Upcycling Old Furniture | ORC Week 3

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Last Updated on October 20, 2023 by lindseymahoney

Welcome back to week 3 of the One Room Challenge! This week I spent time upcycling furniture, including a thrifted peg rail and two IKEA Ribba photo ledges. I think it may be my favorite IKEA hack to date!

Last week I chose the wall color (Likeable Sand) and it really helped me to nail down a few more design decisions in my daughters’ bedroom. The design process has been a little bit backward since I chose the paint color first and am now choosing the textiles, but it’s working out!

Catch up on earlier posts for the Fall One Room Challenge…

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

For those of you who are stopping by for the first time, welcome! Two years ago we moved into our 1960’s fixer-upper in Toledo, Ohio, and have been documenting our renovations on the blog. This will be my fifth time participating in the One Room Challenge and it has been a fantastic way to complete projects in our home! Thanks for following along as I work to transform our daughter’s bedroom in 8 weeks.

Dining Room Reveal | Boys Bedroom Reveal | Master Bedroom Reveal | Living Room Reveal

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Upcycling Bedroom Furniture

Whenever I am renovating a space in my home, I do my best to purchase second-hand furniture, upcycle furniture I already own, or buy pieces that will last.

Evelyn’s bedroom is furnished with many items we already own and items I found while thrift shopping. Applying a fresh coat of paint or adding unique details can give the furniture a custom look. It feels good to save a piece of furniture from the landfill while also saving money!

Peg Rail Refresh

I bought this peg rail at an estate sale for $5 and it was exactly what I was looking for!

The plan was to give the peg rail a fresh coat of paint to match the wall color. I gave it a quick sanding and then applied two coats of primer.

There was still plenty of Extreme Bond Primer leftover from my mudroom painting debacle so this entire project cost $5.

I am so happy with how this peg rail turned out! Peg rails are functional and a great way to display beautiful items like hats and hanging clothes.

IKEA Ribba Photo Ledge Hack

I bought these IKEA photo ledges when I was pregnant with my first child 10 years ago. They hung in his nursery and I have used them in one of the kid’s bedrooms in every single house!

They currently live in Evelyn’s bedroom where they display some of her book collection. I love using books as an inexpensive way to decorate a room and I definitely wanted to reuse them.

Scalloped designs that are currently trending are something I really wanted to incorporate into the bedroom design. I found premade MDF scalloped trim via Etsy and decided to attach the trim to the photo ledge.

This IKEA hack(tutorial) is by far my favorite and it was a really easy DIY!

First, I cut the MDF trim and attached it to the front of the ledge using wood glue. I used clamps and Frogtape to hold the trim in place for 24 hours while it dried.

Next, I gave the entire ledge a quick sanding and wiped it clean to prep for paint.

The shelving has a shiny surface and the MDF board is brown, so I applied two coats of Extreme Bond Primer to ensure the paint would adhere.

Once the primer was dry, I applied two coats of the pink wall paint.

When painting furniture, I now purchase specific paint to prevent chipping. T

he shelves get used daily with taking books on and off the ledge and I was concerned that the paint I used for the walls would not hold up well.

Last year I added trim to our IKEA Hemnes dresser and painted it using Rust-Oleum’s Cabinet Transformation and I have a ton of the clear topcoat left over. I applied a single coat of clear acrylic for maximum durability.

The shelves are absolutely perfect!

They have the subtle English cottage vibe I was going for. You can call it cottagecore or grandmillennial, either way, it is perfect for the bedroom design.

This paint color is a chameleon and really challenging to photograph in a consistent tone.

The image above and below look like different paint colors, but I assure you, they are the same! I love the shadowing below the scalloped shelving, it makes them pop even though they are the same color as the walls.

Do you enjoy upcycling furniture in your home?

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DIY Upcycling Furniture Projects to Try

• Easy IKEA Hemnes Dresser Hack to Try at Home
• Popular Ikea Billy Bookcase Hack | DIY
• How to Paint an Old Cabinet the Perfect Green | DIY
• How to Paint A Bed Frame | Easy DIY Tutorial

I have a few more DIY projects planned for next week so come on back for week 4 to see the progress. Also, don’t forget to check out all of the other participants and their projects over on the One Room Challenge blog. Thanks for stopping by!