How to Create a Custom Ikea Entertainment Center Hack

Are we calling these “entertainment centers” still? That feels a little 90’s but the 90’s are back, right? Saying “entertainment” center really doesn’t describe these built-ins in the elevated way I would like. Maybe it’s a built-in media Center, but again that sounds too techie and not homey. Regardless of what we call them, they definitely accomplished my goal. They create a focal point for the family room that doesn’t feel like it screams “this is the TV”. 

And you know what else is underrated about these? That this “entertainment center” is really a very custom Ikea Sektion cabinet hack! Yep, these are made from IKEA CABINETS! This project is one that you can DIY with a moderate construction skill set (assemble ikea cabinets, hang them level on a wall, cut base trim, crown and install) and some time. What you will accomplish feels like it was made by a custom millworker. It does not look like a DIY Hack because we are eliminating all of the DIY steps that really should be left to a professional. The custom doors and panels are made by a millwork company and this leaves just the assembly to us!

The Concept for the Ikea Entertainment Center

Our living room is a long and awkward space that we split into two living areas.  I have always imagined creating a built-in unit on one section. This would help balance the weight of the room and provide a secondary focal point to the space. This allowed me to split the long room into two spaces. a small sitting area off the kitchen that faces the fireplace sits on one end. A cozy living room centered around the entertainment center built-ins on the other. Conceptually, I wanted to create a focal point for the room and bring in much needed functional storage space for our large family.

Why Choose IKEA Sektion Cabinets?

I am a huge fan of using Ikea Sektion cabinets, Ikea’s line of kitchen cabinets, combined with custom doors and details to create an elevated design. I have done this all over my home (and for dozens of clients). The versatility of the IKEA Sektion system comes at an affordable price point. This leaves significant room in a budget for adding details. Details like nice hardware to help elevate the overall design of the Ikea cabinets. Ikea does not let me down when it comes to practicality that can be dressed up to look luxurious. 

Since I design Ikea kitchens for my clients, I prefer to feature Ikea cabinets in my home projects. This allows me to test out the different aftermarket door companies on my own dime. I can compare their quality, offerings, and customer service to help me determine what is the best fit for my clients. So when it came designing built-in media units, going with Ikea cabinets was an obvious choice.

Elevating the Design with Nieu Cabinet Doors

I have had the unique opportunity to work with numerous different providers of custom cabinet doors for the Ikea Sektion Cabinets. For this specific Ikea entertainment center design, I wanted highly specific custom detail pieces. This meant I needed to work with a company that was willing to create these based on my shop drawing files that I detail and provide. I recently did a client project with Nieu Cabinet Doors and they were really receptive to working with me to create these custom details. This option really elevates the appearance of standard IKEA cabinets by adding a high-end, custom option. They also offer a wide range of finishes, styles, and will even paint them in any custom color, allowing for a truly personalized design. 

Planning the Ikea Entertainment Center Design

The design of the entertainment center was broken into my aesthetic vision and functional needs. 

Functionally, we really needed something to disguise the large tv and also serve as significant storage in this room. Using lower cabinets for closed storage allows for the kids board games, puzzles, and books to be stored nearby. The vertical shiplap backing allows the tv cables to be hidden, helping the tv to look more like art. The tv components and dvd player are hidden in the cabinets below where they can be easily accessed.

Aesthetically,  I wanted bring in some traditional cabinetry design style with a few special details that helped add architectural interest to the space. The intent was to feel less like an “entertainment center” and more like a home library. The tv section was balanced with open shelves on the top. This gave me much needed space to display books, my growing collection of tabletop framed family photos, and some smaller season decorating that I like to layer in. 

Height and Proportion: 

I wanted to balance the size of the entertainment center with surrounding room. This ensured that the piece did not overwhelm the room while remaining the focal point. 

For the height, I chose not to take the piece all the way to the ceiling, and instead add a decorative crown to the top. This is the same crown that is on our kitchen coffee bar and pantry. This helped it feel more furniture like, while also feeling custom and give a cohesive look to the surrounding spaces. I also wanted to add the smaller upper cabinets for more storage. Balancing the open space, overall height, and the height of these cabinets went into determining the proportions.

For the width, I found the balance of it taking up a substantial portion of the wall while still leaving a little open space and not crowd the window. I first started by determining the width of the central section that houses the large frame tv and decorative frame. Then, I worked with the proportions of the design, overall room, and the modular size offerings of the Ikea cabinets to determine the width of the outer cabinet/ bookshelf portions. 

​Door Fronts

I selected a shaker door profile with a small perimeter bead that really made this piece feel more grand. The smaller 5″ height drawers are a simple slab fronts. I love to mix these in with the more decorative fronts to create an even more intentional design. This was designed to utilize the door profile for all of the panels, rather than a simple slab side panel. I also increased the panel thickness to a larger than standard 3/4″ panel and filler thickness. This is a great way to make built-ins have a more traditional, furniture look. 

Paint Colors

 I decided to have the primary cabinet color painted in the same color (Sherwin Williams Anew Gray) as the fireplace that is on an adjacent wall. The vertical shiplap backs were then primed and painted in rich and timeless teal (Farrow & Ball Oval Room blue). This color coordinates with the lighting in our adjacent kitchen. I love how the contrasting different colors  accentuate the custom arch details on the top of the shelving. The wall and trim color in this room (Benjamin Moore White Dove) is the perfect warm white to offset the cabinetry. 

Countertop

For the countertop portion, I used this butcher block countertop. I had my contractor route the edge in an ogee profile, but you could easily just leave it as the straight profile edge that it comes with. The butcherblock is sealed in a clear matte poly to help protect it. 

Lighting 

For the outside upper cabinets, I wanted to add library lights to highlight the bookcases. For ease of install, the lights are mounted on faux door panels. They are attached to the Ikea Sektion cabinet boxes. I had an electrician wire two light boxes that are mounted inside of the these cabinets. I also was sure to specify putting these lights on dimmer switches to help up the cozy ambience of the room.

Hardware

I chose this beautiful combination of warm, unlacquered brass hardware to compliment the cabinets. this combination of latches, ring drawer pulls, and bail pulls helps make the entertainment center feel like a piece of furniture. I actually mimicked the hardware selection from the antique heirloom hutch we have in our dining room. 

Crown and Toe-kick 

I decided to source the small crown and baseboard from a local hardware store. These pieces were cut to size, mitered, and painted to match to match the cabinets. Nieu offers a lot of beautiful custom moldings that can easily be used. Doing so would have slightly simplified the process by eliminating the extra step of painting the trim. However, these pieces come in a maximum length of 95″ and my overall built-in length was much larger. This would have required splicing two trim pieces on the front of the long unit. By sourcing them separately and painting them we were able to utilize 12′ length trim sections and avoid the seams. If your overall span is less than 95″, I recommend sourcing trim from the cabinet door provider to simplify the installation process! 

I used shelves from existing built-ins that were removed during the kitchen renovation that I wanted to upcycle. They are cut down (24″ w x 15″ deep) and painting to match. The shelves are held up by these brass shelf clips. Holes were are drilled at their desired height to install the clips.

​Back of Cabinet Details

We framed out a faux “wall” for the middle TV section, and then clad that in the shiplap paneling. This allowed for the tv to be more forward and visible from more angles. It also allows the Tv cord to be concealed. We also installed the shiplap behind the bookcase section directly on the drywall. This forms the “back” to the built-in bookcase section. We finished these off by filling the nail holes, caulking the top and bottom seam, and adding a coat of paint (Farrow & Ball Oval Room blue).

The Full Design Plan

Do you want more details on the exact dimensions, cabinet sizes, panel dimensions, and all other sources (like lighting and countertop). This includes an itemized order sheet and detailed plan set for this project? Sign up here to join the waitlist to purchase this as a digital download when I finish it soon!

A Custom Ikea Entertainment Center that Reflects Your Style

So if you found this post on my “Ikea entertainment center hack”, I bet you weren’t expecting these, were you? I loved the challenge of creating this one-of-a-kind entertainment center that that looks  high-end. Doing it for a fraction of the cost, without sacrificing quality or design is even better. Combining my beloved IKEA Sektion cabinets with Nieu Cabinets doors created the perfect balance of practicality, style, and customization.

Did this post help you create a custom entertainment center design? If so be sure to tag us on social media and share your design!