Before & After: This IKEA cabinet is now a contemporary statement piece with wooden details

This is how to unlock your flatpack's bespoke potential – from an individual who knows how it’s possible

IKEA revamp project with panelling
(Image credit: @newhome_oldhouse_)
Megan Slack
By
published
in Advice

While it is easy to admire IKEA for its minimalism, it is equally important to celebrate when a Scandi-cool icon turns into something unrecognizable. This is the case with our latest IKEA hack crush, a wooden cabinet with boutique wooden details – and golden accents. 

The makeover in question comes from designer Eve of @newhome_oldhouse_, who turned the furnishing from a functional office cabinet into a fashionable focal point that deserves attention. Here, Eve shares the secrets behind her interior design idea so you can recreate its style in your home. 

IKEA revamp project with panelling

(Image credit: @newhome_oldhouse_)

IKEA cabinet hack: Before

While many IKEA hacks begin with a trip to the Scandinavian powerhouse, Eve shares that the unit was her 'husband's beloved filing cabinet that he refused to part with.' Therefore, she decided to give it a refresh. 

'The paint we used was the same as we had used on the paneling in the bedroom shown [below] – Crown Period Collection in Velvet Evening. The decision to continue this hue from the paneling to the furnishing creates a seamless flow between the room's focal points and emphasizes the unit's bespoke look even further.  

'The paint is glorious and literally only took two coats – with no sanding down and no primer whatsoever,' Eve shares. 'I did give the cabinet a wipe down first, though.'

IKEA revamp project with panelling

(Image credit: @newhome_oldhouse_)

After painting, Eve picked up the natural wooden beading/molding in long strips (from B&Q) before measuring the drawers and cutting the beading strips with an electronic cutter. 

Then, once the strips were correctly cut to size, Eve smoothed a 'No Nails' across the front of the drawers and stuck the cut beading into place. 

'I continued with giving the edges of the drawers (the tops and tails of the beading) a quick sand with an electric hand sander to give a smoother, uniformed finish post-cut,' Eve adds. 

IKEA cabinet hack: After 

IKEA revamp project with panelling

(Image credit: @newhome_oldhouse_)

To finish the makeover, Eve dressed the unit with modern golden drawer handles (which you can pick up on Amazon here). These paired beautifully with the unit's dusty blue hues and the metallic tones of her accessories that crown the piece.  

The result is the modern bedroom idea your home deserves – now a trip to IKEA is pending.

Megan Slack
Megan Slack

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team.

Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US whilst studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site.

Megan currently lives in London, where she relocated from her hometown in Yorkshire. In her home, she experiments with interior design trends and draws inspiration from the home decor ideas she observes in her everyday work life. Her favorite pieces include her antique typewriter and her expansive collection of houseplants. When she isn’t writing, she is browsing London’s coffee shops and bookstores to add to her ever-growing library, taking over the open shelving in her apartment. 

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