aboldnewhue
- Apr 11, 2023
- 4 min read

Eclectic Glam, Pink Dining Room Makeover made LUXE with DIY!: Before & After

One thing you need to know about me is that I just can't keep things "simple". If a client wants to go all out on a space, well by golly, I'm gonna figure out a way to make that happen! One of my FAVORITE ways to do this, is by creating pieces that look either oversized or built-in. Why? Because that is something that makes a design stand out from the rest. It makes your space special, because it IS special to the space! Can't afford to have a contractor build out a space or don't want to invest in expensive storage pieces? I believe there is ALWAYS a way to transform a space with some extra DIY Magic.

BEFORE:

The first thing I noticed about this space was the large, enclosed, blank wall behind the sofa, which is perfect for adding in those built-in elements, as well as enough space for some statement wallpaper! The client loved the Gucci Crane Wallpaper, so I knew it was a "must" to incorporate that type of pattern in some way as well.

The concept was to create a DIY wall to wall sideboard, made to look like this $1499 CB2 Cabinet using IKEA cabinets, DIY Doors and half round fluting (but, like, twice the size of this cabinet):

We then would incorporate DIY brass bistro shelves using copper pipes, solderless bonding, and pre-cut Ikea glass shelves for some extra storage and dimension. These shelves would then hang in front of a pink crane wallpaper framed in moulding on the wall above the DIY sideboard! Not only does framing out the wallpaper mean you can use HALF the amount of wallpaper, it also makes it a more unique, oversized "art" statement piece!

ORIGINAL DESIGN BOARD:

HOW WE MADE THE SIDEBOARD:

Because the cabinet was so large and I knew that half round wood panels can add up in cost, I wanted to make sure the actual foundation of the cabinet was as budget friendly as possible. We ended up using 4 of the Ikea Kallax Shelves and the Ikea Stubbard Legs as the structural part of the cabinet.

1. Measure and Cut Doors and Panels

Using the Ryobi Table Saw, we cut down 1/2" MDF boards to create custom sized doors, the base face plate, sides, and thin panels to cover the seams of the shelves.

2. Prime MDF and add Fluted Paneling

After priming and prepping the MDF doors and panels, we then cut half round 1/2" dowel rods down to size and nailed them into the doors.

3. Drill Hinge Holes

Using a Cabinet Hinge Installation Template and Drill Bit, we drilled the holes for our overlay cabinet hinges onto the cut MDF doors, being VERY careful not to drill a hole all the way through the door. However, remember that we will be adding half round moulding to the door fronts, which will help cover up mistakes!

4. Fill nail holes, paint door fronts and backs with paint sprayer and top coat.

5. Attached legs and base faceplate to the base of the cabinet:

With the cabinets sitting bottom up, we glued and screwed in the legs along the seams to help hold the cabinets together, then used glue and a nail gun to attach the face plate.

6. Carefully flip over, then add hinges and attach doors.

7. Glue and nail remaining cut MDF panels to fill any remaining gaps and the sides

8. Add the rest of the fluting to the base plate, trying your best to match the fluting placement with the doors.

9. Touch up paint and VOILA!

The total cost for this cabinet was about $600, including materials...which compared to about $3000, is a pretty sweet deal!

REMAINING DIY DETAILS

Bistro Shelves:

Bistro shelves can be incredibly expensive, so we knew it was worth attempting this brilliant DIY inspired by Eclectic Twist!

We were hesitant at first at if these would actually hold the weight, but we were actually impressed (and relieved that they are still holding strong!).

Picture Frame Moulding:

Moulding adds SO much texture to a space, and it is actually surprisingly easy to install! All you need is either a miter saw or even miter shears, a nail gun, and a level! Make sure to caulk around the moulding and fill nail holes before painting!

To frame out the wallpaper, you can either attach the wallpaper to a thin piece of wall panel sheet, then attach the moulding on top, OR you can simply add the moulding to the wall like normal, and apply the wallpaper to the wall inside the moulding.

Here is the final result! The client is super happy with this space and ready for all of the entertaining to be had! I am personally obsessed and wish it was my own dining room, TBH. What do you think??

Want help transforming YOUR home?

Check out my design services or schedule a free 1:1 discovery call to see how we can best work together!