The IKEA DUKTIG play kitchen is rather well known amongst the parenting community as a sturdy, well priced toy which has unlimited possibilities for imaginative play.

The simple style of a light wood frame and white doors means it won’t look out of place in most homes but this also makes it the ideal candidate for an IKEA hack. I’d seen many Pinterest boards full of pretty coloured IKEA DUKTIGs and thought I would give it a try for Ivy’s 2nd birthday – and I was very happy with the results!

Read on to find out how you can easily makeover an IKEA DUKTIG yourself.

What you will need:

• The IKEA DUKTIG kitchen (it’s a flat pack, assembly required!)
• Furniture spray paint** (see below)
• Rust-Oleum 400ml Metallic Spray Paint – Elegant Gold (for the fixtures and fittings)
• d-c-fix® Sticky Back Plastic, Self-Adhesive Vinyl, Grey Marble 200 x 67.5 cm (for the counter top)
• Masking tape

**The exact spray paint I used from B&Q’s Colours range is no longer stocked. The paint was a 2in1 primer and paint which made for a very easy application without having to prep the wood.  There are plenty of other choices out there which do similar such as Plasti-Kote Premium Spray Paint which is multi-surface making it ideal for this type of project.

1) Unbox all of the kitchen parts

You need to do the spray paint in a well ventilated area, preferably outside. I laid everything out on cheap shower curtains in the garden and figured out which bit was which. As you can see, I sprayed one door in the lilac paint but left the oven and microwave doors white, but it’s completely up to you what colour combination you go for. Just make sure you plan ahead so you don’t spray the wrong sections.

2) Section off the microwave

Masking tape off the middle section of the upper shelf so you don’t spray paint over the inside base of the microwave (which has a white plate design on it) – very important!

3) Start spraying

Go ahead and spray paint one side of each section you want to change the colour of and then let dry. Spray paints are quite fast drying but make sure they are completely dry before flipping over and spraying the other side. Two coats worked best.

4) Cover the counter top

Time to cover the counter top with D-C-Fix! It’s the most recognisable piece (two big holes for the sink and hob to slot in to) so hopefully you will have kept this paint free. I found it easiest to apply the D-C-Fix as one large sheet, covering over the sink and hob holes and smoothing out as I went. Take time to ensure there are no bubbles and the corners and sides are neat when folded round to the underside. Once done, I pierced holes where the hob and sink were, cut them back with scissors, and folded the edges behind to the underside too.

5) Spray the fixtures and fittings

Spray the sink, tap, 3 handles, legs, pole and hooks with the metallic spray paint. I found it took a couple of coats to ensure they were completely covered. I also sprayed a Mache Pineapple and an LED Letter Light from Hobbycraft to use as accessories on top.

6) Put it all together

The hardest part if doing this on your own! Put together the kitchen as per the flat pack instructions. It took some patience and some pushing and pulling to make things align but an hour (or so) later, it was complete.

Originally, I planned to have a splash back of subway tiles behind the kitchen, however decided against it when I moved it in to Ivy’s room as I liked the way the striped wall looked. If you do want a splash back, simply apply wallpaper to cardboard or ply-board which has been cut to the size of the gap and staple to the kitchen.

The IKEA DUKTIG kitchen can be customised in any way you like to fit with the colours and theme of your child’s bedroom or playroom. It’s a great toy which Ivy will enjoy for years to come. I love an IKEA hack and this was one of my favourites!