ᐅ Are there Ikea Platsa units available without paint or finish, so they can be customized?

Hello everyone,

I am currently exploring the IKEA Platsa furniture system because I would like to create my own designs and finishes. My specific question is whether there are any IKEA Platsa pieces sold completely without paint or surface treatment—that is, raw and untreated—so that I can finish them myself by painting, oiling, or using other methods as I wish.

So far, I have only seen painted or laminated options, which makes personal customization more difficult. Does anyone know if untreated Platsa components exist, or whether you generally have to work only with prefinished surfaces? And if so, which parts would those be?

I am very interested in experiences or well-informed knowledge on this topic because I really like the system in principle and would like to use it for projects that have a completely unique appearance.

Thank you in advance!

Platsa does not offer any completely untreated carcasses. All are either painted or laminated. If you want something to customize yourself, it is advisable to buy the parts with a laminated surface and sand them down. This provides a good base for your own paintwork.

nofomu schrieb:
There are no completely untreated carcasses in Platsa. All are either lacquered or laminated.

That is correct. The surfaces of Platsa components are industrially finished, either with lacquer or melamine foil. IKEA does not sell raw materials.

For users who want to apply a custom paint finish, thorough sanding of the surface is recommended.

Alternatively, they can look for systems that explicitly advertise raw-finished parts, but this is not the case with Platsa.

If you are looking for an option to create your own surface finish, switching to solid wood or simple shelving systems with untreated panels might be a better choice.

nonere schrieb:
The surfaces of the Platsa components are industrially treated, either with paint or melamine foil.

Interesting, but this is exactly what makes Platsa quite limiting for me, considering that "customizing" is virtually only possible through a complex, preparatory process.

I really find it questionable why IKEA doesn’t offer a raw material option here. Of course, this fits with mass production, but for creative DIY enthusiasts, it’s actually a step backwards.

You could almost say it feels like you’re being pushed to always use the existing surface finishes.

A furniture series that claims to focus on “individualization” should at least offer roughly untreated surfaces.

I would be interested to know if anyone has actually found a way to treat Platsa so that the result looks good—despite the melamine or paint layers.