I am surprisingly surprised at how satisfying it was to create with earth tones (well....and butterflies)!
This boho inspired butterfly cabinet makeover doesn't have a spec of pink on it......however I find it charming and adorable!! Let me show you how to repaint cheap Ikea (like) furniture like a pro!
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Before: How to Repaint Ikea Furniture like a Pro!
This cabinet was NOT thrifted!
I purchased this Wayfair cabinet back in 2020 when we moved my office into our guest room.
It was simple, cheap and functional - similar to any piece you would get from Ikea, Overstock, Wayfair, etc....
I replaced it recently with the much more fun and funky green striped antique shelves that you can see HERE.
Design Plan: Boho Inspired Butterfly Cabinet
I held onto this cabinet thinking I would use it for storage in my workshop.....but when I saw the new Boho Butterflies decoupage paper, the Cane Webbing decoupage papers, AND the Moorish Tiles decoupage paper.....I instantly saw them used TOGETHER in an "apothecary" style and this cabinet was the perfect piece to bring that vision to reality!
PRO TIP: If you only take away ONE thing from this blog.....it is to ALWAYS prime Ikea or Wayfair furniture before you repaint them. They have a factory finish that almost repels paint....and it is very important to prime first to assure good adhesion and lasting durability.
Supplies Used
Bonding Boss White
Roller and Tray
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How to Repaint Ikea Furniture Like a Pro
If you only take away ONE thing from this blog.....it is to ALWAYS prime Ikea or Wayfair furniture before you repaint them.
They have a factory finish that almost repels paint....and it is very important to prime first to assure good adhesion and lasting durability.
Prime furniture piece first with Bonding BOSS!!
Prime the entire piece with Bonding BOSS in white.
Bonding BOSS seamlessly combines bonding and stain removal in a single product. This one product protects against wood tannin bleed-through (especially under whites or light colors) AND creates superior bonding durability...no pre-sanding necessary!
This can be done with a brush or roller....I used a roller since all surfaces were flat and this made it really fast! I allowed this to dry overnight.
Apply decoupage paper of your choice
Choose your papers and design your layout. This allows you to be confident in pre-trimming your papers.
Brush on Satin Clear Top Coat.
Quickly and lightly water mist the backside of the paper you are about to apply.
Wait about 30 seconds to allow that mist to "relax" the paper....and then lay your misted paper onto the satin top coated surface.
Once it's in place, lightly rub all bubbles and wrinkles out using a ball of saran wrap or a rubber glove.
When it is completely smoothed out you will need to apply a final coat of the clear top coat.
Continue this process with your trimmed pieces to all areas that you plan to decoupage.
Now its time to paint your piece!
I chose Coffee Bean for the entire body of the piece and finished it with two full coats.
The top surface of the cabinet will likely receive a lot of use.....so I chose the wood grain pattern.
PRO TIP: The faux wood grain finish is very hardy and also hides any wear and tear that might occur.
I brushed on a single coat of Drop Cloth and allowed to dry (about 15 minutes).
I then followed with a coat of Coffee Bean also lightly misting with water to keep this coat very fluid. This will assure the wood graining tool to move easily through the paint and "do its thing"!
While that final coat is still wet, simply drag and rock the wood graining tool across the surface and watch the magic!
Work in rows.....repeating until the entire surface is covered.
Once fully dry, seal your design with your top coat of choice. I chose Clear Coat Satin....which I also used over the entire piece.
Add new cabinet legs for a finished look
For the final step, we added hair pin legs!! The original legs were casters with wheels......and one had broken....but I really like the hair pin choice so much better!
The Finished Look
I'm really pleased with this makeover and I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this color palette.
I hope you are inspired by seeing these papers used together!
I always love a good collection.....and even thought these papers weren't intended to be used as one.....I'm thinking they should have been! The "Boho Collection"!
More Inspiration:
I pulled a few blogs from past projects that came to mind when working on this piece! I hope you can use them to draw inspiration for your upcoming project. Here are the additional designs for your inspiration:
Mediterranean Armoire - funky boho-glory aged in patina and gilded to perfection
Decoupage Vanity - learn more complex decoupage techniques
Butterf;y Bombe Chest - butterfly grunge?
Subtle Butterfly Nightstand - a beautiful color blend with a butterfly stampe
If you are looking for more decoupage tutorials, be sure to visit my How to Apply Decoupage for more complex techniques
Click on any photo below for more up-close photos and all the design details
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