Ikea Shelf Hack – From Plain to Farmhouse Style

Welcome to another series of the Thrift Store Challenge! You know, it’s a challenge we make each month where a group of bloggers turns thrift store, flea market or second-hand finds into home decor pieces. Maybe you remember our last challenge, I showed you how to make stylish bookends on a budget. Today I am going to show you how to turn an old and plain Ikea shelf into a farmhouse style one.

The Rules:

  • Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
  • There’s no monthly theme.
  • There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Amanda | Domestically Creative – Pili | My Sweet Things
Angela | Simply Beautiful by Angela – Jeanie | Create and Babble
Molly | Just a Little Creativity – Yamilette | The Latina Next Door
Marie and Pam | The Inspiration Vault – Michelle | Michelle James Designs
Shirley | Intelligent Domestications – Dru | Polka Dot Poplars
Pam | P.S. I Love You Crafts – Gail | Purple Hues and Me
Jennifer | Cookies Coffee and Crafts – Toni | Small Home Soul
Sue | A Purdy Little House – Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled – Marie | DIY Adulation
Michelle | Our Crafty Mom – Debra | Shoppe No. 5
Chelc | Inside the Fox Den – Denise | My Thrifty House
Florence | Vintage Southern Picks – Ann | Duct Tape and Denim

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

I have the best husband in the world, really. Not only he bears my junking addiction but I think somehow I brainwashed him (not on purpose, I promise!) and he brings me stuff as well. Most of the time when he’s walking the dog. Maybe I need to thank the dog too… Thanks to him we did this Minion planter, this Beach sign, this Christmas decor...

Anyway, some months ago he went to walk the dog and came home with what had been an Ikea shelf.

It had seen better times, the right side was full of mold and the wood was quite damaged.

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

I had plans for it, so I asked him to do the hard work for me, took it apart and sand the whole thing.

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

Didn’t I tell you I have the best husband?

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

Once it was done I just came to do the fun part, paint it! You will find some affiliate links for your convenience, and you can read the disclosure here.

I used my favorite paint for wood, and decided a whitewash of Snow White Old Fashioned Milk Paint would work great here. If you have never used milk paint, it is a dust paint which you have to mix with water. Instead of mixing 1:1 ratio (that would be the formula to prepare regular paint), I used more water than powder to get that whitewash look.

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

I wanted to add some hooks to the shelf, so I cut a piece of scrap wood I had, sanded and made two pocket holes with my beloved Kreg Jig. It makes any woodworking project easy as a pie.

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

The wood is slightly different in color but after the whitewash you can hardly appreciate it.

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

I added some little hooks and it was done!

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

Here it is in its new home and I love how it looks. Hubby hung it too 😉

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

The picture doesn’t do any justice… it is a tiny entryway with no natural light, but it looks so pretty there. I hope to show you the whole apartment makeover soon, as well as the plans for building the little bench.

How to hack an Ikea shelf from plain to farmhouse style · Via www.sweethings.net

 

I am sure you will all agree I have the best husband, right?

What about you, do you or your partner dumpster dive too?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hugs,

Pili


And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!



23 comments

  1. Jenny says:

    The dumpster diving part made me laugh, I bring home stuff from the side of the road and my husband always says “why”. lol! But he helps me fix it up and does the hard work to. I’ve never used milk paint and the finish looks great.

    • Pili says:

      I guess our husbands gave up lol. Milk paint is great and not sure if all but the one I use is VOC free, so I love using it

  2. Maureen says:

    Well done to you and your wonderful hubby! Thankfully my husband is all-in when it comes to my project ideas, no matter how far-out they might seem at the time!
    I never would have guessed that was picked up at a curb! It looks perfect above your pretty bench. Looking forward to seeing those plans!

  3. Toni | Small Home Soul says:

    I love that you whitewashed it and added the board with hooks (i love my kreg jig too),now it’s multi-purpose and more useful. Such an improvement over how you found it, and it’s great when our hubby’s help us 🙂

    • Pili says:

      I do love my Kreg Jig, and my hubby was amazed the first time he saw me using it and its possibilities lol. One man’s trash is another’s treasure, you know. Thanks for visiting and for your sweet comment Toni

  4. FLORENCE says:

    Pili, sounds like you have a very sweet husband. You and I are blessed b/c I have one too. Your shelf looks great now.. Don’t you sorta wish the people who threw it away can see it now? Well, maybe not…they might want it back!

    • Pili says:

      Isn’t that nice, Florence? I could’t do as much as I do if I didn’t have his support.
      I sometimes wonder what the previous owners would think if they saw the things after…

    • Pili says:

      Thank you Mari. True, paint makes the differences hardly to see if you don’t know there are two types of wood.

  5. Molly says:

    That’s a serious great makeover! What an improvement, ya’ll did a good job. Nice of hubby to find it for you 🙂 I love this, pinning my Farmhouse board now!

  6. Keri says:

    Pili, your husband is so sweet to bring you things that he knows you will do something amazing with. The shelf looks great in entryway. I love that finish!

  7. Mother of 3 says:

    That is adorable! I have never been to Ikea but I keep seeing so many cute projects made with their products. I think I may have to take a day trip to one with my boys when they are all feeling better again.

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