The IKEA Tarva dresser features 3 solid pine chest of drawers and is the perfect starting piece to hack!
Back in January I made it a goal of mine to complete 12 DIYs for 2022. I’ve had the Ikea Tarva Dresser sitting in our guest bedroom for many months untouched. I knew that I wanted to give it a little facelift with a DIY.
In the beginning of February I finally moved it into the garage to begin work on it. I ordered all the pieces and already made a trip to Home Depot for the other supplies.
Before and After: Ikea Tarva Dresser Hack
Supplies
- Ikea Tarva Dresser
- Textured Wallpaper
- Drawer Knobs
- Ikea White Paint
- Sandpaper
- Stain Walnut
- O’verlays
Ikea White Paint
According to One Little Project, the closest Behr match is Clear Moon (PWN-30). This is the paint color that we used throughout our pantry remodel and we had some left over. I didn’t have to buy any for this DIY, but, depending on how much you’re going to use, you shouldn’t need a whole gallon of paint.
O’verlays
O’verlays are decorative fretwork overlay panels that come in several patterns and sizes. They are light weight, paint-able and easily attach to furniture, doors, walls and glass.
I ordered the 1/8th Rex Thick Kit for my Ikea Tarva 3 Drawer Chest. Production took a full 3 weeks before it shipped. So plan ahead if you want to order these for your DIY.
Paintable Wallpaper
I absolutely loved the paintable wallpaper that Annie from Champagne Chaos used in her Ikea Tarva Dresser Hack. It looks gorgeous painted the same color as her dresses and gives a bit of flair with the texture.
Instructions for the Ikea Tarva Dresser Hack
- Feel the wood for any rough spots. If you find some, then sand it smooth.
- Wipe down the dresses with a rung out towel to remove the dust or dirt particles before staining. Let dry.
- Remove drawers and place to the side.
- Apply the stain with a rag. Be sure to wipe off any excess stain. Let dry.
- Apply a second coat if you want a darker color.
- Remove the knobs from the drawers.
- Paint the drawer fronts white.
- Cut the textured wall paper to the size of the drawers.
- Follow the instructions to adhere the wallpaper. Let dry.
- Paint the wallpaper. Let dry.
- Paint the O’verlays. Let dry.
- Adhere the O’verlays. We used loctite glue to adhere and clamped it for a tight fit.
- Add the drawer pulls, but be careful when puncturing a hole through the wallpaper.
- Put drawers back into dresser base.
Tips for the Ikea Tarva Dresser Hack
Tip #1 – Don’t Assemble Your Dresser First: I assembled it when I first moved into our new house because I wanted the dresser available for storage and for guests.
I recommend to stain and paint every piece before you assemble. Especially if you want to add wallpaper! I had issues with the wood bowing from being “wet” (see photo below). I used weights to force it back straight, but if it was unassembled I wouldn’t have had this issue.
Tip #2 – Let the Stain Dry: Even if the stain is dry to the touch, let the stain sit outside or in the garage for a couple of days to air out. I brought it inside the house a day after staining and I had a headache from the fumes. Save yourself from the fumes!
Shop this Ikea Tarva Dresser Hack
