The $300 Office Makeover That Makes Bulky Monitors Vanish

When Ana Echenique needed a way to conceal her hefty medical equipment, she turned to IKEA and did some creative problem-solving. As a medical professional who reads X-rays from home, Ana faced a challenge: integrating heavy-duty work equipment into a home environment without creating visual clutter.

“I have a heavy laptop that needs a cooling fan and two extremely bulky medical monitors,” she explains. These monitors, each weighing around 40 pounds and standing 21 inches tall, together span 28 inches in width.

Seeing these hefty monitors was less than appealing when Ana wasn’t working. She wanted a computer monitor cabinet to enclose these items, but the options came with a hefty price tag.

“There are a couple of options out there ready to buy, but they are at least $2800 and would still need to be modified to be useful,” Ana notes. Custom-built cabinets were also off the table due to cost.

IKEA To The Rescue

Determined to find an affordable and effective solution, Ana turned to IKEA.

She landed on a combination of a BESTÅ frame and doors to hide the monitors. The enclosed setup then sits on an ALEX/LAGKAPTEN desk.

To tidy things up, she added cable management trays from Amazon.

The total cost? Under $300, with an additional $35 for the cable management trays.

IKEA items used:

• BESTÅ frame 47 1/4 x 15 3/4 x 25 1/4″
• HANVIKEN door x 2
• BESTÅ soft closing/push-open hinges
• LAGKAPTEN/ ALEX desk (55 1/8 x 23 5/8″)
• ADILS legs x 2

Other materials:

• Jigsaw and blade (to cut down the central BESTÅ support to allow both monitors to fit side by side)
• Drill (to drive hardware and cut cable holes in the BESTÅ backing)
• Flat screwdriver
• 50 mm cable hole cutter drill bit
• 1-inch angle brackets (2)
• Extra heavy-duty double-sided tape
• 3 under-desk cable management trays Under Desk Cable Management Tray
• Door knobs

How To Make A Computer Monitor Cabinet

1. Built the Desk: Ana started by assembling the LAGKAPTEN/ALEX desk according to the instructions.
2. Modified the BESTÅ Frame: She built the BESTÅ frame but cut back the central support to be only 2 inches deep. This modification allowed both monitors to sit side by side while still providing support for the top and bottom. “I didn’t remove it completely because that way I could still use the included backer board and have that added support,” Ana explains.
3. Cut Cable Holes: Using the drill and 50 mm cable hole cutter drill bit, she cut three cable holes—two in the right panel near the bottom and one in the left panel near the bottom.

4. Attached Cable Cages: Ana then attached the cable trays under the desk for better cable management.
5. Positioned the BESTÅ Frame: She placed the BESTÅ frame on the table, centered left to right, and flush to the back of the desk.
6. Secured the Frame: To prevent the frame from moving, Ana used double-sided tape and angle brackets. “I chose not to drill into the desk as I did not want to weaken it,” she adds.
7. Attached Doors and Handles: Finally, she attached the doors, hinges, and door handles (which she had on hand, making them a free addition).

Looking for more desk hacks? Check out these 18 desk hacks that are seriously good.
And don’t miss our page dedicated to IKEA BESTÅ hacks.
If you have an IKEA hack of your own, share it with us and you may be featured next.