The term ‘flat pack hacks’ is becoming increasing common. Over the past decade our homes have been invaded by flat pack mania. The DIY nature of these pieces has allowed us to update our homes more frequently.

Yet, as much as we love our quick and cost-saving finds, things are becoming a little samey. How often do you visit a friend our relative’s house only to find yourself saying “Oh, we have one of those”? Well, fear not. There is a new trend sweeping the UK which is seeing these generic pieces take a much more imaginative and creative form. By innovating with transformative hacks and new colour combinations, these plain fixtures can become something new and unique. Trust us, it’s not as hard as you think. Regardless of your level of experience, a lick of paint can instantly spruce up flat pack furniture and the more confident you get, the more creative your paint creations will become. Give it a go with these four easy to do flat pack hacks…

1. Striped Step Stool

What can be more boring and functional than a step stool? Well, we think we’ve done a pretty good job in turning this one into a real statement piece. To start, we used Rust-Oleum Surface Primer in Grey before covering the stool with two coats of Rust-Oleum Neon Spray Paint in Yellow and allowing to dry. We hand-painted the design with Satin Finish Furniture Paintin Carbon and Cotton to create on-trend, chevron detailing. To get the look, use masking or painter’s tape to corner off your design before painting and removing it once dry.

2. Colourful Crates

Wooden storage crates are perfect blank canvases for trying out colour combinations. For this crate, we used a combination of Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Furniture Paint in Powder Blue and China Rose. We transformed the small crate below into a stylish record box with Satin Finish Furniture Paint to achieve a mid-sheen lustre. For the outer area we chose Cotton and then opted for a bright Teal on the inside so when stored on the shelf a little pop of colour can be seen.

3. Chalkboard Table

For this children’s table set project we used Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Furniture Paint in Coral for the seats and surrounding table areas. We then used Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Spray Paint in Black to achieve a creative table top. To finish, we secured a silver bar to the side of the table along with three hooks and added three chalk pots. We painted inside the pots with Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch in Gloss White and used more of the Black Chalkboard Spray Paint to cover the outside of the pots, allowing you to add and wipe away labels or doodles to suit!

4. Cute Cross Stool

This stool was transformed into a little coffee table in just a few hours. We painted the majority of the stool in Rust-Oleum Mode Spray Paint in Pure Aqua and marked off the legs with masking tape before adding Rust-Oleum Mode Spray Paint in Celeste to finish.

Got a flat pack hack creation of your own? Tweet yours to @MakeItRustoleum.