Besta Boas Chalkboard Room Divider

Materials: Besta Boas TV storage unit, medium-density fiberboard, chalkboard paint, industrial strength velcro

Description: We recently moved into a 1000 sq. ft. apartment and quickly discovered that our large couches only fit in one configuration in the living room. Unfortunately, this covered the wall designated for the TV. In order to fit the couches, we had to put our old, ugly TV stand in the area between the dining area and living room. We decided that we needed a better-looking unit that also served as a divider to separate the two areas. We drove four hours to Ikea only to discover that our chosen unit, the Besta Boas, lacked a back panel and, therefore, was unsightly from behind.

After some quick thinking in order to salvage our drive, we recalled how much we liked the kitchen that had a chalkboard wall in the last Pottery Barn catalog. We decided we could implement this on a smaller scale with the TV unit.

After assembling the Besta Boas, we measured the opening on the back. We then went to a local home improvement store and determined that MDF was the best choice material to cover the back, as it was lightweight, durable, and did not need to be sanded (we chose the ¼ inch thickness). We had the MDF cut to the correct dimensions (at no cost). We decided to affix the MDF to the unit with Velcro in order to allow for easy access to the wires and leave space for the power strip to plug into an outlet. Velcro also allowed for the MDF and unit to blend together seamlessly.

We painted the MDF with chalkboard paint (3 coats) and attached Velcro to the back of the top and left side of the MDF and unit. We chose industrial strength Velcro, so this was more than sufficient to hold it in place.

(Be sure to note the Ikea living room rug, Ikea picture frames, and Ikea table and chairs.)

~ Leah and Albert, Texas