Build A Simple Aesthetic Pet Feeding Station With The IKEA BESTA Shelf
As much as we love our pets, we don't always love the look of their feeding areas. Luckily, Instagram DIYer @julias.athome has a tip to keep your home stylish when you have pets, making mealtime eyesores a thing of the past. All you need are a couple of IKEA BESTA shelves, a jigsaw, peel-and-stick contact paper, and some screws. The finished result is a simple aesthetic pet feeding station that will bring luxury to your furry friend's life as much as it will to yours.
The two shelves that @julias.athome starts with are large, leftover interior shelves from an IKEA BESTA floating storage unit. One is used as-is to act as the base of the feeding station, while the other is cut down to become a backsplash. Start by measuring the height of this back piece to your preference, and mark where you want to cut it. Use a straightedge to draw your cutting line across the shelf, and then make the cut. To do so, you can use a jigsaw tool for this home DIY project.
If you are power tool-shy and starting from scratch, eliminate cutting altogether by buying one large BESTA shelf and one narrow BESTA shelf instead of two large ones. Or, you can have two pieces of plywood cut to size at a home improvement store like Lowes. For those who don't already have the BESTA shelves on hand, either of these alternatives will both simplify the project and reduce its overall cost.
Cover and assemble your feeding station
Once you have the two pieces of your feeding station ready to go, the next step is to wrap them in marble patterned contact paper or peel-and-stick wallpaper. To get a similar look to the pattern in the video, opt for a classic white and gray marble design like this PracticalWs Glossy Marble Wallpaper. If you want to deviate from marble, try a contact paper in a different pattern, like this MelunMer Wood Grain Contact Paper, which reminds us of butcher block countertops.
Whichever design you choose, make sure to pick a peel-and-stick that is labeled waterproof. That way, you know your feeding station can withstand the inevitable splashes and spills from your pet's food bowls. It will also make cleanup super simple. Depending on how much you buy, you might not use it all, so make the most of your leftover peel-and-stick wallpaper by putting it to work in other DIYs.
The last thing to do is assemble your feeding station by securing the two pieces together. Start by lining them up in an L-shape. Then, screw the back piece into the base at both ends, taking care to drill straight and avoid splitting the material. Once you're done, put the station down in your pet's favorite dining corner, and enjoy the aesthetic addition to your home.