Awesome Ikea Hack of the Week: An apartment-sized patio bench and trellis

Finding space on your Toronto apartment balcony for seating, a BBQ and planters requires you to use those killer Tetris skills you developed as a bored and lonely 8-year-old. The element that usually ends up getting left out of the equation is the planters, but let me tell you, having your own herbs all summer is a fantastic way to impress your mom, your friends and your new girl/boyfriend (feel free to type “nerd” in the comments if you disagree).

Fear not, renters with balconies! Today’s Ikea hack is the solution.

The parts. You’ll need

Applaro bench with wall panel and shelves – $159.00
screwdriver
drill
pillows or patio chair cushions with ties

The perfect touch.

Do it.

The problem with the lovely Applaro “bench” is that the shelves up above, while great for holding planters, happen to get in the way of your head. Solution? Unscrew the shelves and reattach them to the back of the unit, so they face away from the bench side. Do so by unscrewing the brackets, and using the drill to pre-drill holes on the other side. Then screw the shelf in on the back.
For attaching planters, it’s highly recommended to attach them to the shelf with screws to avoid having them fly off in the wind.
To complete the bench, simply attach the cushions or use pillows. If you do opt for pillows, you should sew some ties on so they, too, won’t fly away on windy days.The wall panel makes an excellent trellis for vines and baby tomatoes.

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