Can you paint Ikea Cabinets? Yes! The answer is yes and they even turn out well! When we did our huge kitchen remodel, we needed to add 3 cabinets and a pantry.
Yes, you can paint RTA furniture from IKEA or any other store. Of course, this rule doesn't apply to every piece of IKEA furniture. We wouldn't recommend painting anything covered in fabric. And anything made of plastic can be tricky to paint and get right.
Best paint for IKEA furniture
Before you start painting, you need to know what to paint with. Chalk paint is often used for painting furniture. This is because it's available in loads of different colours, applies easily (even in the nooks and crannies), and the majority of chalk paints don't need a primer.
Can you paint over Ikea furniture without sanding? On laminate furniture, yes you can! But remember, when I say no sanding – it means you don't have to use a lot of strength or an electric sander to get the “finish” completely off. We do need very light scuffing on the entire piece to roughen up the surface.
Prime your piece.
The secret to getting paint to stick to Ikea laminate furniture is primer! A primer will help your paint bond to the piece of furniture. It will also reduce chipping and peeling. I recommend Zinnser B-I-N, Colourtrend Prime 3, or this Rust-oleum Primer.
The Ikea Billy bookcase has a laminate exterior that is difficult to paint. The secret to painting successfully is first to apply a base primer coat designed for surface adhesion. Once you have an even layer of primer, you can paint the bookshelf with your paint of choice.
Can you paint IKEA PAX wardrobes? Yes, you can paint PAX wardrobes to create a bespoke wardrobe that fits your space.
Havsta cabinet offers tons of storage and is made of solid wood so it can be repainted to your liking too! Great for customization.
You can paint the cabinets with oil-based paints, acrylic paints, or melamine paints once they have been primed. Moisture-resistant materials in the paint make Melamine paints ideal for painting laminate surfaces, since they are just right for the moisture and steam that are so prevalent in kitchens.
Remove Baseboards Behind and Beside Wardrobes
If you are adding your wardrobes to an open space, you will want to remove any baseboards that touch the pax wardrobes, either behind or at the side. This allows the wardrobes butt up against the walls and look built in.
I had some leftover Benjamin Moore Simply White in Semi-Gloss from another project and it ended up being a perfect match to IKEA PAX white.
Allowing the paint to dry completely between coats to avoid bubbling and peeling, apply 2 thin coats of latex paint, followed by 2 thin coats of water-based polyurethane with a new brush or foam roller using slow, even strokes. Wait at least 72 hours before using your uniquely revamped Lack side table.
Rust-Oleum spray paints can be used on wood, wicker, metal, plaster, plastic, or unglazed ceramic surfaces. Rust-Oleum spray paint is so easy to use for transforming wood, melamine, laminate, or metal furniture.
Ikea offers a few unfinished furniture pieces that make painting even easier. (No varnish to strip! To cover up the pine knots, pair paint with a primer and top it with two coats.)
Stain your untreated wooden IKEA furniture a deeper shade. In this DIY project, I stained my IKEA FÖRHÖJA kitchen cart a richer walnut shade for a more sophisticated, finished look. You can use this process on any of your IKEA wooden pieces — but make sure they're made of actual wood and not just a wood veneer.
Latex paint is recommended for laminate surface painting projects because of its durability and smooth finish.
Alternatively, you can use spray paint to transform metal furniture; just remember to mask off any areas before spraying to ensure a clean finish. As with latex paint, spray paint comes in a wide range of colors and finishes to choose from depending on your desired effect.
Yes! You definitely need to prime IKEA cabinets before painting! For the Torhamn cabinets, I primed with Slick Stick. I painted one coat of the primer on all sides of the cabinet doors.