A busy lunch hour (and more IKEA hacking)

V and E came for lunch today, and since V is another of my gluten-intolerant friends I rustled up some fresh tomato soup from my favorite Alison Holst cookbook with (gluten-free) pesto toast to dunk in it. All quite delishimo and frugal: and served up on an IKEA hack I'd forgotten about until now.

I bought a roll of IKEA Rationell drawer mat a couple of years ago for $9.95 (much prefer the US price!), cut it into placemat-sized pieces and rounded the corners by drawing (and then cutting) round a five-cent piece. Having done that I discovered there was enough mat down the side to make a set of matching coasters:Here's a view of the coaster and the edges - all displayed , serendipitously, on my other ancient IKEA hack.

I wanted a coffee table on wheels with a shelf underneath but everything that fitted one or other of those requirements was far too large and/ or far too expensive.

Then I spotted the Eneby TV trolley for $129. Perfect size, had the shelf I needed (and the wheels) but was very.... white. And clinical looking.

I soon fixed that - before I put it together I sent the top and bottom shelves off to the powder coater and $30 later I had possibly the world's only black Eneby TV trolley. Which is still looking great and is going strong 4 years later with only an occasional wipe with a damp cloth.

(Speaking of an occasional wipe with a damp cloth - that's all the placemats need as well. I did originally plan to make some extra sets as presents but then I realised I didn't know too many people who would appreciate a set of 2001: a Space Odyssey placemats!)

And I almost forgot - not only did V & E come for lunch, but the vet turned up in the middle (half an hour early) to de-worm, vacinate and do Nibbs' yearly check up.

Yep, now I'm working at home I don't have to stuff The Fluffmeister into a cat carrier, so we're back to more civilised veterinary house calls. God I love Canberra sometimes...
(Listening to: Sola Rosa, Entrance to skyway)

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Featured on IKEA Hackers in March 2007.

See my other IKEA hacks:

Colouring in fabric (December 2006)

Zippered pouch (December 2006)

Shopping tote (January 2007)

Peg frame (May 2007)