IKEA Hacking Meets 3D Printing

The IKEA hackers have been busy. Those creative DIY souls take love of all things IKEA to another level, and now, even one step further with the inclusion of 3D printing into a number of projects. Just sit back and watch the creativity — and pure delight — soar.

IKEA has an inimitable presence in the home furnishings market, and a dedicated following. You can count me into the bunch, unflagging in my adoration of their streamlined, otherworldly furniture pieces and decor. IKEA has it all, from simple design and the uber cool factor (let’s not forget the headlines about communal napping in China locations), to major affordability. And since the hacking craze is all about taking the Swedish designs and making them your own, moving up to the next level with 3D printing of various items is a no-brainer. IKEA took the smart marketing approach and has embraced their hackers, who certainly provide them with exponential, and free, advertising.

There’s not too much assembly involved in most of these hacks — and sorry, no Swedish meatball recipes either. At the top of my list of hacks is surprisingly not the most glamorous, but definitely the most utilitarian and necessary. Nothing is more heartbreaking than salivating over the new IKEA product you’ve brought home, with a perfect picture on the box, and then discovering that a part is missing or broken. That’s not a good scene at the IKEA lover’s home. You can avoid that terrifying emotional rollercoaster though with 3D printed spare parts created by Hafners Buero from IKEA hackers. These items encompass the most common parts required with: dowels, arrester spare part, rear wall bracket and rail mount.

Next on the list comes an amazing variation on a floor lamp from IKEA that was transformed into a pendant lamp. When I think of IKEA, I think of lamps first and foremost. They have such unique designs and the prices are good enough to turn you into a very greedy little consumer. Samuel Bernier shared his refurbished design of the Regolit lampshade via coroflot, along with the story of how he discovered the broken down piece of lighting when he moved to a different living space. He was so enamored with his design that he ended up printing 12 different lamps, with lamps taking between 4 and 12 hours to print, weighing 50g to 100g, and requiring no supports.

And again with the heavenly lights of IKEA comes the Lampan hack, which has an interesting story behind it. In March at Eindhoven Mini Maker Faire in the Netherlands, event goers were asked to draw ideas for the lamp shades on paper, and then an ‘interactive installation’ created it in a 3D model, seen above. You also can download the design here from Thingiverse.

Grundtal Spotlight Swivel Mount

In what is a true hacking device, you can download the design for the Grundtal Spotlight Swivel Mount here from Thingiverse if you are looking for a solution to diffuse light in a living or work space. Offering a two-piece swiveling mount, the process is pretty simple in that you can print the pieces, assemble them with a twist tie, and then get to work on assembling the lamps and the mounts.

Saving the most creative hack for last, though, is the idea for turning a stool into a bike. I can only shake my head in wonderment at the impressive creative process there, with the Draisienne bike, the creation of two Thingiverse users (previously unknown to each other) who collaborated on this hack, featuring 3D printed parts to hold the bike together and create comfort in the grip area. It was hard for me to visualize how they even came up with the idea until I looked at the materials laid out piece by piece. Wouldn’t this be a the gift of the century — not to mention a forever conversation piece? For more information on how to make your own, click here.

Other hacks that look like a lot of fun are the Pokal Clip On Vase, which in the most simple stroke of genius, transforms a clear IKEA glass into an elegant vase. The MARIUS storage net is a wonderful hack for adding an extra bit of storage to your IKEA stool, and the colorful 3D printed tops for the IKEA shot glass are cute enough that you would want them in your house even if you have no use whatsoever for them.

Have you been involved in the IKEA hacking fever? Will you be trying any of these 3D designs? Tell us all about it in the IKEA Hack Meets the 3D Printer forum over at 3DPB.com.

Draisienne bike