A Place to Share Ideas and Inspiration for the Home
I came across this awesome before and after chair that I just had to share. It never seizes to amaze me how easy it is to make something old look fresh and modern. I’m a lover of thrifting, making old things new and fresh, but I would probably pass this one up.
Check out this before…
Pretty ugly right. Do you see any potential in this?
You have got to see how amazing this after picture is…
Can you believe it? Looks great right?
Another score on Craigslist! A campaign style desk…not the real thing of course, but a nice looking reproduction. The owner actually had it for 30 years! The desk was originally a really cool green color but she repainted it white ( not the greatest paint job either). It was $40 bucks and it came with a piece of glass she had custom made for it. Double score! Here she is…
When I saw it I knew it was going to be a DIY project. I’ve seen campaign style furniture in so many fun colors, I knew I would be, at the very least, painting it. When I actually examined the condition it was in, I decided it was probably best to strip the existing paint and start from scratch. Being that I’ve never actually stripped paint from furniture, I didn’t know what I was getting myself (and boyfriend) into.
Here’s what I picked up from Home Depot:
And so the journey began…this is what is looked liked with the paint stripper doing its thang…
The first layer of white paint came off easily. It was the original green paint that was tough. What I couldn’t get off with the paint stripper and scraper, I figured I could just sand down to get a smooth finish. Boy! Am I glad for boyfriends! I borrowed an electric sander from my dad and while I finished stripping the paint off, boyfriend went to work at sanding. 5 hours later (I think if he realized it would take so long, he probably wouldn’t have volunteered) it was done. Hallelujah! Next step is the priming. Here’s a shot of the “painting station” with the desk stripped and sanded.
As you can see, some of that green paint didn’t want to budge much…
Never the less, it was smooth. Next step. Priming.
Right now, I’m in the middle of priming it. I’m having a tough time deciding what color to paint it. Did you notice all the paint swatches sitting on top of the desk? Boyfriend really wants “Candy Apple Red” , but I’m not sold. Although I know it would look great, I’m feeling something a little more fun, like “Pencil Yellow”. What are your thoughts? Here’s a closer shot…
or what about…
or…
So many options!!! I would love to get some feedback, so please comment. Especially if you’re siding with my choice instead of boyfriends’ pick.
Here are some great examples of campaign style furniture to help along with your decision
via lonny magazine
via makingmacy.blogspot
via stuartmemberyhomecollection
via boogieboardcottage.blogspot
via twenty-six-to-life.com
Thoughts?
I’m not sure how I came about discovering this great Ikea makeover, but I’m sure glad I did. It was the perfect inexpensive solution for a lonely bed. I believe I saw it first on aubreyandlindsay, but I quickly scoured the net for more . I kinda became obsessed once I spotted it and then frantically looked all over the web to find more images/info on this magnificent idea.
Pretty + cheap = LOVE!
Ikea rast dresser
I actually found one Ikea Rast dresser on craigslist for $20 ( got to love that craigslist). The best part was that it was already assembled. Saaweet! Funny story, but the girl I bought it from was planning on doing the same thing! I think she lost her motivation and found something else. Oh well! Her loss, my gain. I was going to make-over only one nightstand, but boyfriend quickly stepped in… “how can you only do one, shouldn’t it be a set?” . Ugh…so I went to Ikea that weekend to buy the second one. It cost $30. Then I was off to Home Depot to pick up supplies.
I used disposable latex gloves that I had at home to protect my hands from any yuk-ness, rags for the stain and a brush I already had. It was fairly easy to assemble. All by myself I might add! Next step was to lightly sand. I also wiped them down to remove any loose wood particles from the sanding. I used the cardboard box the Rast dresser came in to protect the floors from any messiness.
I have to say, it was my first time ever staining anything. Let me just add that I’ve done many, many DIY projects. Fearless is my middle name, so I dove right in! It was easy, I used boyfriends’ cut up old t-shirt for the rags. I was content after the first coat, but boyfriend thought I should do another one. So, two coats later, it was looking pretty good!
ikea rast makeover
Let me interject here. I did not want to stain the inside. I’m lazy, and didn’t care. No one sees the inside! But nooooo, boyfriend had to step in and make me feel guilty convince me otherwise. Something about re-sale, “finished product”, blah, blah, blah. I did it, mainly because he was right (so hard for me to admit). I only did one coat though… shh…
ikea-rast-makeover
I did read that other ikea rast hackers did fill in the nail holes with wood filler before they started staining, but I was much too eager to get started to pay attention to the details. I don’t really notice them, so it’s all good for me. If you’re planning on tackling this makeover, it’s a step to consider.
While the stain was drying I tackled the drawer fronts. This part was quick and easy. I decided against priming. Simply for the fact that I was using a white glossy paint. I figured I could just use an extra coat if I felt they needed it. I used a small roller to paint them and I didn’t paint the edges (much to boyfriends’ disapproval) . I read ( in one of the many blogs I researched on), that the drawers got “stuck” a bit when they painted the edges so I decided against it. I did lightly roll the bevelved edge though. Just in case that could be seen from the front.
ikea-rast-makeover-5
After the stain dried, I applied one coat of the poly. The directions recommended two, but I was content with the results after one. I did not apply poly to the drawer fronts. My experience with this is that they yellow over time.
Here’s the finished product!
ikea-rast-makeover-4
I’m quite pleased with the results, and definitely the price!! I didn’t find any knobs I liked at Home Depot. They were either too expensive or just not right. I found these at Target for $9.99 for a package of four. The knobs are brushed nickel and have modern feel. Since the nightstands have a Mid Century vibe, I wanted to modernize them a bit.
Check back to see the progress of the new pad. Our bed is no longer the only piece of furniture in the bedrom…yay!
Feel free to write if there are any steps that are unclear/ left out or you just feel like saying hi!
I’ll leave you with some other inspirational Ikea Rast makeovers…
ikea_rast via this_is_home
ikea_rast_marcus_design
ikea-rast-estilo-home
And for the original “classic” from aubreyandlindsay…
ikea-rast-aubrey-and-lindsey
Hi there. I’m Debra. I used to work in the interior design world for a hand-full of years before switching up careers. Now, I’m a graphic and web designer by day and an interior design enthusiast by night. You can read more about me here.
Follow Me!