You Won’t Believe How Design Bloggers Turned Basic IKEA Furniture Into Showpieces

We all love the amazing bargains that can be found at the closest Ikea, but there is one problem: Sometimes those discounted pieces of furniture look a little, well, cheap and basic.

Not to worry, these nine furniture makeovers will give you ideas on how to make those low-priced furnishings look like they came from a designer shop. After taking the time to do these upgrades you’ll have some strategies to take your home from bland to defined.

1. Vilmar Chair Gets A Marbled Makeover

This basic white chair was given an upgrade with just some glue and paper. To save even more money, Dream A Little Bigger blogger Alison suggests checking out the “as is” department. You will be covering up any nicks anyway, so a slightly imperfect piece will do just fine.

Dream A Little Bigger

 

2. Tarva Chest Goes Glam With Paint 

To bring some life to this piece, blogger Sarah Sherman Samuel added new knobs and painted the legs. This was enough change to give the dresser differentiation while still allowing it to blend into a tight space. The creator even sawed down the legs to better suit her space.

DIY ikea dresser upgrade // smitten studio

3. DIY Workbench With Rast Dressers And Linnmon Desktops

Not only is this workbench less expensive than what you’d pay for a pre-made version, but you can also customize it to your space. Made from only three dressers and three countertops, this bench cost less than $125. Considering a basic workbench can cost you anywhere from $200 to $500, this is quite a savings. Head on over to Polished Habitat for directions.

Our DIY work bench was put together with IKEA supplies to keep the price low. Using RAST dressers, LINNMON table tops, and KALLAX shelves let us customize the perfect space on a budget.

4. Basic Side Table Is Transformed With Tape And Paint

This look was achieved with just a little paint and some tape. The table was taken from a basic white piece that would have been completely passed by to a stand-out side table that is sure to get your friends talking. Check out Dwell Beautiful for directions on how to create a table like this.

side table makeover

5. Lack Coffee Table Turns Into A Mid-Century Showpiece

The changes that Kirsten from Triple Max Tons made to this table were minimal, but the overall effect is gorgeous. She took off the bottom shelf from this table and then added on some new legs for a classic modern piece. The contrast of the wood with the white gives this coffee table a completely fresh look.

6. Basic Storage Cubes Get An Antique Look

Wow! With just a coat of dark wood stain and the addition of brass card file pulls, these basic wooden drawers look like a beautiful antique chest. Learn how to recreate this vintage look on The Painted Hive.

7. Basic Cube Becomes A Custom Ottoman 

In order to create this stylish foot rest, Kristi Murphy covered an Ikea cube with fabric. Choosing your own fabric allows you to customize the piece to suit your decor. It’s a simple change that results in a piece of expensive-looking furniture for a fraction of the cost.

DIY Pouf

8. Besta Cabinet Doubles As A Mid-Century Bar

Check out Brittany Makes to see how one blogger transformed the look of this cabinet, and found a creative way to add more shelves. And, the addition of mid-century style legs completely changes the look of the cabinet.

IKEA HACK: Mid Century Bar Cabinet // brittanyMakes

9. Vittsjo Coffee Table Stuns With A Coat Of Gold Leaf Paint

Another fast fix that created a gorgeous look—it’s amazing what you can do with a little paint! After painting the black edging of the table gold, blogger and designer Kristin Jackson added a marble slab to the bottom shelf. As an alternative, she suggests using white paint and adding a mirror rather than the marble. Either way the style of this table is brought to a whole new level.

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About the Author
Sarah Lewton
I love writing about little life hacks that make for better, more efficient living because we all need to get more from our time and money. It's also important to exercise and eat right which should always be balanced with some chocolate cake. Throw in a little about living with contentment and happiness and that about sums me up

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