Y'all ready for a super easy, affordable, and quick IKEA hack? Our pal Jonathan Lo of Happy Mundane recently shared a great way to personalize furniture using good old contact paper.
This genius DIY is really quite simple:
- Buy contact paper in a faux wood grain. Jonathan chose walnut and bought it from Home Depot.
- Pick a piece of furniture you want to make-over. Jonathan hacked his IKEA MICKE desk (in the white/birch effect).
- Measure area of application, cut contact paper accordingly, apply carefully and voila! You've given a desk, bookshelf, credenza, etc. a mini-facelift!
Jonathan's "new" desk exudes a mid-century vibe, don't you think? This quick DIY is great because if you don't have the money to purchase a new piece of furniture or the time to refinish an existing piece, the level of commitment is relatively low (and remember, you can apply this same idea for wall art). You can always change your mind and simply peel off the contact paper. Bonus: there's no mess!
And be sure to check out how he re-did and styled an IKEA shelving unit.
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Image: Jonathan Lo of Happy Mundane
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oh that is beautiful... I have that desk and like it very much
I love contact paper. Forever and always. Esp when it's at dollar stores.
it looks good in a picture but the reality is that it will look rubbish in minutes!
While I agree that contact paper is not the most durable solution, the fact that it's cheap, easy, and can be taken off and applied again over and over without damaging the desk is cool. I'm sure the drawers are what will experience the most wear and tear in this project, but they're also the most easily redone.
This is really clever. If you get sick of the finish, you can update your look easily and inexpensively.
This is a clever idea. Very quick and cheap.
@MSKARILYNN: You said you had this desk? Is it sturdy? Does it look well made as in "that's from Ikea? really?"
OMG! to all the contact paper haters... the reality is it's an IKEA desk and Shelving unit.. the contact paper may very well outlive both pieces of furniture... besides that when the contact paper gets shabby replace it... It's not like thousands of dollars were invested.
Good Job Jonathan.
I agree that veneer is a more durable, and better quality, finish. However, when you don't have a lot of $$$ to spend, contact paper is great. I live in a rental and had covered my really ugly counters with wood-grain paper. I had cut strips and put it on to look like butcher block. That was 10 years ago and it's just now starting to wear. I also recovered a closet door to look like tight lattice, again using strips. That was also 10 years ago and it still looks great. A neighbour of mine saw this and cut squares to stick over her ugly bathtub tiles. Unless you look very closely, you can't tell it's contact paper.
My only problem now is the adhesive that is left behind as I remove paper from the kitchen counters.
Fun!!
I think it looks great. I have that desk and have been wondering what I could do to the drawer front to make it look nicer. For a quick, inexpensive facelift, I think this is spot on.
Yes yes really nice job. But WHAT is that screen saver called?
@coffeefuckyeah- I think the screensaver is called a clock :)
@fallingup cheeky. but i think I found it, it's called fliqlo.
hits too close to my 70's childhood, when the ONLY options for contact paper was wood or cork.
What a pleasant surprise to see a makeover that actually enhances the original piece. And I actually like the idea of contact paper on Ikea. Bravo!
wouldn't stain work the same?
wouldn't stain work the same?
POSTED BY CHERELLENJ ON 02.07.12 AT 10:40PM
No, I doubt it. See, nothing made by ikea is actually made of wood. Wood-like materials and laminate or plastic like stuff. So you cant actually stain it.
pawtucker = pearlclutcher.
Kind of a bummer that in an article about "refinishing" a desk, you get to see about 1/4 in the after photo. Your art is nice but really not the point...
ok, if you buy IKEA and tweak it, it won' look better, it will look like tweaked IKEA! It was ok before. I prefer IKEA over cheep contact paper!
Since I can't lay contact paper straight to save my life, that is probably out....but I see a mosaic on those drawers, too.
And I'm seeing 1970s furniture tagged as mid century modern.
@wengi I have this desk in the smaller version and love it. It looks good in my space and it has been very sturdy (its a desk/night stand right now). I just wish now that I am about to have the room for it, I had bought the bigger one. :-(
Wallpaper would look cute too. If you want the wood look though, I do think I WOULD spend the extra $7 and apply a veneer.
@WENGI - Yes, I have this desk! It's actually quite sturdy and looks great. Granted, it is from IKEA so it isn't anything amazing, but for the price, it's definitely very nice. The drawers were a bit stiff at first, but now open and close very easily. I recommend it!
I like the before picture much better and yes there are items from Ikea made from real wood! geez
My question is to some folks here -- what do you mean, "you can remove it and replace it?" Have you ever TRIED this, or are you assuming things? Because I have removed Contact paper in the past, and unless the adhesive formulation has changed, this is NO laughing matter! It leaves lots of sticky, gummy adhesive behind making reapplication nearly impossible without scouring with solvent first.
Just sayin'
Contact paper is absolute rubbish. Then again it is just Ikea. Just thinking out loud.
The poster however is probably a good person.
Stop with the contact paper bashing already....I tease. ; )
I am a renter and have the cheapest apartment in Boston that you could imagine. As a result, I have the cheapest kitchen counters you could imagine.
I found a granite looking contact paper and took hours to get it doen perfectly. I am not kidding you when I say it looks like a granite countertop. There is only one surface where there is a wrinkle and it was the last surface I did and got lazy!
It looks great and suites my needs. I think if you take the time to adhere it correctly and pick the right design it can look fab.
Just saying!
Show us pics please, MEIAMEIRA if you can. TIA
can someone recommend a good place to get contact paper? I am having the hardest time finding any in NYC.