| « Interview with Comedian Gary Owen: Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam | Monica Barcelona is Ready to Cut You » |
Craft Sat Jun 02 2012
RETRÄTT Knife Block Lamp Hack
Every once in awhile I walk through Ikea looking for objects that can be repurposed -- planter boxes as storage cubes, napkin holders as book displays and the like. In one such trip, I happened upon the RETRÄTT knife block and thought it would make a nice looking accent lamp. Made of birch and stainless steel, the block has a convenient hole drilled all the way through for a sharpening steel, making it ideal for a lamp hack. The blocks stainless steel bands and exposed knife holders give it a nice modern look.
Things you will need
RETRÄTT knife block $11.99
DIY lamp kit about $6.00
Lower wattage bulb
Smaller lamp shade
¼ inch feet
Small Phillips head screwdriver
Most everything can be sourced from a hardware store.
DIY lamp kits are a simple thing, as long as you follow the directions on the packaging. If you are not comfortable in your wiring skills, take it to a professional and have the make the final few steps.
The knife block has tiny feet on the bottom, but they are not quite big enough for the wire to clear, so you will need to remove the existing feet and replace them with something a bit more substantial. I used two strips of clean quarter-inch scrap wood, glued them to the bottom of the block with wood glue, and reattached the existing feet for a bit more clearance.
If the lamp kit you bought does not have a threaded tube, you will need to purchase one that is 12 inches long. Thread the tube through the convenient hole and use a thin lock nut on the bottom to keep everything tight. For the rest of the connections, follow the instructions from your lamp kit. Top off with a small lampshade. The placement of the hole and the stainless steel bands lend this lamp to be viewed from three sides; the bands do not wrap around the entire block, so placement should be with its back against a wall.
