DIY Ikea Rast Makeover with Weathered Gray Wood Stain

Hey ya'll! 

So, I think I've pinned about 400 Ikea Rast Hacks, but I've never actually done one of my own. Mostly because there's no Ikea anywhere near Knoxville, but also because I love to repurpose thrift store finds (as opposed to tediously assembling furniture).

But, when it came time to furnish the guest bedroom, I decided to check out what this Rast business was all about. 

I was pretty excited to discover that you can order Ikea stuff online, AND that the Rast was only $35.
 I'm probably the only person in the world who didn't know this information.

It arrived in a tiny little box and looked deceptively simple.

And then I started unpacking the box.

And immediately regretted telling Jesse that I wanted to do this on my own.

It eventually started to take shape.

And after 3 reruns of Top Chef, a tiny wooden square of a dresser was born.

I was bummed at how pathetic it looked in person, but I felt like an assembling champion at this point, so...irrelevant.

Then, I called Jesse back into my 'workspace' and asked him to help me drill some additional holes for my hardware.

After the dresser was all ready to go, I decided to create a weathered/driftwood gray look. 

I tested out several different stains and eventually settled on Rustoleum Ultimate Wood Stain in Sunbleached (affiliate link). It looked more tan on the outside of the can, but once I applied the stain, it was the perfect shade of light weathered gray.

For a topcoat, I used Varathane polyurethane in Matte. I didn't want any sort of sheen on the wood (so that it would look truly weathered), but at the same time I wanted the surface to be durable. The matte Varathane totally did the trick.

A few tips for staining raw wood furniture: 

1. Make sure you sand your piece with fine grit sandpaper first, as this will make the wood soak up the stain better. 

This is crucial. 

2. Use a dropcloth with a plastic layer to protect your floors, as the stain is messy and will run. 

3. Apply the stain with a rag or paintbrush. I prefer a cheap paintbrush. 

4. Once the stain is dry (I let it dry for a full day), apply 1-2 layers of the topcoat with a paintbrush and let that fully cure before using the dresser.

The process is truly as simple as just brushing on the stain. The directions say to wipe off the excess, but I found that it looked way better if I just let the stain absorb into the wood and then dry.

 My only complaint would be the smell. The topcoat I used was water based and didn't smell at all, but the stain was oil based and gave off a lot of fumes. So, just make sure to ventilate your workspace.

I naively started staining the dresser in the bedroom, where I usually paint, and immediately realized, NOPE, this isn't going to work. Cut to me in a hazmat suit in the haunted house room with 2 fans and open windows.

Learn from my mistakes. Buy a house with a non-gross garage.

Once the dresser was dry, I added some pretty little Victorian brass cup pulls that I found here.

They added the perfect little amount of sass.

I'm just so happy with the way these little nightstands turned out, and they fit perfectly in the finished guest bedroom.

I just finally finished this room, after painting the walls 

(Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray), and installing new trim. 

NEVER AGAIN, YA'LL.

It finally all came together with the addition of the two Rasts, an upholstered bed I found on Craigslist, a shiny new chandelier, and my favorite little zebra rug from Rugs USA.

And here are the rest of the source details in one handy place...just in case you're curious:

Zebra rug: Rugs USA

Bed: Craigslist for $200, took the ugly bronze nailheads out one by one and spray painted them silver. Totally torturous. (Craigslist shopping tips here.)

Bedding: White duvet cover from Target several years ago. Pink velvet pillow from Bed Bath & Beyond. Beige pillows I made with glue.

Nightstands: Ikea Rast

Victorian Brass Cup Pulls: D. Lawless Hardware

Lamps: thrift store

Chandelier: National Builder Supply

Wall color: Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray (new fave...so cozy for a bedroom).

Stuff on nightstands: Let's pretend I put more effort into that. 

That's all for today, ya'll!

Thank you so much for being here and for caring about what goes on in my little world.

'Til next time.

P.S. This is the fourth time I've redone this room. It WILL be the last. I swear. But you can see the other versions here, here, and, here if you're curious. :)

Christmas Countdown

Are You Ready for Christmas? Here are a few of my LiveLoveDIY Christmas posts:
DIY Ornament Wreath DIY Snowflake Books    Magnolia Leaf Wreath   DIY Christmas Ornaments

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