Ikea Restyle: Vittsjo Hack

Hello! Hope everyone had a great Valentines weekend! We spent the weekend in true Wright style- hockey, more hockey, and projects. Nothing says true love like hanging out in the box with the other half:

But, Today I want to share with you a simple IKEA hack!

There are millions of possibilities with the inexpensive and versatile IKEA pieces and the vittsjo line is no exception.  If you're an avid pinterest-er like me, you can't help but see images of gold, marble, and vibrant spray paint colors being thrust upon the vittsjo line! Let's just take a look at a few basic pieces:

                                                                    IKEA

The price range in the entire Vittsjo line ranges from $30 to $138 for a single piece, but given a good makeover these pieces can look far more elegant and expensive. Here's a few great examples from fellow bloggers:

Dwellings By Devore

Olive Lane Interiors

Decor Pad

Swoon-Worthy huh? These are just a a few examples of the endless ways to amp up your decor game without breaking the bank.  

Now to add to the blogosphere with my own ikea vittsjo restyle! 

When selecting pieces for the living room, I knew I wanted a coffee table that wouldn't be visually heavy and was low in price point. I decided on the Vittsjo nesting table with that criteria in mind. I  had every intention of  putting some gold leaf love all over her much like the Decor Pad picture from above.  I quickly assembled her (yes, this actually was a quick IKEA assemble) and lived with her as is for a few weeks.  After bringing in more accessories and furniture in the living room, I realized I had A LOT of gold in this room already and perhaps more gold would verge on the tacky, not trendy, side.  I prefer the trendy side of the fence.

I also have been bringing in more warm, wood tones because I LOVE the mix of metals and wood and decided that was exactly what this table needed...wood!

Here's how she started, straight from the box assembled.

Not ugly, but a little too plain for my liking. I think we can do better!

Isn't she a beauty! I love how the simple swap really warmed up the space and made this vittsjo table the shining star of the room.

Here's what you'll need for this simple Restyle:

IKEA vittsjo nesting tables

A piece of wood cut to size (I used Pine)

Wood Prestain (I used Minwax Pre-Stain)

Wood Stain (I used Minwax Special Walnut)

Polycrylic Finish (I used Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic)

Step 1: Remove the bottom piece of the table (its melamine). Take this piece to your local hardware store to find a wood board similar in thickness. I used this piece I found at Home Depot and it worked perfect even though it's slightly thicker than the melamine board.  

Step 2: Cut the board to size.  We really pieced this step together, however, the most efficient way would be to cut your wood piece to size with a table saw.  I had the guy at Home Depot cut my board to the length I needed (almost 34").  Since Home Depot will only make one cut, I brought the board home for the husband to cut the width.  The board at 18" wide was about 2" more than I needed so the excess was removed.

Step 3:  Now that the board is cut to size, lightly sand the wood with a fine grit paper just to ensure you have a smooth surface.  

Step 4: Treat the wood with a pre-stain...this step is crucial! If you've ever stained wood before that isn't treated, you'll know what I mean.  The stain on the untreated wood can become blotchy and irregular. I've made this mistake and it looks like this:

It's a simple step to do and dries very quickly and the results speak for themselves.  Just follow the manufactures directions on whichever kind of pre-stain you purchase.

Step 5: Stain! After my pre-stain was dry, I applied 2 coats of stain (Special Walnut) with a sponge brush and a rag. I allowed 24 hours dry time between coats per manufacture guidelines.  Once I was happy with the color, I moved on the final step.

Step 6: Protect your wood by applying a thin coat of poly.  This step protects the wood from damage caused by water, chemicals, and chipping.  It's right up there in necessity with the pre-stain. 

Now that your all done, it's time to bring that beautiful stained piece of wood into the house and on to the nesting table! 

Here's the project breakdown:

Viitsjo Nesting Tables $59.99

Pine Wood Board $15.42

Minwax Pre-Stain (Had on hand) 

Minwax Stain (Had on hand)

Minwax Polycrylic (Had on hand)

Total Cost: $75.41 not including tax.

Not too Shabby huh? 

What's your favorite Ikea piece? I'd love to see a good ikea hack! Leave me a link and I'll share one right here on Restyle It Wright!