I have shared a lot of details of the DIY Built-In Desk IKEA hack that we added to a random empty nook in our dining room over on Instagram, but I have yet to to sit down and pull together an entire blog post on it. SO, since I was recently in quarantine with nothing to do but watch Bridgerton for the 18th time, it feels like as good a time as any to finally give you all the details of this project in one place for easier reference.
Here’s how we made it happen:
IKEA Products Used
1 EKBACKEN marble effect countertop
Where we started
The Process
1. Installed and painted vertical paneling using liquid nails and a brad nailer.
2. Filled extra adjustment holes in IKEA furniture for a more custom look.
3. Sanded, Primed, and Painted all furniture pieces before assembling. (See below for my tips and products I use to successfully paint IKEA furniture)
4. Assembled furniture once paint was completely cured.
5. Screwed 3 1x4s into studs on the side walls around the top, middle, and bottom.
6. Mounted the bookshelves +height extenders directly through those 1x4s, and to the back wall using the provided hardware.
7. Trimmed everything out using 1x4s on top and bottom and 1x2s on the sides. (I left a gap in the baseboards for the drawer unit so that in could sit completely flush with the wall)
8. Positioned the drawer unit in the center.
9. Installed the desktop on top of it, securing with L brackets to the back wall and to the sides of the bookshelves.
10. Installed wall sconces. Mine were plugins so I ran the cords directly down the grooves in the paneling and painted then the same color to disguise them.
11. Caulk seams, fill nail holes, and touch up paint.
Paint color we chose is my favorite Boothbay Gray from Benjamin Moore.
The secret to successfully painting laminate IKEA furniture.
I don’t know if you’ve ever been in the situation where you have hastily rolled paint onto some slick laminate IKEA furniture hoping for the best only to have it start scratching or peeling off in sheets the second it is dry. I have been there in my very early DIY days and let me tell you, it’s not fun.
Thankfully through lots of research and lots of trial and error I have discovered a method for painting IKEA furniture that actually works. Over a year and a half in with the project in there is only one tiny scratch from the day we installed it.
Here are my tips for getting your paint to stick to IKEA furniture.
•Sand / De-gloss
•Use a heavy duty primer like Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3
•Paint with a premium enamel paint. I love Benjamin Moore Advance Paint. Just be sure to follow the directions for the longer drying / curing times carefully to ensure the hardest and smoothest finish possible.
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