Home Projects

I see a lot of interior transformations, but I’m a little obsessed with this one cottage renovation going on in Finland. So far it’s comprised a series of teaser photos over the past couple of months, and I am just waiting for the final reveal. And waiting. And waiting. But now I can’t stand it anymore, so I’m going to let you in on my exquisite pain. Suki and her family are currently restoring a little cottage, transforming it into a simple and stylish retreat.

Aesthetically, Jane’s kitchen wasn’t her cup of tea, but it wasn’t in bad shape. The real issue was the lack of functional storage — and the lack of a vent hood, which meant that every time Jane cooked anything it would set off the smoke alarm. Yikes. Enter Brooklyn-based Famurat Builders, who Jane met through The Sweeten, an online resource that connects New York-area homeowners with architects, interior designers and contractors.

Usually when someone spends the time and effort on a makeover it’s because the original object is ugly or in bad shape. Neither is true in this case. Laura made over a brand new and super cute toy to appeal to both her daughter and her son. Terrific! Here’s what Laura had to say about this project: I wanted to find a good quality wooden stroller that both my son and daughter could play with.

When Emma’s local Goodwill held a competition for upcycling, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to make her two-year-old son the bookshelf he’d been needing. I found the broken down old dresser for fifteen dollars, and the legs came from another end table that I got for only two. After a ton of sanding (through a coat of white, yellow, and even blue!! paint), I began to see what pretty wood there was underneath!

We’ve seen IKEA coffee tables customized dozens of different ways. They can be retextured, studded, and even given heavy marble tops. But this hack takes it in a different direction and turns one coffee table into an upholstered ottoman. Over at IKEA Hackers, Marynell from Amusing MJ showed how she turned an IKEA Lack coffee table into an upholstered ottoman like the ones she liked from West Elm with some 5” foam batting from JoAnn’s and some upholstery fabric.

When Billy and Sally bought this 775 square foot apartment in the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn, it had a few of the less-than-charming features common to many NYC area flats — badly worn floors; a tiny, cramped kitchen, awkwardly separated from the rest of the space. With the power vested in them as new homeowners, they decided to do something about it, embarking on an inspiring renovation that shows just how much living you can do in a small space.

House & HomeMandy used the Ace Hotel in New York as inspiration, and chose vintage-style fixtures and finishes, with warm brass accents and black trim. The result is classic and dramatic and befitting the home’s history.Traditional sconces, and the weathered wood vanity, add to the old-school vibe.See more photos, and the rest of the step-by-step house renovation over at Canadian House & Home.

Back in 2009, FLOR launched this Lincoln Park location as their first foray into brick and mortar retail. Since then, FLOR has launched stores in a number of other cities across the country. Now they’re turning their attention back to home base and giving their Chicago store a new look. The new layout feels more modern while also giving the store a homier vibe.  Gone are the old white concrete floors and walls lined with tiny samples.

Old schools chairs like this are kind of inherently cool. But not many have survived that are in good enough condition, without rust and wear, to use as is, especially around kids. Kate found a few of these chairs in her Grandfather’s garage and decided to give one a makeover as a gift for her niece. Check it out… This was a slightly time consuming project but, other than that it was really simple!

Some IKEA hacks go so far beyond a simple IKEA transformation that they should be considered custom furniture with IKEA elements. In some of those cases (like this one!) the results are exceptional. IKEA Hackers user colsey blew my fragile little mind with this custom writing desk inspired by the Cavour desk by Carlo Mollino. It took some work, but considering that the original desk would cost $14,000, the work was well worth it.

Back in 2008, when Ainsley Ryan and Chris Showalter bought a fixer-upper loft in a former Ex-Lax factory in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood, they commissioned an architect to design something a little unusual — an OSB-clad ‘pod’ containing a master bedroom, a bathroom, and a little nook for their infant daughter.

Some parents worry that their baby’s closet is too small, but what if all you have for a nursery IS a closet? Kari has been inspired by all the small nurseries we’ve shown in the past and wanted to share her own small space baby project: her closet turned nursery.  Kari writes: We are about to have a daughter and wanted to stay in our one-bedroom apartment, so we converted our walk-in closet into a nursery. Our space was 43′ x 77′.

If you’ve ever lived in an apartment, this ‘before’ picture might look a little familiar. In fact, I’m pretty sure my very first rental had the exact same wood-trimmed cabinets and white laminate countertop. But when Brooklyn residents Mark and Erin bought their own place, they decided it was time for an update — one that would make their outdated kitchen more beautiful and more useful.

Here’s a quick and easy project for parties of all types; whether for kids or adults, casual or formal. These tiered stands are inexpensive to make, and a great way to use old dishes destined for donation. They also look just fancy enough and add great height to a dessert table — all good things.

Have you ever been intimidated by refinishing metal furniture? Joanna shows it’s entirely possible, and gets great results with a little time and elbow grease. She found this little cabinet in a parking lot and instantly saw its potential. Want to see the result of her work? Read on… The cabinet is now totally bright, cheerful and ready for its new life in Joanna’s house.

One of the (many) nice things about living in Paris is that people often put their old furniture out on the pavement for opportunistic treasure hunters like myself to scavenge. I found this old chair one evening and I suspect that, as I took it home on the metro, the other passengers thought I was an eccentric expat who brought her own seating.However when I got it home it looked a bit drab so I decided to perk it up with a lick of paint and a bit of decoupage.

Bargain shopper Erin haggled this chair from an estate sale down to $10. It sat in her home, patiently waiting for a refresh, until she found the perfect fabric. See how she made over this chair for under $50 total:From Erin: I am an Architect Technologist by day and sewer/DIYer/furniture upcycler by night. I am a thrifty shopper, and limit most purchases to no more than $20.00. If it’s in the trash, even better!

Jenna found this planter at a junk store for just $2. Though it was in rough shape, she saw its potential. See how she transformed it into a totally cute vessel for indoor planting.From Jenna: My apartment is small and I have lots of terrariums around the house, but am always looking for fun ways to bring more greenery inside. I found this planter stand at a junk store for $2 — a new coat of paint in a herringbone print, plus some jars I had lying around and voila!

Today’s Before & After comes from Jérémy, a very talented 16 year old designer from Canada. Here he transforms an old vintage fan from boring to bold with just a paint job. From Jérémy: Old machines are phenomenal artistic works, provided with the refurbishment if they need it. Here’s how an old Eagle Aire fan can be rejuvenated after 50 years without losing its “vintage look.

When we first saw this basement bathroom at the open house before we purchased our home, my first thoughts were, “that’s gotta go”. For the next six months after the house was ours, this bathroom renovation sat on the back burner until we finally had the time to tackle it.Once the time came to jump into it we were faced with problem after problem (isn’t that how all renovations go?).

We often extol the virtues of creating a nursery that will grow with your child and we still believe that. But if you find design and decorating fun, maybe you are looking forward to updating the nursery to a “big kid” room. Reader Laura felt it was time to go from “the land of the dinosaurs” to “swimming with the fishes” in her son’s new, nautical bedroom.

8-year-old Jake had been sharing a room with his older brother until the family decided it was time for each of the boys to have their own space. Their home had a small office that might serve for a third bedroom… after a few little adjustments. Okay, maybe a few big adjustments. Jake’s parents wanted a place where he could sleep, play, study, and host sleepovers — you know, kid things — but the room’s small footprint made this a bit of a challenge.

We’ve seen parents transform all manner of furniture into play kitchens for their kids. Griffin lucked out when she found this piece at a thrift store. To transform it into a play kitchen for her daughter, Frances, she didn’t need to do any structural work – just add bits and bobs, you know, the fun stuff.Like in any kitchen, the white paint gives this piece new life and makes it look fresh and new.

Margaux inherited this table, solidly built but in bad condition, from a friend. She began by sanding the top of the table, but when she discovered just how many times the top had been repainted, Margaux came up with an alternate idea:From Margaux: A friend of mine gave this table to me when she moved. It was really solid but looked pretty bad. I started by sanding the top, only to find there was about 10 coats of paint and wax.

47 Park Avenue Michael and Jonathan have SO MANY good rooms to share that it was hard to choose just one. You are highly encouraged to click on over to their website and see what else they are capable of, both at 47 Park AvenueShoot Factory Thanks so much you guys. Well worth the effort I say.

How do you add color to a rental without painting? That was the challenge this client posed to Lisa of Olive Juice Designs. She responded by creating an inviting living room, perfect for entertaining, without pulling out a single paintbrush. From Lisa: A single apartment dweller in San Francisco contacted me to help her with her living room. She admitted that her apartment was lacking in many areas, and she was embarrassed to have friends over.

Thanks Derek! Your new space rocks.

The ‘before’ version of Marie Clare and Peter’s Park Slope townhouse was not without its charm. Marie Clare and Peter fell in love with the house, but had a few changes in mind to make the space lighter, more open, and the perfect home for their small family. To find the perfect contractor for their project, Marie Clare and Peter turned to The Sweeten, a NYC-area resource that connects homeowners to architects, designers and contractors.

You can see more angles over at Rebecca’s blog, Mid Century Modern Remodel Thanks for sharing your project with us, Rebecca!

When Chris and Julia moved into their home in 2011, one of the spaces that really needed major attention was the outdated, builder-grade kitchen, complete with almond-colored appliances, pink countertops, dingy cabinets and fluorescent lighting. Although they were initially planning to tweak the layout, ultimately they decided to save money by keeping the floor plan and refurbishing the existing cabinets. They worked on the kitchen in phases, replacing appliances as they could afford it.

Gemma and her husband have a baby on the way and, while they didn’t get pregnant just so they could design the nursery, for them, it was a welcome bonus. When they moved into their bungalow, the room was, as Gemma called it, “a hot turquoise mess.” With $600 to spend, they were able to fill the room with nursery essentials: a crib, dresser/changing table (they scored a used one and fixed it up) and a new rug.

On New Year’s Day 2014, I did my very first real snow shoveling, and let me tell you — that stuff is no joke. We had 1-2 feet of snow covering a driveway that’s larger than my last apartment, meaning I got a serious introduction to the world of shoveling. I found the work and the exertion exhilarating, but really had no idea what I was doing.

Yesterday we saw the reveal of Wash U freshman Laken’s spruced up new digs. Today, Laken is showing us how she created the custom bed canopy shown above. If you like the look, you can make one for yourself! Materials Large 24″ diameter embroidery hoop Two curtain panels (we used one package of IKEA Vivan, for $9.

A few months ago, while searching for furniture to restore for an upcoming outdoor market, I came across this beautiful painted bench. She was so lovely to begin with that part of me debated whether I shouldn’t keep her as is. But seeing how much potential there was in this piece, I decided to up the wow factor and add a little more personality. Check it out!

Marty and her husband found a unique way to upgrade their backslash using reused materials, and it didn’t cost them a dime. You’ll never guess what they did. Marty says, “My husband took some castoff wood from a neighbor’s curb and turned it into a beautiful backsplash worthy of a beach cottage.” They sanded each piece to eliminate splinters and then sprayed the wood with an aerosol primer.

There are so many ways to bring color into a child’s room, we hardly need more. But this before and after dresser uses color so uniquely I couldn’t help myself. See what happened to this thrift store find… Mike of Making of a Parent made a hobby out of turning thrift shop finds into modern, color blocked beauties. He shows how he gets it done on his blog, where you can also see some other finds that he’s turned into colorful gems.

Krys saw potential in Ikea’s popular Expedit shelf, and not just as vertical storage. When flipped horizontally, the unit fit perfectly in an awkward space in Krys’ dining room. Now, if she could only make it look like it belonged there and had a purpose… By modifying other simple upholstery projects she’d seen online (including a headboard and seat cushion), Krys custom created a restaurant-style dining banquette that’s cute, cozy, and packs extra storage.

Many kids fantasize about having a secret, child-size room just for them. My own kids have a secret room, but it’s more accurately called “hide behind the couch” or, sometimes, “throw a blanket over your head.” Parents Fey & Mark in Cleveland Heights, Ohio discovered they had unused space below their stairs and decided to do something really special with it.

Ick. Even for the most intrepid DIY folks, this old metal cabinet is daunting. It is rusty, peeling, and no doubt has some sharp edges on it somewhere. Along came Graham who saw potential in the project, and set to work transforming it. Many thanks to Krista Winters for sharing Graham’s success! Re-edited from a post originally published 2.13.

It’s rare when the words IKEA and Dubai appear in one sentence. Dubai, with its reputation for luxury and modern excess, hardly calls to mind budget furniture. However, UAE resident Jacqui wanted to insert a least a hint of glamour into this old Blue Hemnes dresser, and bring a little glitz to her master bedroom. Here’s her hack… She started by painting the dresser a dramatic jet black, then added a nailhead trim around all the edges. Spray painted gold knobs complete the look.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference — and this simple but innovative small-space solution is the perfect proof of that. West Village homeowner Franz loved his small studio apartment, but not the lack of storage space. So he came up with a plan to add storage, without sacrificing any floor space, and found a contractor to help him make his plans a reality. You can see a layout of the studio here. So, not a lot to work with. Franz’ idea?

When Sarah, an editor at Vanity Fair, and her husband Michael, a writer for Bloomberg News, bought their home on the Upper East Side, they knew the kitchen could use a little work. Their apartment, which dates back to 1910, hadn’t had many improvements since then. The kitchen, in particular, was a strange mish-mash of styles: the upper cabinets, original to the apartment, were beautiful, but riddled with wood putty spots and pockmarks from the past 100 years.

Erin of DIY on the Cheap needed a new sleeping solution for her two boys – her youngest was sleeping in the nursery, while her older son was in the guest bedroom. She decided to create a shared “big boy room” for both and hit it out of the ballpark! Erin made the headboards (you can find the tutorial here), toddler bed and pillows herself as well as updated/upcycled a ton of other pieces in the space. See more about the transformation on Erin’s blog, DIY on the Cheap.

Kaylei McGaw, Associate Editor at Lonny, inherited this ripped vinyl saucer chair from her Great Grandmother. Not wanting to get rid of it, she decided to hand it over to the talented folks at Chairloom. She picked fabric, they reupholstered it, and now the chair’s got another fifty years of life. See the transformation next…. Not only did baby get a new pair of shoes, she got a whole new wardrobe!

Dana of MADE wanted to spice up her daughter Lucy’s boring bedroom. Living in the suburbs in a “cookie cutter” home, the space was seriously lacking in character and personality. With paint, accessories, and a lot of creativity, this room went from white to wow! I love that Dana didn’t make any big purchases (furniture, an area rug, or curtains) to totally transform the space. The biggest changes were a very creative coat of paint and a few fun DIY projects.

IKEA’s KURA bed is meant to be flexible — the structure is reversible and the mattress can either be put on the bottom or on top as a loft bed. But even IKEA couldn’t have anticipated the changes that Gisela made to it, in this really nice hack… Gisela built up the structure of the bed (which she calls “The Little Forest House) then wrapped it entirely in a sheath of wood veneered MDF, making it both sleek and sturdy.

Rebecca’s landlord graciously upgraded the “dismal” linoleum floor when she moved into this rental apartment in Astoria, Queens. But the cabinets — the kind of cheap, beige particleboard cabinets you find in dated apartments — were in serious need of something to make them more attractive. On a tight budget, Rebecca turned to paint and a cheery color palette.

She saw the late 1960’s couch sitting there at the local thrift shop, covered in a yellow satin paisley flower patterned fabric which she immediately deemed “very not cool”. Yet something about the style spoke to her as “hella fabulous” (her words, not mine).

This is a great makeover and a cool story because it involves a mom and son working collaboratively to create a completely new room for a budget of only $150! Take a dip into Levi’s newly nautical bedroom (puns = not my strong suit). I know, wonderful, isn’t it?

Upholstery is one of the those projects you start with really good intentions, but they often peter out before the piece is totally done. Sibylle knew that recovering her newfound loveseat would be a pain in the ass, and decided to go a totally different route. Behold! A painted upholstered sofa! Yep, Sibylle went to town on both the wood AND the fabric parts. Using textile medium, and matte black paint, she transformed this vintage loveseat into a more modern piece of furniture.

Is this the worst kitchen you’ve ever seen? Well, it may not look like it. But behind its benign, if somewhat bland, appearance lurked a dirty secret… a really dirty one. Mouse poop. Rob and Liz, the homeowners, were only using about 25% of their cabinet space, thanks to these uninvited guests. Additionally, the kitchen was freezing in the winter — standing in the right place, you could actually feel a breeze blowing across your feet. Lovely.

Tiffany loves thrift shopping and regularly brings home furniture that’s seen better days. This $5 table looked a little worse for wear, but nothing that a couple of coats of white paint couldn’t fix. When disaster struck, the tabletop veneer got ruined, and Tiffany was forced to find a new solution…. Since the top wasn’t salvageable, Tiffany made an entirely new one!

Here’s how Hung describes the room his 5-year-old son Adrian inherited when they bought this house: “purple 70s shag plush carpeting and lime green grey walls”. Not exactly a child’s dream room. The family decided to turn Adrian’s room into a not-too-themey nautical room.. Great job! The textile hanging and lights are particularly dramatic and memorable. They’re a smart way to add a strong visual that is affordable and that even renters could do.

What do you do with a three dollar headboard you found at a yard sale? Why, put it in your foyer, of course. Follow me to find out more… That’s exactly what Kelly from A View Along The Way did. She was ready to get her foyer in order and needed a bench. Since the kind of benches she was looking at came with a hefty price tag, she put her creative cap on and figured out a really stunning solution. Her husband took the headboard apart and cut it in half to fit in the space.

Scandinavian magazine Allt I Hemmet recently featured this laundry room, submitted by one of their readers. Far from exciting, Anna-Lena’s space was devoid of color and personality, not to mention cramped. With Allt I Hemmet’s help, the laundry room got a good cleaning itself, and came out on the other side with a sparkling new personality.

In small rooms it just makes sense to “go up” and optimize your vertical space. Faced with the challenge of making better use of a tiny bedroom (7′ x 12′) in Manhattan, architect Benjamin Marcus conceived a lofted bed structure with stairs and desk and storage below. Benjamin tells us more about this project: The room has two points of entry on opposite long walls, making it a very tight space.

Has it snowed yet where you live? No? Then here’s a quick and easy project to create your own Winter Wonderland, using glass etching cream and some tape. Faux snow globes are great for mantel decorations or the table. You get all the snowfall, without the boots or mittens! Here’s how to make one yourself… Materials Glass dome or cloche Etching cream Paintbrush Painters tape Hole punches (at least two sizes is ideal) Instructions: 1.

When we decided to have our first Christmas tree above 18″ this year, it seemed the right time to make a tree skirt. It’s not difficult, and making your own means it can be made out of any fabric you choose. Here, I share how to make a reversible one so if your preference changes from year to year it’s as easy as a flip of the fabric: (2) contrasting 1.

Shannon needed an easy way to update a dresser she found boring, and cycled through several ideas of what to do with it. She has tons of materials stored at home, so the solution came one day when she simply opened a drawer.

A table runner is one of my favorite ways to dress up plain tablecloths or bare tables. This is probably the easiest sewing project that you could take on, and the same steps can be used to make napkins, too. For those who hoard designer fabric remnants found in the bargain bin like myself, the table runner project is a great way to put those pieces of fabric to good use. For this project, I created two table runners out of just one yard of Designers Guild Kashgar fabric.

When you buy a house with a pink, mauve, salmon and coral bathroom, it might be time to renovate. Some people like that kind of thing, but Katie isn’t one of them. She and her husband tore out the carpet the day they moved in. Soon after that, they made a plan and got to work on the rest of the renovation. You might be surprised to learn that this beautiful bathroom update only cost $3,500. Katie and her husband did a lot of the work themselves, and made some smart choices.

This red pod chair had seen better days, and Cathy of Retro Evolution Design knew she could give it some new life. The upholstery was old, dirty, and damaged. Not to mention the base, which was a little too tall, too heavy, and maybe a little bit ugly? Cathy recovered the chair in a sturdy linen tweed blend fabric. Her son fabricated a new “cats cradle” style wire rod base with angles that complement the chair above. Now all that’s missing is a custom ottoman to match!

Erica and Spencer’s one-bedroom apartment in Windsor Terrace was just the right size for the two of them — that is, until two turned into three, and they started thinking about finding a little extra space for their growing family. As luck would have it, they found the perfect place without even having to move. After discovering that their neighbors’ 750 square foot apartment was on the market, they quickly snapped it up and set about combining the two units.

My parents bought this dresser over 30 years ago, but that doesn’t exactly make it an heirloom. It’s very sturdy, but the wood isn’t anything special, the drawers fronts needed patching, and the sides are veneer. The price tag sold me: free. To update the dresser, the first thing I did was use a jigsaw to cut off the scallop-y business at the bottom. (I wish I had a picture of me, eight months pregnant, wielding that tool.

Kim, a lifestyle blogger who loves spending time in her kitchen trying out recipes with her two young daughters, always wanted to redo this space to be more open, bright and inspiring. Without a huge budget, the family decided to tackle the project themselves — a scary thought for folks who had never tried anything like it before!

Before there were loofahs and washcloths, people used an old fashioned bar of soap sewn into a felted wool covering. The wool was exfoliating and had antibacterial qualities, and the soap created a nice lather without wasting its suds. In the last few years, felted soap has come back into fashion (it’s popping up in lots of Etsy shops as well as Anthropologie, and is a popular gift item this season). Today, we show you how to make it!

We’ve see the IKEA BEKVÄM stool in every room of the house, but Kylie shares a hack that I have never seen before. With a few modifications (and nice new coat of paint), see what Kylie now uses it for in her kitchen these days, and the problem it solves… As you can see, the stool got an extra story with just a few pieces of wood and some screws. Now her daughter Matilda can get in on all the action, without asking to be held.

Inspired by Danish rooftops, Ferm Living has turned useful kitchen accessories into design-worthy décor. After coveting these, along with Susanna Vento’s self-made cutting boards, I decided it was absolutely necessary that I made one of my own. Here’s how to make your own rooftop cutting board… Upon research I found that maple and ash hardwood has a nice tight grain — suitable for daily use.

It took just one weekend for Tasha, a self-described “designer trapped in a lawyer’s body,” to transform her laundry room (from the room in her home “where fun went to die” ) to a room that now makes her and her husband smile! Using leftover paint from previous DIY projects, Tasha painted the cabinets and walls.

Maggie and her family relocated to Heilsbronn, Germany and began decorating and renovating (lots of DIY!) their new home. Her son’s bedroom was livable but had no life. A subtle, but warm paint job and the addition of nautical-inspired accessories later and her son has a room that reflects his interests and personality. Maggie tells us more: My son is absolutely obsessed with all things Titanic so for his room it was a no brain-er, nautical or nothing.

I’ve had this idea for a cloud mobile tutorial for months now, but there was always something more pressing to do (I should clarify that, in most cases, neither the mobile nor the more pressing matter was accomplished). This was actually a very easy little project, I’m surprised to say. You never know, when you delve into something new, whether it will go as planned or end up in the unfinished pile in the corner of the closet (along with the partially knitted baby blanket).

My mother-in-law’s house is filled with memories. It is the home that my husband grew up in and I love discovering bits and pieces of his past throughout the house when we visit. On one particular visit, my mother-in-law pointed out a shabby old dresser in a corner that she said she was going to throw out because she has had it since my husband was a baby. “Oh, no!” I yelped, and then regained my composure. “Do you think…I could have it? For Sloane?