It was years before we had littles that I started dreaming about a play kitchen. I figured it wouldn’t matter if we had boys or girls one day, a play kitchen is a staple for any child growing up, and I can’t say why exactly, but I imagined ours would be something special. Back then, my visions were fairly limited to the high-end, “pretty” kitchens found at Pottery Barn Kids. But nowadays, thanks in part to social media, I know that you don’t have to spend a small fortune for aesthetically pleasing play things. And if you don’t love what you can find within your budget out-of-the-box, all it takes is a little imagination and good old-fashioned elbow grease.
Which is how we ended up with this dreamy (if I do say so myself), custom play kitchen.
Here’s what it looked like out of the box…
An $89 play kitchen from IKEA, with tons of potential. I’m hardly the first to add a personal touch to this set – just search Pinterest or Google Images for “IKEA Duktig Makeover” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
I’ve come across makeovers done to just about any play kitchen there is – even the pretty Pottery Barn ones. So, for an even more budget-friendly option, keep an eye on your local Marketplace. That being said, here are a few things I appreciate about this particular kitchen…
– Adjustable height.
From what I’ve read from other parents, a lot of play kitchens are quite short, thus limiting the number of years it will be used. This kitchen comes with extenders for the legs (as seen in the original photo above), which provide two additional height options for down the road.
– Small footprint.
Even though with multiple kiddos a little more room to spread out might be nice, we just don’t have the space for a ginormous play kitchen. Plus, I truly appreciate the simplicity.
– Wood vs. plastic.
If you know, you know. But if you don’t, for one, it’s more makeover friendly. And two, we try to keep plastic playthings to a minimum around here.
One could get away with doing a lot less and still end up with a beautiful, customized play kitchen. But if you’re like me and just enjoy the creative process, let’s get on with it. Keep scrolling on for allllll the details…
Style-wise, I opted to forgo the hutch and microwave that came with the set, and chose instead to add a shelf with brackets that more closely fits the aesthetic of our home. Fun fact: We don’t have a microwave in our actual kitchen either. Also, since the wall finish in this room isn’t exactly wipe-able, and knowing this corner would see heavy use for several years, we mounted the tongue-and-groove board behind the kitchen as a means of protection for the walls. Those boards, which just happened to be the perfect size (just needing to be cut in order to make the corner), had been sitting in our wood storage for over 6 years, so it was great to finally put them to use!
I chose a neutral color palette including gray paint we had left-over from our kitchen table, natural wood, a white sink, and a “brass” faucet.
NOTE: I’ll include all of the products used in a source list at the end of this post.
As for the project itself…
First, I laid out all of the pieces to figure out which ones I would be using, and which of those needed to be painted. I set aside the extra pieces I wouldn’t be using.
Next, I assembled the base, leaving the cupboard doors off. At this point, I gave the exterior a light sand with an orbital sander. I also sanded the front and backs of the cupboard doors, since I was painting both sides of those. The goal here was simply to remove the sheen so that paint would properly adhere. A lot of folks ask if sanding is necessary, and I would say it’s certainly helpful in ensuring the longevity of your paint. This extra step doesn’t take that much effort, and it’s SO worth not having your paint chip or scratch easily. If you don’t have an orbital sander, some fine-medium grit sandpaper will do.
In the next photo, you can see where I taped the inside to paint. There’s a natural line along the sides that I used as a guide, and I also painted the front of that divider board since it shows between the cupboard doors. I brushed on the paint, using Fusion Mineral Paint, which I’ve talked about before here on this project (and likely will again). I truly LOVE this paint, and after roughly 7 months of play, this kitchen still looks brand new.
After the first coat of paint, I mounted wooden cupboard door handles (bought separately, source listed below). As you can see, the screw holes from the original IKEA were a bit larger than the handles, so I used a little wood-fill to cover the holes before adding the final coat of paint.
Overall, I ended up applying three coats of paint. The third might not be necessary, but knowing this project would get a lot of wear and tear, I was really aiming for longevity.
In between brushing coats, I spray painted the sink and faucet (colors linked below). Yes, I was nervous to paint the plastic pieces, but so far they’ve also held up beautifully.
A few tips I picked up for spray painting…
– Pay attention to the weather. Too cold can cause crackling. Too humid can affect the way the paint drys and cures. You get the idea.
– Go SLOW! Apply several light coats, and note the paint manufacture’s time-frame between applications.
– Finish with a sealer using the same care and technique.
– Allow proper cure time. Dry to the touch does not equal scratch-resistant or play-ready!
One last tip on spray painting: “Mount” the faucet to an old box to paint it in the upright position. Also, carefully rotate moving pieces in between coats so that they do not get fixed in one position.
Oh yeah, and in the original design, the sink simply drops into place. We, however, chose to under-mount it using small screws to secure it. My kiddos have not attempted to climb into the sink (yet?), but they do throw alllllll the things in it, and so far it has held in place.
Next, it was time for the stove-top. I didn’t love the one that was included aesthetically, and because I felt it looked a bit too much like our real stove (which I’m trying to teach my kiddos is HOT). So instead, I added a raised wooden surface, and my husband cut burner pieces out of scrap wood and a dowel we had lying around. All of these pieces were cut at about 1/2 in depth, and I finished them with a charcoal milk paint.
In order to ensure proper placement of the burner pieces, I laid out the design digitally and printed a cheat sheet. Then I traced over the lines, leaving a minor indent to use as a guide, and used wood glue to hold it all in place.
My husband added basic wooden knobs that actually turn. We started with the wooden knobs (linked below), and found a small dowel to fit into the back of the knob. Then we cut a larger dowel into a small disc, drilling a hole in the center to fit the smaller dowel. Hopefully these next pictures help bring that gibberish to life for ya. Since the kitchen doesn’t originally come with any oven/stove knobs, we had to drill the holes where we wanted them. Then I applied a little beeswax on the center dowel to help it glide, and again, wood glue to hold it all together.
Lastly, we added the cutting board to the side. Incidentally, the chopping block we’d been using in our real kitchen for years randomly cracked while we were working on this project. So we salvaged a piece from that affixed it with brackets, adding a little extra food prep space to the kitchen.
Finally, it was time to accessorize, which I had actually been preparing for longer than I care to admit. Let’s just say, I may have been perusing wooden pots and pans online while I was in labor. The girls received that pot and pan set for their first Christmas just a few months later – I am all about gifts that will actually be around for a while. Plus, developing a collection over time has allowed me to build it slowly – when shops have sales, or when I come across pieces that I know are right for our family (as opposed to a quick placement holder that will likely be replaced later).
I do imagine our collection will continue to grow over time, yet my goal is to keep it somewhat basic. So far, we have a handful of staples and a few extra items on rotation to keep this play space fresh and interesting.
Supplies:
Play Kitchen :: IKEA
Cupboard Paint :: Fusion Mineral “Putty”
Spray Paint :: Sink – Faucet – Sealer
SPRAY PAINT COLORS
Sink: Rust-Oleum All Surface Metallic, Pure Gold
Faucet: Rust-Oleum American Accents 2x Ultra Cover, Heirloom White
Sealer: Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2x Ultra Cover, Clear
Brackets (for Shelf and Cutting Board) :: IKEA
Wooden Board for Stove Top :: Amazon
Wooden Knobs :: Amazon
Wooden Handles :: Amazon
Accessories:
Pot, Pan, & Utensil Set :: Target, Hearth and Hand
Other Wooden Utensils :: Plan Toys
Mixer :: Target, Hearth and Hand (I re-designed this piece)
Food Scale :: LeToy Van (I re-designed this piece)
White Pitcher :: IKEA
Cookies :: Melissa and Doug (I re-designed this set – shared more here)
Cupcakes :: Target, Hearth and Hand (I re-designed this set)
Coffee Carafe & Small Cups :: Kids Concept (search for “Sweedish Fika”
Beverages :: Flexa
Utensil Jar :: Walmart (I added weaving)
Felt Food :: IKEA (We have both the fruit and vegetables)
Rattan Baskets (for Drawers) :: Bed, Bath and Beyond (I added wooden knobs)
Basket Stand :: TJMaxx (baskets only) – stand made by hubby
It’s common to question when the right time is to introduce a play kitchen. For reference, my girls are currently a couple months shy of their second birthday, and are really starting to use their imaginations with this space – pretending to fill up their cups in the sink, and cook food. We gave them this kitchen last Christmas (when they were about 15 months old), and even at that time, they loved opening and closing the cupboard doors, “stirring soup and tasting it” (probably because it was how I modeled playing for them), and cramming loose parts in every nook and cranny. I truly love that this play kitchen is a special piece in our home that has been around and involved in almost daily play since the girls could walk.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send them my way!
Hugs,
m