IKEA Upcycle: How I Glammed Up the Compact Perjohan IKEA Bench with Scallops and Bobbins for our Entryway! (Copy)
The Perjohan IKEA bench right after I assembled it.
The entryway in our new build home didn’t come with ample storage options- at least not as many storage options we needed as a family of four. After I completed the Billy Bookcase Ikea hack in our entryway for shoe storage, I turned my attention to finding the perfect bench to complete our hallway. It was a tall order given the amount of space I had left for a bench- the bench would need to be placed in the narrowest part of our entryway next to our stairs. I stumbled upon the Perjohan bench from IKEA in my search, and I knew it was the one.
The completed bench- with scallops and bobbins!
The IKEA Perjohan bench is well suited for narrow spaces. I loved that it offered a trough of storage underneath the seat and that the bench itself was quite shallow compared to other options I found, so would fit in our narrow space well. The bench can either be purchased 50cm long or 100cm long. The 100cm long bench fit perfectly in the space I had but I love that there is a 50cm option for smaller spaces.
Since our hallway lacked any other furniture, I wanted to give this bench a bit more personality. While I love its clean lines and neutral appeal as is, I felt our hallway could do with an added layer of interest.
Scallops and bobbins are huge buzzwords right now in home decor, and I am fully obsessed! Though on trend, there is a classic and whimsical element to both of these decor details which I think stand the test of time. I decided to incorporate these features into an upcycle of my Perjohan IKEA bench- one of my simplest and most effective furniture upcycles yet!
How I upcycled this bench!
Some of what I used for this IKEA upcycle here!
I purchased the Perjohan bench from Ikea for £50. I then sourced Bobbins and Scallops off Etsy UK. I was kindly gifted Graphite chalk paint from Annie Sloan Home to finish the bench off (Its a brilliant furniture paint and I would recommend regardless of being gifted or not!).
Check my LTK Post here for what I used to complete this project!
I first applied the scallop trim to the front of the bench as pictured using adhesive. I cut down the trim to size as needed.
I then applied the bobbin trim directly above the scallops. I used the same method of adhering the bobbins using adhesive. The bobbins could be cut using a Stanley / X-Acto knife.
Using adhesive to apply the bobbins.
After bobbins and scallops were fully secured, I moved on to painting the entire piece in Graphite (a dark charcoal) chalk paint. I then finished the bench with a clear wax to protect the paint and ensure the bench was durable for all the wear and tear of an entryway!
This was such a fun and easy project to do. I love the character this little bench adds to our hallway- and the storage too!