You Need To Check Out This Extreme Ikea Cabinet Makeover

Do you have a piece of Ikea furniture that you really want to do something with? Check out this extreme Ikea cabinet makeover! New-Old furniture!

You Need To Check Out This Extreme Ikea Cabinet Makeover

When we think of Ikea furniture we often think of partical board or something that is a lost cause if it is damaged. However this piece is a different story, it is Ikea but made of solid pine. Something we can really work with here. There are pieces that are made of wood from Ikea, and in these cases we can do an extreme Ikea cabinet makeover!!

I will give you a total supply list below before we really dive into this extreme cabinet makeover. This post does contain affiliate links. These link cost nothing for you to use but I do get a percentage which allows me to keep bringing you free and awesome content!

Supply List:

1. Collard Greens Chalk Mineral Paint by Dixie Belle 

2. Chocolate Chalk Mineral Paint by Dixie Belle 

3. Dried Sage Chalk Mineral Paint by Dixie Belle 

4. Coffee Bean Chalk Mineral Paint by Dixie Belle 

5. Clear Best Dang Wax by Dixie Belle

6. Brown Best Dang Wax by Dixie Belle

7. Black Best Dang Wax by Dixie Belle

8. Walnut No Pain Gel Stain by Dixie Belle

9. Gator Hide Top Coat by Dixie Belle

10. Big Mama’s Butta in Orange Grove by Dixie Belle

11. Blue Sponge 

12. Synthetic Brushes by Dixie Belle

13. Decor Wax by Redesign in Element

14. Redesign Wax Brush

15. Cheap Chip Brush

16. Rag

17. Steel Wool (000 or 0000)

18. 120 grit sandpaper

Ikea Cabinet Makeover Magic

Okay so a friend brought me this cabinet, she picked out the color collards green but she knew I was going to do my thing. Because well…that’s what I do. So the first thing to do with this was prep. This piece was made of solid pine so no crazy extensive prep was needed. 

This cabinet needed new hardware for sure if we were going to actually make this look like an extreme Ikea cabinet makeover. I removed all the hardware before doing anything else. The top three drawers were getting new cup pulls, the bottom was going to stay the wooden knobs.

Cleaning up this piece was important as well. I had one spot where I assume she had baby proofed long ago and the sticky foam was left behind. I used Goo Gone and steel wool after pulling of most with just my finger. Now she was good to go and ready for the next step.

Getting New Hardware

Because this piece was getting new hardware, I needed to plug the drawer holes. I used my Dixie Belle Mud and applied it to the holes. Later I sanded it down. 

Getting A New Top

Okay so the cabinet didn’t get a brand new top, but a brand new dress anyways. I refinished the top so we could get rid of the stains and imperfection. I even put together a YouTube video for you!! You can see how to fixing a solid wood furniture top can really add to the transformation.

Do you see this huge difference??

Now that the top has been refinished we need to seal it. No Pain Gel Stain is oil based. Gator Hide is water-based. Generally water and oil do not mix right? Well you can certainly use water based sealers over oil based stains, the key is time. Give your oil based stain ample time to dry, a good 48-72 hours depending on where you are located. Once you are confident that your stain is good and dry, you can seal.

I really like using Dixie Belle’s Gator Hide for my dresser, buffet, table, and cabinets tops. As well as any high traffic areas. This sealer is water resistant so it fits right into my lifestyle of two small children who destroy everything, spill everything and all those things you know!

Applying Gator Hide To The Top

We have to protect all of our hard work during this Ikea cabinet makeover. So when I apply Gator Hide to the top of furniture I use the blue sponge by Dixie Belle. Applying Gator Hide does not have to be intimidating. I use a dry sponge and dip my sponge on a plate of gator hide so it is evenly applied, then I scrape off any excess on the side of the plate. Make sure to always swipe from left to right, never go backwards. You don’t want to go back and forth, start from one side to the other. IF you miss a spot, start from the one end and swipe over the missed area. Doing it this way has given me the best and most streak free results.

Applying The “Dress”

We are now going to apply the “dress” A.K.A paint. I started with two coats of Collard Greens. You want to open all the drawers and doors so you can get all the sides and tops, I also paint the bottom trim of the drawers.

Once I painted my base coat of Collard Greens, I actually did a little blending and shading with the other colors listed. This is a live video I did that will show you exactly how I did it.

After I finished blending and shading I allowed the piece to to dry. I then took my 120 grit sandpaper and distressed the edges as well as sanding across the doors and drawers. I did this for two reasons. One to knock down and fuzzies or lint, and two to created a sort of texture so that way when I waxed it would just add even more dimension. Normally when all I want to do is knock down imperfections I will use 220 grit so it doesn’t create any kind of unwanted texture.

Waxing For Character and Dimension

To really complete this Ikea cabinet makeover, I added some waxes. Wax not only adds dimension but adds another layer of protection. Not to mention you get a beautiful buttery finish if you use it properly. My first step was adding Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax in clear. I used my redesign 2″ wax brush. Starting from the center I applied the clear wax by going in circles.

After applying the clear wax I applied Best Dang Wax in brown around the outside edges of the clear wax. Again with a separate 2″ wax brush.

Once the two waxes were applied I went back to the transition areas with my clear wax brush and applied moderate pressure in circular motions to blend them and erase the hard wax lines. 

After my clear and brown waxes were blended, I added black wax. The black wax was strictly for shading the outside of the drawers and doors. I applied the black and then allowed the wax to sit for 20 minutes. 

Buffing Best Dang Wax

If you are using Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax, you need to understand what it is. This wax is a water based wax. It is very important that you buff 15-20 after applying. If you wait it will end up being an unworkable layer of wax on your furniture. In order to properly dry it needs to be buffed directly into the painted finished. I buff my piece with a clean, dry and soft rag. After using a rag I like to do one final buff through with a 000 to 0000 pad of steel wool. As a result doing this will leave a beautiful buttery finish. Please note that when you buff you will wipe of excess wax, however don’t worry it will still look great!

Changing The Hardware

I told you earlier that this cabinet was getting new hardware. The first step is doing some measuring. I wanted to find the center most point of the drawer. You will want to measure the drawer vertically and horizontally. This is so you can find the center most point of the drawers. I then did a “dry” placement of the hardware and also marked where the actual screw holes are. Once I was sure of my measurements, I drilled holes.

I am a huge fan of colored waxes. I used Redesign by Prima’s Decor Wax in Element to add even more character to these brushed nickel cup pulls. I also added a little bit to the wooden knobs. this wax dries and cure in about 24 hours and then will not rub off.

Final Ikea Cabinet Makeover Reveal!

Look at how great this turned out!!

Thanks for hanging out with me!!

XOXO  Crys’Dawna