Tim Inman: I'm no good answering questions about restoring IKEA melamine works. Actually, how could you go wrong with painting an IKEA piece? It is one reason I always keep a good woodburning stove in my shop. I can at least get heat from it.

Chris Marshall: It couldn't hurt to scuff-sand your wardrobe before painting it to de-gloss the melamine and give the paint something to stick to. It can only help your odds for success. But I wouldn't put a lot of effort into the whole process before trying the paint out on a scrap of sanded and unsanded melamine first. You can buy melamine shelving pretty inexpensively at home centers, and it's sold by the single piece. Let the paint dry thoroughly, then test it to see if painted melamine will offer the wear resistance you expect. I'd probably try scratching it with a fingernail here and there and see what happens. Good luck!