Interiors lover transforms IKEA cabinet on a budget with fluted glass film

It looks so stylish, we want one of our own

An interiors blogger has shared a stunning DIY makeover she completed for less than £73. Kelsey Heinrichs took a tired old wooden cabinet and gave it a new lease of life with paint, glass film and modern hardware.

The finished product is one of the most stylish IKEA hacks we've seen of late. And it looks much more expensive than it actually was.

Before

A wooden storage cabinet with glass doors

(Image credit: @homewithkelsey)

While there wasn't exactly anything wrong with the cabinet before, the fresh lick of paint and reeded glass look have totally elevated it. Blogger Kelsey Heinrichs finished the IKEA cabinet hack with fluted glass film in just one day.

The finished result is a storage solution for small spaces that really looks the part. 'I'm obsessed with the reeded glass trend,' Kelsey tells us.

'However, the price tag for the real deal was out of my budget,' she says. When she came across some affordable reeded glass film from Glass Films Europe, she was thrilled to be able to create a stunning piece of furniture at a fraction of the price of similar items online.

Dark grey storage unit with glass doors

(Image credit: @homewithkelsey)

We love the added textural element it brings and the fact it distracts from what's inside.

IKEA cabinet hack with fluted glass film

'I picked up an old IKEA cabinet for £15 from Facebook Marketplace and filled any holes with wood filler,' she says. 'I sanded it, primed, and painted it in the shade Green Beret for a sophisticated look.'

Kelsey bought new semicircle gold handles from Amazon that make much more of a statement than the old handles. Then she finished it off by applying the reeded glass film on top of the glass, which definitely takes the makeover to another level.

The total cost of this project was £72.40. The cabinet cost £15; the paint and primer came to £25; the handles were £12.40 handles and the reeded glass film was £30.

Dark grey cabinet with open glass doors showing 3 shelves

(Image credit: @homewithkelsey)

When she posted about the upcycling project on her Instagram, lots of her followers commented. 'I have this exact cabinet - cannot wait to get stuck into it,' wrote one fellow DIY fan.

'Omg I love this upcycle so much😍😍' said another. Feeling inspired? You can also pick up similar fluted glass film on Amazon.

We're loving the end result - the glass film is a genius way to revamp a tired piece of furniture without splashing the cash.

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.