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This is a minimalist floor lamp with a clean, angled arm reaching over where you sit — a sculptural piece built from a 1x2 base and a single 2x2 upright, with the cord hidden by threading it through holes drilled up the back. It's a woodworking project with a short electrical finish, so it suits someone comfortable making a couple of basic wiring connections.
The woodworking is all mitered angles. The base is two layers of 1x2 crossed for stability. The upright is a 69" 2x2. The arm is the interesting part: a center piece cut 45° where it meets the base and 22.5° where it meets the arm, and an end arm cut 22.5° at the joint and square at the tip — a miter saw makes these accurate. A nice tip from the source: when nailing the base layers, nail from one side only so that face becomes the hidden bottom with fewer holes to fill.
The wiring uses an IKEA HEMMA cord set and a replacement Leviton plug. You drill 1/4" holes up the back of the lamp to route the cord, cut the molded plug off the cord kit so it can thread through the wood, thread it (adding the lampshade before the cord disappears into the wood), then wire the new plug: the ridged/'gage' side of the cord takes the white (neutral) wire, the smooth side the black — strip both, expose some copper, and screw the plug closed. Safety note: getting line-voltage wiring right matters. If you're not confident stripping and terminating a plug, have someone who is do that final step, and make sure the plug is fully closed with no exposed conductor before plugging in.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x2, 8 ftBase. | 1 each |
| 2x2, 8 ftUpright and arm. | 1 each |
| Light-duty replacement plug (15A/125V)Leviton or similar. | 1 each |
| Cord set with socket (IKEA HEMMA or similar) | 1 each |
| LampshadeAdd before threading the cord into the wood. | 1 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4 in | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 1 bottle |
| Finish | 1 quart |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Base long pieces1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 18 1/2" |
| Base angled short pieces1x2One end cut at 45° (measured from the long side). | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 6" |
| Base angled medium pieces1x2One end cut at 45° (measured from the short side). | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 10 1/2" |
| Upright2x2 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 69" |
| Arm center piece2x2One end 45° (to base), other end 22.5° (to arm). | 1 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 9 1/2" |
| Arm end piece2x2One end 22.5° (to center), other end square. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 11 1/2" |
Buy 2 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Align the first set of 1x2 base pieces as shown in the diagram to form the cross base.
Place the second set of 1x2s on top of the first, with the long ends running the opposite way. Glue and attach with 1-1/4" finishing nails. Nail from one side only if you can — make that the hidden bottom face so there are fewer holes to fill.
Attach the long 2x2 upright to the base with your Kreg jig set for 1-1/2" stock. This is the main post of the lamp.
Attach the arm. The center piece is cut 45° where it meets the base and 22.5° where it meets the arm; the end arm is cut 22.5° at the joint and square at the tip. Use the miter saw for accurate angles so the arm reaches out cleanly.
Use a 1/4" bit to drill holes in the back of the lamp toward the base so the cord can thread through and stay hidden. The source drilled holes 6" and 8" from the base, but you can spread them further if you like. Sand and finish the wood before wiring.
Cut the molded plug end off the IKEA cord set so the cord can pass through the drilled holes. Add the lampshade before threading, because the cord disappears into the wood — you can't add it afterward. Thread the cord through the lamp, referencing the finished photos for the routing.
Wire the new plug: unscrew it to expose the terminals. Strip the cord to expose the white and black wires. The ridged 'gage' side of the cord takes the white (neutral) wire; the smooth side takes the black — leave some copper exposed on each. Close the plug casing over the wires and screw it shut. Safety: line-voltage wiring must be done correctly. If you're not confident, have someone experienced terminate the plug, and never plug it in with any conductor exposed.
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