apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I was actually contemplating the exact same thing...however Id like to paint the pine the color of the drawers. Anyone have any clue if its just a simple black or what? Please let us know how this works out for you when you do paint it..

Yup, I agree wit AT. I would use a semi-gloss off white paint. I would also consider semi-gloss black.

How about a little splurge on bedding and coordinating with that? You know they will be together for a long time wherever you live.

that's the bed i'm getting as soon as they come in stock in emeryville. then i'm stapling scotch-guarded fabric over the pine.

absolutely sand the pine and use a primer (like bin primer sealer) before painting. otherwise, the oils from the wood will eventually bleed through the paint.

OR

i do like ung's idea of covering the bed with fabric. for a more luxurious feel, add some cotton batting under the fabric to give it some dimension.

Paint it black

I also like the fabric idea. or you could stain it a darker wood color to match the other wood in the room.

Absolutely prime and prime well before painting. Otherwise you will get a ton of bleed through. An oil based primer would be best.

The one problem with the pine is that it's inevitable that the knots will eventually show through the paint.

ung--please share your results.

This is a topic that's been covered at times, but what's the feeling of painting over Ikea particleboard/veneer? Worth it? I have 2 Beech colored Ikea dressers--1 Malm and 1 of the simple style that was phased out for Malm. The beech doesn't do it for me. But, I don't want to put money into new Ikea dressers--I'd rather wait and get some "real" furniture--protein if you will. Anyone?

My first thought was to paint it black or white, but I love the fabric idea. I'd go for an interesting textile (but that's just me) -- I suspect even a black or white scotch-guarded cotton duck would look spectacular

christine, buff your veneer with a fine grit sandpaper, give it a good coat of BIN primer, and then paint as usual (i'd use water based for ease of cleanup). follow up with a matte or gloss polycrylic for protection. it's a really great way to give cheap furniture a makeover.

I'd go with black. The drawers are black so it would match well.

I'd say if you expect to live with the dressers for at least another year, it'll be worth painting them.

It's not hard to paint the veneer--just a bit time consuming waiting for paint to dry. I used a 100grit sanding sponge to scratch up the surface...I also used melamine paint which is an oil--but follow lindsey kathleen's directions above and it should be fine.

Chistine, I've painted Ikea veneer. Lightly sand it, prime it well, then paint. I actually used spray paint, and it came out fine. Can't vouch for the endurance of the spray paint, though, as I ended up selling the piece about 6 months later when I moved. Others have posted in past threads that using a small roller to appy the (non-spray) paint is the best way to go.

Gold Leaf (or silver, or copper) You get a book of square sheets of the material you like and sizing...It is really simple and can be sealed. For the amount of space you need to cover it will be very affordable. And kinda unique...unique is good right?

IF you decide to stain, you'll need to use some kind of stripping chemical on the surface first. We got it into our heads to stain a birch-veneer buffet from Ikea, didn't really realize that there was a durable poly surface over the wood, and ended up with a catastrophe that could only be concealed by several coats of paint. Strip the poly, then sand, then stain a practice spot to make sure you really got all the poly off. Honestly it might be safer to just paint to start with :).

Deck paint can prevent the see-through problem. But I LOVE Opie's idea of silver leaf.

lacquer red.

wallpaper...in a superhot black, white and red

Use the opportunity to make an artistic statement or do something really wild. Stencil large letters in black for a shipping crate look...decoupage a repeating pattern of graphics or geometric shapes...apply textured wallpaper... cover with leather or animal hide, staple a woven mat or carpet piece to the side. Since you're using teak accent pieces maybe try using something with an Asian feel, like rice paper or bambo. Geez...the possibilities are endless!

Glossy white. It's sexy, and would be a nice contrast with the wood. Plus it would be easy to update with new bedding.

I'm seriuosly consiedering getting this bed as well. I have been stuck on the idea of sanding it and staining it in walnut. Any thoughts about that?

Thanks everyone for the painting tips! I'm probably going to do that so I don't feel compelled to settle quickly on a new dresser (and so i can save up for it!).

I recently whitewashed a couple Mandal beds for a project (the version w/o storage boxes). They turned out beeeautifully.

You can do that treatment with any color, that way you don't have to be concerned about the knots. It didn't require sanding. We painted the legs solid (because of the near black stain).

According to the web site, the Mandal's (with storage boxes) drawer fronts & dark frame are solid pine, stain, & clear acrylic lacquer (same as the legs for the version w/o boxes). A couple coats of paint should do the trick.

orangejuce, as for staining ... you'll definitely need to sand in that instance.

I have a similar bed, and didn't want to see the drawers or deal w/ the pine knots. I made a natural linen tailored bed skirt (flat w/ inverted pleats in the corners) and a simple headboard in the same fabric (plywood sheet covered w/ foam & batting). Total cost for fabric & headboard materials was about $100. The look is simple and relaxed.

Does anyone have a picture (or a link to a picture) of the finished product? I'm thinking about doing the same thing, and I'd love to see what a painted Mandal would look like...

Yes please, anyone with pictures of a painted/stained Mandal? Pretty please?