ᐅ Insert panel / privacy screen for Ikea Expedit and Kallax units

Hello community,

I hope it’s okay to post this here; I didn’t find anything in the terms of use that would prohibit it.

Anyway, I wasn’t satisfied with the options available for covering individual compartments, so I created something of my own. These are panels that allow you to cover single compartments without screws, glue, rearranging, or scratches.

I have made an offer for these on Dawanda:

The description reads:

"These insert panels let you easily cover individual compartments of your Expedit or Kallax shelving unit without any screws or glue, and with an attractive appearance.

They are ideal if you don’t want to equip every compartment with a door or box, especially if you use the shelving as a room divider.

Each panel is new, handmade, and coated with a protective film on the front side.

The panel is made of PVC and rests on top of the compartment, not inside it. Simply press the dampers attached at the top against the upper edge of the compartment, slide the holder at the bottom into place, and the panel fits securely and stably."

By now, I also offer a version where you can use your own photos as the front design (adhesive foil on aluminum composite panel).

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For those who want to make this themselves, here is a guide:

- 35 x 35 cm (14 x 14 inches) PVC foam board, e.g., guttgliss Hobbycolor from OBI (~€6.20 each, as there is unfortunately material waste)
- Alternatively, acrylic glass, which costs about €11 per sheet; if it’s transparent, the dampers will, of course, be visible
- 4 Hettich furniture door dampers (from Hornbach) cost €10.75 total, about €5.38 for the 2 needed. You can manage with one, but I found that too tight
- Pattex special plastic adhesive (just under €5)
- Black plastic angle strip, cut into 7 cm (about 2.75 inches) pieces and sanded (~€1.79 per meter)

The angle strip at the bottom should be 5 mm (0.2 inches) from the end of the panel and 14 cm (5.5 inches) from each edge. The dampers are placed 7 cm (2.75 inches) from the top, with the base 11 mm (0.4 inches) from the upper edge of the panel. OBI cuts the panels for free; I think Hornbach charges about €1 (?), and an inaccuracy of 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 inches) is easily compensated for by the dampers.

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If you are interested, I can also make these in other materials and colors. For larger quantities, I can offer significantly lower prices as well. Thanks for reading this far, and if you are interested — just ask!

Since assembly instructions are included, I have moved the post here. At least on my screen, the last (too dark) picture does not clearly show how the item is positioned on the shelf.

Cool, here is another photo from the side. A very slight warping in the middle can occur with some PVC panels, but if you use acrylic glass, it always fits perfectly. Alternatively, you can use a bit of double-sided tape to help if you want an affordable solution without any millimeter gaps.

Quick update: It appears that the insert can indeed be installed side by side in the Kallax. I had mistakenly assumed that the internal walls had also become thinner, so I have adjusted the post accordingly!

One more update: I can now produce at a lower cost and have updated the original post with better photos.

The white version is also not made of foam plastic but hard plastic, which makes it more stable.

Quick update: I have now listed my offer on Dawanda and also provide custom-printed panels. This works with any photos, as long as the image quality is sufficient.