Embarking on a DIY project can be exciting, but it’s not uncommon to feel stuck midway with an unfinished project. Despite claims of being beginner-friendly, many DIY endeavors can turn out more challenging than anticipated. Fortunately, there are expert tips to help you successfully complete a DIY project for your home. One helpful hack involves customizing pre-made furniture for a simpler project.
Renowned for her YouTube videos, Alexandra Gater is a home decor YouTuber and the author of Own Your Space. She specializes in helping renters transform their compact living spaces into personalized havens. Gater often incorporates DIY techniques to meet size restrictions and cater to unique needs in her rental makeovers. Her approach to creating custom DIY projects is surprisingly accessible.
Meet Our Expert
Alexandra Gater, a prominent home decor YouTuber and the author of Own Your Space, shares her expertise.
“I’ve always admired IKEA for their functional pieces,” mentions Gater. “The modular nature of their furniture allows for easy customization, such as changing out the legs, making it a fun DIY project.” From wardrobes to shoe cabinets and sofas to clever pet storage solutions, Gater reveals her top methods for transforming basic IKEA furniture into personalized statement pieces.
1. Enhanced Entryway Storage
Gater’s go-to IKEA piece for rental transformations and personal use is the Hemnes pull-out shoe cabinet. “It’s ideal for limited spaces due to its slim design that can accommodate numerous pairs of shoes,” she explains.
Gater shares three key projects to elevate this basic IKEA item. Firstly, a fresh coat of paint can work wonders. For glossy finishes, using a shellac-based primer before painting is crucial. Subsequently, replacing the cabinet’s original black knobs with ones that match the desired style is a simple yet effective upgrade. Lastly, Gater recommends customizing the cabinet top, a straightforward task. By substituting the original top with a piece of lumber of identical dimensions, sanding, staining, and sealing the wood, then affixing it to the cabinet, you can achieve a custom look.
Given the Hemnes cabinet’s wall-mounting design, once your customization is complete, securely install it on the wall using screws and a drill. Gater adds an extra touch by concealing the cabinet legs with trim, creating a built-in appearance that seamlessly integrates into the space.
To transform her plain cabinet into a functional and stylish litter box holder, she decided to use polyurethane to seal the untreated wood. Then, with the help of a jigsaw, she skillfully cut a hole in the side of the cabinet to allow her cat to easily enter and exit the litter box area. Adding a personal touch, she replaced the original IKEA legs with wooden ones, elevating the overall look. To further enhance the cabinet’s appearance, she adorned the top with a selection of books and dried florals. “It’s the ideal solution for concealing a litter box while also providing additional storage space for all your furry friend’s essentials,” she explains.
In the realm of kitchen renovations, Gater suggests a significant upgrade by swapping out the fronts of IKEA kitchen cabinets. She praises IKEA kitchens for their global popularity, ease of design, and durability over time. Thanks to their flexible design, customizing IKEA cabinets is a breeze. By investing some effort, Gater believes you can revamp your kitchen by exchanging cabinet fronts (she particularly favors those from Nieu Cabinet Doors). “There are exceptional companies offering custom fronts for IKEA kitchens, allowing you to achieve a bespoke look without breaking the bank,” she shares. To complete the new look, she recommends replacing old hardware with fresh knobs and pulls that complement the kitchen’s aesthetic.
When it comes to personalizing sofas and couches, Gater opts for simple projects that require no prior DIY experience. A quick and effective method to customize IKEA sofas and chairs is by investing in slipcovers. Gater trusts Bemz, a slipcover specialist, to craft bespoke covers in a variety of colors and fabrics for sofas and chairs. “This approach enables you to enjoy that dreamy pink velvet sofa without exceeding your budget, with the benefit of interchangeability to suit evolving styles,” Gater notes. Beyond vibrant covers, she enjoys swapping out sofa or chair legs to align with the space’s decor, with Pretty Pegs being her preferred supplier.
