Thursday 15 May 2014

My Customised Ikea Alex!

The Ikea Alex. The answer to every beauty obsessive's storage problems. A standard fixture in almost every beauty blogger's bedroom. BUT... It's undeniably boring-looking. It's not ugly as such, just quite clinical and plain. I decided a couple of weeks ago that I was going to change this...


Say hello to my new and improved Alex, customised with my own fair hands!

I absolutely love the results. If you have an Alex at home and you're thinking of making it a little more 'fancy' looking, here's how I did it:

First of all I chose a paint colour. I used 'Duck Egg' blue from Laura Ashley's line at Homebase in an Eggshell finish. Next I used masking tape to mark out the stripes. I used the width of the tape to determine the size of the stripes, which was really easy, so if you want smaller stripes, I'd recommend using a different width of tape.
I applied a little strip of tape to every drawer to act as a spacer in between lines so I was sure they were all evenly spaced. I also worked from both sides in (as an even number of stripes didn't fit for the width of the unit) So there's a bigger stripe in the middle, ready for the knobs!

Next, I removed the spacer strips of making tape, and painted the sides and stripes with three coats of my Duck Egg Blue paint (waiting for each coat to dry before starting on the next)

After leaving it to completely dry overnight, I removed the masking tape.


Finally, I drilled holes in the centre of each drawer (measuring the centre carefully with a ruler and pencil!) and popped in mis-matching knobs from Zara home.

I chose these ceramic flower ones as they are fun and had a variety of colours, but they were also the most affordable from Zara's home collection (which, on a side note... is amazing!) They were £5.99 for a pack of 2.


What do you think? I'm totally in love with my Alex now, and I'll definitely be customising more of my Ikea furniture soon!
Share:

143 comments

  1. WOW, I love it such an amazing idea :) I might have to do something like this to my Alex draw :)
    sem04.blogspot.co.uk
    x

    ReplyDelete
  2. So beautiful! What a great idea... and I especially love the drawer handles! xo

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Fleur I absolutely adore this, what fab colours and I love those door knobs!

    I am currently up cycling my oak drawers at the moment, I'm using Annie Sloans Chalk paint which is really fab to use, dries so quick I literally did 3 coats in one evening. I'm just about to distress it a little and add some glass door knobs I can't wait for it to be finish. Currently eying up lots of other furniture in my house to do, love that it's now a unique piece and perfect for our home as yours is too.

    Liza | Beauty Blog Glambeautys | YouTube | Family & Lifestyle Blog Glambambini

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liza ii got some glass door knobs from screwfix recently - £3.59 for a pack of 2..... i previously bought some from Laura ashley at £16 for a pair.... the screw fix ones are really nice!! Worth a look! xxxx

      Delete
    2. I am currently doing the same thing to my drawers!! Thanks Leanne for the tip!! XxX

      Delete
    3. Ooh this is fab! I ordered a pack of 8 glass ones off of eBay for £16 I believe which isn't too bad but I shall check out screw fix for future projects thankyou lovely. X

      Delete
  4. This looks amazing! The thought hadn't even crossed my mind to decorate mine!

    Stephanie
    http://missstephanieusher.blogspot.co.uk/
    http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3436251
    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really like it! Flowers aren't to my personal taste, but suit you down to a T! Very fun and girly :) Cant wait to see your finished office/beauty/filming room ;)

    Nicole xx

    www.thelifeofabeautyaddict.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  6. Вow, such a lovely idea for spring :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. It looks really lovely, I love the duck egg blue! xxx
    The perks of being a hipster

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow! This is great idea, it looks amazing :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is AWESOME!

    www.britishbeautyaddict.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow! You really did a fantastic job of getting them looking very groovy x


    Kate | A British Sparkle

    ReplyDelete
  11. What an amazing idea Fleur! Well done! xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. i loveeeed what you did with it ,it looks awesome :)
    www.life-style14.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very creative! You could paint it in a more contrasting color may be! :D Bright orange anyone?

    Forgotten Makeup Heroes | The Conscience Fund

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow I definitely want to add something like this to my room! Looks amazing
    Sarah x
    www.alittlespaceforeverything.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. That's such a great idea! Fab job on the painting and I love the bright flower knobs. Definitely need to try this out! xx

    Katy | www.littlemisskaty.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  16. I definitely agree about them looking quite clinical. This was such a creative idea, it looks gorgeous!

    nueyork.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, absolutely love this, the handles are gorgeous. Wouldn't have thought of customising one, might have to purchase myself one and also customise mine. Great post.

    Kristy | http://itsablondiiething.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  18. Looks fantastic! What a perfect way to revamp boring old furniture. Loving the ZARA knobs too! xx

    bohorush.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Did you take all the make up out to paint it?

    ReplyDelete
  20. This is such a good idea and it looks amazing! I love it! X

    Hanclarky

    ReplyDelete
  21. this looks really cute! Such an amazing idea, Fluer:)xx
    http://www.luciaknowsbeauty.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. This is so nice! Love how you've made it your own, especially when everybody uses the same makeup storage now it's great to see how to change it up! X

    www.peexo.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  23. So pretty, what a fab idea!
    Ellie | eleanormaes.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Love the colors. Amazing what a little paint and few knobs can do.

    http://palsywalsyblog.blogspot.ca/

    ReplyDelete
  25. This looks gorgeous! I'm looking to update my bedroom furniture soon but struggling to find anything I like, now I'm inspired to buy something plain and be a bit creative! X

    ReplyDelete
  26. It looks amazing!

    www.thenletsbegin.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh my goodness! That's such an amazing change. Makes me want the Ikea Alex!
    Imogen's Typewriter. <3 

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow! Would have never thought to paint my Alex drawer, let alone put cute little knobs on the drawers! Fantastic job! Might night to add this little project to my list ;) www.aliciaseveryday.blogspot.ca

    ReplyDelete
  29. Great job! It looks beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  30. That looks so cute! totally inspired now!

    XX Nora / 1310bynora.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love it. Looks so great!

    ReplyDelete
  32. You gave me some ideas. Actually a loooooot.

    Joana,
    My Pretty Mess: Blog & Facebook

    ReplyDelete
  33. This is absolutely beautiful!!! Please do more Home DIYs. I loved how clean and professional it looks! Well done!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. This is really pretty! Love the stripes and the flower knobs. :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Wow! I love this. I've looked at these draws so many times in Ikea and even though they are practical I really hate how clinical they are and their minimal style just wouldn't fit in my home, but you have made me rethink this! They look amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I love it! It looks amazing!!

    ReplyDelete
  37. wow what an amazing idea! I love my Alex drawers xx

    LauraThinksAbout

    ReplyDelete
  38. looks amazing...would love to try something like this

    ReplyDelete
  39. This looks great! Such a good idea! Just a simple change but it looks so amazingly different! will definitely consider this when I can only find boring looking drawers in the future! :)

    Love Amylou x
    www.amylous.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  40. This looks so cool, you've done such a good job of it Fleur!
    http://whatrachaelwrote.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  41. it looks fantastic, can you tell me how wide this is?

    ReplyDelete
  42. You did a great job! love your style! I love doing this to old dressers too!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Love it Fleur! It's so nice to see your crafty and creative side! You always put a lot of work & effort into your project and the end results show that.

    ReplyDelete
  44. I am not fan of the fancy handles (would choose subtle ones) but the idea with stripes of different colour makes me want the Alex storage for my new home. I have sailor-themed bathroom, so darker blue will be perfect! Thanks for shairng the idea!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Wow that looks great! Such a great idea! I love customising furniture so it looks a bit more unique and special. Well done, Fleur!

    ReplyDelete
  46. I love it Fleur! You did a great job, such a unique look and so you...

    Helena

    http://www.beautchic.com

    ReplyDelete
  47. cute!
    xx
    daniella
    simplybeautifulelegant.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  48. I love it! They look amazing and so unique.. I love the handles, they're so cute xx

    Gemma // Miss Makeup Magpie

    ReplyDelete
  49. This is very cute :) I really like the mismatched knobs!

    The Oxford Owl

    ReplyDelete
  50. It looks amazing! very nice idea, Fleur, well done :D

    ReplyDelete
  51. Great Job! I love the strips & colour but the flower handles are not for me x

    ReplyDelete
  52. I really REALLY like the paint colour you chose and how well the stripes came out, but those floral handles make the unit look really ... busy. Almost cheap. But yeah, the pain job turned out really well xx

    ReplyDelete
  53. I love the flower detail on the handles :)

    ReplyDelete
  54. This looks so cute ! its such a clever idea

    http://willowmeadows.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  55. This is lovely. I really do enjoy the look of the Alex 9 system but your customization is amazing. I especially love the paint color (I'l be jotting that down for future reference). I also like the fact that you added those knobs. Even though I'm not too big on florals, I love the ones you chose.

    Now I feel inspired. Maybe I should start investing in furniture instead of lipstick.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Wow those draws are amaing, you must have alot of make up to fill them! The flowers are so pretty :D Love it!!!
    Random Brilliance With Me

    ReplyDelete
  57. What an amazing DIY! I love this, the glass door knobs are gorgeous xx

    A Little Lucy

    ReplyDelete
  58. This looks lovely - such a good idea! And the flower door knobs are really cute!

    ReplyDelete
  59. It looks amazing and I will definitely be trying it to make my ikea items look more shabby chic.

    http://cupcakesandskirts.blogspot.co.uk

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  60. You did great and the mismatched knobs make it very unique! xx

    beautyvisions.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  61. Wow, it turned out amazing! I adore the knobs!

    // A Midnight Wonderland

    ReplyDelete
  62. glad ur back from dallas !!!!

    charly xx

    http://charlyscorner27.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  63. It looks amazing! You did such a good job painting it x

    daisy-drops

    ReplyDelete
  64. such a great idea, the thought of painting ikea furniture never even crossed my mind!

    :)
    www.northernjoli.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  65. It looks so much better! :)
    http://www.youtube.com/user/emmaamazingemma

    ReplyDelete
  66. Brilliant! I love it! So many people are going to be doing this now!

    http://www.mrsdloves.com

    ReplyDelete
  67. They look great! I love the flower knobs.

    Kat x
    www.raspberryribbons.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  68. Super creative! I think you've just inspired a lot of people to get arty! xx

    ReplyDelete
  69. This is such a creative DIY project! I love the door knobs :)

    Swatching Oddity | Beauty Blog

    ReplyDelete
  70. Wow, that looks great!
    Rubi xThe Den

    ReplyDelete
  71. Great post. It looks lovely
    L x
    Http://workingmumy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  72. I love this Fleur, you made it look really cool :) xx

    ReplyDelete
  73. Soo cute! What a gret idea :)
    Bj S

    ReplyDelete
  74. Wow I'm really impressed that you did this yourself. How creative! I wonder if lots of people will copy your design now? Xx

    ReplyDelete
  75. I've been resisting buying an Alex for the longest time, but after trying (and failing) to find an alternative way to store my make up I'm pretty sure I'll have caved by the end of the month! I love the idea of thick stripes, the blue looks beautiful with the white :)

    Shannon Rebecca | Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle

    ReplyDelete
  76. OMG! This looks fantastic! I was thinking about customizing my Ikea Malm dresser, but I'm totally afraid to mess it up. Maybe I should just give it a try...

    http://www.olive-apple.com

    ReplyDelete
  77. This looks brilliant! You're very talented - I'm sure that mine would not look so professional if I tried!

    Beccy // Bluebell & Bumpkin

    ReplyDelete
  78. Such a great idea, thanks for sharing it with us!

    Laura Rachel | lifeoflaurarach.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  79. Amazing idea, It's so unique and different!
    xo Sophia
    http://lipstickland.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  80. Oh my God!! What a great idea! Thanks for this post!
    beautyfullblog.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  81. Great idea Fleur!

    www.gameifung.blogspot.co.uk

    x

    ReplyDelete
  82. This is such a great idea. It looks beautiful and I love the combination of the stripes and knobs!

    http://youarebeaut.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  83. Brilliant Fleur, looks fab! I refurbished my current vanity years ago with new white knobs and painted it a beautiful green, now I just need an Alex drawer to do this to it too haha :) xx

    www.natalielovesbeauty.com

    ReplyDelete
  84. You've done a great job, it looks so professional. I love the colour!

    www.thevegantaff.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  85. Looks really good, made what was probably a relatively inexpensive item look really expensive really like it!

    http://www.lucysemporium.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  86. It looks so pretty! I love customising things, it's got me thinking about what I can make next :)

    itsclairey.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  87. Wow that's so nice! It definitely looks a lot better than the plain white. Can't wait to see what you customise next :)

    Yazmin xx
    www.yazzyscorner.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  88. Me encantan los tiradores de las flores, aunque la cajonera es tan bonita que incluso blanca está perfecta.

    Kyllie | Make Up Fragrances

    ReplyDelete
  89. I really admire how you like to be different. It gets a bit boring seeing every beauty blogger with the same piece of makeup storage. Customisation was such a good idea! xx

    http://lifestyleandbeauty93.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  90. What a creative idea! I'm definitely going to give this a try.

    www.beautycatt.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  91. Fantastic idea Xx

    ReplyDelete
  92. Looks very cute, perfect drawer set for children if you have any down the track. On a side note, I've just popped up this weeks vlog if anyone's interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ubtpXm194 xx

    ReplyDelete
  93. Such a cool idea!
    I have a tall Malm (by IKEA) but I want to try the tall Alex, like this one.

    Laura- DemandBeauty xo

    ReplyDelete
  94. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  95. This looks great! :)
    http://lookbeyondbeauty.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  96. Such a good DIY! Ikea furniture can sometimes look a bit dull but it looks amazing :)

    http://beautifulnotionsbeautyblog.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  97. Wow, can't believe no one came up with this idea before. It's a really great DIY. I have the smaller version of the drawers, and I just love them. I really like the blue paint you used. I think I would have gone with different knobs though, something that matched the blue a bit more.
    Still, I love the idea!

    ReplyDelete
  98. It's so cute!

    http://thesecretlifeofabeautylover.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  99. Amazing idea :) I should do this to mine when I get back from my trip!

    jamanjee.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  100. Brilliant idea. I am yet to join the bandwagon and get the Alex. This has inspired me into a purchase for sure :)

    http://whenbeautymetblogging.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  101. Gorgeous it looks amazing!!

    Follow me here on blog loving and also on face book @Shimzbeauty so you do not miss out on my giveaway in next two days. Also FOTD! Ocean inspired. http://shimzbeauty.com/ocean-inspired-look-face-of-the-day/

    ReplyDelete
  102. Very creative! :)

    http://beautopiaxoxo.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  103. So cute!

    Follow me in Instagram: GlamCam23

    ReplyDelete
  104. This looks amazing, such a good idea. The colour you've chosen is gorgeous xx

    kizzyhearts.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  105. I LOVE that paint color you used! It's so nice to see how you transformed this into something unique.

    ~Rachel

    http://www.mymakeupmusts.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  106. Looks awesome!!! Such a good & simple idea. Your interior design skills inspire me!

    Sarah x
    missarahlouise.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  107. OMG this is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  108. Such a great idea!! Makes way more unique:)

    ReplyDelete
  109. Lovely DIY. I didn't think it was that easy. Thanks for sharing.

    http://arielsbeloved.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  110. I'm liking the new look!
    Never have I thought to do such a DIY!

    Janine Maral from http://www.janinemaral.com/

    ReplyDelete
  111. Hi !
    I love the style of you commode but I prefer the original version :)

    ReplyDelete
  112. Oh my goodness, I adore this Fleur! I have a lot of the standard white ikea furniture and this looks like a fab way to spice some of it up a bit!! Thanks for the idea and amazing post!
    Jodie x
    www.jodiesjottings.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  113. Wow such a great idea, Fleur! I might have to do this myself!

    ReplyDelete
  114. Such a cool idea, I love the Duck Egg Blue stripes and the contrasting mismatch knobs. And Zara Home is truely amazing!! H xx

    www.hopesgone.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  115. Love it! Looks really bold and fresh. Good job.
    www.reniqlo.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  116. What a cool thing to do. Brightens up your space rather than a plain old white drawer. I think i'd be too scared though!

    http://beautybyjasmina.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  117. This is so cool! It looks absolutely amazing and I love the stripes! So creative. Please do an updated makeup collection!! http://rosebeautynow.blogspot.co.uk/ x

    ReplyDelete
  118. aw this is such a cute idea! I love it!
    kmcbeauty.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  119. This is such an innovative idea! I have a really dull set of draws and think that this design idea would be a perfect DIY project! Thanks Fleur!

    ReplyDelete
  120. That looks stunning. Nice work. Stephen :o)

    ReplyDelete
  121. Genius! I'm a real sucker for duck egg blue as well. I know for a fact if I tried to replicate I would end up on the news for setting my house on fire - too clumsy for DIY!

    Aleona
    (.=^・ェ・^=)
    www.ludicrousinlondon.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  122. i love this idea! A simple upgrade but also a new piece that can tie a room together or add a pop of colour.
    Not to mention the additional storage! My personal touch would be painting all the fixtures silver- to add a classy little bling.

    caitlinannexo.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  123. What a fab idea!

    ReplyDelete
  124. This is such good idea. My aunts used to customize a lot of furniture. They would go to garage sales and get old furniture and re-do them and bring them back to life. I want to do crafty things like this with my current bedroom furniture. I also am going to try and make my dorm room look as homily as possible. Do you have any suggestions about how to decorate a dorm room from when you were in uni?? Thank you!!

    http://lifeinreviewbyjamie.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  125. What a fabulous idea! Even the stripes alone are a step up. Looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  126. This is such a great idea and it looks awesome! :) :D Might try out some DIY decorating on my Alex draw set!

    ReplyDelete
  127. Love the colours and the knobs you used, beautiful!

    peoniecoleathome.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  128. So cute. I never realized how plain and boring the Alex drawers are. I will have to do something like this to mine!!
    www.themegnolia.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  129. such a great idea, love it <3

    http://ranosalman.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  130. It really is beautiful, Fleur.

    ReplyDelete
  131. This is such a fantastic idea, they look lovely.. will defiantly be having ago at this

    Lizzie ♥ | beautyfashionlifeox.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete

© Fleur De Force | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig