can i paint an ikea bookcase?

[soppypreggyloon]

we have a billy bookcase in some sort of wood effect - maybe beech.

can we paint it?
i'm assuming it'd need special paint but i don't know what.

ideally we would paint it white/ blue/ green to go in ds new room.

otherwise i'm chucking it as it won't go anywhere else.

Yes - I wouldn't have thought you'd need special paint, just sand back the laminate a bit so the paint has something to 'key' onto. You could always do a base coat with some emulsion first then do a final coat with satin /gloss depending on the finish you want.

(Disclaimer: I am not a decorator!!)

Hope it looks nice :)

but won't the laminate start to come away at the edges if i sand it?

was hoping for some sort of special paint as i hate sanding! its so boring!

You need to buy laminate paint, but its mostly just in white- not sure if you could then paint over that tho .... Shouldnt think so

laminate paint - they sell it in B&Q
Could you not just get something like Stickarounds to decorate it with instead?

Instructions here

Pimp my Ikea!!

dexter thats fab, i shall we pimping my bookcase :)