The Ikea Malm Makeover

Ikea goes Vintage - in 4 easy steps

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We all have it - the classic furniture from IKEA.

I, for instance, have several from the MALM series. One of those is integrated into my Walk-In Closet, which I built out of Copper Pipes. Stop by at this page to see the DIY Walk-In Closet Project.

This specific chest of drawers I purchased as it was an excellent fit for my Walk-In Closet Construction. Just the white color didn´t seem to go with the whole look.

So I planned to upgrade it to my imagination.

Goal:

I wanted to match the commode with my Walk-IN Closet room.

A Vintage look with a modern push system, but vintage hantles and a laminated insight to assure no clothes will be destroyed.

Let´s change your IKEA chest of drawers together!

1. Sand the Malm Surface.

I used an orbital sander with a grit of 80 grit to save time, but you can also do it by hand.

The goal is to sand the surface slightly, so the paint will stick better. If you wish a vintage look, then your work doesn´t have to be perfect here. In fact, I sand off the edges to create an old used look.

2. Clean the dust with a wet cloth before applying the paint.

*Don´t paint a damp facade. Make it is dry.

3. Paint your Malm.

I decided to go with a 2-1 colored varnish, which is gloss and weather-resistant. A pretty solid paint, which is also scratch-resistant...I tested it ;)

The color I chose at the hardware store (in this case, they mixed it according to my color choice).

A) Base Painting:

For the base paint, I used a sponge paint roller to save paint, time and have an even finish.

----------------------------------------------- Let it dry for 24 h ---------------------------------------------------------

B) Vintage Coating:

Then I mixed the same colored varnish with a golden copper paste. Again here I am not mixing it precisely so the colors come through uneven. #IKEAgoesVintage

This Time I used a brush and applied the paint as you can see in the short video below with a quick movement until I am happy with the result.

Do you like it? If so, then a heart at the end of the post would make my day:*

4. Attach Vintage handles.

The vintage handles I found at a berlin flew market. You´ll find there something special.

I screw them in the center on top. They are just for decoration purposes as this malm commode works with a push system.

I am super happy how it turned out! The key to the look was the golden copper paste, which shines through and goes well with my Copper Pipe Walk-In closet.

If you liked this outcome, then comment with the hashtag #ikeagoesvintag

Which color combination will you use? I am curious the know about your projects and get inspired by you.