My First IKEA Hack

I’m not exactly sure how I made into my 30’s without ever buying anything from IKEA, but here we are. I grew up going to auctions, so whenever I needed a specific piece of furniture, off to the auctions I went! It’s a great way to spend a childhood – people watching and scoring great deals. Plus, I feel like I have an amazing house that has been built piece by piece, and those pieces have stories to tell. But, alas, my method finally hit a snag.

I had moved some furniture around and decided I needed a proper coffee table for my living room. Of course, decisive girl that I am, I knew exactly what I wanted, but I just couldn’t find it.

Our front living room/formal living room (also known as the only space in our house that is always clean!) is my girly space and a place I can go to unwind.  I wanted a coffee table that wouldn’t compete with the other pieces in the room. I didn’t want a heavy wood table; instead I was thinking about something with a glass top to keep it open, and gold colored metal to match some of the other vintage accents in the room (AKA brass fireplace screen).

After I realized that my normal antique auctions weren’t going to work, I turned to internet shopping. Yay fun! I found what I wanted! For $300 (or more) it could be mine at the push of a button. Ha! Nope. Back to the drawing board.  I had never ordered anything from IKEA before, but after seeing what other people could do with their furniture, I decided to give it a look. And guess what – right there was exactly what I wanted!

I decided on some interesting nesting tables with clear glass tops and a bottom shelf. For $60 (plus $15 for shipping) I thought it was worth a try. Having never gone the IKEA route before, I was a little worried about what would show up to my door, but I was pleasantly surprised. My tables arrived in a timely manner and without any damage. They were super easy to put together – took me less than 30 minutes! Overall I was pleased, and ready to get painting.

I used 4 cans of Rustoleum “Pure Gold” spray paint.  If I had been more patient and not tried to paint on a breezy day, I probably could have gotten away with 3 cans, but I guess that’s just not my style. The dark “wood look” bottom shelf didn’t really fit with the now gold table, but instead of also painting it, I decided to go with a more interesting option, and covered the shelf with some fabric. Just a little spray on adhesive (I use it all the time – probably should own stock in spray adhesive), and the fabric went on with no problems.

And, ta-da!

I love how my new table feels a tiny bit glam mixed with a little vintage. It’s perfect for what I needed.