It’s easy to understand the appeal of ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture. Cost-conscious shoppers love the prices, and the simple designs look good anywhere. It’s no wonder do-it-yourselfers have taken to upcycling RTA pieces to make them even more versatile and full of character. To show you how easy upcycling is, we took an IKEA kitchen island and topped it with laminate. Then we painted the rest with chalk paint and added new hardware to soften its appearance. Follow these step-by-step directions for the island or try them on another piece, like an IKEA bedside table.