Breanna’s parents pickedup this trunk for her at an antique show for only $10. What a great deal for such a multi-purpose, handsome piece! She added one simple element and is now using this antique in a whole new way. We can never get enough of coffee tables with storage — they’re so perfect for small spaces — and the addition of a sturdy top really takes the classic trunk table up a notch.

When Barbara found this beat-up but beautiful chair in a thrift store, she already had two peacock chairs, but something about this one was different. It wasn’t very exciting to look at, but the chair was so sturdy and strong that she couldn’t help but bring it home. We just love Barbara’s thoughtful take on preowned furniture. Every DIYer can relate to these sentiments. Barbara says: Secondhand furniture can sometimes be like people.

While packing up her apartment for a move, Jenn asked her three-year-old son, “If you could have anything in the world in your new room, what would it be?” His answer was immediate: “A garage to keep all of my trucks.” So rather than ditch this drab, old shelf in the move, the wheels began turning. Absolutely adorable! We love how Jenn turned those scallop shapes into little-boy-worthy cars! From Jenn: I gave the shelf a quick coat of Pool Blue paint.

Libby bagged this solid wood dresser at a vintage store for $20. She says, “I couldn’t believe it – I thought the price tag would say $200!” Gorgeous! We love how she got rid of what didn’t work (uhhh…layers and layers of paint) but kept what did (those pulls are everything). Great job, Libby. From Libby: I used my orbital sander to take off the three previous layers of paint on the top and edges, to reveal the raw wood underneath.

Beau in Australia is a woman of few words. We don’t know where or how she came across this “little old discarded dressing table,” but her results speak for themselves. Gorgeous! We’re loving that colorful, graphic fabric choice. Great job. Beau says she transformed this piece into a, “small, chippy hall stand using Annie Sloan Duck Egg and geometric style fabric to wrap the drawers.” Check out Beau’s blog, Drip Designs. Thank you Beau!

Lana’s family needed a space to pull their stroller in, roll their bikes through, and let their umbrellas dry, and they didn’t want it to be fussy. They spent a weekend transforming this stodgy entry into a “fun spot to throw some shoes on.” So fun! We love the punch of personality that pattern gives this little room. Great job.

When Erin moved into her home, the kitchen looked like this: fluorescent lighting, dark wood cabinetry, beat up laminate countertop, and a fake brick backsplash. Not cute. So she got rid of the bad (laminate!) and kept the good (that cute rug) and made some major DIY upgrades that gave her kitchen both the look and functionality she needed. From Erin: With its galley layout and wall-to-wall upper cabinetry, work space was virtually nonexistent.

Sara loves to reuse furniture so when she got this damaged dresser from her mom, she knew it had the potential for a gorgeous redo. Wow! That is one handsome dresser. The darker color and sleek new pulls really elevate the look and feel of its basic shape. Sara even tells us that the mirror in the picture used to belong to her great grandmother. Way to keep it in the family and use what you have, Sara. See more at Architecture and a little bit more. Thank you Sara!

Leslie says,”When I saw this dull brown cabinet in the thrift store, it begged for glam.” Well, glam it up she did. Good eye, Leslie! Those mirrored panels really show off those door details. From Leslie: After primer and paint, I used a couple of packages of mirrored tiles from the big box hardware store. The top was a fake slate formica that totally dated the piece. I used a mitre saw, moldings and pewter appliance pulls to fabricate a new top that resembles a gallery tray.

Several years ago, Rita found this unfortunate looking, 40-year-old nightstand in her mother’s basement and adopted it. She tells us it wasn’t much to look at to begin with and it’s certainly taken a beating since, so she decided it was finally time to give this neglected piece of furniture a facelift. Didn’t see that one coming! We’re loving the punch of personality Rita gave this little table.

Not everyone is brave enough to show off their laundry room like Anna. Hers was the room that accumulated all of the extra “I-don’t-quite-know-what-to-do-with-this-right-now-so-I’m-going-to-leave-it-here-and-forget-all-about-it.” Finally enough was enough and Anna decided her laundry room should be functional for, you know, actual laundry. These were Anna’s goals: •A surface to sort and fold laundry comfortably. •A place to hang ironing.

When Tessa found this desk in the free section of Craigslist, she knew it was meant to come home with her. She said, “I liked the lines of it a lot and the non-existent price tag, if not the color and Hannah Montana stickers.” She was able to change an unused nook into a whole home office! So smart! From Tessa: I’m a Furniture Designer working from home and just moved into a new place with my friends.

When Julie’s family arrived at their new home in Ottawa, Ontario this gem was waiting in the driveway. The metal frames had been left over from a renovation and had been rusting outside for quite a while. But brave Julie took one look at the pile of rubble and immediately thought, “I can do something with that!” From Julie: I have been working with reclaimed wood for a while now and I love the wood and metal combination so I got to work.

Angela says, “Sometimes you should just walk away from a craigslist sale,” but she must be a glutton for punishment because she still brought home this dilapidated Dixie dresser for just $40. It had chipping veneer, major leg damage and sagging in the center, so we were shocked to see this baby looking so lovely. From Angela: The metal gripper that holds the legs in place was missing on one leg.

Reeves was so excited to work on these Willete mid-century nightstands when she picked them up at a furniture sale. Little did she know the headache they’d be. But despite some setbacks, Reeves really turned this project around and we think the final results were worth the wait.

Zandra wanted to give her outdoor space a little spruce up this summer. She couldn’t afford a super fancy patio set, but still managed to add some major personality to her budget, big-box store purchases. So. Much. Better. Here are Zandra’s tips for this fun, colorful look: Just switching out the pillows that came with the furniture set makes it feel less like it all just came out of a box. Hanging plants give height to your space as well as a sense of privacy.

Maggie started with a pair of Mid-Century tulip swivel chairs that she picked up at a flea market for only $42. Even though they almost had a “so ugly they’re cool” vibe, they were stained and smelled of musty old cigarette smoke, so these babies needed an outfit change. Maggie’s lucky husband got himself a new desk chair.

When Anika got her hands on a gorgeous Bassett dresser at a local auction for only $75, she just knew that this was a hidden gem waiting for someone like her to come along and make it shine. White + wood wins again! Anika says: After painting it with spray paint and dark wood stain a gorgeous two toned mid-century modern dresser was born. We absolutely love our new and stylish dresser in the master bedroom. See more at A Place of My Taste. Thank you Anika!