I used to have a cool dining room, presided by Darth Vader. With chairs by Philippe Starck. But then my daughter Emma’s things started taking over.
I removed the dining table and put in SMÅSTAD benches for toy storage. It was all going great until we started getting more toys for fine motor development. So the living room turned into a hurricane swept Toys’ R’ Us store.
Finally, I found the solution which would end up taking up the entire wall in our living room.
We managed to mix and match IKEA furniture to create a Toy Storage + Pegboard Wall + Desk + Bench space in our living room.
See the “After” photo below. For next year I will think of a better way to make the Christmas tree. 
With this composition, we also have the option to put up the projector fabric screen for a home theater experience or to display our collections.
IKEA item used:
SMÅSTAD bench with toy storage x 4
BESTÅ wall cabinet with doors (8 5/8″ / 22 cm deep)
SKÅDIS pegboard (14 1/4″ / 36 cm wide) x 15
SVENSÅS memo board x 4
SKÅDIS accessories
Using IKEA furniture for a pegboard wall, toy storage and desk bench
After clearing the area, we moved the SMÅSTAD benches in place first. Next we hoisted the left side column of BESTÅ frames on top of the bench seat. And then the right. Don’t forget to anchor them to the wall studs.
From there, we placed the BESTÅ frames overhead, mounted to the wall, for additional storage.
That left us a space in the middle for a giant pegboard. We started hanging IKEA SKÅDIS pegboard panels in a grid from top to bottom, following IKEA assembly instructions.
How to hang the SKÅDIS pegboard
You’ll need a drill to make pilot holes in the wall. Then, use a screwdriver and screws to secure the wall brackets that come with the SKÅDIS to the wall. Finally attach the pegboard to the wall bracket using the supplied screw and peg. Repeat to cover the entire space.
Since I have a skirting board, the SKÅDIS boards cover up the couple of centimeters between the SMÅSTAD and the wall.
After the SKÅDIS pegboards were placed, the SVENSÅS memo boards were installed. And finally, our oversized pegboard wall was done.
You may notice there’s a gap between the bottommost SVENSÅS and the top of the SMÅSTAD bench. The practical solution to avoid things falling down the gap is to slot in a picture ledge or shelf to display pictures or store your markers.
The two pics below show the 2 ways we use the area. One is as a bench for reading, chilling. In the second pic, we pull out one of the SMÅSTAD drawers and convert the bench into a desk.
We got a bunch of SKÅDIS accessories like their pegboard hooks, small bins for pencils and hangers for artwork.
TIP: To put the SVENSÅS memo board on top you have to remove the BESTÅ that is just above it.
It does take a lot of calculation of dimensions, alignment and getting all the different little details to fit well. You need tools and patience to get it done.
We did this in the living room but the same DIY wall storage setup can be used in the kids’ room or craft room.
You can see more on my IG.
~ by Raquel Sastre
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