Hello! Hope everyone had a great Valentines weekend! We spent the weekend in true Wright style- hockey, more hockey, and projects. Nothing says true love like hanging out in the box with the other half:
But, Today I want to share with you a simple IKEA hack!
There are millions of possibilities with the inexpensive and versatile IKEA pieces and the vittsjo line is no exception. If you’re an avid pinterest-er like me, you can’t help but see images of gold, marble, and vibrant spray paint colors being thrust upon the vittsjo line! Let’s just take a look at a few basic pieces:
The price range in the entire Vittsjo line ranges from $30 to $138 for a single piece, but given a good makeover these pieces can look far more elegant and expensive. Here’s a few great examples from fellow bloggers:
Swoon-Worthy huh? These are just a a few examples of the endless ways to amp up your decor game without breaking the bank.
Now to add to the blogosphere with my own ikea vittsjo restyle!
When selecting pieces for the living room, I knew I wanted a coffee table that wouldn’t be visually heavy and was low in price point. I decided on the Vittsjo nesting table with that criteria in mind. I had every intention of putting some gold leaf love all over her much like the Decor Pad picture from above. I quickly assembled her (yes, this actually was a quick IKEA assemble) and lived with her as is for a few weeks. After bringing in more accessories and furniture in the living room, I realized I had A LOT of gold in this room already and perhaps more gold would verge on the tacky, not trendy, side. I prefer the trendy side of the fence.
I also have been bringing in more warm, wood tones because I LOVE the mix of metals and wood and decided that was exactly what this table needed…wood!
Here’s how she started, straight from the box assembled.
Not ugly, but a little too plain for my liking. I think we can do better!
Isn’t she a beauty! I love how the simple swap really warmed up the space and made this vittsjo table the shining star of the room.
Here’s what you’ll need for this simple Restyle:
IKEA vittsjo nesting tables
A piece of wood cut to size (I used Pine)
Wood Prestain (I used Minwax Pre-Stain)
Wood Stain (I used Minwax Special Walnut)
Polycrylic Finish (I used Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic)
Step 1: Remove the bottom piece of the table (its melamine). Take this piece to your local hardware store to find a wood board similar in thickness. I used this piece I found at Home Depot and it worked perfect even though it’s slightly thicker than the melamine board.
Step 2: Cut the board to size. We really pieced this step together, however, the most efficient way would be to cut your wood piece to size with a table saw. I had the guy at Home Depot cut my board to the length I needed (almost 34″). Since Home Depot will only make one cut, I brought the board home for the husband to cut the width. The board at 18″ wide was about 2″ more than I needed so the excess was removed.
Step 3: Now that the board is cut to size, lightly sand the wood with a fine grit paper just to ensure you have a smooth surface.
Step 4: Treat the wood with a pre-stain…this step is crucial! If you’ve ever stained wood before that isn’t treated, you’ll know what I mean. The stain on the untreated wood can become blotchy and irregular. I’ve made this mistake and it looks like this:
It’s a simple step to do and dries very quickly and the results speak for themselves. Just follow the manufactures directions on whichever kind of pre-stain you purchase.
Step 5: Stain! After my pre-stain was dry, I applied 2 coats of stain (Special Walnut) with a sponge brush and a rag. I allowed 24 hours dry time between coats per manufacture guidelines. Once I was happy with the color, I moved on the final step.
Step 6: Protect your wood by applying a thin coat of poly. This step protects the wood from damage caused by water, chemicals, and chipping. It’s right up there in necessity with the pre-stain.
Now that your all done, it’s time to bring that beautiful stained piece of wood into the house and on to the nesting table!
Here’s the project breakdown:
Viitsjo Nesting Tables $59.99
Pine Wood Board $15.42
Minwax Pre-Stain (Had on hand)
Minwax Stain (Had on hand)
Minwax Polycrylic (Had on hand)
Total Cost: $75.41 not including tax.
Not too Shabby huh?
What’s your favorite Ikea piece? I’d love to see a good ikea hack! Leave me a link and I’ll share one right here on Restyle It Wright!
I love all the possibilities with ikea products.
I LOVE IKEA!! There storages solutions are insane! The tables look gorgeous in that space, so so lovely!
thanks Megan! Super Easy!
You know its a great post I can envision taking part of what your doing and putting it on my to do list. I need to make a board for photographing food but I haven't been able to get the background color I want.. With your instructions on the pine boards and altering the color a bit I know I can do this myself! LOVE IT AND THANK YOU!
awesome! Thanks for the feedback! You'll love this color stain, it's really rich and beautiful!
I love how streamlined and directional everything looks you have done a fantastic job.Minimalism is back baby!
I love seeing all the Ikea hacks. What you did with the table is genius. It really gives the piece a unique look. It makes me want to try some hacks out myself.
Me too Shana!
Thanks Ana! It's def on point with current trends…but hopefully not a short lived one!
Thanks! I say go for it! What do you have to lose?
It looks so much better with the wood board, you made it look Scandinavian. Love it so much
http://siniciliya.com/
thank you!!
I love all the stuff I see from ikea! Unfortunately we don't have one anywhere close to us. I did order the kids some table desks for our school room last summer because they were the cheapest (even with the shipping!) we could find. Awesome hacks.
You did an amazing job. My house is 80% IKEA, I'm there almost 3 times a month but have never remade of their products. Great idea!
I love what you did on the table. I would love to try some of this hacks, too.
What a difference in the nesting table! I love that look. Can you help me shop for a desk?
thanks heather! Yah we used to live with an ikea literally down the road, now that we are in Michigan no such luck. So, I take the opportunity to stock up when I visit friends!
thanks Heather! Looking for a desk from IKEA?
thanks! super easy! Tons of tutorials for other ikea products on pinterest!
Thanks Amanda! Now's the time to be daring! 🙂
I love that so much! It is visually perfect. It has the space of a table without taking up as much visual space!
I love your style simple furniture make awesome spaces
That looks so easy to do and the end result is pretty!
What stinking cute ideas! My husband and I just got a new place and have been trying to penny pinch and save up for decor but right now, it looks so drab. Love these ideas!
I love IKEA hacks! Yours is so simple but makes such a big difference. For the others, I think I'd opt for silver spray paint rather than gold.
These look great! I love seeing Ikea hacks! I've never done one, I gotta find an easy one! 🙂
Those look so pretty! I wish we had an ikea near us because I would love to shop in person.
Not too shabby at all! I love the marble design you added.