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Five Ways to Take IKEA Furniture From Boring to Beautiful

If youre on a tight budget when it comes to furnishing your home, IKEA is likely one of the first resources that comes to mind, right? Theyve rightly gained a solid reputation for having pieces that are both stylish and affordable, but theres one problem...everyone has the same pieces. If youve ever spent any time at this giant warehouse of a store, you start to be able to spot an IKEA piece from a mile away. While this isnt exactly a life-threatening issue, I do think that seeing the same IKEA furniture over and over can get a little bit tiresome.

Enter: the IKEA hack. This phrase has become a buzzword all over the blog and design world and its a fantastic way to make your IKEA furniture not look like everyone elses. Its a way bring custom-looking furniture into your home at a fraction of the price. Ive done a few of these hacks myself (see my Expedit makeover and semi-custom shelves for examples) and Im sure there will be more in my future.

Today I wanted to show you five ways you can transform an IKEA piece and make it look custom. These five ideas range from super simple (even someone with no DIY skills can do it) to a little bit challenging (you might need a power tool or two), so theres something for everyone. Ill use the ubiquitous TARVA drawer chest to show you how many ways there are to take a boring piece and make it beautiful.

The TARVA is a great example because its a solid wood piece (no particle board or hollow core here!), making it really versatile to hack. Youll see why in the examples below!

1 | KNOBS

Changing knobs and pulls is something anyone can do for a modest price and it automatically changes the look of a piece. This is by far the easiest and lowest commitment change you can make. Many of the examples below also involve other changes, but check out those knobs!

{Centsational Girl}

{The World According to Jessica Claire}

{Cherished Bliss}

2 | PAINT (OR STAIN)

{Smitten Studio}

{By Stephanie Lynn}

{Chris Loves Julia}

3 | OVERLAYS

{My Pretty Little House}

{Overlays}

{Sarah and Ben}

4 | LEGS

Changing the legs on the TARVA probably involves a bit of DIY skill, but I think this, plus paint and knobs, may be the ultimate way to turn a boring piece into a custom one. Because the shape of the TARVA is a very standard box with drawers, the legs can turn the piece into anything from mid-century to farmhouse to industrial. You can even add casters!

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Five Beautiful Boys

I had the pleasure of spending some time with my nephews a few weeks ago. It was to lovely to see all five of the boys my sister and I have made together. They really do look like  a set, dont they!

Seeing these boys together, it made me, as I often do, think about the responsibility of creating men. These five boys are all in very different stages of their boyhood. Two are just beginning. Two are in the middle and the biggest one is just about done. He is the end product, I guess.

I look at these five boys and I am incredibly proud.  Proud of the ones I made, and of the ones my sister had made. 

I think being a man must be really hard sometimes. Conflicted and confusing. I want my boys to be the kind of men who I would want to know.

I look at these five boys and I know they are going to be wonderful men.

This is a song that has always made me think of my Awesome Teenager, when he was little, and now- when life is happening to him while he makes other plans. He is on the cusp of the whole entire world. Its all there for him. He just has to take it. Then these other four boys, who, in turn will become men, will follow him. 

It is a long way to go..... but in the mean time....


Making men. Do you think its a hard job?



*These five boys also have two girl cousins. Those two chicks are awesome and I love them very much. But this post is about boys. Sorry girls!!

Available link for download