1 IKEA Dresser | 4 Totally Temporary Transformations

5 weeks ago, I embarked on a project that has been on my mind and “to try” list forever: to give a single piece of furniture several different makeovers, all using different products and techniques and all that were completely, 100% removable. Last week, I completed the fourth and final makeover, and I’m revisiting this project one last time to re-cap my journey and let you all vote on your favorite!

Offering a variety of makeover techniques is certainly a fun and worthy pursuit; but why, you might ask, did I require that the updates be removable? In my own experiences of moving frequently and having to constantly shuffle furniture between rooms, I have been faced with the need to change/update furniture to simply make something work. However, even me – a total lover of painted furniture – doesn’t always want to permanently change a piece just for our current living situation. Additionally, so many readers and friends have asked me variations of these two questions over the years: 1) “How do you update an antique or family heirloom without sacrificing its integrity (and risk getting kicked out of the family!)?” and/or 2) “How do you get your husband to let you paint the furniture?!”

These four makeovers, my friends, are my answer! There are indeed ways to use tape, fabric, vinyl and wallpaper to update furniture in a way that won’t upset your family members or ruin an antique, but yet will give you the fresh, modern and updated look you want for your home!

Before I let you vote, here’s a (relatively) quick recap of the journey of this simple little IKEA Tarva dresser!

Baseline

I started by purchasing an IKEA Tarva dresser and assembling it according to package instructions.

So I would have a variety of textures/finishes to work with, I chose to paint the frame of the dresser white and leave the drawer fronts raw wood. I used my favorite paint combo to achieve a durable paint job in just two coats:

You can read more about how I painted the dresser here!

With the dresser assembled and painted, it was ready for a variety of new looks!

Makeover #1 – Washi Tape

The first makeover was done using extra-wide washi tape. I simply stretched the tape across the dresser, trimmed the ends, and painted the knobs coordinating colors…

…which resulted in a fabulously preppy dresser! You can catch up on all the details of this makeover HERE!

Makeover #2: Fabric

As soon as the pictures of the striped dresser were snapped and posted, it was time for the next makeover! I started by peeling off the tape (which came off super cleanly!)…

…and then painted the base of the dresser and the knobs red!

I then wrapped each drawer in sweet floral fabric…

…to create a look that was beyond darling. You can catch up on all the details of this makeover HERE!

Makeover #3: Vinyl

I was so smitten with the floral dresser that I didn’t want to take the fabric off and do something else. But “the show must go on,” so I removed the fabric panels from the drawer fronts to ready the dresser for its next look!

I really wanted to do something with vinyl since it’s so removable and a relatively easy and accessible for many people, but I also wanted to push the limits a bit. As such, I designed a vinyl pattern that had a lot of detail and interest…

I painstakingly applied the intricate vinyl pattern to the entire outside of the dresser, and the results far exceeded anything I envisioned for this plain little dresser! You can catch up on all the details of this makeover HERE!

Makeover #4: Paintable Wallpaper

If I didn’t want to remove the fabric, I REALLY didn’t want to remove all the vinyl, but I did! I put on some really good music, got in the zone, and plucked every last vinyl detail off the dresser!

I then re-painted the base of the dresser back to white (using more of the Sherwin Williams ProClassic white paint) and then made colored panels for each drawer front out of paintable wallpaper and wood veneer trim, which I attached with re-positionable spray adhesive.

This makeover was the hardest one to pull off in a completely temporary way. After much perseverance, I finally did it, and the result was a darn cute dresser! You can catch up on all the details of this makeover HERE!

Tell Me Your Favorite!

Now that I’ve walked you through the makeover process and refreshed your memory, I am dying to know….which one is your favorite????

Admittedly, we have no space for this dresser in our home, so I will likely sell it off before we move. I’m not sure I am thrilled with the longevity of the final look (the wallpaper drawers), so I might give it one final (more permanent) look before selling it off. Don’t worry, I won’t be dragging this series out any longer…just keep an eye out on Instagram for peeks of what I decide to do!