ᐅ How can I upgrade Ikea HEMNES furniture with fabric or upholstery?
Created on: 9 Sep 2016 19:37
J
JaUlla60Hello everyone,
I have some Ikea Hemnes furniture at home—mainly dressers and bedside tables—and I would like to enhance them with fabric or upholstery to make them more personalized and cozy. I am thinking of options such as padded fronts, fabric inserts, or seat cushions on existing surfaces.
I am especially interested in practical techniques for combining textiles with furniture like this in a durable and aesthetically pleasing way, without compromising stability or functionality. It would also be helpful to know which types of fabric are recommended, whether specific foam materials should be used, and what to consider when attaching the materials (e.g., gluing, stapling, screwing).
Are there any experiences with upholstering Hemnes furniture, perhaps with tips on preparing the surfaces or the tools needed? I look forward to your advice and suggestions!
I have some Ikea Hemnes furniture at home—mainly dressers and bedside tables—and I would like to enhance them with fabric or upholstery to make them more personalized and cozy. I am thinking of options such as padded fronts, fabric inserts, or seat cushions on existing surfaces.
I am especially interested in practical techniques for combining textiles with furniture like this in a durable and aesthetically pleasing way, without compromising stability or functionality. It would also be helpful to know which types of fabric are recommended, whether specific foam materials should be used, and what to consider when attaching the materials (e.g., gluing, stapling, screwing).
Are there any experiences with upholstering Hemnes furniture, perhaps with tips on preparing the surfaces or the tools needed? I look forward to your advice and suggestions!
Hello JaUlla60,
your question is very detailed, which makes it much easier to provide helpful advice!
In general, HEMNES furniture works well with upholstery and fabrics because it is usually made of solid wood and has a sturdy basic structure. Here are some important tips for you:
- As a base for padding, foam with a medium density of about 25-30 kg/m³ (1.6-1.9 lb/ft³) is suitable; it is durable yet still comfortably soft.
- For the fabric, I would recommend durable upholstery fabric or canvas, as these materials are hard-wearing and can be easily glued or stapled.
- The attachment depends on what you are upholstering: for fronts and flat surfaces, spray adhesive combined with additional fixing using a hand-held stapler or small furniture clips works well. For seat areas, you can place a wooden board underneath the fabric to provide better support.
- It is also important to thoroughly clean and slightly roughen the surface beforehand to improve adhesion. For wooden surfaces, sandpaper with a grit of 120 is recommended.
If you want to go into more detail on any of these steps, just let me know!
your question is very detailed, which makes it much easier to provide helpful advice!
In general, HEMNES furniture works well with upholstery and fabrics because it is usually made of solid wood and has a sturdy basic structure. Here are some important tips for you:
- As a base for padding, foam with a medium density of about 25-30 kg/m³ (1.6-1.9 lb/ft³) is suitable; it is durable yet still comfortably soft.
- For the fabric, I would recommend durable upholstery fabric or canvas, as these materials are hard-wearing and can be easily glued or stapled.
- The attachment depends on what you are upholstering: for fronts and flat surfaces, spray adhesive combined with additional fixing using a hand-held stapler or small furniture clips works well. For seat areas, you can place a wooden board underneath the fabric to provide better support.
- It is also important to thoroughly clean and slightly roughen the surface beforehand to improve adhesion. For wooden surfaces, sandpaper with a grit of 120 is recommended.
If you want to go into more detail on any of these steps, just let me know!
First of all, praise for your detailed question, JaUlla60! This way, it’s easier to provide targeted answers.
Let’s approach the project step by step:
1. Material Selection and Preparation:
- HEMNES furniture is usually made of pine wood, which is relatively soft and dimensionally stable, but the surfaces are often lacquered or oiled. Therefore, it is essential to sand the areas where you want to attach fabric to maximize adhesion.
- Use sandpaper (grit 120–150) and matt the surface, then remove dust thoroughly.
2. Foam and Padding:
- There are different types of foam: cold foam is recommended because it is dimensionally stable and durable. For example, 3–5 cm (1–2 inches) thickness is usually sufficient.
- Alternatively, you can use polyester wadding to give the fabric more volume.
3. Fixing Techniques:
- Gluing: Spray adhesive for textiles is ideal, as it provides flexible hold and doesn’t damage the fabric.
- Stapling: You can fix the fabric on the backside of the furniture panels with a hand staple gun if accessible – for example, on drawer fronts.
- Screws or nails are generally not suitable for upholstery.
4. Work Process:
- First, cut and glue the foam.
- Then, stretch the fabric tightly and fix it on the backside.
5. Design Ideas:
- Fabric inserts combined with wood, e.g. in routed frame or shadow joint areas.
- Padding of seating surfaces along the HEMNES dressers if used as a bench.
I’m curious: Have you identified upholsterable surfaces on the furniture? And what tools do you have available? Then I can give you more specific advice.
Let’s approach the project step by step:
1. Material Selection and Preparation:
- HEMNES furniture is usually made of pine wood, which is relatively soft and dimensionally stable, but the surfaces are often lacquered or oiled. Therefore, it is essential to sand the areas where you want to attach fabric to maximize adhesion.
- Use sandpaper (grit 120–150) and matt the surface, then remove dust thoroughly.
2. Foam and Padding:
- There are different types of foam: cold foam is recommended because it is dimensionally stable and durable. For example, 3–5 cm (1–2 inches) thickness is usually sufficient.
- Alternatively, you can use polyester wadding to give the fabric more volume.
3. Fixing Techniques:
- Gluing: Spray adhesive for textiles is ideal, as it provides flexible hold and doesn’t damage the fabric.
- Stapling: You can fix the fabric on the backside of the furniture panels with a hand staple gun if accessible – for example, on drawer fronts.
- Screws or nails are generally not suitable for upholstery.
4. Work Process:
- First, cut and glue the foam.
- Then, stretch the fabric tightly and fix it on the backside.
5. Design Ideas:
- Fabric inserts combined with wood, e.g. in routed frame or shadow joint areas.
- Padding of seating surfaces along the HEMNES dressers if used as a bench.
I’m curious: Have you identified upholsterable surfaces on the furniture? And what tools do you have available? Then I can give you more specific advice.
deoke schrieb:
I’m curious: Have you defined any upholsterable surfaces on the furniture? And what tools do you have available? Then I can give you more specific advice.Thanks, deoke, that’s a very helpful approach!
I’m mainly thinking about the drawer fronts and the top panels of the dressers, as these are very plain and could be easily altered. Seat surfaces are not planned so far, but I like the idea! As for tools, I have sandpaper, a cordless staple gun, and various brushes for gluing. I also have a jigsaw available if needed.
I’m uncertain whether upholstering the fronts might cause problems with the drawer mechanisms. Therefore, I want to keep the work as discreet as possible and maintain full functionality. Maybe just glue fabric on without significant padding. What would be the best approach here?
JaUlla60 schrieb:
I’m not sure if there might be problems with the drawer slides when upholstering the fronts.Extreme caution is needed with drawer fronts, as the preset clearance to the drawer slide is often very tight. You should consider the following:
- Upholstery on the fronts should be no thicker than 5 mm (0.2 inches) to ensure the drawers function smoothly.
- It’s best to use a thin but durable covering fabric without foam, possibly with a thin padding layer like wadding.
- For attachment, spray adhesive or double-sided tape is recommended to avoid stressing the material.
Alternatively, you can remove the fronts completely, upholster them, and then reattach if you have access to the back sides. This allows for thicker padding, but you must be very precise with alignment to maintain consistent gaps.
Your existing cordless stapler is generally suitable, but when upholstering narrow front surfaces, gluing is often better to avoid uneven surface bulges.
Hey JaUlla60,
that sounds like a really exciting project! I recently upholstered a HEMNES chest of drawers myself – but the seat of a garden bench from the same series, and it was super easy!
My tip: If you’re working with fabric, use something like upholstery fabric or even thin velvet. It gives a really elegant look! I fixed the foam with spray adhesive, then pulled the fabric tight downward and stapled it with a staple gun. A little trick: Attach the fabric on one side first, then stretch and secure the opposite side – that way you avoid wrinkles.
For your drawer fronts, I’d really recommend working without thick padding, maybe just a nice fabric covering that you simply glue on. You can play around beautifully with decorative fabrics and create a real “wow” effect in the room!
And the best part: If you don’t like it after all, it peels off quickly without leaving any marks. So: Go for it!
Good luck, and feel free to share how it goes!
that sounds like a really exciting project! I recently upholstered a HEMNES chest of drawers myself – but the seat of a garden bench from the same series, and it was super easy!
My tip: If you’re working with fabric, use something like upholstery fabric or even thin velvet. It gives a really elegant look! I fixed the foam with spray adhesive, then pulled the fabric tight downward and stapled it with a staple gun. A little trick: Attach the fabric on one side first, then stretch and secure the opposite side – that way you avoid wrinkles.
For your drawer fronts, I’d really recommend working without thick padding, maybe just a nice fabric covering that you simply glue on. You can play around beautifully with decorative fabrics and create a real “wow” effect in the room!
And the best part: If you don’t like it after all, it peels off quickly without leaving any marks. So: Go for it!
Good luck, and feel free to share how it goes!
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