Before and After: This IKEA MELLTORP Table Is Now Unrecognizable

updated May 3, 2019
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The MELLTORP is one of IKEA’s ubiquitous and affordable tables. It’s minimal and modern, but it also makes a great blank canvas for a DIY. Here’s how Tiphaine of Kraft & Carat transformed it.

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This is extremely cool, and the way the table now matches the chairs is uncanny; choosing colors that close to each other often leads to awkward almost-matching, but this looks perfect. Let’s hear how this project came about:

I had this table since a long time ago and when I moved out, I wanted to transform it in order to better fit our new interior style—more sophisticated, with grey tones and black & gold details. I decided to paint the structure in black and to cover the table top with concrete highlighted with brass rods.

Concrete and brass! That is such an amazing combination of materials, and an even more amazing idea for a DIY upgrade.

This is stunning. I’ll confess: until I got to this photo, I didn’t really have a feel for the table’s new look, but now I understand how absolutely gorgeous it is. It makes me want to take every single mediocre object I own and give each one a brass and concrete makeover. Fortunately, Tiphaine is here to bring me back down to earth with the realities of such an undertaking:

The process is quite long, especially because of the drying phases and adding enough concrete to fill the brass thickness is quite tricky, but it’s worth it.

If you’re interested in recreating this glam look on your own old table, Kraft & Carat has detailed instructions—at least they look detailed, they’re in French and I only speak ballet French. If you can, please report back in the comments!

This deep, dark grey is one we don’t see very often in concrete. I could also see a pale concrete paired with a wooden table base—and more brass, of course.

I love the new color and style of the table, combining an industrial look with a touch of art deco chic.

The table is indeed chic, and it looks especially sophisticated paired with that delicious blue-green. Congrats to Tiphaine on taking a mass-produced item and transforming it into something truly unique.

Thank you, Tiphaine and Kraft & Carat!