DIY Furniture Home Projects

We’ve seen a few IKEA KALLAX hacks before— the room divider, the terrarium, the amazing craft credenza—and they’re all inspiring, and this one is no exception. The secret, magical ingredient? Plywood. Reddit user thehomestud scored some free IKEA KALLAX units with drawers and decided to make the most of this windfall.

This estate sale sectional had its issues, but what it lacked in legs it made up for in mice. Don’t let the beautiful backdrop distract you: This sofa needed some serious (read: professional) TLC to go from threadbare and disintegrating to refined and rodent-free. Here’s how this sofa was acquired: The day before I moved 1,000 miles to my current home, I spotted a mid-century sectional sofa at an estate sale and bought it for my new place.

Jenny McClary and Allie Leepson never originally intended to purchase a cabin in the woods of Vermont… they first looked to buy a home in Joshua Tree. But, after losing out on offers on homes to cash buyers, they decided to change course and take a look in Vermont to see if anything sparked their interest like those in California. Three of them actually did… and they put an offer on this three-bedroom rustic cabin immediately!

This Redditor’s pantry was impressive, both in terms of its size, but also in the amount of food, kitchen supplies, and cookbooks he had stuffed in there. For $250 and some DIY power, he completely revamped the space and made it so much more functional and appealing. I think we can all relate to what this pantry looked like before: Standard wire shelving, jumbled up goods, the works.

This dining room is so graceful and elegant—that delicate molding and beautiful hardwood floor, but its new owner found it lackluster and hollow. IKEA’s BILLY bookcase to the rescue! Well, more like eight BILLYs to the rescue… Reader Oriane Szekelyhidi-Williams kindly shares a wealth of details about the inspiration behind this project and the challenges faced: We purchased our condo knowing we would be doing a BIG overhaul on the space.

This sad chair—IKEA’s ubiquitous POANG—was languishing on a curb, doomed to rot away, dreaming of those good old days when it was useful. Fortunately, someone with a vision (and 20 meters of rope) happened to walk by and oops-a-daisy! Britt Winter of Regroovinator on Etsy describes happening upon this chair, and the makeover time crunch: This sorry-looking IKEA POANG was a curbside find: bare bones and a ripped-up seat. However, those bones were good.

IKEA’s KALLAX is perfect for holding boxes, bins, baskets, and books, but one DIYer saw its potential as an understated entertainment unit—and the results are inspiring. This looks so great. Nicole Witney of Meraki came up with and completed this smart hack, which has so much going for it. Its central position means it is viewable from the kitchen—essential for tedious food prep/cleaning tasks—and yet it doesn’t dominate the space.

Most homes have random, awkward areas that aren’t serving much purpose—either they’re a weird shape or size, or just too small for most furniture. Enter IKEA hacks: The cheap way to bend furniture to your will and make it work for your particular home. Here are six times clever people not only filled a space, but filled it with useful storage made from IKEA products. Sherry and John of Young House Love used a MALM dresser at the top of their stairwell.

Kai and Julie are the kind of adventurous couple to take a risk. While walking to get coffee in their Berlin neighborhood, they came across this bus for sale—and bought it the next day. According to Kai, these sorts of buses aren’t commonly found in their area. Not to mention the couple didn’t know anything about converting a bus when they made the purchase.

When Laura Gibson—who runs the blog Sophisticated Rust—and her husband moved into this rental house, she didn’t see a lot to love. It was small, hadn’t been taken care of, and just wasn’t what she wanted in a home. But her husband fell in love with the property and persuaded her to consider purchasing it. She was finally sold on the idea, but only if they put a lot of work into the house.

This poor old dresser was dated and unwanted, until one intrepid crafter, armed with only a vision and an impressive drawer pull collection, took it in and made it over. The results are fantastically impressive. I actually squealed a bit when I saw this—and I don’t even really like purple! This is a piece that is 100% practical (storage), while somehow also being 100% fun (tassels!).

This 34-square-meter (366-square-foot) Moscow apartment might not look like too much right now, but its owner saw potential and had it transformed into a rather roomy—bigger than at least two of my apartments anyway—Airbnb rental apartment. Unsurprisingly, the kitchen is the heart of this (temporary) home. This renovation was created by Anna Kovalchenko of Essenziale, who wisely stuck to a limited palette—black, white, and wood—throughout the small space.

This guest room closet was due for an update—it was originally dark brown—but its owner didn’t want to drop a ton of cash on it. After spending a few weeks and $76.69, this closet is now practical and super cute. The makeover by Jessica and Brett of The Mountain and Moon is darling. The new shelves add a ton of valuable storage, the accordion rack is as pretty as it is helpful, and that dotted wall is eye-catching!

Some IKEA hacks are small. A little paint here, some new hardware there—they get the job done. And then there are the IKEA hacks that are so big and so dramatic, they make the room. If you have a wall to fill, or a problem to solve, check out some of these genius solutions. This movable art display wall from Sinnen Rausch has so much going for it, starting with that dusty rose paint job.

Name: Nikki Norberg and Bryan Frank Location: Minneapolis, MN Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned I work at Blu Dot doing a mixture of photo and design, and Bryan is a web developer. Ceramics is something we both find passion in because it is a way to escape the computer screen and create with our hands. Here was our very sad, dingy, asbestos-tile filled basement just a few months ago. We wanted to convert the basement into a usable studio where we felt relaxed and inspired.

A 175-square-foot apartment is a small apartment, but one of our readers has transformed a challenging space overwhelmed by bulky furniture into a serene, seemingly spacious oasis, all for $1,700. Before we move on to the studio as it is now, here’s how reader Emily Barry described it before: The space had a more utilitarian feel before I moved in; it was basically being used only for sleeping, and didn’t feature much more than a bed and a TV.

A daring and dramatic 30-day transformation.

If your cat lives a fancier life than you do, then they deserve a bed from Meyou Paris to match their style. These beds aren’t for basic little kitties. You’re going to be so jealous of these chic beds, you are going to want one for yourself. Have you ever wanted to take a nap in your cat’s bed? These furry little felines always have the cutest beds! If you’re looking for a chic cat bed that will fit in with your open concept home and modern space, look no further.

What a nice bedroom! What will it have that’s new? Fresh bedding and/or wall paint? Or perhaps something a bit more dramatic . . . and even dog-friendly? This is so fun! And incredibly practical: additional storage, a nest-like reading/sleeping spot, a large mirror for outfit-evaluating and space embiggening, and a lovely new home for Deacon the dog. This makeover was created by Erica Massey—be sure to check out her Instagram for lots of puppy pics.

The Passover Seder is one of the most important meals that Jewish people eat all year, and there is no arguing that the symbolism and ritual associated with the dinner is far more meaningful than the décor. That said, given that family and friends use the first two nights of the eight-day holiday to gather around the table, it would be nice if that table looked beautiful.

These pieces only look expensive.

Who doesn’t want to be comfortable when sitting? Well, that’s kind of the entire point of plopping your weary bones down on the nearest piece of cushy furniture, no? Sure, but after laying eyes on this Slip Chair that Snarkitecture crafted for Portugal-based design firm UVA, one might begin to question whether sitting comfortably is even an option at all. (Hint: It totally is).

IKEA might love it when customers hack their products, but I particularly love it when IKEA hacks themselves. I recently dove deep down into their website, and pulled out some of my very favorite decorating and storage projects hiding in there—all of which take their items up a notch or ten. Here’s a way to add a little interest and style to an otherwise functional yet basic IVAR storage system.

If you’ve ever slept on a waterbed, you know that it is a singular experience. My cousins had one growing up, and I thought it was the most fascinating thing — I had never dreamed that sleep could feel (or, let’s be honest, sound) like that.

We featured Malcolm’s epic small kitchen renovation earlier this week, but couldn’t resist sharing another DIY project from his condo. In less than a week (while being sick as a dog), he installed new wainscoting that transformed a second bedroom into a guest-ready retreat. Not only is it a subtle yet striking architectural statement, but no additional headboard is needed.

It's one of the easiest way to hack and personalize your favorite basics.

Evygenia from Foxy and Brass has a small desk that’s tucked inside an alcove in her apartment, and it’s surrounded by built-in shelving. To get herself organized, she hacked an IKEA SKADIS pegboard to fit the space. Not only does the spot look ten times better, but the project solved more than one small space problem. First she cut the pegboard exactly to size [note: the SKÅDIS pegboard isn’t currently available in the U.S.

Here's our top 10 countdown of predictions....

Humans have competitions for all kinds of strange things: holding beer steins, racing lawn mowers, chasing a wheel of cheese down a hill. But these all seem positively mainstream compared to a competition that is held annually at the L.A. County Fair, where participants attempt to outdo each other in setting the table. But these aren’t just any tables. These are the most elaborate (and occasionally absurd) tablescapes you have ever seen.

Earlier this year, Form Us With Love designed kitchen cabinets made from recycled plastic bottles. Now, the studio is back with another simple-yet-stunning take on sustainable furniture in the form of this chic IKEA chair made from recycled plastic and wood chips. The sustainable materials used to create the chair – dubbed Odger — were originally intended for pallets, but the designers discovered that the materials were more suitable for its affordable seating option.

November 1st marks the start of Prettypegs’ PrettyHackathon Auction. Why should this interest you? Well, if you’ve been holding onto those less-than-perfect or basic IKEA pieces in hopes of giving them new, exciting life, we’ve just found the ultimate source for makeover ideas and inspiration.

With the launch of their latest Winter Collection of textured throws, warm candles and confectionery goodies, IKEA aims to help add a little magic to the holiday season. But the company hasn’t forgotten the most important part of gatherings — comfortable seating. If spare chairs don’t have a place in your small space, consider another option: temporarily transform your stools or side-tables into the perfect perch for your guests.

After a move that left her with more square footage, but less counter space, Stephanie was on the hunt for something to house her all important espresso machine in a stylish and functional way. Realizing that a good old fashioned IKEA hack was in order, she set about giving her soon-to-be-java-cart a new look. And I think we can all agree, it’s a grande idea! From Stephanie: While most people style kitchen carts into bar carts, we knew our cart had to be for cappuccinos.

Whether you have a separate dining room or not, finding the perfect chairs to enjoy a meal on is not an easy feat for the budget minded design lover. When you’re on the hunt to find two to eight (or more!) comfortable and attractive seats, that quickly adds up. That’s why we were excited when we came across this chic bargain that’s almost too good to be true.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Finding affordable art that you actually like is one of the hardest parts of furnishing a home. And once you finally find the pieces, you realize that frames cost even more than the art itself (yikes!). As per usual, IKEA (combined with brilliant bloggers around the web) saves the day with wall decor DIYs and art-hanging hacks that are totally within budget. You can kiss those blank walls buh-bye.

Kids rooms can be a tough nut to crack. They have to combine storage and function with style that can be adaptable to the changing and developing tastes of the young one. Jane decided that they could do more to maximize the space of their daughter’s room and give her a space that was more reflective of who she is. Enter, the IKEA hack! From Jane: Our youngest daughter’s bedroom was relatively small and lacked space for additional furniture for storage.

When your bedroom is too small to even fit a nightstand, this homemade ledge for your bedside wall is the next best alternative. Constructed from the parts of two $4 BEKVAM spice racks, this little shelf is perfectly sized for holding a glass of water, your phone and a pendant lamp—so everything you need is right within reach.

The $35 unfinished pine dresser from IKEA is a blank slate for your creativity. To show how it can be customized to match any decor style—no matter if your signature look is understated or over-the-top—we hacked this dresser two ways. Keep it simple with some paint and a bit of patterned gift wrap, or embrace elaborate bohemian details with bone-inlay stenciling. Either way, you’re going to get extra storage with serious style.

If you know of an old POÄNG chair that’s looking a little worse for wear, you could take a page from Philippa Saul’s book and cover it top to bottom with a glorious, hand-crocheted (-knitted and -embroidered) country cottage and garden.

The cube-shaped EKET cabinet has us thinking outside the box, to all the stackable, modular options this simple design presents. By adding wheels to the bottom and stacking one on top of another using Velcro, you can easily switch out the cabinets or roll them from room-to-room—proving that this little storage unit has big potential.

It’s always a curious thing when a piece of furniture with a pedigree that dates back centuries manages to situate itself into contemporary design (without actually looking like an antique). Such is the case with the Windsor chair. Originating in the early 1700s and taking its name from the English town of—you guessed it—Windsor, the humble wooden chair has been an anchor of English and American interiors past and present.

The last thing we tend to think of when we see furniture is an extraterrestrial entity, but this UFO-shaped rocking chair has us seriously reconsidering the way we view seating options. Despite the obvious stigma attached to it, allow us to assure you that this rocking chair doesn’t immediately conjure up images of sleeping babies and knitting grandmas.

Who among us hasn’t dragged home a $5 garage sale chair or a battered bookshelf left on the curb, convinced that we could make something out of it? Whether by painstakingly restoring it to its former glory or by giving it a major makeover, we just know something special is lurking beneath the cobwebs, scratches, or worse.

Karyn and Jessica’s beach bungalow is an ever-evolving small space. This is what Karyn had to say in 2013: I had just moved to the island of Coronado and had the perfect bungalow apartment in mind. I envisioned something small but homey with a comfortable outdoor area. The universe must have been on my side because not two minutes after making my wish list I found the perfect studio apartment. Being a designer has its perks, especially after walking into this place.

When bookshelves are in OK shape, it can be so tempting to leave them as is. After all, you’re just going to cover them with with books and tchotchkes, right? Sahana had to go and overachieve by putting curtains AND wallpaper on her total steal of a bookshelf duo. From Sahana: We recently moved from New York to North Carolina. While we were hunting for some furniture, we got an awesome deal of two bookshelves for $20.

We love good IKEA hacks and even more so when they solve small space problems.

When I first walked into Thomas’ home, I was struck by the amazing number of creative and personal touches that filled every room. As I got to know Thomas, I quickly learned that most, if not all, of my very favorite parts were designed and/or handmade by him! Against the living room wall, on the far end of a long room, sat an elegant buffet.

When I first looked over a few snapshots of Adrien and Jon’s house in anticipation of shooting their House Tour, I immediately latched onto the palm frond chair. I had been looking for the perfect palm fabric for a personal project and begged Adrien to reveal her source. I was soon on my way to downtown L.A. to scoop up some of the Tommy Bahama (yup, that’s right) Swaying Palms fabric from Michael Levine.

Terrazzo floors and walls have been around for hundreds of years, and this lazy Susan is a good way to get the look on a smaller scale. We’ve traded traditional marble chunks with a confetti mix of colorful glass that feels both modern and timeless. It’s a great project that’s also a fun, festive and unexpected gift.

This is one of my favorite furniture flip stories. I found this chrome mid-century modern chair left for dead on the roadside. It was covered with rust, mildew and grime. For a long time, it sat in my garage and just lingered. It took me a long while for inspiration to strike. I live in the country, and happen to have kind of a thing for cowhide. I had wanted a sleek, modern looking cowhide and chrome chairs for years. You know those kind of chairs?

There are so many ways to customize your IKEA furniture, but here’s one that’s really, really easy: contact paper. And lest you were convinced that contact paper is weird and tacky and always looks terrible, these ten projects are here to prove you wrong. Above: Blogger Jonathan Lo, of Happy Mundane, bought his IKEA desk in a birch finish, but wanted something a little darker that would match his vintage midcentury furniture.

Jess’ rental had a beat up fireplace that was a bit of an eyesore in the middle of her living room. She found the perfect low-cost way to give it some glamour, with a classic renter’s trick that we love: Contact paper!! From Jess: The main materials are contact paper and an exacto (or utility) knife. Prior to doing anything to your fireplace make sure you give it a good wipe down so that the contact paper will stick to the fireplace surround.

Robyn snagged this thrift store table for $50, and with some elbow grease, it became the farmhouse table of her dreams: From Robyn: When I walked into a thrift store and saw a two pedestals and the table top leaning nearby I knew that this was what I had been looking for and bought the table without even assembling it. I was motivated to finish this table and use it right away so refinishing a table this size could be a weekend project for someone who wanted to work long hours.

Rachel’s home hadn’t been updated since it was built in 1975, and it was evident in the dark fieldstone fireplace. Not having the funds for a full renovation, she got creative with paint—and boy, does it look great. From Rachel: We painted the 1970’s field stone fireplace. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and watered it down quite a bit which allows the texture and various colors to still come through.

Jenny’s ambitious first-ever woodworking project was transforming this scrap wood into a live edge coffee table. Want to see how she did? We’re living for it: That little air plant looks right at home! From Jenny: One of my favorite parts about this table is the amount of detail in every inch of the board: you can see the black epoxy inlay, the knots and natural curve of the wood, and the beautiful grain details.

With a blank wall and no storage, Jane decided her living room needed a long credenza on a budget. Perennial favorite, IKEA’s BESTA, to the rescue. From Jane: For $290 of IKEA material cost, 6 hours of labor, and some problem solving, we’ve installed a 5 unit IKEA Besta cabinet that doubles as a wine and coffee bar! See step-by-step instructions over on A Taste of Koko. Thank you Jane!

Though this old radio is showing its age, it was a bargain at $25, especially given its quality (and that it still worked!). Now, to make it beautiful again… From Anna: The speakers were covered in an old and stained fabric which was really an eye sore. We tore those out and decided to replace them with custom laser cut wood panels, which I designed and cut using the awesome laser cutter at my office.

Have you ever seen a closet with steps? This weird feature made it less useful as a storage space, but Aimee’s toddlers were enthralled. So she decided to turn it into playroom, for just a little over $100: From Aimee: Plastic rain gutters on the back wall serve as book shelves. Homemade cushions soften the giant steps. Cheap Ikea frames with free printables were an affordable wall art solution.

If my freshman year dorm is any indication, at 18, I probably would’ve decorated this poolhouse in Beatles posters. But Kevin, an Atlanta student, went for a more sophisticated look. From Kevin: For more about this project, check out Thou Swell. Thank you Kevin!

This half-moon curio cabinet was missing veneer and generally showing wear and tear. Lisa saw something in it, and decided it would be perfect to add some color to her dining room. From Lisa: The parts where the veneer was missing were very rough and needed sanding down. The detail across the top was removed because of significant damage — and I liked the clean line better.

This plastic thrift store cactus was covered in sawdust and broken Southwestern dreams. When Naomi and Sage were tasked to turn it into something amazing, weaker competitors would’ve folded under this nearly impossible challenge. The after might just send you on a hunt for horrible Goodwill cacti: Mind. BLOWN. From Naomi: We painstakingly cleaned off the sawdust and glue, and then cut off the base and drilled a hole through the top through which we ran a metal pipe.

Carly had held on to her grandmother’s chair, debating whether to fix it up or toss it. Then, after a year of searching for fabric, she found the perfect remnant: From Carly: With the encouragement of my shopping companion, a frantic call to the upholsterer, and the fact that it was JUST over the yardage I needed, I was ready to commit. Plus it was ridiculously affordable because it was a remnant. Bonus.

When Clare and Mike bought this 1950s house in Toronto’s Leaside area, they had just five weeks to transform it into the ideal home for their family of seven. This crowded dining room was too busy for their modern taste so they got to work re-designing the space, starting with the walls. Goodbye wainscoting and French doors, hello clean, modern white! “When we bought the house there was a large, rather ugly kitchen island and cabinets as well as unattractive, dated flooring.

As marketing manager for Eventbrite, Sara is a professional social butterfly. She’s fun, fabulous, and loves to entertain, but her apartment in Boston’s Beacon Hill didn’t exactly reflect that. And, since she works from home, she wanted a space that inspired her. Sara decided to work with designer Victoria Solomon to add some style and cohesion to her place.

An old piano bench and a rug destined to be donated came together to make a stylish statement piece. Just goes to show that you might want to take a second look in your outbox! From Letisha: For step by step photos, check out Blue Eye DIY. Thank you Letisha!

Shawn had installed windows on his enclosed front porch, effectively creating a sunroom. But it still sat unused and became a magnet for old furniture, that is, until stylist Carlton Ellis created a cozy spot in which to relax, entertain, or sip morning coffee: From Carlton: The first thing I did was plan the space. I thought it could be a nice area to read and have coffee in the morning so I decided on a settee and bench around a round table.

Zachary’s Craigslist bench was showing its age. Instead of simply recovering it, he went woven—and now it’s fit for a (very well appointed!) patio: From Zachary: Thank you Zachary!

Jolie and her husband bought this 1968 Sprite caravan and spent the winter fixing it up. It was in good condition, so the work was mostly aesthetic. It definitely looks more spritely now! From Jolie: The inside is just as cute as the outside, so go check it out over on Vintage Meets Glam. Thank you Jolie!

If you remember this Before & After project, then you know Kristen of The Painted Hive is not messing around when it comes to furniture transformations. She’s especially good at taking run-of-the-mill laminate furniture and turning those pieces into polished projects you’d be proud to have at home. After prepping the cabinet, Kristen resurfaced the entire face with small wooden hexagonal squares, added a base, and painted the sides black.

Depleted after a long distance move, Bryna was thrilled with this free kitchen island. It proved the perfect piece to practice her DIY skills and also add an unexpected hue to her space: From Bryna: It turned out to be the perfect piece to try my hand at rehabbing furniture; since I didn’t know what I was doing, I would have been too afraid to experiment (read: potentially ruin) with a piece I’d purchased.

Jason & Jeff love to entertain. Jeff, a biologist, is the resident mixologist, and Jason, the office manager for Facebook Boston, is a born host. Their Cambridge galley kitchen had this small eat-in area, but with their dining table in the multipurpose entry just behind, this space sat unused as their limited kitchen cabinets overflowed with glassware and spirits. On their first-ever trip to Brimfield Antiques Market, Jason & Jeff found this gem of an industrial cabinet.

Kelly’s new home was trapped in the 80s; In the family room, the fireplace stuck out— literally. As you can see, there were two protruding brick supports that perhaps once held a mantel. When Kelly decided to get rid of them and update its look, she made it worse before it got better. But get better it did—much better. Can we also talk about that bold choice to hang art under the window?? Loving it!