Are you an IKEA hacker?

IkeaHackers.net is a website that kind of explains why Sugru Mouldable Glue was invented in the first place. It’s a place where people creatively modify, repurpose and hack things to work better for them. Wow, right?

And if that wasn’t awesome enough, each project featured, only uses products from IKEA - which weirdly makes it all the more compelling. There are literally limitless opportunities to make bespoke versions of the furniture pieces on offer at IKEA and IKEAHackers simply hosts some of the best ideas.

Who had this brilliant brainwave and the foresight to bring together a community of IKEA crazed fans? Meet Jules. 

Jules, the website is now over 10 years old. Has it all gone to plan, or are you surprised by the success of it all?

When it first took off, it was a big surprise to me. I thought there would be some interest, but little did I realise that there would be so many people, from all around the world, committed to modifying their IKEA products. I would say IKEA hacking is pretty mainstream now. Most interior decorating blogs would feature a hack or two or more.

What were you doing before IKEA Hackers? Anything related?

I was a copywriter. Not exactly related, but you could say I was always in content creation.

Your community seems so dedicated, do you ever meet up with them offline?

It is quite strange that the founder of IKEAhackers.net is in Malaysia. The Maker/DIY community here is still in its infancy, so I've not met many hackers here in person. Only three at last count. And a few in Singapore. Most of my readers hail from the US, UK, Australia and Europe.

This won’t be easy, but what’s your all-time favourite or extreme IKEA hack?

That is a tough one. I've loved so many over the years. Every year I choose my top 10 favourite hacks. Here are the ones from last year. 

And these are my all-time faves...

Do you have any contact with IKEA, like attending board meetings or the occasional Christmas card?

Happy to say, yes! I do work on some projects with IKEA Malaysia and even get to attend their Christmas party. :) Last year, I attended their Future Search conference in Copenhagen, where I got to glimpse what the future holds for IKEA.  

Going off piste now into Sugru hacks - what's been your most creative use of Sugru?

So I used Sugru and it worked! The hardest part was waiting for it to set when you can't wait to see whether a project is a win or fail. Other than that, minor repairs on the handle of my scissors, making my frying pan handle heatproof, sticking magnets and hooks - the usual Sugru stuff.

Head over to ikeahackers.net to find out more.