Thrifted Ikea Ivar Transformed into Reclaimed Industrial Knock-out

Materials: Ivar Utility Shelf, Pine 2x6x8 board, jigsaw, dark mahogany stain, silver spray paint, sandpaper (120 grit)

Description: I fell in love with an industrial metal and reclaimed wood shelf on the Hudson Good's website but I couldn't like the price (over $1000). When I saw a pair of Ikea Ivar shelves on craigslist for $30, I thought it was a good time to get my hack on and create a low budget knock-off. Here's what I did:

1) Use a damp cloth to wipe down the thrifted shelf because it had all kinds of cobwebs on it!

2)Use 120 grit sandpaper to do a light sanding of the boards. (It probably would have been easier to take it apart to sand, but I didn't because I'm lazy.)

3) Wipe it down with a damp rag to remove all the grit from the sandpaper and let it dry for an hour or so.

4) Spray it with a silver metallic spray paint. I originally used a galvanized steel spray paint I found at Home Depot, but I didn't like the final color, so I ended up brushing on a metallic silver craft paint over the top to get the color just right.

5) Let the shelf dry overnight. This is a good time to work on the boards.

6) Measure the shelves and cut the pine board to size. My handy husband did this part using a jig-saw. Remember to measure twice BEFORE you cut. (Hubby didn't do this and one of the boards was a little off but that was okay cause we hid it on top!)

7) Lightly sand the cut boards until the edges and all sides are smooth. Wipe with a damp towel to remove the grit. Allow the board to dry before starting the stain. (I waited about 10 minutes because I'm impatient!)

8) Read the instructions on the stain (or wing it, which is what I did!) and then apply. I used a wipe on poly stain that had a sealant built in because (again), I'm lazy. Dipped my rag into the stain and wiped on to the board as though I were painting. You will need to do little sections at a time to get an even application.

9) Leave the stain on for a few minutes and then wipe using a fresh rag. Wipe a little corner at first to see if it's as dark as you want. I wanted mine very dark, so I let it stay on for five minutes and then reapplied to each board a second time.

10) Keep going until all of your boards are finished on on the top and the four sides. Let it dry for 20 minutes or so and then flip the board to also stain the bottom. (You could probably skip this part but I'm anal and didn't want raw wood showing through the slats on the Ivar shelves.)

11) When the boards are dry, position them on your shelves and then secure in place. Hubby used nails but you could use wood glue. If you do use wood glue, make sure you clamp each shelf to get a strong bond while it's drying.

Total cost for this knock-off was $40!

See more of the Ivar Reclaimed Industrial Knock-out.

~ Shauntelle @ A Beautiful Abode, Atlanta, Georgia