Painting IKEA Furniture for a High End Look

Welcome friends! A few years ago I shared our IKEA media console and it has become one of my most pinned blog posts. If you missed it, this piece is made up of IKEA BESTA cabinets and is so budget friendly for the size! Today I’m excited to share an update. I was ready for a change but could not part with this piece because the size is so great for our open concept living room (94.5″ wide under a 65″ TV) and the storage is amazing. So… I painted it! Keep reading for a complete list of the products I used, as well as tips for painting IKEA furniture for a high end look (without the designer price tag).

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Media Console Before

Here is a before view of our living room. Last year I worked on making this space cozier with earth tones and texture, and was really happy with the refresh we completed last fall. In January I set goals for new home projects, and one was to continue working on our living room, in particular the TV wall! Soon I am hoping to add picture frame molding here. But step one was to paint the media console a warm gray, to add contrast against the white walls and warm up this view.

Related: Easy DIY Picture Frame Molding

Painting IKEA Furniture: Supplies Needed

I am by no means an expert furniture painter, but I do love to research before beginning any project! Here are the products I ended up selecting for painting our IKEA media console:

BIN Advanced Synthetic Shellac Primer

If you are comparing blog posts about how to paint laminate IKEA furniture, you have probably read about BIN shellac primers. I ended up going with the BIN Advanced Synthetic Shellac Primer because it was the middle of winter, and I wanted a low odor product that I could use in my living room. It also cleans up easily with soap and water!

However, the general consensus is that BIN Shellac Based Primer is the holy grail product with the best durability. So, if your IKEA furniture will receive a lot of traffic (like a coffee table) and you are able to paint in a well ventilated space, definitely go with the BIN Shellac Based Primer. Just note that it requires denatured alcohol for cleanup.

If you prefer low odor, soap and water cleanup, and your furniture will receive lighter use, the BIN Advanced Synthetic Shellac Primer is a great choice!

Latex Paint

My favorite paint is Behr Marquee because many of the colors are one coat guaranteed! It is also low odor and cleans up easily with soap and water. For the media console, I used the color Greige (in Satin) which is a beautiful warm gray. It is a bit darker and more gray (versus beige) than the color I used for my interior doors.

You can also use oil based paint or chalk paint on furniture. Read about different types of paint for furniture here if you are curious about the pros and cons of each!

Topcoat

You may want to seal your IKEA furniture, depending on how much the piece will be used. I didn’t seal our media console, but I would seal a table or any high traffic piece. Minwax Polycrylic and General Finishes Topcoat are good options. Always test your topcoat on an inconspicuous area of your furniture just to be safe!

Mini Paint Rollers, Trays, and Paint Brush

Used for both the primer and paint! I used this high density mini paint roller with frame and extra rollers. Don’t forget mini paint trays too! To cut in around the trim and legs, I used this 1-1/2 inch nylon/polyester angle brush.

Fine Grit Sanding Block and Tack Cloth

Sanding is not essential, but you may want to sand between coats of paint to ensure a smooth finish. I used my favorite 120 grit dust channeling sanding block and this tack cloth.

Painting Essentials

Don’t forget painter’s tape if you need to protect furniture legs or hardware and a drop cloth if you need to protect your floor. Also, remember to pick up paint stir sticks and a can opener at the paint counter. Finally, have a clean microfiber cloth on hand to wipe down your piece before starting!

Painting IKEA Furniture: The Process

And now for the process of painting IKEA furniture! Remember that I am not an expert 😉 but I am so pleased with how this piece turned out! Here is what I did:

1. Remove hardware. You may also wish to disassemble your piece for the best paint job. Since I only planned to paint the outside of our media console, I did not take it apart. A few areas were hard to reach, such as around the door hinges, so if you prefer you may remove the doors.
2. Lightly sand. I do not think this step is entirely necessary before the primer, but I did it just to be safe.
3. Wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth. This removes dust and fingerprints. Allow to dry.
4. Apply two thin coats of primer. Cut in around trim with your paint brush and roll the rest. Be sure to allow to dry between coats. You may sand lightly between coats and wipe down with a tack cloth to ensure a smooth finish.
5. Apply two thin coats of paint. Use the same method as the primer, allowing to dry between coats.
6. Apply top coat if desired. Before applying, test on an inconspicuous area to be sure it does not discolor your paint. Better safe than sorry!

Side note: Did I use Kraft paper instead of a drop cloth since it is what I had on hand? Yes, yes I did. But I recommend using a plastic or canvas drop cloth for better coverage!

Painting IKEA Furniture: Before and After

And here is the after of our IKEA media console! I cannot get over how high end it looks thanks to a few coats of paint! I still need to finish off the new look by painting the metal legs to match the brass knobs. The best thing to do would be to remove the legs and spray paint them, but I may try applying Rub ‘n Buff by hand. I will update this post once I do.

Related: Easy DIYs + Home Upgrades

In this image I photoshopped out my sound bar, just to see how it would look 😉 If you are interested, here is how to display art on a TV!

I hope you found this post helpful if you are planning to paint IKEA furniture! Please let me know in the comments if you use this guide, and tag me with your projects on Instagram so I can see them. XO,