"upscaling" Ikea unit

Brie

I hate the phrase upscaling but refinishing isn't quite right in the context of dealing with Ikea goods....so....

I've got an old unit that we bought a number of years ago - might have been for the stereo or TV.  Can't remember now.  Anyways at some point we stopped needing it for the original purpose, had it around the house in various capacities and eventually it ended up outside in our carport (so out of direct contact to the elements) probably for about 2 years.  I've now decided I need something beside my tiddly WFH desk in the dining room and this fits in to the tight spot beside my desk.  

Thing is time and weather have taken their toll.  While it's still structurally sound it's not shop floor pretty anymore.  It is made of some sort of particle board with a wood effect laminate which may actually be wood rather than plastic veneer.  So the question is....how easy would it be to paint so it looks a bit more presentable??  I'm wondering if a couple of coats of white semi gloss would allow it to disappear better.  Currently it looks like an disheveled distant cousin to a nearby solid wood glass cabinet (also Ikea but from a different line).  

If not semi gloss, what?  

theonlywayisup

Zinsser BIN is your friend.  It looks worse before it gets better but it does the job. 

Racky_Roo

I just upcycled an Ikea white unit. I lightly sanded it, rollered on a thin coat of emulsion, very lightly sanded it again and did a second coat, then repeated for a third coat. Then varnished with a clear matt varnish.

I would say don't rush it, make sure the paint is really dry before sanding and doing another coat.

Rosa_Damascena

Doozer pointed out before that there is quite a cult in upcycling IKEA merchandise. I thinks she referred to something on FB / Insta. 

phoebe1989seb

Rosa_Damascena said:

Doozer pointed out before that there is quite a cult in upcycling IKEA merchandise. I thinks she referred to something on FB / Insta. 

Yep, there's a whole raft of IKEA hacks out there! We have a wall of Besta storage that we built in to our newly created upstairs hallway - DH built the recessed wall to fit the units exactly and they look like far more custom built cupboards 😉

When we complete phase 3 of our snug/existing extension reconfiguration we'll be adding more Bestas and customising/hacking them to resemble floor to ceiling panelling. At each end will be real panelling with wall lights to add to the impression of the whole wall being actual panels. To further complete the look, I'm going to hang a central piece of artwork on the panelling/doors 😁

Emmia

There are so many IKEA hack websites / blogs etc., out there that you should be able to find something suitable to give the effect you want.

I upgraded our battered lack coffee table with an opaque perspex top, rather than replacing it... the top did cost more than a new table though, so not exactly MSE.

cpbackhouse

We are right in the middle of doing something similar, repainting an IKEA unit to match the kitchen.
As mentioned upthread with a couple of coats of Zinsser BIN and the top coat has gone on really nicely. We used flocked foam rollers for both the BIN and topcoat and its come up looking great.