This IKEA Hack Is One of My All-Time Small-Space Favorites

DIY projects are often a mathematical feat with lots of measurements and a little bit of Tetris involved. A bit of over-ordering on materials like tile and trim is often best practice to account for mistakes, but sometimes if you’re doing a project in a small space you might end up with leftover materials you don’t have room for (think: paint cans you now have to store, rolls of wallpaper, and more).

I don’t have a ton of room in my own apartment to store DIY supplies (and the spot I’ve designated is currently overflowing with rolls of wallpaper), which is why I love this clever desk project by DIYer Holli Brown (@homebyholli). 

In her IKEA MALM desk makeover, Holli used another familiar IKEA product for a fluted look instead of pole wrap column cover. It’s pole wrap’s smaller-scale cousin: the IKEA RÖDEBY armrest.

The RÖDEBY armrest is made with wood slats that can curve over the armrest of a sofa to turn it into an instant mini drink table. Those slats are also perfect for adding texture to smaller furniture surfaces like this desk Holli made over.

She wanted something less “standard,” and more “bespoke,” she previously told AT, and the texture that the RÖDEBY brings is the perfect fit.

While the IKEA RÖDEBY is bamboo, and pole wrap is wood veneer or MDF, the two serve similar purposes when it comes to DIY projects, as both can bend around a piece of furniture and add a fluted wood look. 

Because pole wrap comes in rolls that are typically 48 inches long at minimum, and that roll will cost around $70 at minimum, it’s not always the best fit for small-scale projects because you might not need all of it. To save money (and material), I’d recommend Holli’s method. 

All it took was one $20 RÖDEBY armrest tray to complete her project. Holli’s partner, Seb Ingram, helped her cut it horizontally to fit the drawer front. In addition to being cheaper than a ready-made column cover, this method was also cheaper than “cutting, painting, and attaching individual pieces of wood,” Holli points out in the Before & After post about the desk. She used No More Nails to attach the pre-fluted piece.

DIYer Luisa Ehlgötz (@schereleimpapier) also used the RÖDEBY in her nightstand project to add concealed storage that opens and closes with magnets. 

The RÖDEBY comes in two colorways: a wood-toned option and a black option, which means you might not have to paint it if your furniture base is black. If you do have to paint, Holli proved it was no problem. She and Seb lightly sanded the RÖDEBY and then painted it in Dulux’s White Cotton to match the white desk. 

The DIY lessons to be learned here? “Shop around for the cheapest material,” Holli says. And for small-scale projects, that might just be this IKEA armrest. For other IKEA household finds that are ripe for DIY projects, I’d recommend the IKEA LÖNSAS and the IKEA STOLTHET.