14 Ways to Hack Your IKEA Tarva Dresser

There's a good reason why IKEA's Tarva dresser is one of its most popular items: The affordable piece is infinitely adaptable. Of course, the Tarva looks great naked in its natural grain, but even the most novice DIYers can find ways to jazz it up. Between paints, stains, and hardware, there are so many easy ideas you can bring to your IKEA Tarva dresser. Check out the following for inspiration:

This Berlin-based Instagrammer gave the Tarva a moss-green coating, finishing the look with pulls found from a blacksmith in Portugal.

Green bedrooms are both soothing and luxurious. To make the look go the extra mile, try using your leftover wall paint to give your dressers a matching coat. Here, Instagram user @a_story_of_home used Farrow & Ball's Green Smoke.

Looking to make an impact? Try jet-black paint and black leather pulls.

For a feminine combo, try painting the knobs white and the body of the dresser a punchy pink.

Insta user @caffeineandcacti knows how much cane can class up a piece. Here, she added ribbed frames to the drawer fronts, behind which is a panel of cane.

Of course, we had to contribute our own original hack. Our DIY involves precisely placed dowels to create a textured effect. See full instructions here.

DIYer @nikki_grandy makes the Tarva feel a bit more modern thanks to a coat of Sherwin Williams' Illusive Green and a steel base.

Don't go too crazy with the paint. Try leaving the knobs and top raw. For the drawers, a single coat will allow the natural grain to still remain visible.

DIY blogger Erin Spain's makeover is so classy, it seriously makes the Tarva look like a totally different piece. Find full instructions here.

Whether you have a farmhouse-inspired bedroom or are just looking for a storage addition to go with a modern room, try this treatment from Instagrammer @the_grey_terrace: Give the tops and base a darker stain, lightly paint the drawers gray, then add some gold hardware.

Fake an industrial filing cabinet by giving the Tarva a black stain and stacking up on silver hardware. $35 later, and voilà.

For a really fun kids' room idea, why not transform your Tarva into a VW van-inspired piece of whimsy?

Here's a great hack for making your Tarva look like an antique farmhouse piece: "Sanding the surface, wiping the dresser with a damp cloth, applying two coats of walnut stain, finishing the wood and replacing the standard knobs with new cup pulls," writes Instagrammer @poppiesinjune.

A coat of minty-blue paint and natural knobs make this the perfect addition to a gender-neutral nursery — one that can grow with your child.