It’s one of the questions I get asked most from my trainees!
Here’s how I went from this to this with my Malm Ikea desk…
Firstly, I measured the back that was exposed.
TIP I did make sure this included the height with the glass top on!
I then popped to my local wood merchants to get an MDF board cut to the exact size – this literally cost me £5!! I believe B&Q now offer the cutting service – https://www.diy.com/services/timber-cutting
I purchased a leather PVC material from Abakhan – https://www.abakhan.co.uk/fabric/fire-retardent-vinyl-leatherette-fabric-white-140cm.html I think this cost approx £14.
I used Gorilla glue to stick the fabric on to the board, make sure the fabric is neatly folded over the edges and allow to dry.
Once the board is ready, I turned the desk on the side (with the draw) so the exposed side is facing up to the ceiling. Then I applied glue to the desk edges and placed the board on top and used weights to apply pressure – I left this over night.
The board should be firmly glued on to the back now, the last customisation I made was to apply a sparkly white top (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chunky-Glitter-Self-Adhesive-Fabric-Vinyl-Peel-and-Stick-Wallpaper-Stair-Roll/401965405020?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=671814496782&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649). I purchased this from eBay (it did take a few weeks to arrive though) the back is already sticky too. I cut two edges to size then removed the backing and stuck down on to the table.
Finally I placed the glass top back on. I personally decided not to stick the glass properly on so that I could remove the glass to clean, hence why I included a lip on the back board so the glass didn’t move!
Here is a picture…
