Throughout pregnancy, I came up with a list in my head of all the things that I wanted to make for H. Some of them never happened (the personalised birthday t-shirt was a good intention, but there was also a cake to be made), others actually turned out to be quite successful (the handmade baby book), and there’s others that I mulled over for far too long, the Ikea Latt table hack definitely falls into this last category. It probably doesn’t help that it’s then taken me over 9 months to actually write up this post too!
Along with the standard Ikea table highchairs (we had one!) the Latt table set seems to be the other Ikea bargain that all parents seem to recommend. It’s practical, easy to build, and has a price point that’s pretty impossible to beat (£20 for a table and two chairs). It’s also the perfect set for decorating thanks to its plain, unfinished wood surface.
Search ‘Ikea Latt Hack’ on Pinterest, and you’ll see a huge range of ideas. Some have turned the top into a chalkboard, others have made the seats padded, but the ones that really stand out to me are those with bright and funky paint jobs.
My design choice was very much inspired by where we were going to locate H’s table and chairs (in our living room). I wanted them to fit in with the general colour scheme, but still be fun and very much a ‘kids’ set. Additionally, as H was still quite little, I wanted to retain the ability to easily wipe clean the table top, and so focused on how I could jazz up the frame instead. I found myself constantly torn between wanting to keep the natural wood, yet also wanting something just a bit different and so decided to introduce colour through painted shapes on the frame, retaining the plain wood underneath.
Nine months on, and I’m pleased to report that the table still looks as good as when I first painted it, with no obvious chips! It’s been put through its paces over the past year, hosting many a teddy bear’s tea party as well as being covered in pen, pencils, and paint sticks. Leaving the top untouched was definitely a smart idea as I can clean it easily without wrecking my paint job. If I’ve inspired you to give it a go, below is a step-by step of how I achieved this geometric make over.
To do a similar hack yourself you will need:
- Some good quality masking tape
- A selection of paints (I used the Frenchic lazy range)
- A good paint brush
- Some stick-on vinyl (sticky back plastic would also work).
- A good boxset to watch whilst you work, this makeover does take some time.
Steps:
- Unless you’re decorating a brand-new set, you’ll first need to prep the surface with some sugar soap and a light sand. Next remove the boards for the table top and chair seats, it makes it so much easier to paint!
- Using your masking tape, mask off parts of the frames to make large triangles. I did this completely freehand, largely making it up as I went along. Make sure that you press your tape down really well. This step can take a while, but it’s worth it!
- Paint the first colour using a small, flat brush. Keep the coats thin to ensure the best finish, you’re likely to need around 2-3 coats.
- Peel off the masking tape whilst your final coat of paint is damp, and leave to dry overnight.
- Repeat steps 2-4 with the next colour / shape (I did the white lines and circles at the same time as they were not overlapping).
- To get a perfect circle, I created stencils using my Cricut machine and some removable vinyl. You could also draw round an egg cup / roll of washi tape and use a small brush to fill in.
- Peel off the masking tape / stencils and leave to dry overnight again. Depending on the paint you use, you may also need to apply either a finishing wax or varnish to help seal the paint (I didn’t do this).
If you do decide to give this a go, please do tag me in your pictures, I’d love to see what you make.
