2Perfection Decor: Ikea Varde Cabinet transformed into Rustic Wood Bar

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Ikea Varde Cabinet transformed into Rustic Wood Bar

So this is my favourite project to date.. yes I think even more so than my kitchen island transformation... So my philosophy has always been if you can't find it or afford it.. MAKE IT!!!

So thats just what we did.. I was on the hunt for months for a basement Bar , we even looked into having a carpenter build one custom for us.. but the price was upwards to $2000 plus it wasn't really the look we wanted.. I sourced and sourced thrift shops, local ReStores and antique markets for the perfect piece and every time came up empty handed.. until one day I started talking to a local Antique shop owner about what I wanted and she said she didn't have any Vintage bars in stock, but she did have a old island that was the approx. size I needed but it would need A LOT of work!! She wanted to get rid of it so she sold it to us for only $25!!! I was in heaven!! Next came the design.. I wanted barn wood but usable! SO we decided to plank the base of the bar in a barn door style and add a galvanized top.. Easy right?? Not quite.. See How we made our custom Rustic bar below..

First thing my hubby did was build an extended base to create added height to make it the proper bar height we needed.

I believe our bar was once this!! A Ikea Varde Base Cabinet! Not bad for $25! ;)

The before was in rough shape but the sizing was great and the drawers slid perfectly..

So once my hubby had to build another base to extend height..which was not an easy task since it weighed a ton.. We were able to add the Cedar planks to the surrounding base.

It was finally starting to look like the Barn door look I was craving..

We chose to stain the Natural Cedar Planks in Minwax Classic Gray

Before we could install the countertop my husband had to essentially build a whole new top from a thick piece of plywood to create our much needed over hang... Then of course came trying to figure out a suitable counter top.. I refused to wreck the look with laminate.. And I couldn't afford granite or marble.. I loved the idea of wood but I wanted to be able to clean it and not worry if drinks spilled... SO we contacted our local Sheet metal shop and gave them the dimensions and for under $80 they were able to create a custom galvanized metal counter top!!