IKEA’s £6 Lack shelf, 30cm x 26cm: could this four‑colour fix replace your bedside table?

Cramped bedrooms and rising clutter have met their match this week, as a tiny wall fix taps a big space problem.

As the new school term resets routines, households are hunting cheap, quick upgrades. IKEA’s £6 Lack wall shelf fits the brief, promising handy storage without stealing floor space.

Why a £6 wall shelf is turning heads

Bedrooms across Britain are shrinking, while chargers, glasses, lip balm, and bedtime reads keep multiplying. A full‑size bedside table often hogs precious inches and turns into a catch‑all. A 30cm x 26cm wall perch changes that equation. Mount it at pillow height, keep the floor clear for a laundry basket or a cot, and reclaim room to breathe.

At 30cm by 26cm and £6, the Lack wall shelf offers a no‑frills, no‑footprint surface that does the night‑time basics.

The Lack series leans on minimalist lines and lightweight construction, which makes the smallest shelf easy to carry, easy to position, and easy to live with. It looks clean, does not shout for attention, and slots into busy rooms without bossing the scheme.

What you get for £6

IKEA sells the 30cm x 26cm Lack wall shelf in four colours: white, black‑brown, white stained oak effect, and red. The palette covers neutral schemes, Scandi‑light looks, and a bolder accent option. The size suits a phone, a paperback, a small lamp, or a glass of water. That’s the night shift handled, without the bulk of a drawer unit.

• Price: £6 for the 30cm x 26cm wall shelf
• Colours: white, black‑brown, white stained oak effect, red
• Look: minimalist, box‑edge profile that sits tight to the wall
• Best for: small bedrooms, spare rooms, student digs, box rooms, guest corners

Many bedside tables measure 40–50cm wide and 35–45cm deep. That footprint can hem in a bed, block a radiator, or force an awkward route to the door. A wall‑mounted perch removes legs from the layout. You see more of the floor, which tricks the eye and helps the room feel calmer.

Set‑up and safety

Mounting is simple, but the fixings matter. Use screws and plugs that match your wall type. On plasterboard, choose proper cavity anchors. On solid masonry, use suitable wall plugs. Avoid overloading and keep heavier items towards the wall side of the shelf to reduce leverage on the fixings.

Good fixings make a small shelf feel big. Match the hardware to your wall and keep the load sensible.

If you rent, check your agreement before drilling. Where you can’t use fixings, a freestanding clamp lamp on the headboard and a slim tray under the bed may be safer than adhesive mounts, which can fail under weight.

Does it beat a bedside table?

The answer hinges on what you actually need at arm’s length. If you only keep a phone, an alarm, and a book to hand, the Lack shelf covers it. If you rely on deep drawers for medication, chargers, or bulky headphones, you may still want a compact drawer unit. Use this quick comparison to decide.

Where it shines beyond the bed

The same tiny footprint earns its keep all over the house. A matched pair by the front door catches keys and post. A single shelf beside a sofa parks a mug and a remote. Two in a child’s room create a tidy reading nook above the skirting board.

• Hallway: one near the door for keys and a small bowl for coins
• Kitchen: spice perch away from the hob’s steam
• Home office: webcam or small speaker platform to free desk space
• Kids’ rooms: display spot for trophies or bedtime book rotation
• Rentable corners: guest room surface without buying full furniture

Add felt pads underneath if you mount low over skirting to avoid scuffs. For cables, stick a few discreet wire clips along the wall and thread your phone lead up behind the shelf, then use a small cable weight to stop it slipping.

The range behind the shelf

The Lack family runs wider than this one piece. If you want a consistent look, you’ll find larger shelves, wall units, coffee tables, TV benches and full stand combinations with the same simple lines. That helps small homes keep a steady design language room to room without spending big.

Stick to one series and your home feels pulled together, even when the budget sits in single figures.

Smart styling tips

Go tone‑on‑tone: white shelf on a white wall makes clutter hover, red on a neutral wall adds a shot of colour to wake a scheme. Keep the surface disciplined. One lamp, one book, one coaster. Anything else goes in a small fabric pouch on a bedframe hook.

Try symmetry in tight rooms. Two shelves at the same height on either side of the bed frame the headboard without closing the space. If a lamp is non‑negotiable, choose a clamp or plug‑in wall lamp to keep the shelf clear for the things you grab at 3am.

What to think about before you buy

Measure twice. The 30cm width suits most divans and small doubles, but headboards with chunky wings can jut past the shelf and make access awkward. Check curtain sweep if you plan to mount near a window. Keep at least a few centimetres between fabric and shelf edge to avoid snagging.

Plan the load. Lightweight board‑on‑frame designs shine for everyday bits, not heavy stacks of hardbacks or ceramic planters. If you want more weight capacity, consider doubling up fixings or moving to a longer Lack shelf with more screws into studs or solid masonry.

A quick space check for your room

Take your current bedside table’s footprint. If it’s 45cm by 40cm, swapping to a 30cm by 26cm wall shelf clears roughly the area of a sheet of A3 paper on the floor, plus the visual relief of bare skirting. That gap can make the difference between squeezing a cot beside the bed or not. It also makes vacuuming faster, which keeps dust levels down around pillows.

Extra gains you can bank this week

Pair the shelf with a nightly reset. Limit the surface to three items. Run a one‑in, one‑out rule for extras. Move medicine or valuables to a lidded box on a wardrobe shelf. Add a small catch‑tray for rings so they don’t slide off at night. These tiny habits keep the open surface from sliding back into clutter.

Budget stretches further when you build in stages. Start with two £6 shelves for the bedroom. If that clears space and the look works, expand with a longer Lack shelf for a living room wall or a compact TV bench from the same range. You keep the palette consistent and avoid mismatched impulse buys that chip away at both space and cash.