It’s a tall order to find a stunning dresser that is also affordable. Large armoires are an investment (both budget-wise and from a square-footage standpoint). So what do you do when that dream piece does not exist? Cue IKEA, a can of paint, fresh knobs, and a few other craft supplies. 

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Malm 6-Drawer Dresser, IKEA ($300)

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Tarva 6-Drawer Chest, IKEA ($330)

From Hemnes to Malm to Tarva, all the Swedish retailer’s offerings can be made to look custom if you’re willing to dig out your toolbox and pick up a few extra materials from the hardware store. Choose your favorite look from these 15 IKEA dresser hacks and put aside a weekend to get to work. 

Slap on Slats

The beauty of the six-drawer Malm dresser is that it’s basically a big blank canvas, given the piece doesn’t have any hardware. Kayla Nelson saw it as an opportunity to add some color, personality, and texture. For $200 she covered it in 228 slats cut from MDF and coated it in Gray Heron by Behr. 

Turn It Into a Nightstand, Part 1 

DIYer Jenna Sue has noticed a shortage of large nightstands at an affordable price point, so this creation, which all started with a three-drawer Malm piece, is her giving the world what it craves. Her design hinges on adding pieces of trim at the base of each drawer to give it more of a traditional look, painting it in a chocolaty red hue, and tacking on brass knobs from Amazon. 

Turn It Into a Nightstand, Part 2

Ryia Jose (the blogger behind Kin and Kasa) wasn’t in need of a dresser for her daughter’s bedroom, but she did need a nightstand. So she turned IKEA’s Rast dresser into an ideal storage piece for $75 total by leaving off the toe-kick and bottom drawer, adding fresh feet to the base, cladding the drawer fronts in fluted wood trim, and painting it all in a dark blue. 

Add Definition

After struggling to find a campaign-style dresser for less than $1,000, A Beautiful Mess’s Elsie Larson spruced up a Malm staple with Lewis Dolin bar pulls (they actually cost more than the furniture, but she says the overall savings is still significant). Next up? Corner braces, which she spray-painted to match the shiny brass rods.

Wrap It in Raffia

Rather than drop a cool $4,000 on a piece like Serena & Lily’s raffia-covered Blake dresser, Drew Scott, the YouTuber behind Lone Fox, hacked his Tarva piece for $220. After applying a strip of fine raffia cloth to each of the drawer fronts with Mod Podge, he secured trim around the door edges and painted the wood parts in Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak.

Beef Up the Pulls

For less than $20, Paper & Stitch blogger Brittni Mehlhoff upgraded her Moppe mini storage chest (a great dresser alternative for a small space or nursery). Her trick: ¾-inch-thick pinewood dowels. She cut the pieces down to size, sanded them, and wrapped them in strips of leather. 

Spice Up the Texture

Erika Lauren of Peony and Honey also used dowels for her DIY—but not the typical wood kind. She cut up rolls of foam, painted them a nude tone, and glued them to the surface to create a channel-quilted look. 

Create a Peekaboo Effect

After assembling her Tarva dresser, blogger Kourtni Munoz of House on Longwood Lane made rectangular cutouts on the drawer fronts using a jigsaw. Then she stained the whole piece so it had a weathered oak finish and stapled cane webbing to the inside of the openings for a beachy-chic feel. 

Build a Dresser Out of Billy Bookcases 

Who said you have to actually start with a dresser? In the awkward hallway that leads to her primary closet and bathroom, Callie Plemel of Home on Harbor installed three IKEA Billy bookcases that were previously in her library and used the framework to design an integrated dresser from scratch. Her construction-savvy husband added drawers to the bottom half of the central bookcase, accounting for one small pullout on the top for jewelry. 

Elevate It (Literally)

IKEA’s Ivar three-drawer chest technically doesn’t come with hardware, but blogger Janelle Burnett changed all that by adding Pretty Pegs’s Greta legs and Stina knobs to two of the dressers (she displayed them side by side to make them look like one piece). The additions were designed specifically for the brand’s furniture, so they attach seamlessly. 

Turn It Into a Changing Table 

Skip specialized nursery furniture by transforming a basic Tarva dresser with some white paint and a colorful pad. Blogger and photographer Erin Kelly sewed the fabric for this cushion herself. 

Go Nuts With Knobs

In order to replicate the look of authentic Jenny Lind furniture, Angelica Kalatzi of My Dear Irene glued flat-back ball knobs around the edges of the drawers. The bright white primer (the blogger used Kilz Adhesion sealer) instantly disguised its dark brown surface. Covering up the knobs will be your biggest time suck, so Kalatzi recommends listening to a captivating podcast for that part.  

Get a Hold on Things With Leather Pulls

It only takes one unexpected material to turn a basic piece of furniture on its head. You don’t have to buy fancy premade pulls for this update. Create your own straps with leather and brass screws. The paint color is all up to you. 

Craft a Mini Library

Can you spot the second IKEA hack? After painting this dresser green and adding sleek knobs to it, Megan Gilger bought two brackets from the company, painted them white, and installed them above the makeshift changing table. She topped the supports with basic wood planks from Lowe’s. Between the cubbies and the shelves, there’s plenty of room for books. 

Go Two-Tone

Shifra Jumelet stained the bottom portion of this dresser a rich brown tone and painted the top a crisp white. But the real surprise was when she swathed all the knobs in a dark dye to create an optical illusion. No one would ever guess it isn’t 100 percent bespoke.

The post A Malm With Sage Green Slats and 14 More Elevated IKEA Dresser Hacks appeared first on domino.

Renovations are pricey—those involving the heart of the home, even more so: According to the Real Remodeling Costs calculator on Houzz, the average cost of a kitchen remodel rings in anywhere from $13,700 to a whopping $44,100. So when you find little shortcuts that can save a few bucks, it’s best to go ahead and take them. Maybe it’s peel-and-stick tile for the backsplash you’ve always wanted or heading to a certain Swedish retailer for your new cupboards. The problem is, IKEA cabinet doors aren’t always the most stylish…and that’s where these companies come in. 

The brand’s cult following has spawned an entire generation of companies aimed at dressing up pared-back basics. You can get slipcovers for your Söderhamn sectional and legs for your Besta—though we’re most interested in the zhuzhed-up fronts that will transform the most basic of cabinetry. If you’re planning an upgrade involving IKEA cabinet doors—even if it’s not for a few months—these makers will convince you to ditch the sledgehammer. 

Fronteriors

Pairs best with: Sektion, Besta, Pax, and Billy cabinets.

The price point: Fronts-wise, you can score a simple solid-color drawer front for a Sektion cabinet starting at $46, or invest more than $450 on a cane door replacement for a Pax closet. The “shop the look” section of the website is the quickest way to get an idea of how much a full hack (doors, sides, and top included) will run you. 

What it’s known for: IKEA is famous for its very flat, very boring cabinet fronts, so we’re guessing part of the reason you’re interested in hacking yours is because you want to add some fresh dimension and texture to your piece. Fronteriors, which is constantly releasing stylish drops, is the place to go if you are craving a hint of linen, a row of slats, closed-cane weave, or trendy oak veneer. 

Cane Closed Weave Door for Besta, Fronteriors ($197)

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Green Framed Oak Door for Sektion, Fronteriors ($190)

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Plykea

Pairs best with: Sektion cabinets.

The price point: The cupboards alone vary but begin at an estimated $2,750 for a small kitchen to $6,450 for a large kitchen. 

What it’s known for: If a colorful dinnerware collection is as bold as you’re willing to go, these are the fronts for you. Plykea offers three different materials—each customizable in a number of hues—but is best known for its classic Scandi style: simple, timeless, and categorically minimalist. They’re best served as is, sans decorative pulls or knobs. 

Birch Ply Doors, Plykea

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Formica Faced Ply Doors, Plykea

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Kokeena

Pairs best with: The Sektion, Pax, and Godmorgon systems.   

The price point: Since everything is tailor-made to your space, you’ll have to reach out for a custom quote. 

What it’s known for: Traditional but make it eco-friendly: The Portland, Oregon–based brand is so committed to sustainability that it’s one of the core values of the company. (It uses low- to zero-VOC paints and varnishes and relies on recycled plant fibers to round out its materials.) This means you can’t go wrong with any of the polished wood doors, but don’t sleep on the Townsend Home collection if you’re craving a deeper dose of color. 

Sage Cabinet, Kokeena

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Moss Cabinet, Kokeena

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Reform

Pairs best with: All IKEA kitchen systems. 

The price point: An average kitchen design is between $20,000 and $30,000.

What it’s known for: The eccentric rich aunt of the kitchen cabinet family: There are luxe finishes, yes, but they’re paired with funkier features like color-blocked fronts and little round handles. This is because of the numerous architects and designers Reform routinely collaborates with, from Norm Architects to Cecilie Manz; it’s high-end on a budget. 

Frame Cabinet Fronts, Reform

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Basis Cabinet Fronts, Reform

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Superfront

Pairs best with: The Metod and Besta systems. 

The price point: Expect to shell out between $39 for a tiny drawer and $293 for a larger cupboard. 

What it’s known for: This collection is all about prints. Pick between fish scales, geometric shapes, and stripes to add a bit of texture in place of cookie-cutter IKEA cabinet doors—or mix and match your lowers and uppers for some real pattern play. 

Geometric Fronts, Superfront

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Fields Fronts, Superfront

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Semihandmade

Pairs best with: The Sektion, Besta, Godmorgon, and now-discontinued Akurum systems. 

The price point: It largely depends on the size and style of your cabinetry, but to give you a good idea, pieces for a four-drawer Godmorgon vanity go for around $735, while the DIY Quarterline Sektion doors (you paint them yourself!) are $104 each.

What it’s known for: The Instagram-famous kitchens you see in all your favorite design stars’ homes. Semihandmade has teamed up with Sarah Sherman Samuel, Chris Loves Julia, and most recently Leanne Ford for various lines, culminating in an offering that has those classic vibes—e.g., natural-colored wood and Shaker silhouettes—but also includes a few more playful options.  

SSS Desert Grey Beaded, Semihandmade

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Supermatte Night Sky Shaker, Semihandmade

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Holte

Pairs best with: The Metod system. 

The price point: An example of a medium kitchen project is £12,775 (or $16,270) for the IKEA cabinetry, Holte fronts, handles, and countertop.

What it’s known for: For anyone looking for something punchier, don’t sleep on Holte’s vivid orange fronts and half-moon–shaped steel pulls (the cobalt shade is also a favorite). There are 120 total colors and six different handles, so if you’re on the hunt for something truly bespoke, you’ll find it in the mix. 

Cobalt HPL Front, Holte

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Mint HPL Front, Holte

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The post 7 Brands to Shop for Your IKEA Cabinet Doors Upgrade appeared first on domino.

There are few things more annoying than falling in love with a sconce and realizing you need a quick education in electric wiring—or to spend some bucks on hiring a pro—to make your soft-lit room a reality. For renters, there aren’t many beautiful solutions that don’t require putting a hole in the wall or an unsightly cord. But we said “not many”—we didn’t say “none.” Enter: Poplight. Gone are the days of hacking sconces with faux puck lights and battery-operated bulbs that fall out and die quickly or relying on candles.

The brand, which was recently featured on Shark Tank, creates renter-friendly lighting that can be installed and removed without the use of any tools. To date, there have been more than 6,000 (!) preorders, and those products are expected to begin shipping at the end of May, according to the company’s founders.

So how does it stay put? Two strips of double-sided sticky tape nestled right into molded slots on the back of the mount. Plus it has the cutest built-in level we’ve ever seen, so you can make sure you’re hanging it correctly on the first attempt. Once the base is on the wall, you just have to twist the LED light on and you’re good to go. The battery can be popped out of the bottom of the mount for easy recharging (each charge lasts up to nine hours at full brightness). When you’re ready to take it off the wall, you just have to remove the bulb section and tug down on the sticky tape until it detaches. 

The lights have a slight mid-century modern vibe with a short arched arm and large round globe. But while the silhouette is simple, the color options are where you can have some fun (so far, there’s matte black, sage green, dusty rose, red, white, and marigold). For those who like to control everything from their phone, there are iOS and Android apps that allow you to adjust brightness, switch between color temperatures, set sleep timers, check battery levels, and even name your lights. 

Any orders placed in the coming days or weeks will likely be fulfilled in June, so if this feels like the rental hack for you, we suggest you get in line now.

Shop the Collection

Black, Poplight ($95)

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Marigold, Poplight ($95)

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Dusty Rose, Poplight ($95)

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Popwhite, Poplight ($95)

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The post This New Rental-Friendly Sconce Leaves Walls Hole- and Cord-Free appeared first on domino.

IKEA’s Pax closet system is one of our favorite essentials for its sheer ability to be transformed into something pretty bespoke. We’ve seen DIYers create walk-in closets out of the cabinets, clad them in decorative molding, and even make them look like they’re 100-plus years old. But you don’t have to be skilled with a saw to elevate a Pax closet—that’s where Fronteriors comes in. 

The brand is known for making different styles of doors, sides, tops, and hardware that fit right into IKEA frames. Its new Framed Oak collection offers a fancy-looking door that will instantly upgrade your beloved Pax. Going all in on this upgrade is certainly more budget-friendly than having something custom-made, but it’s still going to be a bit of an investment. Each door is sold individually, coming in at $467 apiece. 

But the beauty here is that Fronteriors is one of the only IKEA hack brands making chic swaps for the Pax. (Semihandmade, another company aimed at providing IKEA upgrades, does carry a similar oak design, but the product isn’t made for the Pax system.) You’re also in luck if you want to apply this streamlined door to your Besta or Sektion systems; Fronteriors offers a range of dimensions in the Framed Oak collection, plus a handful of colors and stains, too.

Framed Oak Door for Pax (in Beige), Fronteriors ($467)

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Framed Oak Door for Pax (in Natural), Fronteriors ($467)

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Anyone considering this sleek swap is in good company—we’ve seen thinner doorframes popping up in homes we love, replacing thicker, Shaker-inspired styles left and right. If you’re working within tight quarters, opting for narrower lines can help create the illusion of extra space. And isn’t that what we’re all searching for at the end of the day? 

The post Now You Can Get That Fancy Oak Cabinet Look for Your Pax Closet appeared first on domino.

Large-scale art is a coveted solution for anchoring a big blank wall, but spaces with XL canvases are more commonly found on inspiration boards than in real-life homes. Why? Large art is expensive. Even at a big-box store like West Elm, you’ll be pressed to find an oversize piece that’s less than $200—and that’s for something mass produced. Forget it if you want a work that’s totally original, right?

Wrong. You’ll simply need to play the role of artist instead. I had a boring white wall above the sofa in my living room and spent months sifting through potential options online, but nothing seemed to fit my style or budget parameters. I wanted to spend about $100 if I could help it, and I envisioned something patterned but still minimalist. Then I got an idea. 

I used painter’s tape to map out the exact size I wanted on the wall (40-by-45 inches) and took those measurements to Home Depot, where I asked a pro to custom-cut a panel of plywood accordingly. Later that day, I picked out a sky blue fabric accented with trios of navy stripes (it just so happened to be on sale at Joann Fabrics) and found a thin batting to go between the textile and the plywood. With help from my mom and dad, we laid out the batting, then the fabric, so it was even on all sides of the board, and dusted off a well-worn staple gun to hold everything in place. Within a day, I had personalized, oversize art for just $60. 

In case you need more ideas to mull over, here are five other DIYs to consider if you’re determined to have large-scale art in your home for less. 

Shop Your Linen Closet

Designer Natalie Tredgett’s London home is full of colorful and clever details, but her choice to hang a quilt behind her daughter Zoe’s bed is especially original. “The color combination is very her; she even dresses like that!” says Tredgett. Given that this is a spot that’s often reserved for a headboard-and-artwork combination, choosing a quilt to act as both creates a cozy yet unexpected alternative. If you’d like to emulate the look in your own bedroom, it could be as easy as sifting through your linen closet for contenders. 

Go Your Own Way on Canvas

Even if you only took one drawing class in your life, there’s a good chance you could do something interesting on a large blank canvas if you so please. “What is that phrase? If you can’t make a good painting, make a big painting,” says creative director Jonathon Burford, who uses they/them pronouns. Burford and their husband, Jesse Rudolph, of Ome Dezin showcase their creative eye throughout their L.A. home, but the art in the kitchen is pretty yet comical: It’s a still life of the exact objects found on a shelf directly below it. Do the same with your own collection and see if guests notice. 

Hang a Small Rug or Other Eye-Catching Textile

Nisha Mirani and Brendan Kramer live in a New York City home with quite a few not-so-subtle hints that they own textile brand Sunday/Monday. They have a number of rugs on the floor, of course, but they’ve gone the extra step of hanging them on the walls, too. It’s an ideal solution if you want to enliven a vertical spot with color and texture, or you fell in love with a mat that isn’t the right size for your living space. “If you have a large collection of textiles, you probably can’t put them all out on your floor or your bed, but the wall is a great place to display them,” Mirani says. “The fabric gets to breathe there, too.”

Do a Digital Download

This is another route I’ve taken in my own home to save a few bucks: I buy a digital download in the scale I need and then frame it using a budget-friendly find from the likes of Target, IKEA, or thrift stores. There are countless options available on Etsy, but I also have Jenny Komenda’s Juniper Print Shop bookmarked. 

Frame Whimsical Wallpaper

When interior designer Judith Achumba-Wöllenstein moved from London to a larger home in Brighton with her family, they set about furnishing their dining room with a mix of DIYs, eBay steals, and a singular vintage splurge. When it came to art that could complement her Brutalist table and architectural chairs, she turned to Belarte, a Swedish company offering mural wallpaper. The designer adhered the print to a pair of MDF panels framed with precut moldings. 

The post I Couldn’t Find Affordable Large Art, So I Made My Own for $60 appeared first on domino.

When we ask renovators about what inspired them, they often reference an Instagram post they saved or a cool hotel they visited. But Leah Hodson’s bathroom makeover began much closer to home. Er, technically, it began at her old home.

When the U.K.-based DIYer behind @thestanleydiary moved in December, she was especially sad to leave behind her “perfect bathroom,” which was almost entirely covered in marble tile. The best spot in her new house to re-create the look was the powder bathroom: It was a blank canvas—albeit one with lots of quirky ceiling and wall bump-outs. 

The only difference this time was Hodson didn’t want to use actual marble. “I’m not quite ready to take on tiling just yet with two toddlers running circles around me,” she says. Hodson also wasn’t interested in spending thousands of dollars on a bathroom upgrade, so instead of browsing the stone yard, she found herself Googling Calacatta Viola marble–inspired mural wallpapers. Belarte Studio proved to have the most realistic option. “Everyone who has seen it in real life can’t believe it is wallpaper,” says Hodson. 

The Supplies 

• Wallpaper
• Wallpaper adhesive (Hodson used a U.K.-sold product by Anaglypta)
• Wallpaper smoothing tool
• Scissors
• Box cutter
• Wood molding of your choosing
• A level
• Liquid nails
• Clear acrylic backsplash 
• Brass screw caps

Calacatta Marble, Belarte Studio ($6 per square foot)

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Ultra Clear Strippable Wallcovering Adhesive, The Home Depot ($9)

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Step 1: Find the Start Line 

Because Hodson’s mural wallpaper is so bold and the powder room is so small, she felt swathing every inch in the faux marble design would make the space feel minuscule. So as a compromise, she decided to only cover three half-walls and one full wall. Because the back toilet wall was getting the full treatment, she decided to begin there. First, she drew a line down the middle of the wall, so she would know where to align the two seams of the separate wallpaper panels. (Over time, wallpaper can slide and reveal the gaps between sections, and if said gap is situated in the middle of the room, it will actually be less noticeable than if it were off center.) 

Step 2: Paste and Stick 

While peel-and-stick treatments are popular among DIYers, the design Hodson fell in love with requires you to coat the wall first. Using a paint roller, she dipped it into a tray of paste and then rolled the adhesive onto the wall. “I found this gave more even coverage than a brush, which I’ve previously used,” she says. 

Step 3: Patiently Work Around Bump-Outs

The tricky part came when matching the panels on the full wall with those on the half-walls. This is when the sharp box cutter and time-tested rule of “measure twice, cut once” came into play. Hodson made sure to line up the sheets on the pipe box perfectly so the veins in the faux stone looked like they were all one piece. 

The area around the vanity unit gave her the biggest headache. Hodson accidentally cut the wallpaper too short, forcing her to cut a small sliver piece to hide the gap. “Which took far longer than I’d have liked to get right, but I’m glad I did, as it is barely noticeable,” she says. 

Step 4: Give Yourself a Seamless Border

For the surfaces only covered partially in wallpaper, Hodson installed wood molding around the top edge, first using a laser level to make sure the border would be a straight line. Then she applied the wallpaper from the top of the baseboards to the bottom of the wood molding. The trim piece gives your eye a natural end point. 

Step 5: Protect the Splash Zone

Even after refreshing the tired-looking vanity with a no demo hack involving precut fluted MDF and liquid nails, Hodson was left with a problem: preventing the wallpaper behind the sink from becoming damaged by moisture. 

Cue CutMy. She took the brand’s 6mm acrylic sheet (it came precut and predrilled) and made a backsplash, complete with brass screw caps that cover the drill holes. The invisible barrier allows the faux stone to still shine through. 

The post This DIYer’s Powder Room Is Covered in Calacatta Viola Marble—Or Is It? appeared first on domino.

The entrepreneur in Brook Perdigon wants to spend her days answering emails and getting shipments out the door of her Los Angeles studio-slash-warehouse. But there are times when her inner artist takes the reins, begging her to make something completely unrelated to her business, Brook Perdigon Textiles. “There’s so much structure involved in putting a collection on the market. Sometimes I just want to create for the sake of creating,” says Perdigon. Where does she channel that energy? Most recently, it went into reimagining Hay’s beloved $69 rice paper shade. 

Before Perdigon began designing bolts of fabric plus wallpaper and pillows, she painted (in fact, she graduated from college with a B.F.A. in painting). So Perdigon always keeps a set of brushes and watercolors within reach at her desk for moments like these. “For the longest time, I let the pendant sit; I didn’t know what to paint on it,” she recalls. Eventually, she decided that she just had to start somewhere—plan or no plan. “I was like, I just want to go home and have made something. The ideas don’t have to be perfect,” she explains. In just 40 minutes, Perdigon had a totally transformed light fixture on her hands. 

The Supplies

• Hay’s rice paper shade 
• Variety of different-size paintbrushes
• Gouache or acrylic paint
• Paper towels
• A glass of water 
• Good music or your favorite podcast 

Hay Rice Paper Shade, DWR ($69)

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Step 1: Paint Vertical Stripes

Perdigon started by simply painting blue vertical lines all the way around the sphere. At first, she used her skinniest brush, but dipping the brush in her palette so often got old fast. To pick up the pace, she switched to a larger brush that could hold more paint. Forget drawing perfectly straight lines on a ball—”it’s impossible,” she says. And expect the color to bleed a bit because the paper is so thin. Call it perfectly imperfect.

Step 2: Change Directions

To make the wonky vertical lines look a little more purposeful, Perdigon added horizontal ones. This didn’t stop the color from bleeding, though. “I was trying to hide the mistakes as I was creating them, but then that got really fun,” she says. Some lines were going to be thick and dark and others were going to be light and thin, depending on how much paint was on the brush. Perdigon didn’t overthink it, and neither should you.

Step 3: Get Things Squared Away

Then Perdigon began to fill in some of the squares at random. In her eyes, irregularity is what ultimately makes a textile pattern interesting: When your brain can’t spot a noticeable repeat, it wants to keep looking. Why wouldn’t the same be true of a painted paper lantern?

Step 4: Let Go

The best part about Perdigon’s impromptu paint project is that it doesn’t live in a drawer atop a pile of papers now—it hangs proudly over her desk. “The exercise of moving forward creatively without a plan or goal or anything was so liberating,” she says. It’s a reminder that even when her expectations and the results don’t align, it can still result in something beautiful.

The post You’ve Seen This Paper Lantern All Over Instagram—But Never Like This appeared first on domino.

When Liz Mundle moved into her boyfriend’s 500-square-foot apartment, the pair was prepared to make some serious storage compromises. The one thing they weren’t willing to budge on? Their books, which had to be easily accessible at all times. 

The big blank wall at the bottom of the stairs was the perfect spot to line up their favorite titles. The problems: The floors are uneven and there’s a bulky radiator smack-dab in the middle of two windows, ruling out any storage solutions that stand from the ground up. “As renters without an idea of how long we’ll be in the apartment and no interest in forfeiting our deposit, splurging on custom built-in bookcases wasn’t an option,” says Mundle. The duo also wasn’t keen on the idea of drilling dozens of holes in the wall to hold up a bunch of separate brackets (a spackling nightmare come move-out day). The fix: The Container Store’s Elfa Easy Hang shelves. 

Mundle had used different variations of the shelving system in her past two apartments, so she knew they were rental-friendly (the only part mounted to the wall is the very top track) and affordable. Minus the $700 they splurged on the wood boards, the system rang in at $365. “When I did research on custom cabinetry, $3,000 was the bare minimum,” she says. Cue the perfect weekend project! Mundle walks us through the installation steps, below.  

The Supplies 

• White Elfa Easy Hang Standards 102” x 6 = $147
• White Elfa Solid Shelf Brackets 10 ½” x 36 = $152
• White Elfa Solid Shelf Brackets 14 ½” x 6 = $30
• White Elfa Clip Bookends x 5 = $35
• White Elfa Easy Hang Top Tracks 56″ x 2 = $28
• Toggle anchors = $32
• 12-by-1-inch boards, cut to fit = $700
• ⅜-inch drill bit 

Step 1: Map It Out

In order to calculate how many brackets she would need, Mundle measured all of the different distances on the wall (ceiling to floor, top of windows to top of ceiling, bottom of windows to floor, and the space in between the windows), jotting each down on a rough sketch of the space. At this point, she also calculated how far apart she wanted the shelves to be from one another: 10 inches between the two top planks, 12 for the middle slabs, and 14 for the lowest shelves. “I wanted to create the illusion that the ceilings are taller than they actually are,” she says.

50″ Elfa Updated Top Track White, The Container Store ($18 was $25)

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Step 2: Cut the Shelves

The couple’s construction journey officially started at a lumberyard in Gowanus, Brooklyn. To achieve a streamlined look, they decided to splurge on 1-inch-thick clean pine versus 1/2-inch knotty pine, which was almost half the cost. “My eyes popped out of my head when I saw the quote,” says Mundle. The investment, though, was worth it: They handed off their measurements to the carpenter, waited 40 minutes, and took their freshly cut planks back home in an UberXL. 

Step 3: Drill the Holes 

The biggest pro of the easy-hang shelves is that there’s minimal wall damage involved (all you need to drill are the holes for the very top track—everything else hangs from that). To do this, you’ll need a ⅜-inch drill bit to ensure the openings will be large enough for the toggle bolts, which anchor for the shelf screws and can support more than 200 pounds of weight. The trick is making sure all the holes are level with one another and spaced out about 6 inches apart. To do this, the pair held up the shelves next to the wall, as flush and straight as possible, and marked the spots with a pencil. Next, they drilled the holes and screwed in the toggle bolts—very carefully. “If one is even a little bit off (like a quarter inch), it’s hard to get the screw in there,” explains Mundle. 

60″ Elfa Hang Standard, The Container Store ($24 was $34)

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Amoolo 3/8″ Metal Drill Bit Set, Amazon ($20)

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Toggler Snaptoggle Drywall Anchor , Amazon ($20)

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Step 4: Install the Shelves 

Once the bolts were in, she installed the top track and screwed it in. The vertical attachments that support the brackets are even easier to attach. These pieces hook onto the track at the very end and slide across it. Finally, the brackets that support the wood shelves hook into the attachments.

10-1/2″ Elfa Classic Bracket, The Container Store ($7 was $9)

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Step 5: Style Away 

Rainbow bookshelves are cute, but Mundle organized her books with function top of mind: Titles that get the least use (like her boyfriend’s law school textbooks) now live at the very top, while prized cookbooks enjoy a spot front and center by the stairs. “I never have to pull up a chair or stool to get them,” she says. After sitting in boxes for a good five months, her favorite reads can now breathe a little easier—and thanks to the shelves, so can the couple.

Elfa Clip Bookends White Pkg/2, The Container Store ($8 was $11)

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The simplest way to update your kitchen cabinets without replacing them is to paint them. But just because it’s not complicated doesn’t mean it’s cheap. According to HomeAdvisor’s latest 2021 data, it will run you an average of $700, with labor costing between $20 and $50 per hour. The only real way to avoid that expense is to tackle the job yourself. 

So we are looking back to all the expert advice we’ve received, plus some fresh intel from Paul Baik, senior product manager for Behr Ultra and the company’s specialty products. Here’s a few quick tips for how to paint kitchen cabinets like an absolute pro, from the best sealers to the must-have tools. 

The Best Primers for Painting Kitchen Cabinets 

Priming is essential in creating a smooth, uniform surface that is ready to accept a top coat, so you definitely don’t want to skip the step or skimp on a lackluster product. For wood cabinets, Baik suggests starting with a stain-blocking primer that is acrylic based (so it adheres nicely) and mildew resistant.

When it comes to tricky laminate cupboards, opt for a primer that’s designed for intense bonding, like Behr’s Bonding Primer and Sherwin-Williams’s Extreme Bond Primer—picks that are made for tough-to-paint surfaces. It’s important to use an undercoat in the same tone as the door color to get a saturated result, especially if you’re going from light to dark.

The Best Paint for Kitchen Cabinets

The best type of paint for kitchen cabinets is an oil-based enamel or a hybrid alkyd enamel paint in either a semigloss or satin finish, which levels nicely (meaning you won’t see any streaks from your brush) and is superdurable. Two coats, depending on the color you’re going with, should do the trick. 

According to designers, Farrow & Ball’s Modern Eggshell and Estate Eggshell options are a must-try for kitchen cabinets. The former has a 20 percent sheen that is ideal for durability and cleanability, according to designer Gillian Segal. Here’s a brief list of tried-and-true brands:

• Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell
• Benjamin Moore Advance
• Behr Premium
• Sherwin-Williams ProClassic
• Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane
• Valspar Oil-Enriched Enamel

If you’re working with laminate and IKEA cabinets, avoid full gloss, as it will cause imperfections to shine. You can also use a matte Chalk Paint product for these types of doors after you’ve given them a good sanding and cleaned off any debris. 

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets 

Step 1: Remove Everything

It might go without saying, but start by taking all your dishes, glassware, and pantry goods out of the cabinets. While some DIYers have gotten by without detaching the doors (Ajai Guyot claims it was easier to paint them on their hinges), most pros suggest taking the extra step, as you can more easily use a roller or spray gun when the panels are lying on a flat work table. Psst: As you unscrew each door, be sure to keep track of which one goes where (you can number them near the hinges with a marker), as it’ll make the reinstallation process a breeze. Finally, cover up the countertops, floor, and walls around the cabinets with rosin paper or plastic tarp to protect them from any unwanted splatter or dust.

Step 2: Create a Smooth Surface

Wipe down your cabinets with a de-glosser solution, then scuff up the boxes and fronts with a medium sandpaper (100- to 150 grit), as it will help you get an even consistency. A random orbital sander tends to be best for the job, as it doesn’t leave many noticeable swirl marks in the wood. Wipe away any dust and apply a fast-drying primer, which will conceal imperfections.

Step 3: Paint Away

Once that’s done, you can move on to the fun part: paint! It’s important to paint wood in a dry environment, preferably where you have plenty of access to fresh air, to prevent moisture from impacting the material’s integrity. Here are some tools to have on hand, according to Baik: 

• A fine-bristle brush (100 percent high-quality nylon works best)
• A mini ¼-inch roller 
• An airless sprayer: .013-inch to 015-inch spray tip, 60-mesh filter
• Optional: 400- to 600-grit sandpaper to use in between coats to allow the next layer to adhere smoothly

Use the brush for small corners and details, and the roller for the main face of the panels. (Just be sure to follow that up with a brush to get rid of roller marks.) Let each coat dry thoroughly (about 24 hours), before lightly sanding and applying the second round. Once the second coat dries, reattach the door and drawer fronts and soak in your newly revamped space.

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Like most of us, food stylist and recipe developer Diana Yen has a visceral reaction when she thinks about bifold closet doors. She can practically hear the squeaking of the slow-rolling track and feel the hard yank it takes to pry each side open. “Growing up, they haunted me because they always had the louvers,” she says with a laugh. “I thought they were terrible.” But when Yen bought her house in Ojai, California, and realized her bedroom closet didn’t have any doors at all (the dorm vibes were strong), she decided to give the thing she’d once hated most a second chance. “I had all this stuff on Pinterest, looking into IKEA hacks and European-style doors, trying to figure out what to do,” she recalls, “and I realized a bifold was the most cost-efficient.” The custom closet designs she had briefly looked into were in the $10,000 ballpark, but transforming a set of simple bifold doors from Home Depot took less than $500 and a weekend to complete.  

The Supplies

• Bifold doors
• Flexible molding
• Caulk
• A pencil
• Scissors
• Chalk paint 
• Hardware of your choosing 

36 in. x 80 in. White MDF Interior Closet Bi-Fold Door, The Home Depot ($428)

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Gaahing Wall Molding Trim Chair Rail Panel Moulding, Amazon ($20)

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Step 1: Map Out Your Path

Yen’s inspiration came from—where else!—Instagram. Her Italy-based friend Jayne Henderson posted a carousel of cool-looking doors and one of them with a squiggle outline caught Yen’s attention. “I was like, wow, I feel like that molding gives a poetic touch and makes it elegant but still kind of whimsical,” she says. With a pencil, Yen traced wavy oblong shapes onto each of the door panels, totaling eight undulating silhouettes. 

Step 2: Peel and Stick

“I felt like a cheater because I got it from Amazon,” Yen jokes about revealing her creative hack: peel-and-stick flexible molding. She slowly ripped away the adhesive backing and applied the bendy trim over her pencil lines, then used scissors to cut the ends when she was ready to move onto the next shape. “It was basically like one big sticker,” she says. 

Step 3: Seal the Deal

To hide any visible gaps, Yen coated the edges of the molding with caulk and then went over them with a sanding block, ridding the surface of any putty residue. Finally, she swathed them in white chalk paint (no primer necessary). “I wanted a matte, softer finish so that it would accentuate the molding,” she says. As the doors were drying, she propped them up near a wall and, in that very moment, another genius idea struck her: These doors would also make chic room dividers. But that’s a project for another day.

Step 4: Double Up on Your Hardware

Embellishing is nice and all, but if you really don’t want bifolds to look like bifolds, add four knobs to the fronts instead of just a single pair. Yen added two dainty brass knobs to each side, creating the illusion that they all swing open rather than slide.

Step 5: Hit the Track

When it came to mounting the doors, Yen called in her contractor. Her fear? That they wouldn’t sit flat if she were to attempt to lock them in place herself. The splurge was worth it: Her staring contest with her clothes is finally over.

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