Whether you can’t find the exact furniture piece you’ve imagined in your head, or you’re trying to furnish a slightly awkward space, we’ve all been tempted a time or two by the allure of a stylish DIY. However, a burl wood nightstand with a white marble top? I had to do a double-take when I read that this was actually built with IKEA furniture.
The typical IKEA hack usually involves a unique arrangement of BILLY bookcases or HAVASTA cabinets and a coat of paint, maybe some peel-and-stick molding if we are getting fancy. So when I saw burl wood and marble, my first thought was ‘this is going to be intensive.’ And while it does take some effort, the creator who made these nightstands using IKEA’s EKET drawers, Clare Lieth, says, “I won’t pretend it doesn’t require patience; it absolutely does,” but the payoff is a one-of-a-kind, expensive-looking bedside table. “It’s one of those projects that feels so rewarding when it comes together, I genuinely feel so happy and satisfied every time I wake up and see them,” Clare adds.
So, if you’ve been wanting to score some beautiful burl wood decor pieces for your interior, but are working with a tighter budget, take this as your sign to give this IKEA nightstand hack a chance. A little elbow grease always results in a more personalized space.
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As with most hacks and easy home DIYs, this burl wood and marble nightstand project was born out of necessity. Clare Lieth explains, “We’d bought a bed with an extended headboard and quite a low profile, and I was desperate to find bedside tables that matched both dimensions — nothing too tall, and wide enough to sit flush with the headboard.” Simple in theory, but difficult in practice.
“I’d seen beautiful pieces from homeware brands like Soho Home (the stunning Warwick Bedside Table comes instantly to mind), but it felt silly to spend that kind of money on something that still wasn’t quite right for our specific space in terms of shape and size,” adds Claire.
Going custom is the best way to ensure your home pieces fit both aesthetically and functionally. And while the personality of burl wood furniture has definitely gained popularity over the past year’s interior design trends, this particular IKEA piece feels unique.
“What I found interesting was that nobody seemed to have done anything quite like this before with the IKEA drawer,” shares Claire. So to begin the process, “I ended up down a rabbit hole of tutorials from men veneering speakers, trawling through comment sections to learn from other people’s mistakes so I could avoid the same pitfalls myself.” How did it go? Well, more on that below.
Clare Lieth is a London-based creator who has gained an audience from her adventures in designing, decorating, and transforming her London apartment. Along with her IKEA hack, she shares different decorating inspiration and styling ideas.
What You Will Need
The main thing to note about this DIY is that you’ll be working with wood veneer and a marble slab if you choose to follow Claire’s exact steps. “There were definitely some challenges to perfectly applying the veneer, and of course, as bedside tables come in pairs, you’ll have to make two!” says Claire. “But the second one was noticeably easier and quicker.”
Below is a list of everything you’ll need to prep and plan for your nightstand DIY project.
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After you have your equipment sorted, all that’s left is putting in the time. The burl wood veneer will be your biggest challenge. As Claire says, “Getting the burl veneer flat enough was tough, though I did get the hang of it after a few attempts.”
Burl wood is naturally knotty, which creates an uneven surface that needs some serious ironing out to make it flat. “The method I found worked best was to spray both sides of the veneer generously with water and leave it to absorb for five to ten minutes, then spray again so it’s thoroughly hydrated,” says Claire.
With your iron on the move at all times, work over both sides, flipping and repeating until the veneer is completely dry. Then “immediately place it under a flat piece of wood from your IKEA set with a weight on top for five minutes, and the moment you lift it, roll on the adhesive straight away before it has any chance to start curling again,” says Claire. It’s not that it’s exponentially hard, but that it takes patience.
The top tip is to make sure the veneer is bone dry before applying the adhesive; if there’s any residual moisture, it can shrink slightly once it’s on the furniture. Then secondly, “the veneer can be brittle when dry, so when trimming the edges, take it slowly with a sharp pair of scissors,” adds Claire. But above all, enjoy it, because on the other side is a beautiful pair of bedside tables to style with all of your favorite things.
Then you simply add the marble top and voila!
As you can see, even the close-up of Claire’s IKEA DIY looks well-made and expensive.
(Image credit: Claire Lieth)
IKEA furniture hacks are the quickest way to make your interior feel more customized and personal, and even though this one isn’t too intensive, it still requires a bit of effort.
And if you really can’t be bothered with a DIY, then of course, there are ways to shop the burl wood nightstands ready-made.
John Lewis
Burl Two-Drawer Bedside Table, Natural Beige
Cult Furniture
Arden Two-Drawer Wooden Bedside Table
Soho Home
Warwick Bedside Table, Mappa Burl
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