IKEA Hack – DIY Marble Desk

IKEA Hack – DIY Marble Desk

One of my 2016 goals is to create a working space that I really love. I wanted a space that’s inspiring and motivating, but also suits my needs as a blogger and freelancer. Thing is, I don’t want it to cost the earth, either. So I scoured the internet to find the best ideas out there, and today I’m coming to you guys with a new interior blog series, starting with this DIY marble desk.

The fact that I could complete this DIY means anyone can do it. It’s so easy and cheap to recreate, you could call it a hack. My desk was a simple white one from Ikea which cost me about €50, and the contact paper I used was about €20 on Etsy. As you can see, the end result looks like something much much more expensive than the price-tag. There are a range of marble prints to choose from, depending on your preference. Here are some of my favourites below:

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This marble desk is not only incredibly pretty, but it’s wipe-clean material (great for those pesky coffee spills!) and also serves as the perfect background for my product shots and flatlays, you may have spotted some on my instagram recently. Pretty nifty, right?

So, lets get started!

What you’ll need:

1. a desk!
2. marble contact paper (here, here and here)
3. a scissors and/or blade
4. a hard flat item like a hardback book or card

Instructions:

1. Start by giving your desk a good wipe to remove any dust or dirt. Once the surface is dry it’s ready for the contact paper.
2. Roll out your contact paper and measure against your desk, and cut to size, leaving about an inch extra for trimming at the edges.
3. Now it’s time to peel and smooth your contact paper. The trick is to do this slowly and carefully, using a tool to help flatten the contact paper down. An extra pair of hands helps, but it’s not essential. Make sure to smooth out any bubbles as you go with your book or card.
4. When you’ve got your contact paper smoothed down, now just trim the edges (as neatly as possible!) with a blade or scissors, and use the heat from a hairdryer to flatten any sticky bits at the edges that wont stay down (clear tape works too) and hey presto, you’re done!

I hope you liked my first ever DIY post! Is this something you’d try out? Let me know what you think in the comments below If you do attempt it, please use the hashtag #CODinteriors on instagram so I can see how you get on with it. I have a lot more interiors and DIY features planned for the next few months, so stay tuned for those!

Happy DIY’ing,

Love

Ciara x