Good design doesn’t have to be expensive—just ask Sarah Sherman Samuel. Known for her famous clientel, like Garance Dore and Mandy Moore, and clean, modern style, the Grand Rapids-based designer is also queen of DIY. She’s gotten creative in her own home by DIY’ing her kitchen island with the help of Semihandmade for IKEA, bunk beds, nursery shelving, a woven wall hanging, and more. But, her latest project, a media console for her neutral, textured living room may be her best yet.
“I wanted to create a piece that would anchor the large wall in the living room that the TV would go on,” Sherman Samuel says. “I wanted to keep it low to the ground as the furniture in the rest of the room is low and loungey as well. It also needed to house the TV components and keep them hidden away.”
To create the unit, she utilized 2 Besta media units from IKEA, which she has used previously in DIY projects and are super versatile due to the modular design. Alongside this, she used four of the Sarah Sherman Samuel for Semihandmade beaded doors, which is a collection of modern beadboard fronts that pair with many styles and are a great alternative to traditional Shaker cabinetry.
“The Besta units are one of the easiest Ikea pieces to put together,” she says. “I used the beaded door fronts from my own signature collection for Semihandmade, which are made to fit seamlessly onto the IKEA boxes.”
Sherman Samuel then used two sets of 6-inch wood balls for the bottom of the cabinet, plus suspension rails, hinges and hardware to complete the custom console.
Completed over a week’s span, the project, which cost approximately $650, was the ideal addition to her living room. It gives the perfect platform for her Eny Lee Parker sculptural lamp, she notes, plus coffee table books that lay the foundation beneath a large tapestry.
Curious to recreate this media unit in your own home? Here are her easy-to-follow directions.
Supplies:
- 2 IKEA Besta cabinets
- 4 sets of IKEA Besta hinges
- 4 IKEA Besta suspension rails
- Toggle bolts
- 4 Semihandmade Beaded Doors
- 2 sets of 6-inch decorative wooden balls
Instructions:
- Assemble the IKEA Besta units according to the instructions.
- Place the units against the wall which they will ultimately be placed on.
- Use toggle bolts to attach the suspension rail to the wall and attach the Besta units to the wall.
- Sand down one side of each wooden ball to create a flat surface. These will become the legs for the unit. Secure the balls to each of the four corners with screws.
- Attach the hinges to the doors.
- Place on hardware of choice.