New series - IKEA Hacks

I've always been interested in design - from endlessly rearranging my room as a teenager to building my own furniture, from renovating and decorating the homes we've lived in to helping my daughter decorate her first apartment. I read a myriad of design blogs and voraciously study architecture and industrial and interior design. I apply design principles and color theory to my own interiors, those of family and friends, and to retail spaces that I've designed (more on that coming soon!)

One of the best ways to make an original statement in your home is to customize, or "hack", an existing piece of furniture or accessory. I was discussing this with some of my studio mates at the NEST, Tracey Anderson and Susan Murray of Finished with Style, and we decided to challenge each other to hack something each month and show the results on our blogs.

Conveniently there's an IKEA about 15 minutes from the NEST. For our first month's challenge, we chose the ubiquitous Lack table - which enables us to employ a rhyme for January - Hack a Lack! We won't be able to keep the poetry going for the remainder of the year, so don't get your hopes up, ha!

Check back at the end of the month to see all three Lack Hacks and see some quick tutorials. We'll be announcing which item will be hacked at the beginning of each month and then showing the results at the end of each month. We're intentionally keeping the cost of each item low, with most being under $20 - the Lack table is under $10!

Have you hacked anything IKEA? I'd love to see them!