The IKEA greenhouse cabinet is the new trending IKEA hack we can't wait to try at home. If the last year has turned your home into an indoor jungle, then this clever conversion will not only help your plants to flourish but looks incredible too.
For more greenhouse ideas you can visit our dedicated gallery, however, we have a feeling you're going to want to try this out at home.
Robin Schouten, 29, from the Netherlands introduced the ingenious idea to Instagram via her page @IKEAGreenhouseCabinet. Robin started the page last April, however, since then it has grown to have 89.9K followers. People across the world have gone crazy for the IKEA greenhouse hack.
'When I first started I saw a few, only about 10 photos of people who had converted an IKEA cabinet into a greenhouse. I was like 'I need this',' explains Robin. 'I posted the whole journey of converting my own IKEA Fabrikor cabinet on Instagram.'
The response Robin received was huge so in 2019 she started the hashtag IKEAGreenhouseCabinet which evolved into the popular Instagram page. 'There weren't many people at first, but once people found out it exploded,' adds Robin.
The hack uses glass-fronted IKEA cabinets such as the Detolf, Fabrikör, Milsbo and Rudsta to create the perfect environment for your houseplants using a mixture of humidifiers, fans and grow lights. Robin explains that the beauty of the hack is that the cabinets look good and can be converted to work for any type of plant. They are also perfect for caring for indoor plants in winter as the temperature is kept constant.
'You can grow any plant in it you want,' explains Robin. 'There are people who are using it mainly for cacti and succulents, people are using it for vegetables. I have mostly aroids like Anthurium and Philodendrum because they need really high humidity. But pretty much anything goes.'
Robin converted her Fabrikör and Milsbo IKEA cabinets into Greenhouse in May and July 2019. Since then her plants have thrived in them.
'The average humidity inside both cabinets is 80% without the use of a humidifier, which I only turn on when the levels drop below 70%, and with most parts of the doors being sealed with weatherstrips,' explains Robin.
'Two mini fans are installed in the Milsbo and one in the Fabrikör. They create the very important airflow and run for about 12 hours a day, I manually switch them on and off. I also added USB extension cables to the fans so I don't have to remove them from the cabinet to recharge. All wires run through the cracks of the door and are secured to the glass with suction cups.'
'For even more airflow and a better humidity distribution, I made a wire shelf for the Milsbo from a PVC-coated wire mesh panel I bought at the hardware store,' adds Robin. 'Bending down the sides of the panel created a very sturdy shelf! The same PVC-coated wire mesh panel was used at the back of the Fabrikör, it created a place to hang plants from and adds more space since I don’t use any shelves in this one.'
Robin's cabinets also include grow lights because they are situated in a shady corner. 'The lights are attached to the cabinet with suction cups, which I do need to clean every 3 months otherwise they will fall down, and they automatically switch on at 8 AM and off at 9 PM.'
If you're considering creating your own IKEA Greenhouse Cabinet Robin's top tips are to do your research and invest in a fan.
'Don't just follow one tutorial, really do your research,' insists Robin. 'I've seen people just copy and paste someone's greenhouse, and that person has only had it two months you can't know if it works.'
'Think about the plants you're going to put in it and the room you're going to put it in. Mine is in full shade corner so it gets no natural light so it includes grow lights. But someone with a really bright house might not even need grow lights.'
Mould is the biggest issue with the cabinets explains Robin. 'The most important thing for the cabinets is airflow. Get a fan it is so important, and open up the cabinets a few times a day.'
If you aren't confident in your DIY skills you can still invest in a mini greenhouse. Take a look at our best mini greenhouse round up. Have you been tempted to invest in your own IKEA cabinet?
