It’s week two of my DIY small Airbnb bedroom makeover (here’s the first post), and I’ve gotten some framing and painting done! I’ve made some progress and learned some things, so let’s get down to it without further ado.
How I’m making this vacation rental bedroom furniture awesome (and some ideas I love but am saving for later)
I’ve mentioned before that I’m using the Ikea Tarva dresser because it’s not very deep and it’s basically a blank slate. It’s hard to believe when you see it in its natural state, but that ugly little thing is going to be an elegant treasure when it’s done. Here’s how.
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I’m adding glue-on details
There’s a company I’ve been wanting to try for years called O’verlays, which makes lightweight decorative fretwork panels that you can use to customize furniture. They have pre-designed options for some of the most popular Ikea furniture. I’m using the Anne kit and I really like it. The panels arrived exactly when they were scheduled to, and they’re smooth, lightweight, and sturdy.
I’m replacing the knobs, pulls, and legs
I threw out the wood knobs that came with the dresser and filled in the pre-drilled hardware holes because I’m using these beautiful brass pulls instead. They were not cheap, but they are lovely, and I regret nothing.
I’m also ignoring the base and legs that came with the dresser and using these elegant legs instead. I got the ones with brass feet. I’ll be using a piece of MDF as a base.
I’m sanding priming, and painting (repeat as needed)
The Tarva dresser is unfinished pine, which is good because, unlike laminate furniture, I don’t have to do extra prep work to paint it. The bad thing is that it has lots of knots, and the texture of the woodgrain shows through the paint. I’ll share how I deal with these things in the upcoming step-by-step DIY post.
I’m using Benjamin Moore Advance alkyd paint in Twilight (2058-10). I used this type of paint for built-ins and kitchen cabinets at my rentals. It still looks great years later, so it was a no-brainer for this project.
I had planned to spray it but broke my shiny new paint gun by using shellac primer and not cleaning it frequently enough. So, now I’m painting with rollers and brushes after priming it with primer tinted gray. I’ve used it with a foam roller before with good results.
Learn from my mistake: If you buy a tool that you’re not super familiar with, check out some YouTube videos before you use it. If I had, I would have learned that at least one person recommended cleaning the type of sprayer I had every hour (!) with ammonia or denatured alcohol if you’re using the type of primer that I was. I cleaned it, but not that thoroughly, and ruined the sprayer.
Honestly, had I watched the videos first, I might have decided to use a brush and roller, which I ended up doing anyway. Paint sprayers are awesome, but you have to do a lot of prep work to avoid overspray, and if you add extra cleanup, the process becomes too burdensome for a project this size, IMO.
Other ways to customize Ikea furniture.
I’m making (sort of) built-ins that look fancy and expensive
I’m making Ikea furniture look built-in
The biggest job of this project is building framing around the Ikea wardrobes and the bed to make them look built-in. I hired a carpenter to help me with this, and he finished in two days, which is both bad and good.
First, he built a frame that would be the headboard and a ledge above the bed. The bed must be flush with the cabinets in the side rather than tucked behind them because there are drawers at the base of the bed that need to be opened. He framed the headboard/back of the bed the exact width of the bed base and centered it on the wall.
Then, he built a base and sides out of 2x4s that surround the wardrobes. He covered the framing with MDF, adding some detail I had drawn for him. I had him remove the crown molding on the wall and re-attach it to the front of the framing he built.
The carpenter did a just-ok job. I had to go back and do a lot of extra trimming, filling, and sanding to achieve the finish level I wanted. I’ve done that and applied a coat of primer.
Lesson learned: If hiring help for a project, ensure you’re on the same wavelength. I hired a carpenter based on recommendations from others, and this project just wasn’t his cup of tea. The result was rushed, sloppy work that I had to work hard to fix.
I’m adding trim to add dimension and interest.
First, I designed a pattern I wanted for the Ikea Pax doors and had them cut out of 1/4” plywood by a local laser cutter. After gluing both these to the Pax doors and the O’verlays to the dresser, I can say that the material used for the O’verlays is far superior. It’s lighter and much smoother. Next time, I’ll custom order from them.
Since there’s about a foot between the top of the doors and the ceiling, I’m adding a piece of MDF the same thickness as the door, with trim that matches. It will look like a false door of sorts.
Finally, I’m adding some flat trim around an inset panel on the back wall and the bed. I hadn’t planned on this, but it’s needed to balance the space and correct some of the carpenter’s less-than-square efforts.
To make the details look good, filling nail holes, caulk, sand, and prime is important. The extra attention to detail will make it look like a custom job rather than what it is, Ikea furniture with trim.
I’ll paint everything white when it’s done. I’m using Benjamin Moore Advance paint for this, too. I had it color-matched to the white of the Ikea furniture. That’s because I’m not going to paint the base of the bed, and I want everything to match.
I’m adding lighting to the built-ins the easy way
Plug-in sconces, furniture outlets, and a battery-operated picture light to the rescue
Since the design of the Airbnb bedroom doesn’t include tables for bedside lamps, wall sconce reading lights are essential. The design makes it easy to use plug-in lights and hide the cord. I’ve designed the headboard to be attached with Velcro so it can easily be lifted off to reveal the electrical outlet hidden by the built-ins.
The benefit of buying a plug-in sconce is that it will have a switch. Look for a fixture with the switch on the lamp itself, not the cord.
You can also skip the switch altogether by using a smart bulb that can be operated with an app or a home automation system, but I don’t recommend it for a vacation rental. It’s too many steps to turn on the damn lights, and not all of your guests will be up on the latest tech.
The problem with built-ins like this is that they often block a wall outlet. If this were a year-round vacation rental I would also add a furniture outlet. This is a part-time vacation rental and there are other outlets within easy reach I’m going to skip it this time.
As I worked in this room last week I realized that we may need more light than the wall sconces and a lamp on the dresser will provide. In that case, I’ll try out this battery-operated picture light.
All of these are great options for adding light and power to a faux built-in or one that already exists. Just be sure you can access any outlets in use behind furniture in case something goes wrong.
Here are some great options for adding light and power without hard wiring.
I’m adding luxury touches with hand-painted wallpaper and beautiful fabric
I had something special made
I designed the space above the bed to have an inset area. Initially, I thought I’d hang a painting there, but when I put the art I’d selected in my drawings it just didn’t look special enough. I remembered a seller on Etsy who makes Chinoiserie-style hand-painted wallcoverings and ordered a sample. The sample looked great, so I commissioned panels to fit the inset.
The process was simple. I selected the pattern I liked and the color of the silk ground. I asked the seller to add three birds to the pattern. They sent me a line drawing of the pattern, which I approved. When the panels were ready I received a photo of them and an estimated delivery time.
I liked the panels so much I decided to use them as inspiration for the color palette of the room.
I didn’t cheap out on the fabric
I’ve had a sample of a beautiful rose-colored velvet in my stash for a long time. It’s a muted warm pink with a coppery tinge and it looks great with the custom wallpaper. So, even though it was expensive I ordered it for the headboard. I only needed a couple of yards, after all.
Swing Arm Sconce | Hand-Painted Wallpaper | Cotton Velvet (to the trade)
The keys to making cheap furniture look special
Turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse takes a couple of things.
- Make it intentional. I had a complete design plan for this room well before I started this project, so when I chose the furniture it was because it was a good fit for the plan. If it’s a cohesive design you’re less likely to notice or care about the individual parts.
- Pay attention to details. The execution of this project will be critical in making it look high-end. That means not only adding trim and nice hardware, but also the boring stuff like filling nail holes, caulking, and sanding between coats of paint.
- Spend money when it counts. Although using Ikea furniture saved me a lot of money on this project, I did splurge on some things. All the extras I’m adding to the dresser added up to more than the dresser itself, the fabric for the headboard is in the luxury category and the wallpapers are hand-painted silk for the inset and grasscloth for the other walls. I could have gone cheaper on any or all of these, but I think it’s these materials that will really make this project sing.
In the end, you can tell me whether the splurges were worth it or not. The plan for this week is to finish all of the painting, including the dresser. The wallpaper won’t be installed for a couple of weeks, so I’ll be sharing some step-by-step DIYs until it’s time for the big reveal. Stay tuned!
