Everyone loves Ikea furniture, right? Ok, maybe not
everyone. But, I think most would agree Ikea has decent furniture and household
items for great prices. At the same time though, most of the furniture is
pretty plain and very simplistic. I’m not complaining, I love the functionality
of the pieces in my home, but the design is just a little boring.
Since we’d had our previous bedroom furniture for about ten
years, my husband and I decided it was time for an update. And after exhaustive
searches at furniture stores we decided it best to just get a few separate
pieces rather than a full bedroom set. It was also much more affordable to do
it this way. We needed a dresser, and a closet since our bedroom moved to what
used to be the living room. Who buys a full bedroom set nowadays anyway?
So, what’s my point? You can buy something plain and give it
some pizazz! How do you do that? Well, there are many options i.e. paint,
stencils, fabric to name a few. But I am using the easiest method, in my
opinion, contact paper.
Here is the furniture before…
-I love the dark tone, but it is very stark and a little too
masculine.
When using contact paper there are only 2 steps to take.
1.
Measure the surface to be covered
2.
Cut and apply
But, since I’ve used contact paper many times I’ve learned a couple of tricks to make it easier to apply. Because although it’s a short process it can get frustrating if you try to rush it.
This is the contact paper I used.
-I have had this for a few years and don’t even remember
where I bought it, but it was the perfect subtle pop of color.
I didn’t need to measure the top of the dresser because the width of the contact paper was almost exactly the width of the dresser. I did however take measurements for the closet, which you’ll see later.
*Tips*
- when applying, remove the paper backing very slowly and use a straight edge to smooth each section (this prevents air bubbles from forming)
- use wax paper between the contact paper and straight edge when smoothing to prevent rubbing the design off the contact paper
- use a sharp blade to trim edges
For the closet, I measured for the inner squares on the door and cut each into two pieces (on the diagonal)
-I only needed two squares to get this geometric look I wanted
After I had finished applying the contact paper, I tied the whole look together by spray painting the dresser knobs
-I used a white primer, then a gold metallic paint
*Tip*
- when painting knobs, make holes in a piece of foam
board (or cardboard) and secure the knobs to the board with the screws on the
other side
And here is the result.
This cost me nothing to do because I had the contact paper
and the spray paint. But, if you were to buy these supplies the total cost (for
the paper and paint) would be less than $10 depending on the size roll of paper
and brand of paint. Now I have furniture that is customized to my space. And if
one day I wake up and don’t like it anymore, I can just peel the contact paper
off! Let me know what you think. Have you used contact paper around your home
for something other than shelves? Check out my Diy storage box.
Thanks, and God bless!
Living Simply,
Mindy
