This IKEA Cabinet Transformed Into a Japandi Stunner for Just $140
There are plenty of ways to give IKEA shoe cabinets a makeover, whether with paint or pole wrap or a stencil. It’s amazing how DIYers can take a basic white shoe cabinet and give it an entirely new aesthetic, from boho to mid-century modern.
Digital creator Mariana Thiergärtner (@youneek.home) gave two IKEA shoe cabinets in her entryway a Japandi-style makeover. “Before the makeover, the shoe cabinets were plain white IKEA pieces,” she says.
While she liked the cabinets practically, she felt the finish looked “tired and flat,” — plus previous DIY attempts had made the pieces look mismatched. Enter: her latest DIY makeover.
The first step was to remove all traces of past upgrades.
Mariana began by returning the cabinets to their original forms; she removed old handles and cleaned off all previous DIY elements.
The biggest transformation came from adding thin plywood panels to craft a clean, minimalist, Japandi-inspired aesthetic. She also upgraded the withe edges of the cabinets with wood-look edge banding to cover small dings and white areas from the original cabinet, because she gave the piece an all-over wood look.
Wood panels give the IKEA cabinets new texture.
“I cut and sanded the wood panels, attached them to the cabinet, and finished the surface with Osmo hardwax oil to achieve the warm, natural tone,” Mariana explains.
She used a mixture of 10 parts Osmo Hartwachs’ Bernstein mixed with one part Osmo Hartwachs’ Terra. This process gave the wood a deep, custom hue. One of the hardest parts of the project was tinting the edge banding this same hue.
The project cost about $140.
Mariana spent around 120€, or $140 USD, for the entire project (70€ for the wood, 30€ for contact paper, plus a small cost for glue and screws).
“It feels amazing that such a simple and budget-friendly update could transform an old piece into something that looks like a custom design item,” Mariana concludes. “Every time I walk past it, it just feels more intentional and aligned with the calm, natural look I want for my hallway.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.