A Contemporary IKEA Media Center Designed with a Warm Color Palette

Mixing IKEA products with other suppliers results in a unique media center design.

Many design ideas are inspired by something a homeowner sees on a home improvement show, Pinterest, or while browsing furniture stores. They see a piece, fall in love, and then see the price tag. Homeowners love IKEA because most of the furniture available in the store is not only attractive but also affordable.

Homeowner Robert did not fall into this thrifty category. He shared a quote with us from billionaire Warren Buffet: “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” His budget was a bit roomier than most, so he was willing to spend extra to get exactly what he wanted from his IKEA media center.

This homeowner was open to mixing IKEA with other suppliers from the start.

“I knew what I wanted for the media center in my home office and that I could get most—but not all—of what I wanted from IKEA. I always look at the cheapest options first, and IKEA is affordable and has good quality. I found IKD while searching for a designer that incorporated IKEA furniture into their designs but also worked with other vendors.” –Robert, IKD customer

Robert explained that his office is large and divided into two parts: his workspace and a place for relaxation. His media center design would be going where he relaxed, and he wanted to ensure it had warm colors and a Zen feel. He enjoyed earth tones and wood grain, and the center needed to look intentional.

A tricolor palette added a warm feeling to the neutral room.

Robert’s color palette had warm orange, green, and woodgrain tones. Designer Frank knew immediately that combining IKEA’s cabinets with BODARP gray-green doors would give Robert the closed storage he requested, and VADHOLMA open storage would complement the look. Since IKEA doesn’t offer any countertops or paneling in a warm orange tone, Frank suggested finding a local vendor who could provide Formica countertops in Solar Orange. Robert also ordered Formica´s Walnut Butcher Block laminate, for the area above the orange laminate, from the same company. To finish the look, Frank included a floating shelf from Semihandmade in the design.

“Robert made it very clear that if it looked like something he could have picked up at a furniture store, there would be no point in having a custom design. He wanted the media center to be a cohesive piece of furniture, with built-in floor-to-ceiling closed storage and an attractive, clutter-free space for his television, speakers, and succulent collection.” –Frank, IKD designer

A few IKEA hacks made this design look as if it truly belonged.

To create the floor-to-ceiling built-in, Frank used a 15” W x 24” D x 90”H IKEA cabinet frame and trimmed it to 15”D so it lined up with the drawer units of the media center. The drawer units were created using 30”W x 15”D x 15”H IKEA cabinets reduced to 10”H. The final unit measured 16”D by 117”W.

He stacked three IKEA VADHOLMA open storage units beside the tall cabinet but encased it in a BODARP grey-green panel to make it look as if it had always been a part of the cabinet unit. The grey-green color continued to the three drawers of the TV stand, which Frank topped with the Formica Solar Orange countertop and then brought halfway up the wall to create an eye-catching backdrop for the TV.

The wall panel continued in Walnut Butcher Block, stopping at the floating Semihandmade bamboo floating shelf with an integrated LED light. Placing the unit on CAPITA stainless steel legs brought the TV closer to eye level and connected with the stainless steel KALLROR door and drawer handles.

Robert chose to have a contractor cut and install the unit. The total for all IKEA products came to $1,156.

“Having the shopping list and plans made this very easy on my contractor, and it came out just as the 3D rendering suggested. I think it’s very smart that Frank used the orange as a focal point. The entertainment center is beautiful to look at even when the television isn’t on. I’m just as happy to sit on the couch and read and enjoy the calm space as I am to catch up on a show.” –Robert, IKD customer

Mixing products from multiple suppliers can bring out the best in your media center design.

As Robert knew, using IKEA’s inexpensive cabinets, door fronts, and storage as a starting point for this media center made financial sense. However, pairing these products with Semihandmade and Formica enhanced the design and gave him exactly what he wanted without compromising on the Zen style he desired.