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IKEA Hacks from Elisa's House

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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inspiration, DIY, IKEA hack

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Comments (15)

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.

posted by CozyLittleCave on October 6th 2009 at 7:22pm
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Wow, what's next, tips that you can paint white walls?

posted by janetJackaruso on October 6th 2009 at 8:09pm
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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.

posted by mkw on October 6th 2009 at 8:09pm
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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

posted by kgenesius on October 6th 2009 at 8:25pm
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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.

posted by beachyrustica on October 6th 2009 at 8:32pm
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acutally, janetjackaruso, sometimes in rental situations you cant paint white wall, so small changes like these go a long way. Lighten up.

posted by rosewater on October 6th 2009 at 8:41pm
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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.

posted by LoriSF on October 6th 2009 at 8:55pm
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Love the new table top

posted by LaDonnaNichole on October 6th 2009 at 9:12pm
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Love the dresser! It's stunning. I should change the knobs on mine!

posted by MuffinGal on October 6th 2009 at 9:33pm
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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.

posted by Jesse Lu on October 6th 2009 at 10:37pm
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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).

posted by CozyLittleCave on October 6th 2009 at 10:41pm
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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.

posted by sanriofreak on October 7th 2009 at 12:46am
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The Hemnes is a fantastic piece of furniture. They are extremely sturdy.

posted by RLB on October 7th 2009 at 1:31am
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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!

posted by princessavi on October 7th 2009 at 5:53am
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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.

posted by michpc on October 7th 2009 at 11:29am
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