IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed

I love doing a furniture transformation and this one I am sharing today is such a huge change! I am excited to share the full tutorial to this IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed!

There is nothing better than starting with a blank slate when it comes to furniture. This IKEA Rast dresser is exactly that! I know some may see this and not know what to do with the wood and rough wood dresser but I look at it and see the possibilities! But, I will be honest and let you know I was not 100% sure what I was going to do with for this dresser upcycle.

I stared down at my sweet and tiny dog Teddy when DIY dog bed inspiration struck. We have two dogs, the little Teddy and big dog Finn. Each has their own beds which can take up a lot of space in the house. What if I put Teddy’s bed in something functional…. light bulb!

I was still a little unclear on my complete design but assumed I would figure it out as I went along. I am going about this furniture transformation with trying something new and thinking outside of the box.

First things first, I knew that the bottom drawer was going to be coming out permanently. I also knew that the dresser itself needed to be raised slightly. Teddy is a small Havenese dog, but not small enough to squish under this dresser without it being raised. I removed the front piece of the dresser as well to allow the dog bed to go in the bottom. This is what can make this IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed happen.

This dresser is sitting upside down, the additional boards are being added to the bottom. I just set it this way to show the new additions easier.

I cut three boards the same width as the dresser to go on the sides and back. Drilling holes into them, to then drill in screws into the new boards and attaching to the bottom of the dresser. This needed to be done because the dresser base was thin, screwing directly into it would have split the wood.

Taking apart the bottom drawer and use the pieces as the dog bed frame. Putting the drawer sides up against the front of the dresser. Using brackets and securing the new dog bed frame to the existing dresser base.

Needing to make this have a few visually pleasing aspects to it was on my plan of attack. I wanted to make something subtle but fun to the drawer fronts. I have a bunch of thin scrap pieces of wood I purchased on sale at a home improvement store, cutting them to be about 4 inches long.

Not knowing how many would be needed I got a little cut happy.

Putting a line of wood glue on the backs of the small wood pieces.

I set the pattern in a herringbone design. This is my absolute favorite pattern to do with wood right now, it feels modern and bold without being too much. I added it to a bookshelf as well as my farmhouse dining table. I just cannot quit you herringbone! I lined the pieces up along the center of the drawer front.

With the edge pieces it was a little trickier. I set small pieces up against the edge and marked where the extra cuts needed to be. This allowed the pattern to be flush to the edge of the drawer front.

Be sure to let the wood glue sit overnight to confirm all of the herringbone wood pieces are adhered to the drawer fronts. While I was letting that dry I went inside to add some more details to the dresser. With me having added a piece to the bottom of the dresser, I needed to make all of that look cohesive. I purchased primed floor board trim. Using a table saw and cutting them at a 45 degree angle. This will make the corners be neat and flush.

The trim gives this dresser a finished look and it helps this look like a legit IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed making the new dog bed appear to be part of the dresser itself. I used the original third drawer for the front of the dog bed nailing it into the side boards.

A bright white paint for this dresser felt like the way to go for this IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed. When in doubt paint furniture white, you can never go wrong.

The trim, door and furniture paint is a thick paint. Do not shake it like you would other paints. It is very thick and will need to be stirred a lot. It will appear clumpy until it has been stirred enough. Do not add water to thin it out, just keep stirring. It is fun to chant “just keep stirring” in a sing song voice like Dory from Finding Nemo does. You know the song, sing it! When the consistency is similar to how most paints are you know it is mixed enough. This is a oil based paint, so clean up can be pretty impossible. Be careful painting.

This paint needs much less to cover a surface. I had 1 quart cans in both colors and have well over half still left. I would say almost the whole can is left. I will be able to use this particular quart of paint for a while. That my friends is a good thing, this paint is worth every penny. The paint does come on thick. The amazing thing about this paint is that it drys streak free. It really does. It has the appearance of a sprayer, but done with a paint brush. This brand is also high gloss which makes this dresser and Teddy’s new bed feel very fancy.

I did one coat, and be sure to let it dry before coat two goes on. The drying time is a little longer then other paints I have used and left it to dry overnight.

This IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed is not done, I really wanted to make it shine. I purchased a wood piece to fit as a top to the dresser. The Rast dresser had a top but the edges came up above the original top, I wanted a flush top. I also purchased a trim piece with small circular details. This will go under the top of the dresser to cover the small space in between the new top and the dresser.

Cut the corners of the trim piece at a 45 degree angle as well. I prefer to do most corners this way, especially with furniture. It makes the furniture piece appear polished and done.

With all of this shiny white going on with the dresser, I felt something needed to ground it. I selected the Charcoal gray as a accent color for this dresser, painting the trim pieces that color. The detail of the trim did get lost a little with the paint. If you are painting something with a lot of detail doing lighter coats, with smaller amounts of paint is a good way to still be able to see the details in the trim. I did this for the front of the drawers as well, allowing the herringbone design to not get lost in the paint. It worked perfectly that way.

My initial plan was to use a stencil and add a fun pattern to the side of the dresser but once the herringbone design was there and I saw how dark the gray paint was I worried it would be too much going on. However, I knew that I still needed to dress up the sides. I felt that some well placed vertical lines would be just what this needed. Taping up the sides and having one large stripe and one smaller stripe on each side.

Make sure the tape is pushed down, completely flush to the dresser. This will allow no seeping of paint.

I only needed to do one coat of this. This color is such a dark and rich color, it is the perfect accent color to all of the white on this dresser turned dog bed.

Waiting overnight, I was able to pull off the painters tape. Can you see the beautiful sheen on that paint?!!

With the dresser painted I just had to add a few more small details. I used wood glue to put the trim and the top onto the dresser.

Before I share the big reveal this IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed I selected these great matte black drawer handles that are 8 inches long. They are sleek and I felt that the larger handles would work beautifully with this DIY dog bed. This dresser transformation turned into a modern look with the black and white. To attach the drawer pulls screw into the back of the drawer, inside. I marked where I wanted them to go and then drilled a hole into the drawer front through to the interior. Then using the hardware to connect the pull to the drawer.

This IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed is done!

I added a super plush and cushy pillow to this for an extra cushy and luxurious bed for Teddy. Can we say spoiled? I am now one of those people that has furniture just for their dog. All I need is my tiny purse for my tiny side kick to go everywhere with me.

Teddy was eager to claim his throne and pose for his adoring fans.

With this being all about Teddy (and Finn) I made this a complete dog center. We have leashes, treats and sweaters stored in here. What? I am not a crazy dog lady who dresses them up in cute outfits, it is sweater weather for dogs too. In my defense it gets cold here in Wisconsin, they need some warmth. Also a dog in a sweater is the cutest thing ever, don’t judge me!

The trim choice for this was spot on. Too much detail and it would have taken away from the herringbone design and the stripes. I also like that it makes this piece look cohesive with the bed and the dresser meshing well.

This is such a contemporary piece, a little outside my normal furniture redos. Truth be told, my first reaction was to stain a portion of this with a dark wood stain, however keeping the color scheme simple with white and pops of charcoal gray is so fun and different! It also lets me play up accessories to set on top of this.

Teddy was not wanting to move from this spot, and anytime someone walks by he gives a little growl. He likes his new home very much, I think his love of this tells me that this IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed was a success!

The thinner coat of paint here on the drawer fronts makes the design really standout.

We do have one problem with this DIY dog bed…

I have one dog bed and two dogs… we are going to need to make another DIY dog bed, just bigger! Finn is feeling a little left out. The poor guy will just have to suffice with overtaking the complete couch, like usual.

Just to remind you of the complete transformation, it is pretty big! I love that this plan came together as the project went along, it can be hard to flesh out a complete plan. Things change, inspiration strikes, and adjustments need to be made. I ended up with a useful piece that is also a space saver. You all know I like to bring function to my home in any way I can and I am not just speaking of organization. I like to include function in my furniture, decor and use of space. This IKEA Hack – Dresser turned dog bed is exactly one of those projects that tick a lot of boxes. It also looks so pretty now too!