Tricia from Simplicity in the South loved the vintage industrial look of Restoration Hardware's steel cabinets, though their prices were not in the budget. She had an idea that with a little paint and some upholstery tacks, she could transform an old IKEA PS cabinet into something a little less schoolyard and a little more industrial chic.
It just required some sanding to un-shiny the surface, some dry-brushed chalkboard paint, and a bit of silver craft paint and dark wax to give it that dark, aged-looking patina. Admittedly, it seems like a lot of work, but the payoff is significant, and at least the work is not particularly painstaking.
"The good thing about this paint project is that it doesn't have to look perfect," Tricia writes.
Check out the complete instructions on her blog. And for a demonstration on how to fake steel rivets with upholstery tacks, check out her tutorial here.
(Images: Simplicity in the South)
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Way to go......!
No Way to go.
I've been eyeing that locker for some time. The after looks great!
Nice, that looks great.
Very cool finish!
A vast improvement- nice work!
what i really like is that the rest of the decor hasn't changed, this is a great diy project and fits the space as it's used
Not sure how I feel - I actually was surprised at how much I liked it up close in the photos on Tricia's blog, but I'm not sold on the look from a distance. The techniques are really great though and I'm sure will spark some ideas.
Been on the lookout for some vintage lockers so bookmarking this for future reference in case they need a lil help. Checked the blog after the comment above hopin to be surprised as well but still not feelin it. Too much investment w/little return in my world. Of course, everyone's taste is different but I had the time to invest, I'da just spray painted them orange. While not a fan of this redo myself - the room overall is a WINNER! And so it the blog. Well done on both counts. Headed back to the blog now for what I'm sure will be tons of inspiration. Thanks.
Up close this looks great, but I'm not sure how I feel about it from a distance. Either way the execution is lovely, and it gives the room a lot more character.
The before feels bland and modern office furniture-y
The after is much more cool and industrial, and still like something like from an office, only, in the '30s. Much better :)
I dunno. I think I would've painted it a bright, gloss colour (fire-engine red? Cobalt?).
The cabinet comes in a glossy red, which I do like better than both the before and after. But the effort that went into this is awesome.
i don't particularly care for this. meanwhile, i'm searching for extra shelf brackets for this cabinet. Anyone know where I can find some?
clarifying, the surroundings look great; the chalkboard paint makes it look messy.
Great job!
I'm surprised at the negative comments! I think this looks awesome and industrial is far better than the basic powder-coated Ikea one.
Love it and the blog is awesome.
I love Ikea hacks. It's the only way to rock this stuff. This one is great.
Hmmm...trouble with this is that this piece of furniture is very well known so it immediately looks like an obvious re-do rather than something that was always that way. I have seen one hack of the PS cabinet where the doors were spray painted different colours and that seemed to be more effective as it didn't look like it was trying to be anything else, more like a 'limited edition'.