If you ask me, technology is probably one of the hardest things to integrate into a thoughtful design. Things like TVs, speakers, DVD players… all that stuff that is necessary if you want to enjoy all that movies and Netflix have to offer, but they can easily cramp your design style and become a bit of an eyesore if you let them. Since we have been trying to keep our 60s ranch in the midcentury vein, I wanted to get a TV stand that would be sleek and modern but also have a bit of that classic vintage flair. Since I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted,I decided to take a simple Ikea TV stand (the BESTÅ) and add a few tweaks to elevate the look and make it fit in more with our theme.
You can see that it’s a great simple shape, but it just needed a bit more personality for it to fit in with our quirky/fun theme. Vintage-inspired gold accents perhaps?!?
All I needed for this restyle was a drill, painter’s tape, a ruler, some gold spray paint, these adorable brass starburst plates, and some beautiful brass knobs for the actual pulls.
To find the middle of the drawers, I made a cross out of painter’s tape on what looked like the middle, and then used the ruler and marker to mark where the middle actually was.
I then used the drill to drill a hole the size of the knob hardware screw into the drawer. I usually like to start with a smaller hole and then use bigger and bigger bits until I reach the desired size. Oh, and make sure to take anything out of the drawers first so you don’t drill a hole into your Big Lebowski DVD. Very important.
Once I had the hole drilled, I put the hardware screw through the back of the hole, attached the starburst plate onto the front, and then screwed the knob on to secure the plate. You could also glue the plate onto the drawer, but if your hardware is tightened well enough, you don’t really have to.
You can see that I also gave the legs a coat of gold spray paint before assembling the TV stand (much easier to do it before than after it’s all put together!). Pretty easy, but it’s a nice detail on the finished product.
Even though they were small and quick changes, I think the added hardware and gold legs give the stand a more unique look that blends in much better with the rest of the decor. The starburst is a classic midcentury shape and the brass coating makes it pop on the clean shiny white surface. Sometimes all you need is a small change to add that something special! xo. Laura
Credits//Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
45 Comments
This turned out super cute! I love the touches of gold.
I am a residential interior designer and rarely have time to read blogs or comment but have to say this is one of the best & simplest IKEA hacks I have seen. Great idea!!
the interior decor is amazing!
Fash ‘n’ fudge
Fash ‘n’ fudge
Very retro. Small details make a big difference.
Personally, our TV is behind doors. In a cupboard. For one thing, it’s ancient and not flat and I refuse to buy a new one as long as it works. For another thing, it’s more of a conscious decision to watch it when you have to open the doors. And it doesn’t dominate the room, because it’s hidden.
THAT is really cool! Love the gold touches.
I love this! Such a simple yet terrific DIY! I have been agonizing over a new TV stand and you totally inspired me! 🙂
I know Im probably a wet blanket here but I really can’t identify with anything you guys post anymore… I wonder what portion of your target market actually has the money to create any of the things you guys post anymore. Total home renos with lavish furniture and tiles etc.? $3,000 rugs? Im willing to bet not a lot.
I’m obsessed! I love it!!
So simple, but so elegant and interesting! I need to update the pulls on just about every piece of furniture in my place – it’s such an easy way to update the vibe of a room.
xo
Steph
http://www.msmelange.com
This is sooooo cool !
Thanks for sharing ! x
http://romychaney.com
Simple, yet extremely effective! Love the gold on the white.
-J
http://www.VintageFurnitureForTheHome.com
Love it!
http://soldenochedecocrochet.blogspot.com.ar/
This looks amazing!!! I’m actually looking for a chic tv stand, which like you said is so hard to find. Thanks for the great idea!
Tracy
http://www.TracysNotebookofStyle.com
Looks so great! I love when small touches make a big difference 🙂
Your project looks GREAT! Thanks so much for providing the link for the starburst plates to my Etsy shop, Fairyhome. It’s so fun to see these in use 🙂
More of these plates will be arrivng in my shop next week. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fairyhome
You’re absolutely right, the small gold accents do wonders for pulling the whole look together! I love how versatile a simple IKEA piece can be. Thanks for the tutorial!
Hey there!
First of all I just want to say that I know you did not direct this comment at me, but I feel like in a way it is directed at my since I can see from your IP address that you’ve left a similar comment on my post. Plus, I’m pretty sure you didn’t mean to imply that this Ikea Restyle isn’t budget friendly since it totally is!
I have put a lot of thought into this subject. And it’s something I’m always more than happy to address! First of all, we do spend a LOT of time and energy creating projects that are budget friendly. Almost every single DIY on this blog is budget friendly. It’s important to us because we LOVE DIY… but this isn’t a budget blog and it never has been.
I read a lot of fashion blogs for fun. And when I do I often click on the links to their dresses or shoes and see that they are crazy expensive. And so I do understand how disappointing that can be. But I’ve found that if I want to find something similar for cheaper I almost ALWAYS can. It’s the same with some of our home purchases.
I’m not going to lie. We’ve bought some more expensive pieces in this home. The reason is because after decorating three homes together we really know what we want, we’ve made it a bigger priority in our budget and we’re planning to stay here for a long time. That rug you referenced, for example, is the biggest area rug in our whole home. We have a lot of other rugs that are a lot lower prices. I just shared a roundup of them here last week. 🙂
Expensive things are not the heart of our posts, though. The heart of our posts is design, inspiration and ideas!! I truly feel that just like those fashion blogs I read that it’s TOTALLY OK if people don’t want to buy every single thing we buy. Our rooms aren’t meant to be shopping guides, they can simply be fun places to get ideas on ANY budget.
Thanks for listening. I hope that gives some perspective. xx- Elsie
Hi, I want to know if the star plates come in brass color already or if you painted those? Also, does the Besta shelf unit come with those “legs” or did you buy them separately?
Hi! Laura spray painted the brass plates and the legs (they already came with it).
First I have to say I love Ikea hacks. The internet is full of some really great ones and they are all very affordable. Second, I can kind of see where FR is coming from. Things change. You’ve definitely come a long way from where you started, you’re successful and you’re making money, no shame in that. You have some sponsers that a little on the high end for the average person but you should be proud and buy all the nice things you want. You didn’t start this to be unsuccessful, you worked hard and are very fortunate to have all that you have. And to FR, there are many other blogs out there like this one used to be. R.I.P Prince.
Very cool! I love it!
http://www.petiteandhungry.com
I love the gold! http://www.hannamarielei.com
Such a simple change, yet so effective 🙂
I love how you can make something look so different just by adding one or two things. This looks so cool!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
This is proof that simple details go a long way. Now I plan to change up the knobs in my room to make things more cohesive. 🙂
http://annescribblesanddoodles.blogspot.com
Love Big Lebowski and what you did to the stand!
As usually your ideas are extremely wonderful and helpful! Thanks so much!
Very interesting to see that someone has recreated Vintage Amerock starburst backplates using stamped metal…though I like the originals better as they have more dimension to them — but they are much harder to find!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mid-Century-Modern-Starburst-Backplate-Amerock-588-Metal-ONE-PAIR-/151182891368?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=VmPK3LBPVZICoQZFp4I7L2HPbqo%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
This turned out amazing! I agree that technology is hard to integrate design wise. You know what else is? Fitness equipment. Why is it so ugly?! If you ladies ever do a treadmill makeover I might die of happiness.
The handles really made all the difference! What a stunning piece. x
nueyork.blogspot.com
It looks great!
xx Caroline
https://carolinespassion.wordpress.com
Where is the dinosaur print from above the tv?
I love the wall colors! It’s bright and friendly without being too yellow or cool! A great shade – do you mind sharing what it is?
Could you share where you found the huge Dino picture that you can see in one picture hanging over the tv? Love your style!!
Where are the legs from @abeautifulmess?
They’re the ones that came with the Ikea tv stand. 🙂
Loved that so much that I made one for myself like yours! I can’t believe how beautiful my living room turned out because of this beautiful TV stand. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing this DIY!!
Hi! I was wondering if you got the Besta in regular white finish or high gloss finish for the doors?
It’s hard to tell from the photos. Thank you !
Love the tv stand!!! I am wondering about the coffee table that you can just see the tip of. Is that something you designed or available somewhere for purchase?
Thanks
Sue
Hi Susan! It’s from West Elm 🙂
Hi! I think I asked this question before :((..can you please let me know if this is a basic white IKEA Besta or it’s a white high gloss for doors ?? I’m about to start this project. It looks great in the photos but I have to say the real one at the IKEA store looks pretty dull. I’ve bought both options, just in case and will return what I don’t use. And YES, it’s totally budget efficient. You cannot get near a decent TV stand without dropping close to 1k. Looks amazing !
Hi Anda! Sorry for the delay. Laura used the high gloss option 🙂
Thank you so much !
hi, where can i find the tv stand legs? Thank you!!
Hi Olivia! The legs were already on the stand, but Laura painted them gold.