On chilly nights, I would kill to just snuggle up to a kotatsu and never leave. Kotatsu is a heated blanketed coffee table, invented in 14th century Japan, and can be found in most Japanese homes during the winter. While they are the focal point of Japanese homes during the winter, they usually aren’t the prettiest furniture.
I came across this (economical and totally custom) IKEA kotatsu hack:
Materials:
1 Portable fan heater (≈ $20+)
2 Lack coffee table (≈ $30+)
1 Mysa Gras comforter (≈ $10+)
1 Duvet/Comforter cover (optional)
2-4 Snille chair backs (optional)
Construction:
1. Shorten the legs of one of the Lack tables to 7 and 7/8 inch (20cm).
CAUTION: Make sure you’re cutting the bottom of the legs and not the top.
2. Attach the legs to one table top
3. Lay the quilt over top
4. Place the second tabletop on top of the quilt. The friction/weight of the upper tabletop is sufficient to keep it from sliding around. but add Velcro if necessary.
5. Place the fan heater under the table and away from the comforter. You can keeping the heater off to one side to allow maximum knee room underneath but be careful of creating fire hazards.
*Materials can be changed for similar items. Just make sure the comforter will leave enough overhang when placed on top of the table to trap heat.
You can create your custom, and much more modern looking, IKEA kotatsu for under $100!
WARNING: Unattended and misuse of kotatsu and kotatsu hardware are a cause of fires and injury. Make sure you consult the fan heater instructions and upkeep of equipment to prevent any accidents.
Source: IKEA Hackers
January 16, 2012 at 11:46 am
That…looks…amazing!
Glad you put the warning in at the end, I was starting to worry about potential fire hazards around half the way through.