounting the backplate in a milled slot. This step is not necessary if you do not have a router/table router, you can also simply screw or nail directly to the back of the cabinet frame. We decided to put the backside in a milled slot like IKEA is also doing in most cases.

step 3 Drill the holes

The next step is drilling all the holes in the sides, the top, the bottom, and the doors. according to the template. If you need different heights or multiple planks inside the cabinet then you should also drill them.
If you mount the cabinet frame in another way together then you have to look at which holes are needed to drill

Step 4 Build the cabinet

If everything is cut and the holes are drilled then the IKEA package is ready and you can start mounting everything together. Start with mounting the sites to the bottom of the cabinet. like we have done.

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Next, insert the back plate into the milled slot.

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Position the top onto the cabinet and secure it with screws.

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The cabinet is now ready. Install the plank holder on the sides and place the middle plank within.

Step 5 making and placing the doors

The next step is making the doors and mounting them on the cabinet. First start to glue and mount the wood strips to the doors that prevent the doors from bending due to moisture.

The next step is to mount the doors to the hinges and tune the hinges so that the doors are hanging correctly.

If you want you can add some door handles or a popup click system for easy opening of the door.

Step 6 Finish the cabinet

Finishing the cabinet. We use some type of meuble oiled to oil our cabinet but you can leave it blank or paint it. that is up to you.

materials

4 x IKEA IVAR plan 83 x 30
1 x IKEA IVAR plan 83 x 50
1 plywood sheet of 80 x 40 4 mm thick
4 x kitchen hinges
4 x inserts where the plank in the cabinet can rest on. This could be the pins default used by IKEA Ivar.
12 x plywood Screw 5 x 45 with TX 25.

Used tools

Circular table saw
Table router
Drill press
screwdriver