Painting IKEA furniture in the children's room - tips on colours, paint & DIY

Old or dull IKEA furniture can be transformed into real children's room gems with a little paint! But be careful: with the wrong technique or colour, the DIY project can quickly go wrong. Which colours are suitable for children's rooms? When do you need paint instead of wall paint - and is a primer really necessary? We have collected all the tips and tricks to help you paint your IKEA furniture safely and add a creative touch. This way, every piece of furniture becomes a personal favourite for your home!

Paint or varnish - what's the difference?

Paint is often opaque and matt and primarily provides a fresh, colourful look. It is ideal if you want to quickly spice up pieces of furniture or creatively design individual surfaces. Lacquer, on the other hand, forms a harder, glossy surface that is particularly robust and well suited to furniture that is subject to heavy use - perfect for drawer, tables or shelves in the children's room. There are also water-based and solvent-based variants: Water-based paints and varnishes smell less, dry faster and are more suitable for children's rooms. This way, you can ensure that your DIY project is not only pretty, but also durable and safe.

Step 1: Sanding before varnishing

For veneered furniture, it is advisable to roughen the surfaces with fine sandpaper and then remove the sanding dust so that the varnish or paint can adhere optimally later. It is important to note that you do not need to sand everything down, it is sufficient to roughen the surface.

Step 2: Painting

If you want to be on the safe side, the first step after sanding is to apply a primer. Depending on the previous colour of your furniture and what you want to paint over it, you can also skip this step. Then apply one or two coats of varnish or paint. It is best to use a paintbrush to paint corners and edges. When painting smooth surfaces, you will get the best result with a paint roller.

Step 1: Prepare the pine wood

Simply roughen the surfaces with fine sandpaper. You do not need to sand the entire surface. You should mask off the areas that are to remain uncoloured with adhesive tape.

Step 2: Prime the wood

Additional priming is only recommended when painting untreated/unfinished wood with a white or very light-coloured varnish, as untreated wood can release wood-based materials that can make the surface appear yellowish in colour. Otherwise, the lacquer can usually be applied straight away.

Step 3: Varnish the furniture

Pour some varnish into your varnish tray. Prepare the corners and edges with a paintbrush and use a paint roller to achieve the best finish on the straight surfaces. When painting, make sure that you apply the paint evenly. | Image source: @xavi.charlie.and.me

Can I paint children's toys without hesitation?

As previously mentioned, the paint from KOLORAT is well suited for use in children's rooms as it is highly scratch and impact resistant and is also diffusible and resistant to standard household cleaning agents and disinfectants. Even the classically colourful IKEA MULA gets a special look with a little brushstroke. | Image source: @marie_sverndal