A Not-So-Cheap IKEA Hack

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I see a cool project, decide to do it and then my Type-A self is disappointed with the results. Take the picture below for example (not my handiwork). Before I attempt a project, I may “nail” it in my head. But in reality it turns out, well, like the second set of Cookie Monster cupcakes.

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One such project is an IKEA Hack that I attempted last spring. An IKEA Hack is when you take an item from IKEA and do something extraordinary with it. People have made some fantastic transformations with inexpensive IKEA items, creative geniuses I tell ya. Check out this website for ideas: IKEA Hackers.

When we lived in South Seattle we were just 10 minutes from IKEA. We did what many young couples do. We spent the little money we had for furniture at uber-cheap IKEA. But the saying “You get what you pay for” was coined for a reason.

After years of furnishing our home with what my Brother-in-Law lovingly refers to as “kindling”, I swore to myself I would not buy IKEA furniture anymore. Don’t get me wrong. IKEA is great for other things. I just haven’t had good luck with their wood furniture pieces, like dressers. But, after seeing this post I decided to give Ikea dressers another chance. I needed new nightstands for my bedroom and was inspired by the way Lindsay’s dressers turned out. I decided to embark on my first IKEA Hack.

I was excited to have modern side tables for our bedroom for cheap, because cheap always works for me. What I didn’t plan on was that the total cost of the project would end up being not-so-cheap. The nightstands themselves were just $39.99/each so I asked my Mother-in-Law to pick two up for me on her next visit.

Rast Dresser Before: Image via ikea.com

When Lindsay did her project she used leftover paint from another project. Since I wanted my table to look exactly like hers (there is my type-A personality showing again), I didn’t settle for anything less than the exact same paint color and brand, stain and pulls. I’m embarrassed to tell you how much that pint of paint and the rest of the supplies cost. But I will tell you it wasn’t cheap. And the pulls? Those are another story altogether. I had to have the exact ones. I looked all over town for a decent priced alternative but nothing compared to the Lee Valley pulls Lindsay used. So I ordered them online. They weren’t horribly expensive. But I would have liked to have found a local alternative to save on shipping and overall project cost.

Dressers 2 @ 39.99+tax = $87.18
1 quart Sherwin Williams paint = a lot more than I expected
1 quart stain + sealant + paint supplies = Wow! Is that receipt total accurate?
Lee Valley pulls = I should just stop now but I’m too far into this project
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Total project cost = More than I’ll ever admit but here’s a hint, enough to buy two pre-finished night stands at a local furniture store

In spite of the price I am happy with the way they turned out. They look great and, although they aren’t sturdy enough for long-term, full-time use in our master bedroom, they will be great in a future guest room. My Mother-in-Law, who so graciously dragged the heavy boxes from Seattle to Yakima, will get to enjoy the finished product when we buy a home with a guest room next year.

I may not have “nailed” the price on this project but I did “nail” the final look. And that makes me happy. And no, I won’t be buying dressers from IKEA in the future. Vases, photo frames, rugs and other items, yes. Dressers and other wood furniture, no.