Ikea Cabinet Makeover | DIY Home Projects

In this post I’ll be sharing an easy way to transform Ikea furniture using chalk paint and a few custom details.

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I’m definitely no expert at flipping furniture, and this is my first time ever painting a composite/particleboard Ikea piece. But, I think for my first try the results came out pretty sweet so I figured I’d share exactly what I did in case you want to bring some new life into an old Ikea shelf, cabinet, or table in your own space.

As much as I wish I had the time and patience to do this the “correct” way: sanding a ton, waiting days between primer and paint layers, etc, etc. When I get the urge to do a home project, I really just want things done… like, yesterday.

When it came time to upgrade my previous bar console (aka 2 Ikea Eket cabinets placed side by side) with a set of larger hutch style storage units from Wayfair, I was left with 2 floating cabinets that were just screaming for a makeover.

I wanted to separate the twin Ikea pieces and give them each a different vibe so I could relocate them to other areas of my living room. Deciding to paint one a dark color, and after a few minutes of research, I realized chalk paint was the best for covering the Ikea laminate style surfaces with as little effort as possible.

For a more traditional feel and visual interest, I also added some trim/molding detail to the front panels of the cabinet doors.

The entire project took me three days to complete but I’d say it’s totally beginner friendly. I also found all the materials on Amazon (click here to visit my storefront) which is beyond convenient if you’re like me and have a serious aversion to hardware stores. Let’s get into it!

Easy Ikea Cabinet Makeover

MATERIALS

sandpaper or sanding sponges
peel and stick trim molding
ruler
level
sharp scissors and/or miter shears
shellac primer
chalk paint – I used this one by House & Canvas in the color “shadow”
polyurethane sealer
paint brushes or rollers – these are my favorite!

HOW TO

I started by cleaning the cabinet thoroughly. Then took it outside to sand it not-so-thoroughly, but good enough in my eyes. The sanding step is annoying but important to make sure the primer and paint adhere properly. Some primers say you can skip the sanding, but I decided to be safe rather than sorry and took a total of 10 minutes on this step.

Next, I wiped it down with a damp cloth to remove all the dust.

To create the decorative molding detail, I started by measuring the doors to come up with a size that looked right. Then cut the pieces of peel and stick trim molding to size. I used this method to mark and cut almost perfect 45-degree angles on all ends of the trim pieces using a pair of sharp scissors. Some miter shears would have been ideal for this. But, I was just working with what I had on hand tool-wise. Note to self: invest in some handy household DIY project tools!

Using a ruler and level, I marked all 4 corners of the box shape on the cabinet doors in pencil and then adhered the trim pieces using the peel-and-stick backing they came with. This worked perfectly and was actually a lot easier than I expected!

After the molding detail, I applied 2 coats of shellac primer to the entire cabinet, waiting 2 hours in between coats.

The next day, I applied 2 coats of chalk paint, letting it dry for 30 minutes between coats. The paint I chose was “shadow” by House & Canvas. It’s the perfect moody navy/black and had really good coverage with 2 thin coats.

I used these paint brushes to apply the primer, paint, and sealer. They are my favorite to work with because the short handle and angled brush make it easy to get into smaller spaces, like the inside corners of the cabinet.

On the third day, I added one coat of matte polyurethane sealer. To be honest, I probably could’ve sanded it and then added another coat of sealer for a smoother finish. But at this point, the coats of primer, paint, and sealer were getting pretty thick and the doors were starting to rub on the bottom. So I called it quits with one coat of sealer.

It’s super important to add a sealer over chalk paint. Especially if it’s a piece that will be touched often as chalk paint scuffs/chips really easily and isn’t able to be wiped clean without a sealer.

For the final touch, I replaced the knobs with these antique inspired pulls from Amazon and this is how it turned out. Completely transformed in my opinion! You can tell I’m no pro by the obvious paintbrush strokes and slightly uneven texture… but I can totally look past that!

I placed the painted cabinet behind a loveseat in my living room to act as a console table of sorts and styled it with books, a pothos plant, and some other small decorative details.

The other sister cabinet also got a new set of bronze ring pulls, and fit perfectly in a corner reading nook I recently pulled together. This is my “Christmas tree” corner if you’re familiar with my holiday decor posts, lol!

Speaking of changing knobs and pulls, I also ordered some bronze antique inspired knobs for the new bar hutch units from Wayfair. The little basic round chrome knobs it came with were just not the vibe.