I’ll be the first to admit, I often neglect the insides of drawers. I mentioned last week that I want to up my drawer lining game. Because who doesn’t love a beautiful little surprise when you open a drawer?
So I did a little research. I found an old 2014 post from curbalertblog.com showing “Peek a Boo” drawer ideas. I thought it was a great idea, and deserved a little update!
Here are 8 of the best ideas I found:
1 – Paint a Pop of Color
This first one is from my own portfolio. Since I painted the table exterior black, I chose Mermaid Tail blue for the drawer interior. You can see the whole project here.
2 – Paint the dovetails
This is my favorite idea I stumbled on! I never would have thought to do this, nor that it would turn out so cute. She painted the dovetails with the drawer color, and it really highlights the craftsmanship of the piece. I can’t wait to try this one!
3 – Stenciled Sides
There are tons of examples of stenciled drawer sides out there, but I chose this one because of its simplicity. White on wood is a classic, and I think it really adds to the timelessness of this piece.
4 – Striped Sides
If you check out her blog post, Cat gives a tutorial on how to get perfect stripes on the sides of your drawers. Black and white is a great contrast with the coral color of the dresser, but it may be too graphic for softer colors. A tone-on-tone monochromatic look with colors just a shade apart would be gorgeous too.
5 – Wallpaper
In this example, the piece is neutral bright white, and the drawer detail is a colorful floral pop. I love how feminine it is, and of course, anything turquoise has my heart! Shelley also has a tutorial on how to cover your drawers with wallpaper. It looks a little involved, but totally worth the payoff in the end.
6 – Gel Stain
I didn’t think of this one either! I love Voodoo gel stain; being water-based and in a squirty bottle, it’s super easy to use. For drawers that are a little faded or worn out, this would be a perfect solution. This stain also comes in gray, green, black and teal. So you have options!
7 – Decoupage print
You gotta love the whimsical mermaids on this unique lingerie chest! This is just a decorative paper decoupaged onto the drawer sides, so the possibilities are only limited by the papers you can find. Kandice is a decoupage guru, and even has an ebook on the topic!
8 – Mix it up
Last, but not least, Carissa is here to remind us that the drawers don’t all have to be the same. She stenciled the middle drawer, and left the top and bottom ones painted a solid color. Other variations of this idea could include, stripes, polka dots, chevrons, and just about any pattern or stencil.
Soooooo, hopefully you’re feeling inspired to add some hidden beauty to your own DIY furniture projects. I know I am!
If you’d like to have this blog post as a handy PDF reference, click here to grab a copy. And you can Pin it too! See you soon!
Love the ideas 😍😍😍
Thanks, Anita! I love a good surprise! xo, Shannon