Trofast IKEA Hack: Installing a door to hide the messy drawers.
This Trofast Ikea hack is all about hiding the messy space-wasting drawers and transforming the room into a neat, modern, and organized space.
If you are a fan of IKEA then you probably have seen the Trofast line of products. They are perfect for kids’ bedrooms and playrooms.
You will absolutely love this Trofast IKEA hack. You just need to install a door to hide the messy drawers. This is the perfect way to keep your space looking clean and organized.
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Table of Contents
Trofast IKEA Hack: Installing a door to hide the messy drawers.
If you don’t know this Ikea furniture yet, specially designed for kids. It’s like a cabinet but with plastic drawers. I’ve seen many fun Ikea toy storage hacks using this piece and now I understand why they do it.
I had bought the Ikea trofast for my girl so she could store her toys, legos, painting stuff, or anything else she needed to store.
The Ikea Trofast storage units are great for kids’ bedrooms. It has so many uses, tons of storage, and can be used for many purposes like an activity table or lego table which cross my mind at some point.
My problem was that I didn’t measure well the available space in my girl’s bedroom and it didn’t fit anywhere. Boomer!
So, I decided to use it myself to store craft supplies other stuff. I know I would come up with some toy storage ideas for all her toys later on.
BUT then my husband and I decided to redo the guest room/office and the Trofast drawer did not look good there.
We debated whether or not to give it away but we did need the storage. Also, my girl had told us that she would like to have her desk in there too so it seemed logical to keep it, especially because the location would be perfect as it would be above the desk once it was placed.
But the main question remained.
How could we make it not look so bad?
Well, the obvious idea came to mind: let’s install a door!
But it didn’t seem so easy at first but then we went to our local hardware store and gathered ideas.
Came home to measure and make plans to see it would work.
In the end, we decided to go for the door Ikea trofast hack.
We thought it would be better if it would open towards the bottom using decorative hinges and door folding hinges that would hold the door’s weight.
This project turned out fairly easy to make. It seemed more work than it really took.
This might not be THE way of doing this but this is how I came up with and it’s been 6 months since we installed it and it worked beautifully.
Now we can’t see the mess and when our girl’s desk comes, the whole place will look super cute! She’s in a black kick lately so everything will fit perfectly with the new gaming room mood guest room decor.
How to make this Trofast IKEA Hack
The best part of this project is that you don’t need special or complicated equipment or tools. Also no wood glue, wood filler, or pocket holes.
Supplies:
- 1 pine board (90 x 32 x 1,9 cm) (35.4 x 12.5 x ⅔ Inches – the exact size of the trofast)
- Black wood stain
- Clear varnish
- 3 Decorative hinges – I couldn’t find the exact I used but I really love these cute hinges and these simple hinges too
- 2 Door folding hinges
- Decorative screws to match the hinges
- 2 Magnetic door catches
- Brushes
- Sandpaper
- Cloth
- Pencil
- Protective plastic
Tools:
- Drill & Screwdriver
- Drill bits (smaller than the size of your screws)
- Hand screwdriver
- Ruler
Instructions:
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Planning and Prepping The Hinges
Firstly, installed the bottom hinges on the Trofast piece. I chose a pretty decorative one so I installed it on the outside.
Then I put the door in place and turned both upside-down aligning well the door and the Trofast frame to draw the location and shape of the hinge.
Then I put back the Trofast frame in normal position and rose it to the same level of the door by using a scrap wood piece.
Make sure the door matches the marks you just did and draw the screw holes.
Prepping the Folding hinges
Present the folding hinges and test that the drawers will slide perfectly.
Drill the screw path and screw the hinge in place on both inner sides of the Trofast frame.
Drill all the screw paths you have already marked.
Turn the Trofast frame on the door again, align well the folding hinge and mark where the screw holes.
Put the Tofast frame back up again and drill the screw holes.
At this point, it’s a good idea to screw everything to test if everything is going according to plan. If so remove everything again and let’s move on.
Painting the door.
Sand your pine board well so remove splinters and smooth all the holes. I like to accent the wood lines to I used a steel brush. This step is totally optional.
I clean the surface well with a slightly damped cloth. And then used a dry one.
Since I was using wood stain I didn’t use a primer.
Paint your boor away.
I wanted it dark so I applied 3 coats and let it dry completely.
Then apply varnish for a smooth finish. Again here I applied about 2 coats and let it dry completely.
Installing the Trofast IKEA door.
Now it’s time to see the final result.
Put knack your Trofast frame on a scrap wood piece and start screwing things in their places.
Locking the Door Closed
The last step before hanging the drawer back in its place is to install the magnetic catches.
Like we did for the hinges, turn it over and place the catches in place.
Draw the shapes well so you know where they go once you open the door.
Like we always do drill the screw path first and then screw each piece in its place.
The good thing about most magnetic catches is that they give you room to adjust, so once you have it adjust them so both pieces get in contact and close safely.
There you go!
Fill your Trofast IKEA dowers
Finally, it’s time to install back your Trofast.
I love how it turned out.
What do you think about the finished look?
Crafting Tips
- Instead of just staining the pine board, consider painting it with chalkboard paint. This way, not only does it hide the messy drawers, but it also becomes a fun space for doodling or leaving messages for your kids.
- To take the organization to the next level, attach small chalkboard sections or labels on the door, corresponding to each drawer. This way, it’s easy to identify what’s stored where without having to open each drawer.
- Go the extra mile with the look of your Trofast IKEA hack by swapping out standard hardware for decorative knobs or handles. Choose designs that complement the style of the room and add a touch of personality to the cabinet.
We didn’t want to install any door handle to keep it clean and minimalist but if you prefer you can install your favorite one!
I finished the whole thing in a few hours but considering I had several drying times in the process it took me about 2 days to finish the project.
Hope this tutorial was inspiring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pinewood brings the prettiest look in my opinion but Plywood would work perfectly too. The reason I chose pinewood is that we wanted the grain to be visible through the paint. We love pinewood lines and also, we could find a pinewood board in the perfect size for the door. We found it in the exact height and width of the trofast unit. Lucky us!
Well in this post I’m showing one way to solve this problem. I decided to go for a 1 door solution that opens downwards. I used 3 hinges at the bottom of the trofast and folding hinges that work as a support for the door.
But you can always go for a 2-doors solution placing them on both sides, or one door but that opens upwards. This one is a more tricky solution because most folding hinges might interfere with the drawers.
Yes, It’s super easy to assemble. It brings all instructions and the tools you need and only takes a few minutes to have it ready to rock!
More Furniture Projects to Try
If you liked this fun Ikea trofast hack tutorial, you might also love these other furniture project ideas too:
✂️ Tutorial
Trofast IKEA Hack: Installing a door to hide the messy drawers.
Tools
- Drill
- Screwdriver
- Brill bits (smaller than the size of your screws)
Supplies
- 1 pine board 90 x 32 x 1,9 cm (35.4 x 12.5 x ⅔ Inches – the exact size of the trofast)
- Black wood stain
- Clear varnish
- 3 Decorative hinges
- 2 Door folding hinges
- Decorative screws to match the hinges
- 2 Magnetic door catches
- Brushes
- Sandpaper
- Cloth
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Protective plastic
Instructions
PLANNING AND PREPPING THE HINGES
- Firstly, installed the bottom hinges on the Trofast piece. I chose a pretty decorative one so I installed it on the outside.
- Then I put the door in place and turned both upsidedown aligning well the door and the Trofast frame to draw the location and shape of the hinge.
- Then I put back the Trofast frame in normal position and rose it to the same level of the door by using a scrap wood piece.
- Make sure the door matches the marks you just did and draw the screw holes.
PREPPING THE FOLDING HINGES
- Present the folding hinges and test that the drawers will slide perfectly.
- Drill the screw path and screw the hinge in place on both inner sides of the Trofast frame.
- Drill all the screw paths you have already marked.
- Turn the Trofast frame on the door again, align well the folding hinge and mark where the screw holes.
- Put the Tofast frame back up again and drill the screw holes.
- At this point, it’s a good idea to screw everything to test if everything is going according to plan. If so remove everything again and let’s move on.
PAINTING THE DOOR.
- Sand your pine board well so remove splinters and smooth all the holes. I like to accent the wood lines to I used a steel brush. This step is totally optional.
- I clean the surface well with a slightly damped cloth. And then used a dry one.
- Since I was using wood stain I didn’t use a primer.
- Paint your boor away.
- Apply 3 coats and let it dry completely.
- Then apply varnish for a smooth finish. Again here I applied about 2 coats and let it dry completely.
- Put back your Trofast frame on a scrap wood piece and start screwing things in their places.
LOCKING THE DOOR CLOSED
- The last step before hanging the drawer back in its place is to install the magnetic catches.
- Like we did for the hinges, turn it over and place the catches in place.
- Draw the shapes well so you know where they go once you open the door.
- Like we always do drill the screw path first and then screw each piece in its place.
- The good thing about most magnetic catches is that they give you room to adjust, so once you have it adjust them so both pieces get in contact and close safely.
- There you go!
FILL YOUR TROFAST IKEA DOWERS
- Finally, it’s time to install back your Trofast.
- Install back the Trofast on the wall and putting back in the drawers
- What do you think about the finished look?
My Favorite Ikea Hacks from my favorite bloggers:
- Easy Ikea Shoe Cabinet Hack by Lavender Julep.
- Ikea Rast Nightstand Hack with Farmhouse Style by Feeling Nifty.
- Ikea Kallax Kitchen Island Hack by Jen Lou Meredith.
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Til’ next time…
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