Ikea's MALM nightstand is already a pretty good buy on its own, but as imgur user casper36 discovered it's also just the right size to house a 15 to 17 inch arcade cabinet.


While this project isn't for a novice, it doesn't appear to be too difficult either. The top of the MALM nightstand was cut to form a frame for a monitor. Glass was mounted on top after everything was in place. A joystick box was created and placed in the top drawer. A JAMMA board was mounted inside the nightstand to actually power the arcade, and then legs were added to make it all a reasonable height. Casper36 posted his process with detailed photos, providing you with image-based instructions that are far more detailed than IKEA includes with the nightstand itself. If you're looking to create a compact arcade cabinet on a budget, here's your answer.

(Or this one if you want to go bigger.)


Cocktail table arcade | Imgur via Apartment Therapy Tech