Ikea Hack: Tarva Dresser

Did you know there are whole websites and companies devoted to hacking Ikea furniture....I had no clue until I typed Ikea Hacks in google and was just amazed at the inspiration!  It got me so pumped to actually tackle one of my own and what better chance than the one we needed for the nursery.  I wanted this dresser to be used not only as a dresser, but also as a temporary changing table.  In the past we had a changing table, but decided to sell it after it became more of a dust collector for us.  So for this go around, I wanted a simple dresser that would serve both purposes.

Here is a little sneak peek of the dresser that I can't stop crushing on and then I will get to the details of this little makeover!

Months ago when we bought the Rast dressers for the nursery closet and the girls' closet makeover, we also purchased this Tarva 3-drawer dresser.

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So first step was to take care of the knots in the wood, which I used Zinsser BIN Shellac-Based Primer.  I applied two lights coats to everything with a light sanding (320-grit) between coats.  I let that dry overnight and then applied three coats of Sherwin Williams Grayish, which I had leftover from painting the girls' room.  I also did a light sanding in between each coat of the Sherwin Williams.  Not sure why I never took a picture at this point with the real camera, but I did manage to snap a picture with my phone.

One word of advice when it comes to assembling Ikea furniture...use power tools whenever possible!!    You might notice I also changed out the knobs as well.  I purchased these beauties at Hobby Lobby when they were 50% off and all for a total of $15.

Next step is one of my favorite parts of this dresser makeover.  I cannot say enough about this company...wonderful customer service!!!  I liked their page on Facebook and emailed their customer service asking if they had any promotions coming up soon and they responded quickly.  Luck would have it they were running a promotion the following week!!  I ordered the Pippa Tarva 2 and they arrived within a few days!  Per the directions, I gave them a light sanding then spray painted two coats of Rust-o-leum white satin on them.  Then I attached the overlays to the dresser using liquid nails.

            

At this point I passed the torch to my hubbie to finish the top of the dresser.  Just like the pine top we put on the dressers in the nursery closet, we also purchased one for this dresser.  We had to purchase two of them and then Kreg Jig the pieces together.

We wanted the top to be baby bottom smooth, so started with a 220-grit sanding, then moved to 320-grit and finally with a 600-grit sanding.  Before attaching the top to the dresser, Jeremy applied a coat of wood conditioner to the bottom and sides and then using an old shirt applied two coats of Rust-o-leum Dark Walnut stain.  He also did a light sanding (320-grit) in between coats.

Jeremy used a nail gun to attach the top to the dresser and then filled the holes using a stainable wood filler.  Once the wood filler dried, he sanded the top again.  Make sure you sand down completely and get rid of any residue from the wood filler so it doesn't show up when you stain.  Then he applied the wood conditioner and a good tip here is to be generous with the conditioner.  After letting the wood conditioner sit for about 15 minutes he applied his first coat of dark walnut stain using an old white shirt.  After the first coat dried, he once again did a light sanding and then applied the second coat of stain.  The last and final step was to add a protective layer to the top by applying two coats of Miniwax polyurethane in clear satin.

Did I mention I am totally in love with this dresser!!

    
The final resting place will be in the nursery, which I plan to do a total reveal later, but for now I put a few accessories on top that I plan to use in the nursery somewhere.  Still have to paint the walls and hang some shelves and artwork, but it is getting there!!

Here is a total breakdown of what we spent on this Ikea hack!

Tarva 3-drawer chest: $80 (actually had a gift card for this one)
Knobs (6): $15
Pine top (2): $22
Overlays: $28
Paint, spray paint, stain (already had): $0


TOTAL: $145 (with the gift card we spent $65)

And of course, we have to see a before and after!!

Anyone else tackle an Ikea hack or any furniture refinishing??

With much love,

Kristin



 

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