In the realms of IKEA's classics, the LACK shelf is up there with the best of them. You'll see this popular and budget-friendly floating shelf system in all kinds of homes, bringing a sleek and modern touch to decorating walls.
But, unlike the likes of the BILLY bookcase, KALLAX sideboard, or even the sidetable from the same LACK range, you don't often see an IKEA hack using these floating shelves. Maybe this is because they just do the job they need to in the first place — but after discovering this "LACK hack" by creator Justin Miller, I have a feeling we've been overlooking a potential goldmine of creativity.
Justin, who chronicles his inventive decorating of a 1929 one-bed apartment in Los Angeles on Instagram and TikTok at @miztermiller, came up with the idea of a floating wall unit for a corner of his home. "I have long thought that the LACK shelves could be "hacked" into a wall unit; I have never seen someone do something similar," Justin tells me. "I have seen some really amazing built-in bookshelves that leave a large space without shelves to hang art, so that was my inspiration there. My friend had this "floating" shelving unit behind her couch that I loved for months before I realized it actually wasn't floating and had legs! So I mixed all these ideas together and came up with this."
Justin used a total of five LACK shelves for his DIY. Currently retailing at $29.99, it means this project comes in at just under $150. Is it just me, or does this idea not make this corner of Justin's home look incredibly chic and expensive?
"The shelves are so affordable and versatile, that I definitely think we will be seeing some more 'LACK hacks' in the future," Justin says. I spoke to the creator to get some more insight into his project.
How to create a floating wall unit with LACK shelves
The beauty of the design is in its simplicity, making it an ideal weekend project. There's no cutting required, and the LACK shelves have finished ends, so you get a neat finish just by attaching them together. "They come in three lengths, and I played around with different options utilizing the different lengths, but ended up only using the 74" ones," Justin explains.
It was then affixed to the wall using the provided wall anchors with the LACK shelving.
The process of creating Justin's idea is simple in concept, but a little unwieldy in execution. "I would definitely not recommend attempting it on your own like I did!" Justin advises. "It's possible, but the shelves are so big, they're a bit awkward to maneuver alone."
If you've ever tried to put up a LACK shelf before, you might also be acquainted with another issue Justin encountered. "I always find wall anchors to be more tricky than they need to be," he says. "The other thing that's a bit difficult is that the brackets have almost zero give to them - maybe 1mm of give - so you have to be very precise. A laser level will be your best friend."
Price: $34.97
Editor Hugh uses a self-leveling cross-line laser level for all his home DIY projects — a definite gamechanger, and worth the initial outlay in cost compared to cheaper laser levels, in his opinion.
Styling the design
Justin's design makes for a perfect frame for his artwork. "The cow art was originally supposed to go in my dining room, but I 'temporarily' hung it in my living room on that wall a few months ago. When I tried to take it down a couple of weeks ago, the wall felt so wrong without it, that I customized my shelf layout around it," he says.
With his minimalist shelf styling, it has become perfect spot to curate a collection of magazines and some curios collected over the years. "I actually kind of just threw some stuff on the shelves to show what was possible, and was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it," Justin says. "I stacked my design magazines on the bottom shelf; I like the white spines facing out with little peeks of color from the covers. I have green elsewhere in my living room, so I wanted to tie that in with the tall antique Chinese vase made of green marbled clay and the green glazed rim on an antique Turkish ceramic jug from Olive Ateliers. The canes are vintage carved folk art from Guatemala that I got at a flea market. I love how they fill the space without adding any height."
It's an idea we can see working for a frame around a TV too, for example.
Justin's design for this floating unit is the perfect fit for his space, but nothing is stopping you from experimenting with combinations of floating shelves to create your own design to fit the wall you have to play with.
The floating shelf, by itself, doesn't always work in the modern home — it can feel a little obtrusive if not used thoughtfully. Justin's idea gives it some bulk, and some context in the wider design, and it might just be the best way to add some storage and decor to a wall without having to turn to a bespoke, built-in design.
