No One Will Guess Your Shoe Storage Cabinet Is IKEA With This Transformation

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No one would argue that the IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet isn't functional. Its four drawers each hold two or three pairs of shoes, depending on the shoes' size and design, and its sturdy legs lift the cabinet off the ground, providing space underneath for more pairs of shoes. The challenge with this piece isn't that it's not useful, but rather that it can be a bit plain-looking. Fortunately, it's a piece that takes to modifications nicely, allowing you to add trim, change the hardware, and paint it a different color if any and all of that strikes your fancy.

You'll need to sand the piece of furniture before painting it, which requires a hand-held sander with sandpaper of a medium to fine grit. This step is necessary so the paint sticks to the cabinet. And speaking of paint, you'll also need some in a color (or colors) that complements the decor in the room. To simplify the paint job, try an all-in-one paint from Heirloom Traditions Paint Store. It's a paint and primer in one. You'll need paint brushes, too. Some nose-and-cove trim would be good for embellishing the front of the cabinet. You'll also need some wood glue, a drill, and some screws.

Finally, the IKEA HEMNES comes with simple pull knobs. If you want fancier ones, now's the time to find some new hardware for it. If you're concerned with the legs and think they are too simple, you could remove them. This means you will likely need a jigsaw if you decide to go this route.

Making over a piece like this usually requires some sanding because it'll have a protective coat on it when it comes from the manufacturer. Sanding it gives it a tooth, which makes the new paint stick. You'll also want to cut the legs off at this stage (if you don't want the cabinet to have them). Additionally, before you paint, you'll want to outfit the front of the cabinet with the nose-and-cone trim. You'll secure these in place with wood glue and then either a drill and screws or a nail gun and small nails. 

Given how many individual components the piece has, you have nearly limitless possibilities for a glow-up. For example, swapping out the factory knobs for some leather drawer pulls from LazaKay creates the ultimate rustic decor piece. On the other hand, some old-fashioned green ceramic knobs from Piutouyar combined with a dual-coat distressed paint look puts the cabinet into the shabby chic category.

And you don't have to leave the top of the unit plain, either. Add crown molding around the top sides that matches the nose-and-cone trim. You can make an IKEA shoe cabinet look vintage by outfitting it with a topper of distressed wood. Finally, you might even consider not only cutting off the original legs but replacing them with something else, like some black round ottoman legs from the WEICHUAN Store. This would be a cool touch to add to a cabinet that you painted with a black lacquer and trimmed with gold knobs and molding.