This project is a great example of how even not-so-splurge -worthy yard sale finds can have amazing potential. Robin and her roomate Nat had been on the hunt for the perfect bar cart and, lucky them, they snapped this one up for only $10. We’re loving how their bold color choice really highlights that sexy shape. Great find! Robin says ,”After a quick clean and two coats of yellow enamel spray paint we had a revamped bar cart worthy of vintage accessories and summer parties.

Angela happened upon this hutch at a tag sale in Connecticut recently. The price was “ridiculous in a good way,” and when the sellers threw in free delivery, she just couldn’t say no. Angela says: I contemplated long and hard over whether or not I should paint this. Here’s a few reasons why I did. First, I wanted to replace the broken and missing hardware and would need to patch the current holes to do so.

Ainhoa and her husband were already enjoying these classic IKEA Besta cabinets, but decided they wanted a more custom look so they cleverly (and cheaply) transformed them into a totally new piece. Wait until you see it. Wow! Looks like they’ve made a few other changes to the decor as well, and those built-ins look right at home. Ainhoa explains their process: We disassembled the cabinets, cut the sideboards to the height we wanted them, and reassembled them.

Charlotte and her family moved from NYC to the suburbs and into this sweet 100-year-old house. They loved this living room because of the bright and beautiful bay windows. Says Charlotte, “All it took was some color to brighten up the ol’ girl.” Much better! And all it took was one chair to inspire the palette for the entire room.

Maria had a near-perfect Craigslist experience with these two cane-back chairs — not only did she get them for a great price, but the seller was so anxious to get them out of his basement he even delivered them right to her door! She’s been hoarding these chairs “in her stash” for a year and she finally came up with a makeover plan. Want to see it? What a difference! We love the bold fabric choice, it really freshens up the classic shape.

Nicole took advantage of a road trip to try a new thrift store, and she scored this cute, little dresser. Since it cost her “practically nothing,” it was the perfect chance to try a little decor experiment. She chose Benjamin Moore Tropicana Cabana and Snowfall White to give this piece some contrast, and we’re loving that cute pop of pattern she picked to decorate the drawers.

Mary picked up this dark stained end table at Habitat Restore for $25 and gave it a very unexpected style update. See what we mean… We love how, with a few small changes, Mary completely altered the look and feel of this little table. She began by removing the (many) tack heads and handle, and filling and sanding the holes. Then she chose Glidden Duo paint and primer in Rich Navy.

When Griffin bought this new home back in 2010, it was builder-grade beige as far as the eye could see. Over the course of four years, she transformed the blah space into a room that accommodates toddler play by day, and family sit down dinners by night. Griffin chose a Danish Modern dining set to up the Mid-Century appeal, while practical baskets in the buffet conceal toy storage clutter.

Reeves is back and rockin another amazing makeover. She was drawn to this Craigslist dresser because of its claw feet and birds eye maple wood, and, in her capable hands, it got a even better. What a pretty pop! It really highlights that unique wood grain. Nice choice. Says Reeves: The finish on the drawers and top needed to be redone, but I could not cover it up in paint. I only painted the frame of the dresser and left the top and drawers natural! See more at the Weathered Door.

Angela loves the clean lines of Mid-Century Modern — it’s a perfect fit for her Mid-Century-era home and always well built. When she found this table at a thrift store, she called it “insanely heavy.” Even so, she dragged it home. What a handsome piece. The white accents really show off the gleamy wood. Great job. From Angela: I started by sanding the entire thing and staining the drawers and base using General Finishes Java Gel Stain.

Charlotte says, “I check in with Craig (and his list) on a daily basis. When I came across a pair of matching wooden arm chairs, I pounced. I talked the seller down to $75 each, and brought them home for a facelift.” Charlotte decided on red spray paint to complement a similar red coffee table in her space. She says, “A million hours later, all the nail heads and staples were out and I was ready to spray.

Reeves snagged this Drexel campaign chest from a thrift store store last year. Its laminate top and damaged drawers needed some work, but after avoiding the project for a year, she finally got around to addressing this little chest. We give it an A+ color choice. That deep, bold black really makes the original hardware shine. Great job. From Reeves: I removed the hardware, sanded the piece (and the drawers so they fit), and then primed the top with an oil based primer meant for laminate.

Ellen’s had this coffee table for 12 years. It was her first piece of “grown up” furniture so it’s quite sentimental. In fact, she fondly referred to it as “the giant coaster,” because of the custom glass covering the inlaid detail on top. But recently, the orange-toned finish was starting to annoy her, so she tried re-staining it with a black varnish and did “an atrociously bad job of it.

Noelle had been curious about chalk paint for a while so she decided to tackle her own project using her old white IKEA Lack coffee table. She says, “I figured the worst that could happen is that I’d have to head out to IKEA and buy another table if it was a total bust.” But it wasn’t a bust at all. She chose Cece Caldwell’s chalk and clay paint in Destin Gulf Green.

Krizia had had this perfectly functional IKEA dresser for some time, but she was so busy remaking other people’s treasures that she hadn’t given it any love. Finally, she made time to add some extra flair and we’re loving how it turned out. Wow! She gave her dresser a coat of paint and used O’verlays fretwork to add some major architectural interest. And, not for nothing, but that’s some pretty spiffy styling, Krizia.

This dresser was in need of some major love — it boasted a broken drawer, huge nail holes, stickers and scratches. But Cassie isn’t one to let such a unique piece slip through her fingers. Cassie says: I had planned to refinish it, but the holes that needed filling were just too big. So instead, I painted it a bold color. A friend suggested overlays for the drawer fronts, which my carpenter neighbor cut out for me.

When they moved in together, Jamielynn’s boyfriend Jason insisted they keep this old dresser. She agreed on one condion: that they spruce it up. Well, spruce they did. Jamielynn says: The first thing I discovered was a plaque inside the top draw that read ‘F. S. Harmon Manufacturing Co. Tacoma, Washington’ which coincidentally is my hometown. That warmed me up to this rather time consuming project.

Rae started with a kitchen table and chairs that, though lovely, were not exactly her style. With a little love, she turned them into something brand new and perfect for her kitchen. She fell in love with a delicate blue and white fabric and that was the catalyst for her bold blue paint choice. We love the addition of white to break up the darker blue with some chic colorblocking. Great job! Rae says, “I love paint because it’s such a fun and cheap change.

Becky shelled out exactly $0 for this old, iron bed. She was able to barter with a crystal light fixture that didn’t work in her space. Wowee, what a smart trade that turned out to be.

Haley says, “I will admit that I made some mistakes along the way. I accidentally sanded down one of my favorite details- the chevron patterned wood that ran along the bottom and middle of the dresser, boo.” Every project has a little trial and error, but especailly for a first-effort, we think you did a beautiful job, Haley. Congratulations. Here’s how the material costs came out: Sandpaper- $5.50 Wood Glue- $7.50 Wood Stain- Already had Pulls- $50.00 Total- $63.

They gave the wood a good sanding and decided on a two-tone stain which really makes those Art Deco details pop. Christina says, “We picked away at it once a week for the summer, and we couldn’t be more proud of the results, and the memories of working on it together!” Thank you Christina! Re-edited from a post originally published 5.5.

Kimberly joined in our Apartment Therapy Style Cure in 2013 and, even though she went into this bathroom update with pretty low expectations, she wound up getting a huge style upgrade on a budget. Kimberly says, “I am so happy with the final result and I would have never done it without the encouragement from you and your readers. Thanks for guiding me along, AT!” See more pictures of Kimberly’s new bath at Turning it Home Thank you Kimberly!