Ikea Malm Chest of 3 drawers in the living room - utter madness?

[PssstOverHere]

We need some storage in the living room that we can also sit the TV on but we are struggling to get anything that can fit into the smallish alcove we have and that we can afford.

We are considering buying the Ikea Malm set of 3 drawers, here in black-brown. Its not really what we want but its only £56 and fits the space.

Is it going to look totally, totally weird having a chest of drawers in the living room. I wanted a small side board type of thing but other than a small AV unit in Habitat for £240 we haven't found anything.

Am I being totally crazy?

[SmethwickBelle]

Go for it, looks OK to me!

[PssstOverHere]

Really? It won't look like I have my bedroom and living room mixed up?

[BsshBossh]

Well considering our living room walls are white, I would personally (if the chest was my style) have chosen the pure white version so it would blend into the background more. But it doesn't look particularly strange or "bedroomy" so go for it. Are you sure you want such a dark colour though as it will really stand out....?

[cybboid]

Not a big fan of drawers in front rooms, altho I have had to have it before. At least with that one there are no handles to show it is drawers

[GreenEyesandHam]

I think it would look odd, sorry, I do associate it with bedrooms.

[Laquitar]

You will have to dust it every 10 minutes. I prefer the white.

[PssstOverHere]

Bssh Our fireplace has a black granite back plate so I think the dark colour would look ok. If we didn't go for black-brown we would go for the beech as that would go with the mantle piece but we have the beech upstairs in our bedroom so I think that might look a bit weird to have it in both rooms

[BsshBossh]

I'm sure I've seen a very basic and quite narrow TV unit in Ikea.

Are these too big?

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20134051

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S09895132

[PssstOverHere]

Bssh In fact, I think you are right the dark might be too much, maybe it would have to be the beech.

Cyb No, I'm not a fan either, its just I need somewhere to shove our crap and it needs to fit in the alcove and I want the one in Habitat but can't afford it!!

[HannahHack]

Nope its not mad. I am planning getting a billy book case and turning it on its side to keep the TV on. Then I can keep books and DVDs + dvd player etc in the "compartments".
Multi media units are extortion imho.

[mumnotmachine]

Cant you ask on your local freecycle for something suitable?

[Jonnyfan]

We have black furniture in the living room. I think it would look more bedroomy in white.

[SmethwickBelle]

I wouldn't give it a thought if I saw it in someone's house under a telly. We have an open shelving unit under our telly (probably the damned Billy...) and I HATE how you can see all the bloody DVDs and books and toys and games consoles shoved in. At least with drawers you can shut them!

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

I have corona pine all through the house. Every room. Anything that isnt in this style is gradually being changed to it. I like it, and when we move all the furniture will be interchangable. Also if anything happens and i need to change use of a room I can mix and match without extra expense. So with that in mind, I think it would be fine, ID probably get the beech for future use.

[chocolatespiders]

I think it will look neat and tidy

[PssstOverHere]

Bssh I like both you linked but they are too small (I know, you can't win!) because my TV is wider that them so will overhang each side which will look silly I think.

So, to be really specific I want between about 80cm and 102cm wide, with either drawers or cupboard doors so crap can be out of sight.

I think if it was cheaper I could convince DH to go for this but at nearly £200 I'd rather have the Habitat for £240.

[PssstOverHere]

MumNotMachine I'm a bit too picky for that

[Cutiecat]

What about an expedit? My brother has his telly on one and looks good. It is even cheaper and you can have your dvd etc under.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20135300

[browneyesblue]

I would never have thought about using a chest of drawers anywhere except the bedroom until I saw Ikea's Edland being used as a hall table in The Good Wife - it looked great.

There's a picture of it in situ here

If it works for you, go for it.

[biryani]

I have black in the living room and it looks OK. I love the MALM - it's sort of minimalist and sleek and quite chunky too. I think the blackish one is best, however - the beech just looks bland and the white looks cheap and bedroomy. Go for it!!

[PumpkinBones]

Have you got a DVD player or anything or just the TV? As there are no comprtments to put anything else in, and you'd have to cut holes in the back for the wires...if you're concerned it's going to look "wrong" I wouldn't buy it - it will end up bothering you and be a false economy as it will driv you to buying something else!

[piprabbit]

Cutiecat, I'd just decided to post about Expedit too.
Not only is it cheaper - but Ikea do a whole range of boxes/drawers/cupboard fronts to hide the crap behind, so you can tailor it your own taste a little more.

[BsshBossh]

Psst, we have a wide TV that overhangs the TV unit it sits on and it looks fine (in my eyes, of course) and we're quite a design conscious family.

Okay, how about fixing shelves into your alcove from halfway up (TV on basic stand/unit below) and pretty storage boxes on the shelves to hide the crap?

[PssstOverHere]

I like the Expidit but DH says that our FreeSat box and the associated gubbins won't fit in the shelves or the drawers that you can get to go in them.

Have thought about the shelves idea but we have wall lights in the alcoves so can't really put shelves in, they would have to be below the lights, which are pretty low themselves.

Pumpkin You're right, we would need to cut some holes in the back of the Malm and customise it for us a bit. TBH I don't care what it looks like from behind though and the hard work will be DH's!

I'm leaning more and more towards the Malm I think.

[BsshBossh]

But Psst won't you also have to cut holes in the front so the signals from the remotes for your FreeSat box and DVD player (and what have you) can reach the boxes? Or at least have glass or something see-thru?