Ikea Table Hack

Well I finally got around to sprucing up that old Ikea Lack table. Inspired by an idea from Jenny over at Little Green Notebook, I transformed my $10 table that was destined for the dumpster into one of my new favorite pieces of furniture. With less than $45 and a little elbow grease, I now have a beautiful little end table.

Materials:

• Lack Side Table
• Primer
• Wood glue
• Wood filler
• Sand paper
• 8 wood corbels, $1.99 each
• Spray Paint, $5.89
• Martha Stewart Living Precious Metals Paint, $6.99
• Nailhead trim, $15.99 (Joann Fabric and Craft Stores)

I started out by sanding down the “wood”. The surface is actually a very thin veneer so it doesn’t take much but does need to be thoroughly sanded. After whipping off all the excess dust, I flipped the table over and glued the corbels to the inside of each leg. Be sure to let them dry COMPLETELY before the next step.

After the corbels have dried, use wood filler to fill the tiny cracks between the table legs and corbels to make the surface flush. When the filler dries, lightly sand it until it’s smooth. After removing the dust, apply a thick coat of primer and follow it up with several coats of high gloss white spray paint. Spray painting furniture is tricky but there are lots of videos out there with helpful tips. The best tip I can give is to be patient-don’t try to get it all done in one coat. Spraying too close or too heavy will leave ugly drips or pools of paint on the surface.

To draw attention to the edge detail, I painted the inside surface of the corbel with a pretty bronze metallic paint. The edges of the corbels are a little rough and could have used a light sanding, but I hardly notice it on the finished product.

 When I first started out, this was all I had intended on doing to the table but when I put in my living room, it seemed, well…lackluster. After tossing around a few ideas, I decided to try out a nailhead design. I purchased some nailhead trim from Joann’s and hammered it in place to create a border around the table top.

Adding the trim really helped finish the piece and brought out the bronze paint on the corbels. There you have it- a beautifully repurposed table for $45!

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Sarah

I am a twenty-something interior designer living in beautiful San Diego. Lacquer & Linen is a place for me to share new interior design products, budget friendly DIY ideas and my favorite art and design inspirations. Thanks for stopping by!

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