*This is a collaborative post.
Who doesn’t own at least one piece of ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture these days? Flat-pack furniture from manufacturers like IKEA is popular because it’s affordable, versatile and easy to put together – not to mention, people tend to get sentimentally attached to furniture that they’ve had a hand in creating.
There’s just one problem with RTA pieces – everyone has them and, as a result, your decor can quickly start to look just like everyone else’s. That’s why people all over the world are hacking their RTA furniture for that unique, custom look craved by many. Interested in customising some of your own furniture, but aren’t sure where to start? Here are 5 RTA ‘hacks’ to create your own custom pieces.
1) Cover It
Refinishing your flat-pack furniture is the easiest way to change up its look. Paint, contact paper, fabric, or even patterned duct tape can add some color and creativity to your generic self-assembled bookcase, dresser, desk, or headboard. Use masking tape to create a colourful geometric pattern or classy gold stripes.
Apply gold spray paint to the legs of an end table, and wrap the tabletop in marble-patterned contact paper or wallpaper. Refurbish a three-drawer nightstand with some custom latex paint, new brass fixtures, and some leather detailing. Just make sure to rough up the surface of your furniture a little with some sandpaper before painting.
Looking for something a little fancier, or more foolproof? Try some decorative vinyl furniture wraps or stickers from manufacturers like MyKea or Panyl. Panyl’s DIY furniture coverings are an easy way to revamp your kitchen cupboards, desk, table, wardrobe, bed, or other flat-pack furniture with a brand-new wood or marble look, among other options, and it’s as easy as applying a sticker.
2) Fill In The Peg Holes
Even if you customise the look of your flat-pack bookcase or shelving unit, the shelf peg holes will remain as a telltale sign that you did not pick up this piece at a glamorous old lady’s estate sale. If you don’t want to totally redo the look of your piece, filling in the peg holes can bring it up a notch in appearance. Many manufacturers of RTA furniture understand this desire, and sell stickers you can use to cover surplus peg holes. If you can’t find such stickers, fill them with caulk before painting or papering over them.
3) Add Some Texture
Texture isn’t something that you typically see on most flat-pack pieces, which is why it can really up the wow factor when you add a textured overlay to your piece. Apply a decorate fretwork panel, like those sold by O’verlays, to add a new dimension to your piece. O’verlays’s decorative fretwork panels are paintable, so you can add colour contrast to your new design, and they’re easy to apply to furniture, mirrors and more.
Want to get more creative? Stalk the aisles of your local hardware store for molding, cane webbing, and other decorative touches that can help you create the custom piece of your dreams, like this gorgeous cane bed.
4) Repurpose It
Perhaps you’ve already assembled your RTA pieces, or called in furniture assembly professionals in the Atlanta area to help you assemble said pieces. Now they’re just sitting there, holding your books or whatever, and looking like a Swedish showroom.
Add new flair to an old piece by re-imagining its use. For example, turn a basic IKEA Kallax shelving unit on its side and add some legs and decorative bits to craft a mid-century modern-inspired TV console with room for your electronics and games. Repurpose the Hejne shelving system as either a radiator shelf or an adjustable child’s desk. Use your imagination, or browse the web for ideas.
5) Upgrade Your Hardware
An easy and cheap way to add a personal touch to your mass-produced furniture is to simply change the hardware. Your local hardware store sells a selection of knobs, handles, drawer pulls, legs, and feet that can all be added to any piece of RTA furniture from any manufacturer. You can either swap out the original hardware for new items that are more to your liking, or you can add new hardware, legs, or feet to a piece that previously had none. Check out Pretty Pegs for a wide selection of stylish feet and legs designed for use with IKEA furniture.
Ready-to-assemble furniture is the cheap and easy way to furnish abodes of all kinds, from dorm rooms to single-family houses, and everything in between. But don’t let the mass-produced sameness of these pieces get you down. Add your own decorative touches to personalise your furniture, and turn your ordinary items into conversation pieces.
*This is a collaborative post.
Lovely sofa with quit nice cushions but it could be better.