PANYL reinvents IKEA

Some people cringe at the mention of IKEA, but I'm perfectly happy with the Expedit in my bathroom, as well as the cabinets in my kitchen and bathroom. I have no problem using IKEA products in a room that's going to get a lot of dampness or hard use, where I wouldn't want to put one of my nicer vintage pieces.

Expedit in my bathroom

A couple of years ago, Tanya at Dans le Townhouse did a PANYL giveaway. At the time, I loved the look of the product, and I was fascinated when she said that the company had some great ideas on the horizon. Now here we are, two years later, and that promise has come true. They are offering their product in solid colors, chevrons, dots, stripes, Moroccan patterns, woodgrains and specialty finishes.

PANYL is a no-VOC high-tech adhesive vinyl that doesn't fade or peel, emits no off-gasses and, in most cases, can be removed later without causing any damage to or leaving any residue on underlying surfaces. It comes in a huge array of solid colors, chevrons, dots, stripes, Moroccan patterns, woodgrains and specialty finishes. You can buy it by the roll or pre-cut to fit specific IKEA pieces, even your old Expedit, which sadly has been discontinued.

If you're thinking right about now that covering furniture with self-adhesive vinyl doesn't have its roots in mid-century decor, you should have seen the cool bar I created in the 60s out of an old Zenith TV cabinet, some paint, plywood and a roll of Con-Tact paper. I was pretty sure I was the coolest DIYer in town! Con-Tact paper was new, and we were slapping it on everything that would sit still.

My grandsons have the IKEA Kura bed. You can believe it gets some hard use and may need a pick-me-up someday! It comes in white, but look at how a PANYL product jazzes it up.

Kura in Lemon Drop

For now I like the Knipsa baskets in my Expedit, but I can imagine a time when I might consider a change.

Here are a few more IKEA pieces that have been skillfully hacked by applying PANYL products, which the company says is foolproof.

Malm dresser in Thunder

Expedit in Teal Diagonals

Billy bookshelf in Maduro Quatrefoils

Latt kids' table and chairs in Day-Glo

Woodgrain

Colors

Chevrons

Dots

Moroccan

Quatrefoils

I haven't purchased any PANYL products, nor have I had any other dealings with the company, but I think their product would be great in a modern kid's room. The product can be bought by the roll, so it might be something to consider if you have some unsightly flat drawer fronts to reface in a kitchen or bathroom.

All but the first image from panyl.com