Ikea Hack

We have been wanting to add a pop of aqua in our living room as well as add a new cabinet to replace the old bookshelf we had, so off to Ikea we went.  We love Ikea!  I mean how can you not love Ikea?  It's cheap, modern, functional, and they have the #1 combo at the snack bar!  We often make a day of it when we go to Ikea.  I knew we could find a cabinet that would work; however, the old black-brown color was getting old and then inspiration hit!  Let's do an Ikea hack!  If you know me at all, you know that teal/aqua/blue-green is my favorite color in the whole world and that was the automatic thought for this cabinet.  We found the cabinet we loved and then it was on with the creative juices.  So here it is, our first Ikea hack, along with step by step instructions in case you get inspired :)

Materials:
Piece of laminate furniture
Plastic covering for floor
Zinser primer 
Paint color of your choice (we got lucky and found an "oops" paint in the exact color we wanted)
Brushes and mini rollers
Sandpaper
Minwax Polycrylic 
A handy hubby

1. Find the piece of furniture you love.  Consider the size, shape, functionality, etc.  Don't worry about the aesthetics because that's what you are going to change.  

2. Prime the bookshelf all over.  No sanding required!  Let the first coat completely dry then recoat with a second.

3. Once the primer is dry you can paint!  

4. Let the paint dry completely.  If you want to you can add some texture and distress the piece.  We used sandpaper along the edges to give it a shabby-chic look.  

5. Polyurethane the entire piece.  This will seal the look.  I recommend using a sponge instead of brush, this will avoid air bubbles.  

6. Let the poly dry and voila, you have a beautiful customized piece of furniture!!  I think it came out great!