When it comes to IKEA hacks, we always have our finger on the pulse to find clever new ways to reimagine the brand's flatpack furniture. The Swedish homeware giant has some of the best basics for the home, but we've found that when you give them a little spice, it tends to give them a little more life.
Larger furniture pieces like dressers and closets should have a place in your home for years to come, so ensuring they gel with your personal style is a must. When it comes to these pieces, IKEA has some of the most utilitarian options on the market, but that means they often lack personality. If the classic HEMNES dresser offers everything you need except individual style, this genius IKEA hack shows you how to turn it into something completely unique and new.
The creator of Abby Road Home, Abby Kulp, is a true DIY guru. Since purchasing her HEMNES dresser over 15 years ago, the piece has stylishly shape-shifted throughout her home. "It started as a dresser that my husband and I bought as newlyweds," says Abby. "Soon it became a changing table when I had my babies, then we painted it to be a crisp, white dresser for my girl's shared bedroom as they grew older."
Already this dresser has lived a few lives, but her latest revamp is the most jaw-dropping of makeovers, and it's by far one of the best IKEA HEMNES hacks we've seen. The renovation process requires a bit of elbow grease, admittedly, but the end result is a one-of-a-kind piece that fashionably elevates your space.
"First I had to strip the paint we added off, then sanded down the black IKEA stain until I reached the beautiful natural wood under it all," explains Abby. "The natural wood on the body of the dresser was very knotty which is a beautiful look, but not what I was going for." Once you've removed the notorious IKEA veneer (there are plenty of DIY paint stripper options out there) the next step is to look for a paint option that will mimic natural wood.
To make the space feel more neutral and calm, Abby opted to mix a tan-tone paint with clear matte poly to give the sides and top of the dresser a semi-transparent coating. "This technique hid the bold knots in the wood but still let the natural tone show through," she says. Choosing to go "au naturel" is a fabulous way to introduce other paint colors that go with natural wood throughout the rest of your space.
The part of this hack that gives the dresser its chic, organic modern-inspired finishing touch is the fluted finish on the drawer fronts. Fluted furniture can be an expensive purchase, as Abby well knows, so she decided to put her skills to the test with a clever DIY. "I loved the look of fluting, but not the price tag," she says. "I had seen people glue dollar store dowels to the dresser, so I decided to go for it." And are we glad she did. She only ended up spending around $60 on the dollar store dowel rods during her renovation - for the look of a brand-new dresser, that's a steal. You can also buy really similar dowels at Amazon, too.
The finishing touches on hacks like this one come down to whatever best matches your taste and space. We recommend choosing trendy cabinet pulls that are sophisticated and continue to brighten your new piece. After all, there's nothing better than getting to reply to a compliment with "Thank you, I made it!"
