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LIRIDONADU27 Mar 2024 08:17Hello everyone, I have some furniture from the Ikea Platsa system that I no longer want to use in its original form. Since I generally value sustainability and want to create as little waste as possible, I’m wondering about the best ways to recycle or upcycle this furniture. The system consists of modular elements—cabinets, shelves, doors, and so on—and I have quite a few pre-assembled parts and individual components here.
I’m less interested in simply disposing of or dismantling the furniture, and more in creative ideas for upcycling. Does anyone have experience with transforming an old PLATSA cabinet, for example, into a new piece of furniture that serves a different purpose? How can the parts be reused effectively without completely taking them apart? Additionally, I would appreciate tips on surface treatment or changing the appearance, because the typical light design no longer fits my living room.
I look forward to any input, whether it’s craft advice, materials, tools, or example projects.
I’m less interested in simply disposing of or dismantling the furniture, and more in creative ideas for upcycling. Does anyone have experience with transforming an old PLATSA cabinet, for example, into a new piece of furniture that serves a different purpose? How can the parts be reused effectively without completely taking them apart? Additionally, I would appreciate tips on surface treatment or changing the appearance, because the typical light design no longer fits my living room.
I look forward to any input, whether it’s craft advice, materials, tools, or example projects.
Hello LIRIDONADU,
first of all, a very well thought-out post! Your question about recycling and upcycling Ikea PLATSA furniture is really interesting, as the modular design offers a lot of flexibility.
Regarding recycling: The most important thing is to properly separate the different materials – mainly engineered wood, metal fittings, and plastic parts – so they can be disposed of accordingly. You can take the engineered wood to a recycling center or possibly use it as material for a compost bin or DIY garden bed edging. Metal fittings can usually be taken to a scrap yard or kept for repairs.
Regarding upcycling: You can actually reassemble the modular elements in different ways. A common idea is to create an open shelving unit from several small cabinets by removing the doors and rearranging the shelves.
You can refresh surfaces by sanding them down and painting with chalk paint or acrylic paint – this is relatively easy and changes the style significantly. Self-adhesive films are also a quick alternative for a new look.
If you like, I can suggest some specific building ideas later.
first of all, a very well thought-out post! Your question about recycling and upcycling Ikea PLATSA furniture is really interesting, as the modular design offers a lot of flexibility.
Regarding recycling: The most important thing is to properly separate the different materials – mainly engineered wood, metal fittings, and plastic parts – so they can be disposed of accordingly. You can take the engineered wood to a recycling center or possibly use it as material for a compost bin or DIY garden bed edging. Metal fittings can usually be taken to a scrap yard or kept for repairs.
Regarding upcycling: You can actually reassemble the modular elements in different ways. A common idea is to create an open shelving unit from several small cabinets by removing the doors and rearranging the shelves.
You can refresh surfaces by sanding them down and painting with chalk paint or acrylic paint – this is relatively easy and changes the style significantly. Self-adhesive films are also a quick alternative for a new look.
If you like, I can suggest some specific building ideas later.
Hey LIRIDONADU and everyone here! What a great topic! I love it when you can transform seemingly old furniture into something really cool 😍 With PLATSA, you have a huge advantage: the modular system! This makes it super easy to create something completely new.
I personally once built a stylish lowboard TV cabinet from individual panels and cabinet carcasses. I simply lowered the wall cabinets and added back panels. Then I treated all surfaces with wood oil to avoid a sterile look.
One more tip: use metal or wooden furniture legs that you can attach underneath. This creates a whole new look and makes the furniture feel much more high-quality.
Don’t be afraid of sandpaper and paint! Upcycling is so much fun, and in the end, your piece looks truly unique! Let’s save the furniture and make the world a little more beautiful! 🚀
I personally once built a stylish lowboard TV cabinet from individual panels and cabinet carcasses. I simply lowered the wall cabinets and added back panels. Then I treated all surfaces with wood oil to avoid a sterile look.
One more tip: use metal or wooden furniture legs that you can attach underneath. This creates a whole new look and makes the furniture feel much more high-quality.
Don’t be afraid of sandpaper and paint! Upcycling is so much fun, and in the end, your piece looks truly unique! Let’s save the furniture and make the world a little more beautiful! 🚀
N
Nathanaelk27 Mar 2024 12:09LIRIDONADU, thank you for your detailed question! I would like to take this opportunity to explain the technical and material possibilities for upcycling Ikea PLATSA.
PLATSA components are mostly made of particleboard with a melamine foil surface. The first important steps in upcycling are:
- Removing the doors and shelves to treat them separately or reposition them
- Taking off the back panels if you want to redesign the system into an open shelving unit
Unfortunately, the melamine surface can only be removed to a limited extent. I recommend carefully sanding it with coarse sandpaper (80-120 grit) to avoid damaging the board structure too much. After that, you can apply a primer that allows chalk paint or acrylic paint to adhere well.
If you are skilled in DIY, you can reassemble the carcass parts using dowels or small screws to create wider or taller units, for example. Fit and load-bearing capacity are crucial here since the system is primarily designed for modular standard forms.
Also interesting: the metal fittings are standardized – if you want, you can reuse them to install your own shelf dividers or small flaps.
Do you already have a specific project in mind that you want to realize? That way I can address your requirements even more precisely.
PLATSA components are mostly made of particleboard with a melamine foil surface. The first important steps in upcycling are:
- Removing the doors and shelves to treat them separately or reposition them
- Taking off the back panels if you want to redesign the system into an open shelving unit
Unfortunately, the melamine surface can only be removed to a limited extent. I recommend carefully sanding it with coarse sandpaper (80-120 grit) to avoid damaging the board structure too much. After that, you can apply a primer that allows chalk paint or acrylic paint to adhere well.
If you are skilled in DIY, you can reassemble the carcass parts using dowels or small screws to create wider or taller units, for example. Fit and load-bearing capacity are crucial here since the system is primarily designed for modular standard forms.
Also interesting: the metal fittings are standardized – if you want, you can reuse them to install your own shelf dividers or small flaps.
Do you already have a specific project in mind that you want to realize? That way I can address your requirements even more precisely.
TRADI schrieb:
You can refresh surfaces after sanding with chalk paint or acrylic lacquer – it's relatively simple and completely changes the style.Absolutely! And hey, if you’re up for some creative fun, why not reupholster a few parts with leftover wallpaper or fabric? Just apply spray adhesive or construction adhesive to the fabric and roll it on – voilà, a stylish eye-catcher. 🖌️🎨
I once covered a small wardrobe with brightly patterned kapton tape, and it looked like it came straight from a design studio.
And back to modular construction: you can also give away the individual parts or add new elements as needed, which makes PLATSA so flexible.
If you like mobility, try attaching casters under an old cabinet – suddenly you have a rolling side table or a flexible shelving unit!
Hmm, somehow I find PLATSA quite limited for true upcycling. Sure, modularity is the key point, but in the end, these are tough compromises in terms of design and material quality.
Such DIY projects are nice, but for me, they are more temporary solutions that only add to the real waste problem.
If you want to be truly sustainable, I would much rather recommend fully dismantling the system, sorting the materials for recycling, or feeding them into proper material cycles. Repainting or covering with fabric only changes the surface, not the underlying environmental impact...
Just my opinion – but in my view, a real circular economy starts with completely different materials.
todunar schrieb:
I myself once built a nice lowboard TV cabinet from individual panels and cabinet carcasses.
Such DIY projects are nice, but for me, they are more temporary solutions that only add to the real waste problem.
If you want to be truly sustainable, I would much rather recommend fully dismantling the system, sorting the materials for recycling, or feeding them into proper material cycles. Repainting or covering with fabric only changes the surface, not the underlying environmental impact...
Just my opinion – but in my view, a real circular economy starts with completely different materials.
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