This 1950’s suburban ranch house needed a major upgrade so architect Bradley Edwards stepped in and turned dated to darling. Wait until you see it. The overhaul included: a kitchen makeover, a screened porch and entry vestibule, and a new upper level with an informal living “nest,” outdoor terrace and master suite. The existing brick got a color change and the rest of the exterior is clad in common corrugated metal siding.

Karey loves her small home but since the time had come to start on a nursery, she needed to relocate home office. With a quick game of “furniture tetris” she found a great new place for her workspace. From Karey: Even though the space is super small, I really wanted to love it and still feel inspired to work. For a total of $287.70 we were able to get a much more efficient use of space. See more about this project at Staring Down the Sun. Thank you Karey!

This chest had great details (just look at that cool hardware) but wasn’t in great shape so Jourdan perked it up with a new look. Ombré! Jourdan used a paint sprayer to get a flawless application. We love how the keyhole-shapped pulls provide a pop of white on the gradually darkening drawers. Says Jourdan, ” I feel like I’m a regular old handyman with a tool belt and everything.” See more of Jourdan’s crafty projects at her blog Little Yellow Barn.

When Jessica bought her first place in Brooklyn earlier this year, it came with a grotty tar wall on the roof. Obviously this was not the outdoor oasis she had in mind. Read on to see her solution. Once again, IKEA saves the day. From Jessica: Apparently, someone in Sweden has the same problem, since Ikea makes these acacia wall panels in its Applaro series. They could be drilled right over our tar wall, with space for drainage and not that much gruntwork.

When Samaa spotted this old hutch at her local thrift store, she says, “it was positively flirting with me.” We’re guessing that their relationship has blossomed into a full-blown love affair. She patched, primed, painted and sealed the wood and gave the hardware a polish as well. Instead of wallpaper for the interior, the pattern is actually a well-chosen stencil.

When Sarah bought her first home, her mum got her this sofa to celebrate. 27 years later, it was time for a little refresh. Check out Sarah’s handiwork. She chose to reupholster in a beautiful, double-width ticking stripe fabric in classic blue and white, an inspired choice. Says Sarah, “This was my first attempt at buttoning and not sure if the stripes made it easier or harder, they did make my eyes go funny after a while though.” Thank you Sarah!

Interior Designer Tracy has a soft spot for mid century furniture, especially those pieces that seem unsalvageable. One day, she spotted this Kent Coffey chest outside her local Salvation Army. The piece had been sitting in the store for so long that they had parked it next to the dumpster. Obviously, she couldn’t pass up a rescue mission like this. After three rounds with paint stripper and hours of sanding, the true naked (and gorgeous) wood underneath was revealed.

Angela was looking for a way to create a classic accent wall to add interest to her dining room. Turns out, the answer was as close as the local Home Depot. Angela and her husband created their plank wall by custom cutting their boards and then using paneling nails to attach them to the wall. Angela says, “I truly don’t think there is one spot in our old home that is actually level.

Emily spent ages searching Craigslist for the perfect vintage sofa: carved wood details, large enough for 3 people, affordable. Just when she thought it was a lost cause, she came across this beauty for only 100 smackers. Says Emily, “I emailed as fast as my fingers could manage.” After a week of hunting through Harlem for the perfect mudcloth, she dropped off the bag of fabric at her local Brooklyn upholsterer. Less than a month later, her masterpiece was ready to take home!

Wendy loved this jewelry armoire because it was a family hand-me-down but she wanted to give it a new life, so she took on her very first furniture redo. It’s a doozy! Want to see her results? Read on. It took Wendy six weeks to complete her makeover and not just because she was a newbie. From the outside to the hardware to the lining, there wasn’t an inch of this piece that didn’t get an upgrade. Now it’s a family heirloom that Wendy can enjoy on her own terms.

Joy’d been stalking Craigslist for months in search of the perfect armchair for her living room, but finally struck gold at her favorite thrift store (and by gold…we mean orangey-brown) for a mere 17 clams. Says Joy, “I like to think that it found me. Atrocious orange? Check. Disintegrating foam? Check. Beautiful bones? Check. Check.

Erin’s neighbor was moving out of the state and she wanted to help fill her new, bigger home with furniture. When she spotted this chair at a garage sale for only $45, she knew that with a little work, this chair could be the perfect going away present. From Erin: With a little spray paint for the frame and a fun black and white bold fabric for the cushions, this chair screams for attention now. And our friend absolutely loved it! Want to copy her look?

Amy says, “Great things happen when you are willing to haul your neighbors’ discarded trash down the street at 8am in your PJs while they drive to work in their swanky cars.” Want to see what she means? Read on… Amy’s about to start her own creative business so she needed a great space to inspire her. With her limited budget ($200), she was able to fill in the gaps of her scavenging with a few key IKEA pieces and some DIY initiative.

Jessica picked up this bench for $10 several years ago, but it wasn’t until a trip to India that she found the perfect fabric to complete her project (and get a lovely souvenir from her travels). When she stumbled upon this beautiful gold leaf print, she knew it would be perfect for the bench. She also sanded and painted the frame to compliment the new design. Jessica says, “All told I spent about $45 on this bench and I love the way it looks in my entry!

Heidi had been storing these bland 90’s era stools, hand-me-downs from a relative, for years but it took her daughter’s room makeover to finally put these blank canvas stools to use. See how she punched up their personality. From Heidi: I first painted them a raspberry pink color. I created the gold dipped effect by spray painting a taped off portion of each stool leg.The whole project cost about $10 and only took a couple of hours. It fits perfectly in her themed room and I LOVE it!

Jennifer and John loved their new home’s open floor plan, but they didn’t love the lack of a defined dining area. So they set out to create a dining space with personality and punch. For the walls, they chose a muted yellow (Dried Plantain by Behr) which, Jennifer says, “makes us happy and hungry!

Kate stumbled upon these two dilapidated chairs at her local Goodwill for…wait for it… $14.99 for both. Spoiler alert: she sure got her money’s worth. Want to see these chairs now? Kate says, “as I started to peel away the faded ashes of rose velour, the foam basically fell off the seats and backs and disintegrated into a cloud of dust.” Obviously new foam and fabric was in order: I fell in love with this bold 50’s inspired floral pattern.

Michelle and her husband go camping every year with a big group of friends, but they were getting tired of their tent, so they found a rundown vintage trailer and fixed it up. Michelle says, “We had no idea how much fun it was going to be.” From Michelle: We would work on it at night after the kids were in bed, and it took us about 4 months from start to finish. We have three girls so we painted it pink (obviously!).

Ashley’s a DIY fanatic and she had so many ideas that she couldn’t commit to a headboard so she found a clever solution to both her blank wall and her need for variety. A customizable headboard! Smart! Says Ashley, “Now whenever I get an itch for change, I can easily update it with whatever style or trend I love at the time!” Want to steal her look? Ashley shares the whole project at her blog, Sugar & Cloth. Thank you Ashley!

Matt and Christian’s IKEA table was still really good at doing table jobs like supporting their food, but not so good at looking pretty while doing it — the pressboard top was beginning to disintegrate. So they came up with an easy and inexpensive way to give it a new life. They headed over to their local scrapyard and picked up some reclaimed 3/4” planks. For variety, they looked specifically for pieces with interesting paint or stain colors.

Lizzie described her budget as “less than a shoestring,” so when she found this old rocking chair at a clearance yard, she snatched it up. She sanded the seat, arms and back (taking off several layers of skin along with the peeling varnish) and painted them in a quirky neon turquoise (an unexpectedly and fun choice). Looks like her risk paid off. Lizzie obviously has a history of scoring great deals.

Anu’s family (which includes two small boys and a Golden Retriever) was in desperate need of a mudroom — a place to feed the dog and keep all the muddy boots and winter kid gear — but their small bungalow just didn’t have the space. Wow! Anu transformed that unused nook into a mini mudroom. The floating bench serves as seating as well as a place to stow shoes and dog bowls. Cabinet knobs became coat hooks and each boy/dog in the house even has his own bin.

Amanda’s original 70’s monster of a moss rock fireplace didn’t look good or even function. From Amanda: To fix the function, we bought a wood burning insert. For a sleek, updated look we built a frame around the rock, tiled the lower portion, added plywood to the top, trim pieces, and painted it crisp white. Now we adore the clean lines and contrasting colors. See more photos and details at Amanda’s blog, Our Humble Abode. Thank you Amanda!

Lettie had been on the lookout for both a dresser and a nightstand for a long time when she spotted this lovely piece on Craigslist for an affordable $40. Not only was it the perfect size, but also the perfect height to do double duty as a nightstand! From Lettie: The only downfall was that the body of the dresser was laminate. I read a lot about painting right over laminate and decided to go for it.

When she came across a stockpile of free castoffs from an antique store (i.e. heaven), Emily, the smart cookie that she is, took full advantage. Want to see her final product? (hint: it’s not two chairs anymore) Surprise! Way to think outside the chair, Emily! Using just the existing frames, some scrap wood and new foam and fabric, she made a custom bench, perfect for her space. See more of her makeover at Emily Grace King. Thank you Emily!

John had been searching for an Adrian Pearsall style sofa for a long time. As he was scouring Craigslist one day, he came across an ad that simply said, “Vintage Couch – $60.” Luckily, he took a chance and found this amazing (though horribly upholstered) sofa. From John: Because I’d been researching this style of sofa for months, I was pretty sure it wasn’t a real Pearsall, but I didn’t care. I’m not a label whore.

After 10 years of living with a crumbling kitchen, Judy finally decided enough was enough. Inspired by a certain robin’s egg blue box, she worked with her limited budget to get a Tiffany’s inspired kitchen without the Tiffany’s inspired price. Judy saved some cash by reusing the appliances and flooring and hiring locally in her neighborhood of Queens, NYC. She splurged on marble countertops but still managed to ring in the remodel at about $13,000.

This 1925 home was intended to be a boxy Spanish bungalow but due to some unfortunate 1980’s additions, the aesthetic was a little lacking and Hunter knew he could help reclaim its original pizazz. Want to see this little house now?Much better!From Hunter: I decided immediately that the home needed to be restored to its intended Spanish style. Most of the homes on the block were this style and I could tell the home was originally built that way.

Shaun’s UK home was originally occupied by a dear old lady who was a smoker, so the room was dated and “ciggie stained.”  But he had big plans for this small room.Shaun kept his canvas — the walls and furniture — white in order to let his artwork and  personal items shine even more.

While house hunting, Holly and Ryan nicknamed this 1974 abode, “The Depressing House” due to its dark, cave-like feel.  They bought it anyway.  Want to see this kitchen today?Over the course of a year, they tore down the upper cabinets to open up the sight lines, ripped out three layers of linoleum and painted the cabinets a chic gray (Martha Stewart Zinc).

Taylor and Corey desperately wanted some built-in cabinets for their living room but   space was limited, so they found a vertical solution.  Can you guess what they used? (Hint: I suspect this photo was taken just as they started their project) Perennial favorite, the IKEA Billy bookshelf strikes again!  Using two shelves (extended up to the ceiling) and custom moulding, they created lots of storage that looks and feels original.

To appease her surfer husband Andrew after they moved to land-locked Colorado Springs, Amy had a creative paint idea and turned the staircase in their live/work loft into an homage to the sea. She painted the risers a cool, ocean-inpired blue and topped off the staircase with an old surfboard. No word on whether their adorable dog is much of a swimmer, but it seems like they’re all enjoying the new look. It came out great! Thank you Amy!

There’s a reason we don’t feature many garage makeovers here at Apartment Therapy: no one but the very bravest souls will give us a peek at the often messy “before”!  Not James, he’s proud to share his new garage, and rightly so.  He transformed a dank garage into a bright and organized workspace.  The walls were planked with cost-effective (and aromatic) fencing cedar and the cabinets were leftovers from a previous kitchen renovation.

19-year-old college student Reeves picked up this dresser at an auction because she loved its clean lines and shape, but it needed a bit of an upgrade.  After prepping with a good sanding, she gave this beauty a new look with Sherwin Williams’ Smoky Blue paint. To prevent bleed through, she used two coats of water-based poly and, once the paint cured, lightly distressed the detailing and sealed it with wax.  The new, white hardware really pops against the updated color.

Heidi described her main bathroom as “tiny and odd,” and “yuck, yuck, yucky.”  It was beige with yellow lighting, an ugly vanity and a crooked door.  Well, it’s yellow no more. She opened up the space by removing the vanity and installing a pedestal sink, then adding plenty of wall storage. She used galvanized pipe and hardwood planks — stained and sealed — to create a custom shelving unit and towel bars.

Earlier this year, Samantha was hired by a newly-married Houston couple to transform their living room on a budget. Although they’d lived in their townhouse for about a year, they’d never really felt settled.  But with a baby on the way, the couple wanted to spruce up their space.  And spruce it they did!  Want to see it today?Despite their tight budget, they still wanted classic design that would reflect their growing family.

Christa couldn’t believe her luck when she found this gorgeous settee lounging around a Salt Lake City antique shop.  Despite the dowdy fabric, she knew it was the perfect candidate for a makeover.Amazing!  Inspired by the fact that the settee was a perfect example of 19th-century American Greek Revival, she chose to reupholster this beauty (which she aptly named Aphrodite) in black and white Greek key.

Joy and Corey loved their downtown Los Angeles loft, but its small footprint made finding storage space pretty challenging. So they figured out a way to take advantage of their 13′ ceilings by going vertical.From Joy: The whole project was inspired by the need to get stuff up and off the floor; with limited square footage, every inch counts. Also, I really wanted a way to consolidate all our media elements.