I first saw this project about 6 months ago, and pinned it immediately, knowing I'd make one as soon as I got around to changing up my bedroom (which I've finally started!)
Anyway, I'm a total sucker for wood tones mixed with white, and once I factored in the pretty brass ring pulls, I knew it needed to make an appearance in my room sooner rather than later. So last weekend, after a quick trip to Ikea, I finally got started on this bad boy.
To make this side table, you need the following:
- Ikea Rast 3 drawer chest - $34.99
- 6 Ring pulls or decorative knobs (I used these - specifically, the "burnished bronze" in the medium size)
- wood stain (I used Minwax stain & polyurethane mix in Antique Walnut)
- white paint (I used Rustoleum white semi-gloss enamel paint)
Once you have the Ikea Rast chest assembled, it will look like this (minus the knobs - leave the knobs off):
To get started, take all of the drawers out, and paint them white. Next, stain the outside in your desired stain color. Let them dry the specified amount of time, and if desired, follow with a second coat of paint & stain. I ended up adding 3 coats of stain*, but only needed one coat of the white Rust-oleum paint (that stuff is awesome - it has great coverage, and leaves an even, smooth finish after only one coat).
*A note about the stain... this was the first time I'd used a stain & polyurethane combo, and I have to say I think I prefer using a normal stain, and adding a coat of poly afterwards. It seemed a lot harder to maintain a consistent, even color with the stain & poly combo than any other time I've used a regular stain. Good to know!
Anyway, once the paint & stain is entirely dry (I waited 24 hours to be safe), you can attach your knobs or ring pulls. As soon as those are attached, your done!
Even my kitty, Coco, wanted to join in on the fun!
But seriously, such an easy project, and it makes a $34.99 raw wood chest look much more expensive than it is. I'll be using it as a nightstand once I finish my room, so better pictures to come!
UPDATED: Here's a better picture of my completed Rast hack as a nightstand:
