Miss Elisa was kind enough to share the updates she did to two pieces of her IKEA furniture. Take a peek to see how small changes to nondescript items can make them fit into a highly personal style of decorating.
1. The Hemnes dresser is a simple, utilitarian design that really benefits from some sprucing up. Inspired by a DMD Insight blog post she saw, Elisa ordered some pretty drawer pulls from The Home Depot. Just changing out the knobs made a huge difference in the appearance of the dresser.
2. Elisa removed the damaged white particleboard top of the Melltorp Dining Table she had picked up on the street for $15, and made herself a new top from a scrap of veneered walnut plywood. After cutting the piece to size, she utilized edge banding (strips of veneer with heat-activated adhesive) to finish off the sides. She then applied one coat of lacquer to seal and protect the piece.
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You know... I have the same Hemnes dresser AND a set of brass knobs I've been meaning to swap out on it (just like this project). But well, I just can't bring myself to do it. There's nothing too special about the knobs I have, and I just don't mind the ones that are already on it. Perhaps if I find some that are something really special I'd do it.
Here though, I like the change, as these knobs go much better with the rest of the room.
Wow, what's next, tips that you can paint white walls?
beautiful changes! the new knobs give the dresser a more asian feel which plays off the shape better and definately gives it a better quality look....love the wood top on the great table find...miss elisa must know a thing or two about wood and furniture design/building to have pulled this off so well.
hey CozyLittleCave, how does the Hemnes hold up? My husband is wary of it, especially to hold his jeans, but it seems pretty sturdy to me
Great choice of hardware... it turns what was a knob (one hole) into a pull, which normally has two holes. It's a cool look. Do they stay horizontally aliened? It seems like they might twist when you pull them.
acutally, janetjackaruso, sometimes in rental situations you cant paint white wall, so small changes like these go a long way. Lighten up.
The mirror looks wrong I would hang it and paint it either white or bright yellow glossy finish it will pull (excuse the expression) everything together better.
Hardware updates are always good, these are nice too.
Love the new table top
Love the dresser! It's stunning. I should change the knobs on mine!
I had the Hemmes for years. I feel like they actully hold up pretty well, even when stuffed to maximum capacity. The new pulls make it look super glam which works well with the rest of your decor... which I love BTW.
The Hemnes has held up exceptionally kgenesius! We have 2 actually (a big one like this that we use as a sideboard in the dining room & a shorter one for the bedroom). We bought them in college when we got married and all of a sudden had a roomfull of gifts that needed storing (and couldn't find anything better in our tiny college town). They're not as substantial as some of our other furniture (heirlooms), but they survived the cross-country move and we've had no complaints! I'd highly recommend! (My now-college age sister also bought one & was very happy with it).
The Hemnes is built to last. It has a lot of room, and I have stuffed mine to the max as well as my fiance's.
We plan to buy a couple more in the future. I would like to have the entire set.
The Hemnes is a fantastic piece of furniture. They are extremely sturdy.
The dresser is very pretty with the new pulls. Excellent choice! The table however, is simply amazing! Both projects could have turned out with a lot less impressive results with less thought and less attention to detail. My hat's off to you Elisa!
The drawer bottoms on the Hemnes are a little bit chintzy, but they can always be replaced if they fail. However I've had mine for over a year now, holding jeans and now stuffed to the brim with my boyfriend's T shirts in the largest bottom drawer, and it still looks new. Plus, it fits in great with my love of traditional and clean lines.