DIY Home Projects

Attention all day-dreamers, travel-lovers and small space dwellers! You’ll love this makeover of an Airstream — bought and designed on a tight budget. It’s inspiring to those who love color in compact spaces, too! From Rebecca: Last Fall, I was offered a new job with an RV travel website: the catch? I had to buy an RV on a barista’s budget.

Kata started her project with the very simple IKEA NORNÄS side table. Her handful of DIY additions to this plain pine table turned it into a cute and functional bar cart. Not near an IKEA? No problem. These DIY additions could be borrowed to turn any vintage or affordable table into your own bar cart. From Kata: NORNASblog Thank you, Kata! SEE MORE BEFORE & AFTER PROJECTS SUBMIT YOUR OWN BEFORE & AFTER PROJECT – Re-edited from a post originally published 7.14.

Tracy had been obsessively hunting for ANYTHING from the Mid-Century Brasilia line by Broyhill for years, so when she finally came across this piece for only $80, she knew she had to have it. The only problem was that it was covered in disgusting (what she calls) “government issue” green paint. It took her a year, but Tracy finally mustered up the courage (and space) to begin the project. Worth the wait!

Lynn was attracted to the interesting lines and whimsical claw feet of this dark, dingy night table so decided to change the look of this piece to highlight the good and hide the bad. She gave the table a light sanding and plenty of primer to keep the stain from bleeding through the paint, and chose a soft grey —Edgecomb by Benjamin Moore — to highlight the shape and details that were previously lost in the dark wood.

Beth tells us she’s found some “doozies” on Craigslist but this one takes the cake. The previous owner had tried to strip the wood in order to repaint it…with a chisel. We kinda can’t believe Beth was able to make it look so fantastic. She used that gorgeous paint to cover the damaged wood and save this classic piece. Great job. From Beth: It was a miracle I could even get the wood to look as good as it did. Even the veneer was peeling on the side panel.

It might be just a small stool, but this little piece of furniture turned out to be an inspiring project to tackle for Katie, who took her time finding the right new finish and then designing and implementing a fun, hand-stamped pattern for new upholstery! From Katie: I was hoping that the wood under the paint would be salvageable. Rather than using a chemical paint stripper – the last time I tried it ended with disastrous results – I decided to sand off the black paint.

This old vintage console stereo looked like it had seen better days, but Luann saw potential in transforming it into a bold and useful furniture piece to be used in another part of the house. From Luann: Primed and painted with high gloss oil based paint in cobalt blue. Made false door fronts and drawers in center section, covered with ikat fabric. Finished up with new hardware. Now a stylish sideboard with plenty of inside storage for linens, dishes, even a bar! Thank you Luann!

If you are an Apartment Therapist, you most likely love a “before and after” (who doesn’t?) and nothing (nothing!) beats the reveal of a full top-to-toe room decorating redo. Paint, fabrics, lighting, artwork, furniture…these three rooms are out with the old, and in with the new, new, new! To create the accent wall, Katja first painted it a light turquoise. Then, strips of painter’s tape were placed vertically every 14 inches.

There’s just something intriguing about a completely empty room; it’s so full of possibilities. Astral’s bedroom started out like this and got a punch of personality you won’t believe. Wow! We’re loving all the color and drama she packed into this space. From Astral: I recently redesigned my bedroom. I wanted a fun, yet sophisticated & chic space. I painted the walls black using Behr’s “Black Suede” latex paint.

Usually we get project submissions that have a certain linear progression: start with a beat-up original and make the appropriate changes. Well Annie works a little differently than most. She spotted some must-buy wallpaper and let the material influence the makeover. Any way you slice it, she still got some pretty stellar results. That is stunning. We see why she fell in love with that gorgeous patterned wallpaper. And what a unique way to use it.

It doesn’t take long before kids toys totally take over a playroom. This room was actually a pool house that had gotten out of control and the parents brought in Miki Steiner to turn it into an organized and enjoyable playroom. Miki tells us: I am a self taught interior designer, working in the Bay Area. My clients are mostly renters who seek to improve the interior of rooms on a very tight budget.

Nicole found this side table at her neighbor’s garage sale for practically nothing. Because it was so small (and cheap) that she wouldn’t feel bad if she messed it up, she took the opportunity to experiment with some new DIY techniques. We think the risks really paid off big time. There’s so much going on here and it somehow it all works together flawlessly. Great job!

Dena bought this chair on Facebook of all places (the Buy/Sell/Trade pages) for $40 bucks because she just couldn’t resist the shape. Dena, you have quite the eye. Not only did you spot the sexy shape of that beat-up chair, you picked this risky fabric. Two risks that certainly paid off gloriously. Great job! Dena says: I removed the frame and stripped ‘er down, sewed up the new fabric using the old as a template and secured it with staples and tack strips.

Think you’ve got to rearrange all the walls and rip out everything to have a completely brand new kitchen? Designer Leslie Price shows in this small kitchen that smart choices and fresh paint make a huge difference. Leslie Price My clients had a very dated kitchen, but with three kids and the oldest going off to college in two years, they wanted to do a budget friendly remodel using the existing kitchen cabinets and footprint of the space.

Tired of seeing stinky stacks of recycling take up residence in the corners of your cramped kitchen? So was Claire. In fact she had been dreaming of finding a structure that could contain her recycling bins stylishly. So when she came across this kind of rough but sturdy and free cabinet in an alley a few blocks from her apartment, she got creative to give it a new modern and functional look! Even more impressive? She made this transformation for exactly ZERO dollars. See how after the jump.

Do you love the look of card catalog cabinets but hate how impractical the storage is? So did Michelle and her husband Nate of the blog Decor and the Dog (dog Ike pictured above!). So they designed a cabinet that would offer more storage flexibility but give the look of a faux card catalog cabinet. And they’ve shared the instructions on how to make your own!

This table with its great and unique shape was destined for the trash. It had a water-damaged top and was definitely taking the description “shabby chic” a little too far! But a clean-up and a refresh makes it a perfect addition to any stylish room. From Karen: This table was a garbage day find and in dire need of repair and TLC. We removed the water damaged particle board table top and replaced it with a new piece of wood.

Nicole’s Mid-Century cabinet was in rough shape with badly worn wood veneer and a dark, brittle interior covered in scuff marks. She really turned this one around. After damaging the veneer while removing the handle, Nicole rallied and came up with a unique solution to hide the damage: a chic leather pull. Great idea! From Nicole: The legs were in fantastic shape and the door had a nice grain. We sanded and oiled the door and legs.

After some clever bundling (genius Craigslist strategy alert!), Elaine scored this all-wood dresser for just $5. She wanted to give her 5-year-old son’s bedroom a grown-up update and so she got to work making this dated dresser little-boy worthy. Such a great color choice! Teal chalk paint really gives this piece a matte modern look and brings out those killer details.

This table is beat-up for a very charming reason: for years it was the well-loved stage for Denny’s girls to dance and play on. He tells us they really helped with its “rustic patina.” Well, the girls have moved out so this table got a well-earned retirement makeover. Now that it’s just Denny and his wife April (they describe themselves as “two very relaxed cats”), it was time to transform the table into something more finished.

This 1916 dresser was looking a little worse for wear when Karen picked it up at a thrift store, but she knew that she could make it work for her in an unexpected place. Karen says: I purchased a very old dresser (dated 1916) for $62.50 at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and knew it had a new purpose ahead of it. It took a bit of work, but with some paint, new knobs, a towel bar, and an IKEA butcher block top, this dresser is the life of the kitchen! Win! See more at Year of Serendipidy.

Breanna jumped at the chance to buy this lovely little dresser on Craigslist for $25 because she was “obsessed” with its beautiful shape and the cute claw feet. We’re obsessed with the fresh update she gave it. What a lovely, summery new look. From Breanna: I completed the transformation using a gorgeous mint color and some Rub ‘n Buff for the trim. I debated keeping the old hardware but couldn’t pass up these gold and glass knobs I found at Hobby Lobby.

File this one under ‘easy little updates to make your life happier.’ Frenchie told us that she “cringed” every time she opened the door to her linen closet. We can’t have that! See what she did to make it more cheerful. Much better! It’s a great reminder that addressing the little things that bother you in your home can drastically increase your day-to-day satisfaction. Frenchie says: My linen closet was, at first, my least favorite space in the house.

We’re always amazed by the vision and creativity it takes to see something with a specific purpose and completely reimagine it as something else. Such was the case with Dave. He found this retro bowling ball holder when a Chicago bowling alley was being demolished, and turned it into a handy object with a whole new identity. You’ll be bowled over by this one. It’s now a planter! What a bright, fun way to display this vintage piece. Great idea.

Connie picked up this IKEA nightstand only to decide a month later that it wasn’t her cup of tea. But rather than send it to the landfill, she found an easy and cheap way to customize this piece and make it work for her space. This nightstand was just too plain and too low for Connie’s bed, so she added some legs to boost the height and jazzed up the drawer fronts with some grasscloth for texture and interest.

Rita wanted to update her boring, brown closet doors and, being blessed with incredible vision, she managed to make them unrecognizably wonderful. Get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor. Let’s all chorus: Whoa. Great job, Rita. From Rita: I used a miter saw to make the cuts. The pieces measure 14.5″ x 18″. Rather than using a nail gun to affix the pieces to the doors, I decided to caulk them. This method worked beautifully and I’m really happy with the results.

This chair was found at an estate sale for only $5. Estimated to be from the late 50s or 60s, it had great bones, but was unfortunately covered in what Landon calls “mass transit seat fabric” or “bowling alley carpeting.” Though not particularly attractive, it did seem to be flame retardant. From Landon: First, the mass transit fabric and the seat padding were removed. The legs were sanded before being stained in a cherry finish.

Anyone who’s inherited a weird nook, corner or odd-home-thing might appreciate this simple but successful recessed bookcase mini-remodel. Shonee’s list of needed home updates since buying a 1950s house last year is long, with many projects often turning out more complicated than originally thought. Thankfully this small project — updating an outdated bookshelf — was simple and came out pretty sweet!

Griffin calls this project, “simple but transformative.” Her goal? More storage in her mom’s office. She started with this basic, industrial shelf (found in the garage no less) and a vision. Lovely! The new color really changes the whole feel of the piece. In gold, the once industrial features look almost lacy. Great job.

Christina was never bothered by this radiator in her kitchen, but then she had a flash of genius and made one smart change. Warning: you’ll want to copy this idea immediatly so clear your schedule. So smart! What a chic and simple way to hide that beast. Christina says, “We made a cover for it that doubles as an extra surface in our small kitchen. I can’t believe we didn’t do this earlier! It makes a world of a difference in this small space!

Kristen called her guest room, “an eyesore,” and tells us that when the sun shone on this yellow wall it was the equivalent of a neon sign. Yikes! So she found a way to ditch the yellow while adding some architectural charm worthy of her 100-year-old home. Wow! Kristen was able to easily and inexpensively create this faux board & batten panneling . And we especially love the touch of dark grey contrast which highlights that textured wall even more.

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.

Every city has its share of empty storefronts. In Boston, online ticketing platform Eventbrite has turned one such space into a pop-up location for 15 events in ten days. Sara Steele-Rogers, Eventbrite’s Boston marketing manager, transformed a vacant South End shop into Brite Space, a collection of pop-ups aimed to inspire the imagination and bring the city together through local, unique experiences.

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.

What do you do when you find a sad little tripod table with potential for free by a garbage can? If you’re Amanda, you take it home with you, give its top a sweet makeover and sit back to enjoy your transformed handiwork. From Amanda: I came home the other day to find this rather sad little table sitting by my garbage can. She wasn’t much to look at while she was sitting forlornly by my garbage cans.

When Kelly and her husband moved into a 1950s fixer-upper in late 2012, they knew their kitchen — with original (in Kelly’s words, grime-encrusted) pine cabinets, aluminum-wrapped laminate counters and linoleum floors mixed with asbestos — would need some aesthetic upgrading. They even started working on this room two hours after closing on the house! From Kelly: To say that it was a labor of love is an understatement.

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.

Have you ever spotted an absolute steal on Craigslist — except for it being the complete opposite of your style? Nichol saw this table for $50, but before even leaving the house she took the legs off and left them with the original owner (along with the chunky chairs). There were other plans! From Nichol: Thank you Nichol!

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.

Christina’s second bedroom is a tight eight feet wide by 13 feet long. But, despite the small size, she needed it to function both as an office and craft room, and a guestroom that could sleep two people. Christina turned this room with beige walls and bland carpet into a light and inspiring space to work and entertain guests! From Christina: The whole transformation cost about $800.

This trip to Goodwill was originally intended to find something to be crafted into a make-up storage vanity for a friend. But when Jae finished a few simple tweaks to transform this old tool cart, it seemed like a no-brainer to show-off how it’d be perfect as something helpful when entertaining friends in your home!

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!

Ellen and her sister were cruising around their neighborhood one day when they spotted this nightstand sitting by the side of the road. It was in pretty good shape, if a bit outdated, so she immediately knew that she could give it a fun update. Ellen says, “I only spent about $20 on this project. I’m glad I went bold as it’s now a statement maker in my bedroom.” Thank you Ellen!

Emily tells us that she, “wanted all evidence of this bathroom removed as fast as possible.” This attic bathroom had everything she didn’t want: thick fluffy carpet, limescale blocked taps and a bowl collecting liquid beneath a ‘critical’ drain. Eww. She smartly thought about how she wanted to feel in this space, and thus came up with a redesign plan for this high-altitude room. Thank you Emily!

While not everyone is a fan of the toddler bed, they can be good solutions if you have a small amount of space. Even better is this clever hack from Adriel Booker that turns a crib into a toddler bed with room for storage. Adriel kept the frame of the crib basically intact, but raised the bed up so that it’s a small version of a lofted bed. The crib rails provide security for the sleeping toddler. And with all the extra space underneath, she can store ride-on toys and buckets of toys.

Emily and Shane hated their textured ceilings, but felt stuck with them because they weren’t ready to deal with the mess and trauma of drywalling. Finally, they just couldn’t take any more of those ceilings, “staring down at us,” so they took a gamble on another option, and boy, did it pay off. They covered it with beadboard! What a great way to give the ceiling a beautifully coffered look with surprisingly little effort and money.

Vel had a small office that needed a big update. She wanted more storage, a space to work, and a spot for her kids to do their homework, too. And, oh ya, it had to be stylish. Wow, talk about storage. We love the bold, blue backing Vel chose that really highlights her bookshelf styling. Vel says: We built these huge shelves out of plywood and switched our small office table with our old kitchen table! We really love this space and it is now the most used space in the house.

Emilie found this vintage record player console at her local charity shop for 10 bucks, and boy, was it in a sorry state. Over the years, it had undergone many makeovers (and accumulated many many layers of paint), but Emilie suspected she might have found a hidden gem so she decided to put in some love see what she wound up with. That’s better! Just goes to show that hidden tresures are everywhere, you just need to look hard.

Brit realizes she’s lucky to have decent-sized closets in her 1924 Seattle home, but the walk-in closet in the master still felt tiny and cramped because of the very sloped ceiling. She really wanted to retain the old house charm but to bring the organization into this century. Wow, that is one stunning space. Here’s how it all came together.

Lucky Nathalie in France happened upon this vintage military table in need of some love (and elbow grease). The industrial vibe was exactly what she was looking for so she set to work restoring it to its former glory. What an improvement! And Nathalie’s new table also works so perfectly with her cherished collection of Eames chairs (she calls them her “loves.

Well this is a new one on us! Kristie loved the shape and texture of this oak table but didn’t love the heavy-handed 90s orange-toned varnish, so she gathered up her courage and tried a technique called cerusing. Wait for it… Cerusing is where the grain of the wood is opened up by scrubbing with a metal brush. Then the wood is stained and the grain is filled with a contrasting pigment (usually white). Oak and other hard woods are the best to ceruse.

This teeny little wood and upholstered vanity chair on casters was in a sorry state when Kathy found it on a neighbor’s curb on garbage day: the wooden back was broken off completely (the hand is holding it up in the photo above!), the springs damaged and the upholstery tired and dated. It would be a big job, but Kathy knew she could count on the help of her talented family. The result is a darling and spring-like update!

Heather called the previous hallway in her Victorian UK home, “uninspiring.” But after a spruce-up, this space is no longer “grubby and old.” Just wait until you see the dramatic difference. Here’s Heather’s professional website. Thank you Heather!

We often turn to IKEA for cheap storage options, which makes their basic wardrobes a popular item in a lot of homes. Clever DIY projects and hacks pop up as people discover ways to upgrade the units to look more expensive and custom-built in their spaces. Here are 8 great projects to think about yourself: Designer Tommy Smythe updated his PAX doors with molding and vintage knobs. Combined with the sleek black paint, this new storage looks high-end and beautiful.

Maybe it’s her name, but April certainly seems to love springtime. She tells us that she recently expanded her porch so she could spend more time outdoors, but needed to furnish it on the cheap. Luckily, a friend found this free glider which just needed a little spruce up in order to become official new porch furniture. Cocoa and Crafts Thank you April!