This was a postpartum project I wanted to do for our daughter who loves being in the kitchen. Originally, I went to IKEA to buy the play kitchen, but it was out of stock (and had gone up in price). After no luck on Facebook marketplace, I asked around on my local Buy nothing page for the kitchen and a kind family five blocks from us had outgrown it and gifted it to us!
I’ve come across makeovers done to just about any play kitchen there is. So, for an even more budget-friendly option, keep an eye on your local Marketplace or Buy nothing page. There are two ways of going about painting the kitchen. If you buy the kitchen new and unassembled, you can lay out the pieces and paint them before assembly. I worked on the kitchen assembled and used painters tape to section off the lower half that I wanted to paint. I kept the top half unpainted and assembled as is, but there are so many ways to do this. Some people have taken the microwave off and added floating shelves, but since we are renting I wanted to be able to relocate it easily.
Supply list
I will have the links to all of these things listed below. One thing to note is the wooden handles, wooden knobs and leather pulls all come with more than you need. I found it easier to order the supplies off of Amazon and share some with a friend, but you can also find other versions of these with fewer pieces.
- Play kitchen
- 1 can of “Bone” by Farrow Ball paint
- 1 can of Rust-oleum in the ivory color “ Heirloom white”
- 1 can of Rust-oleum “Metallic gold”
- 1 can of Rust-oleum clear coat
- 1 pack of wooden handles
- 1 pack of wood knobs, drill, level and screwdriver for installation
- 4 Leather pulls
- Yeah baby goods leg wraps or wooden dowel
- Painters tape, mini paint roller brush
- 9×12 rectangle wood piece, two circular wooden pieces for the stove
- Accessories: Mesh grocery bag, felt vegetables, brush for dishes, water pitcher, cutting board, mini rolling pin, wooden eggs and pots and pans
Paint color
I used the color “Bone” by Farrow Ball and I colored matched it at Home Depot. It can also be done at Lowes. From my experience, you need the right employee to help you enter the code for the paint in their system. I didn’t bring a swatch in but the code for “Bone” by Farrow and Ball is #CDC4AE. A similar color is “cargo pants” by Sherwin-Williams. I paid a little extra to have primer and anti-chip included.
For the sink, I used one can of Rust-oleum in the ivory color “ Heirloom white”. It is a paint and primer that can be used on plastic. For the faucet and hooks, I used one can of Rust-oleum “Metallic gold”. I did multiple coats for each, letting them dry in between coats. Lastly, I used one can of Rust-oleum clear coat on top of all the painted pieces to seal and make it last.
Home depot code: #CDC4AE
Stovetop
When I first started, I was hoping to get this stovetop from PetitAbode because it fits perfectly where original stove was. I couldn’t justify the price tag + overseas shipping, so I made my own. I used this 9×12 rectangle wood piece, these two circular wooden pieces and gorilla wood glue. I decided to paint the board ivory and keep the burners wooden. I placed the board on top, but you can secure it too if you would like.
Burner knobs
These knobs do not come with the kitchen and there aren’t holes, but you can easily add them with a drill. I measured the length of the spot I wanted the knobs and divided it by four. A little tip is to not screw them in too tight so that your little one can turn them.
Wood Accents
I replaced the plastic handles with these wooden ones. The Ikea kitchen comes with a grey plastic bar to hang cooking utensils. I used Yeah baby goods leg wraps to cover mine. Since I bought the set assembled, I had to wrap the decals around the poll while installed, but if you are building it I would do it separate. I wrapped it just like the high chair legs and used an X-Acto knife to cut the excess off. You can also go to Home Depot and get a wooden dowl and cut it to size!
Kitchen supplies
After installing these leather pulls, you can hang mugs or utensils on the bar. I added one of the extra wooden knobs to the side of my kitchen to hang a cute mesh bag full of felt vegetables. A lot of what I purchased for the kitchen was either from Goodwill or the One spot at Target. Did you know you can buy items from the One Spot online, often in quantities of ten? I found a charcuterie board, cutting board, and wooden eggs in person at the Target one spot. I am still keeping my eye out for a wooden pot and pan set.
I’ll be linking all the items I used on my LTK and Amazon storefront for you to be able to create your own! You can visit my Ikea Kitchen Makeover Amazon list here and my LTK list here. 🤍
