This tutorial has been a long time coming. I have wanted to do this Ikea’s Rast hack for some time now. Weeks ago I finally made the leap or what I thought was going to be the leap, Ikea was completely out of the Rast 3 drawer chest. I was a little more than bummed. Ikea’s not a terribly long drive but it’s not around the corner from me either. After my disappointment wore off and they restocked, a week later I got to work!
Here is what the Rast 3 drawer chest looks like after you assemble it.
Very plain and not very attractive. However, it’s solid pine and only cost a whopping $35, which is a plus in my book! It offers plenty of storage with its three drawers and it’s the perfect height for a night stand.
Dressing this baby up was a breeze. Anyone can do this hack, very easy people!
First, I trimmed out the drawers with some lattice. You can buy 12′ primed pieces at any home improvement store. I simply cut them to size and nailed them onto the front of the drawers using my nail gun.
You’ll notice that the bottom front piece sits inward a bit. I ended up taking that piece off and screwing it in where it was flush with the front of the chest. When you go to assemble yours just leave that bottom piece off initially and add it back at this time.
I added window casing as trim around the bottom. This hides screws at the bottom of the night stand and adds some weight.
I decided to put a larger top on it. I joined a 1×2 and a 1×12 pine boards using wood glue and clamps. Once the glue has dried you’re ready to install it to the top of your night stand. You’ll notice that there’s a small gap. To fill the gap and prevent your top from bowing inwards, place a 1/4″ plywood in between the two tops. I turned the chest upside down and used wood screws to screw the new top in place.
The night stand was pretty smooth already, however I would recommend sanding it first before painting with a medium grit sand paper.
I went with the same color paint as my sons bed. Its called Naval by Sherwin Williams.
I used my HomeRight Finish Max paint sprayer to apply the paint. Let me start off by saying this paint sprayer has changed my DIY life forever! It’s by far one of my favorite tools in my arsenal. It’s incredibly easy to use and the clean up process is super simple and fast! One thing that I really like about the Finish Max is that I don’t have to deal with getting out my air compressor like many sprayers. This one plugs right into your outlet!
I applied two coats of a paint & primer mix. It took me about 10-15 minutes from start to finish. My Finish Max sprayer is a huge time saver. If you haven’t caught on yet, I’m telling you it will change your painting process for the best!
I decided to keep the wooden knobs that came with the piece. I just applied two coats of brushed nickel finish spray paint. They look great and I saved over $30 on hardware!
The Rast chest is such a perfect little night stand for my son Charlie. The drawers have been incredibly handy and I absolutely love how it turned out! Although I typically love building my own furniture when I can, this nightstand came out around $55 when it was all said and done. You can’t make a piece like this for less than that!
Big Thanks to Home Right for sponsoring this post. You guys are awesome!
You can purchase your Finish Max here!
Make sure to check in next week. I’ve got a fun series of the new wall gallery in Charlie’s room! The best part, it was under $25. I’ll show you how you can create your own wall gallery for under $25 starting next week. Here’s a sneak peek of the fun tutorials in next weeks series! P.S. I’ll have some free printables for you!
T.G.I.F. friends!
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Chris Bieri says
Just saw this ! I’m an Atlanta native (dunwoody High School! ) living in Germany. I’ll be using your design as a night stand between two twin beds in a room where two night stands would be too tight. Super tutorial! I’m driving to IKEA tomorrow ?
Thanks!