Home Projects

Shannon couldn’t get this Mid-Century Modern-style desk she found at a yard sale (for “practically nothing,” she reports) in her car fast enough! It wasn’t in the best condition and the finish was a bit rough, but Shannon loved the shape and had a perfect place in her home for it — after refreshing it with cheery paint. From Shannon: I decided that a fun dose of bright color was just what it needed to really come to life!

Victoria’s bathroom needed storage— namely a perfectly sized table on which to keep frequently-used stuff handy, and off the sink counter. She got what she needed in the form of an antique medical table found in the basement of an estate sale, and priced at a whopping ten dollars. The original enamel paint was in bad shape and flaking off in big sections. Victoria took to it with a wire brush, then eventually a power grinder.

When Maude Lefrancois found out she was pregnant, she decided to change her home office into the nursery — and her desk was the perfect height for a changing table. With a few nuts and bolts, a shelf, and vintage wood crates, she turned her sterile office desk into a warmer industrial changing station with more than enough storage. Maude drilled holes into the metal frame and attached four angled brackets with nuts and bolts.

With baby Finn on the way, mom Kelli of Purple Tree Photography wanted to transform the family’s unused third bedroom into a nursery for their new addition. After many coats of paint and a lot of hard work, the space has been transformed into a bright and airy oasis for their beautiful baby boy. I think my favorite part is the pop of color in the small nook above the crib – it went from being the biggest eyesore of the space to its greatest asset.

Mallory had her eye on this beaded chandelier at Lowe’s for quite awhile. However, since it wasn’t a perfect match for her home, she hesitated to pull the trigger. When she finally saw it marked down over half off to $69, she quickly bought it and vowed to give it a little makeover. It’s always amazing what a single can of spray paint can do! Mallory proves that it’s easy to customize store-bought stuff to get what you want.

This office credenza is all business. It’s gray, it’s functional, but pretty it is not. Owner Joanne took this cabinet to task, refinished it in about 4 hours in her driveway, then found a better place for it. Want to see? What was all business in the front, is now a party in the back. The formerly buttoned-up credenza fits nicely in her nook, and is now the perfect furniture host. It holds drinks, stores glasses and wine, and blends in nicely with the rest of the home.

If I had a dollar for every birdcage I’ve seen at yard sales, I’d be in Belize right now. I always note them, but never know what to do with them, which is why this project piqued my interest. See what Kathy and Karen did with a cage they found on the curbside on trash day…. After painting the cage, and removing one of the walls, they outfitted the whole thing with shelves and mounted it on a wooden base.

Sometimes, while thrifting and searching about you come across something amazing, and in perfect condition. This wasn’t one of those times. Kelly found this old Eames-style Plycraft chair whose leather was nasty, grime-covered, torn and faded.

This kitchen was originally built in 1989, and after 20 plus years of daily use, it was falling apart. While it may not look too bad on the surface, behind the before photograph were broken cabinets, a cooktop that barely worked, and granite countertop edges that were falling off. The kitchen had a contemporary feel for 1989, but for 2013 the owner was hoping for a softer, more family friendly feel.

Kim wanted to update her son Carter’s nursery into a big boy room. They never used the room except for sleeping, and it was stuffed with forgotten gifts and baby gear. Kim knew she wanted the new space to be light and airy and to reflect Carter’s personality and interests, so she painted the walls a bright white, added a splash of Carter’s favorite color on the ceiling, and added fresh accessories: What a stunning transformation! Thank you Kim!

Nicole had been looking for a furniture piece for a peculiar nook in her home. So when she found this dresser on Craigslist, even though it was in really rough shape, she took it home (for “practically free”). The wood veneer was so damaged it wasn’t worth saving, and with the dark wood floors in her bedroom, she wanted something that would be a bright contrast. She took her color inspiration from her favorite jewelry box.

Jess and her husband had been on a quest to find the “perfect” media stand — one that sported both function and style — for awhile. When they found this cabinet on Craigslist for $75, they decided to ditch their IKEA coffee table they had been using for a media stand and go for it!

Little powder rooms can pack a punch. Case in point: Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere recently redid a tiny bathroom in her house, and decided not to play it safe. The results are impressive: I think it’s safe to say that this oversized floral wallpaper from Ellie Cashman is a show stopper and, when paired with the marble vanity and gold accents, makes for a glamorous and timeless room.

Kim found this lovely, albeit ‘beat-up’ secretary desk at a secondhand store, and got right to work fixing it up. Of course, she added a little twist…. Here’s what Kim did, in her own words: First I cleaned it up, then I lightly sanded and painted it sort of an antique cream. I sanded it again then went over the cream with a rubbed on coat of very dilute brown. When the final coat dried I applied a hand-rubbed wax finish.

Years ago my grandma gave me a huge stack of napkins and, even though I knew that those plain white ones weren’t really my thing, I politely took them. Fast forward to a recent afternoon of marker tie dye fun! I’m a little embarrassed to show you how easy it is and I can truly say I really had fun creating these little masterpieces. • Rubbing alcohol (min.

It takes talent to spot an old rusted lamp in a dumpster and see it for what it really is: an opportunity for a DIY project that could light up a room! Paula only took a few steps to make over this lamp she found in the trash, but definitely turned it into a simple and sophisticated treasure for her family room. From Paula: Last summer while I was at the beach, I found a lamp in a dumpster. I liked its shape and size and knew that with a little effort I could give it a new life.

Why only tackle one DIY project at a time, when you can tackle two that combine to create one sweet sitting vignette to spice up a corner of a room in your house? Pascale challenged himself to fix up this chair and stool, and the results are a complementary pair of stylish seats he can enjoy using and looking at. From Pascale: I finally had some free time, so I challenged myself to give these two a new look.

There’s always room for LEGO, and over at Ikea Hackers, user Sooze made her BRAN lamp a lot more fun, just by popping the top off the lamp and filling it with flame-colored orange and yellow LEGO pieces. There’s always room for LEGO, and over at Ikea Hackers, user Sooze made her BRAN lamp a lot more fun, just by popping the top off the lamp and filling it with flame-colored orange and yellow LEGO pieces.

A long weekend to Amanda and her husband usually involves some sort of DIY project. Recently, they had an empty wall in their living room that was in desperate need of some attention, and more storage. Their project is pretty remarkable… In need of a solution that took up minimal space, but added more functionality to our living room, Amanda and her husband figured out how to build a wall mounted shelf and combined desk. Shelves can be moved around as needed.

This chair was spotted in the free section on Craigslist, and listed as the “Attack Cat Chair.” Apparently, the owner couldn’t bear junking it, and Cat (yep, that’s her name too) was happy to take it on as a project. Cat used discounted remnants to reupholster the 1961 chair. It was more complicated to work on than she expected (especially when it came to the tufted back and buttons) but she made it through!

Sabrina is usually in the Mid-Century modern furniture purist camp. But what she dislikes even more than painted furniture is a bad patch job. And boy did this desk need a lot of patching: scratches, tons of stickers, stains, gum embedded in the grain and even “gaudy plates” covering original hardware holes. Sabrina was able to see past all the surface damage though, loving its lines, legs and sturdy frame.

Once you’ve groaned at the title of this post (go ahead, I know you want to), click on over to see Gemma’s DIY fix for the back steps down to her basement. An IKEA rug just happened to be the exact width of Gemma’s stairs, which made it an irresistible choice for a quick DIY runner. Finished off with some nailhead trim, it’s now a chic little entrance. (Plus, Gemma hopes the dark rug helps hide tracked in dirt.

June’s mom needed a bathroom makeover. As you can see, it was a little dated and — like most showers over time — needed refreshing. On a recent visit, June and her dad got to work and totally renovated the small bathroom over the course of a week. See what it looks like now…. June and her father did the work themselves, including tiling the walls and floors, for the 90 square foot space. They even built a custom tiled shower pan.

Alexa may one day completely renovate this bathroom and add a great tile floor, but she wasn’t quite ready to make that leap. But this old gray sad vinyl floor covering sure wasn’t doing this room any favors. So she grabbed a cheery color of paint, a stencil and completely redid the look of this small bathroom without spending a lot of time or money! From Alexa: For this project I wanted to update the old gray rolled vinyl flooring in my bathroom.

This heavy dresser found on Craigslist was sturdy, and Allison loved the clean lines and large, square drawer pulls. But she was not a fan of the yellow-ish finish (which she claims looked even worse in person). She hatched a plan to give this dresser a more modern, stylish look. From Allison: I was looking for a new (to me) dresser with clean lines when I came across this promising one on Craigslist. I love the simple design of the body and am especially drawn to the square wooden drawer pulls.

Tanya swiped this chair from a trash heap, shoved it in the back of her car, and and drove away without looking back. Over time, she grew sentimental about this “garbage chair,” and finally made the leap to reupholster it: The labor was $630 (which included repairs), new foam cost $50, and the velvet fabric was $250.

Julie remodeled her dark, out-dated half bath right after moving in, but it took awhile to finish the room completely. She moved on to other projects until she found the perfect chandelier to cap off the space. That motivated her to finally put the last finishing touches in place. And we’re so glad she did! Julie’s renovation shows what you can do to brighten even the most cramped of small spaces.

We bet plenty of folks would have passed up this heavy laminate dresser, even if found in the “free” section of Craigslist. But not Breanna. She saw some creative potential for this forgotten furniture piece, instead transforming it into attractive and useful storage for a friend’s kitchen! From Breanna: This laminate dresser came from the FREE category on Craigslist and got a well deserved makeover for my friend, Abby.

Like a lot of homeowners, Colleen and Pete dreamed of transforming their underused attic into a space that they would use everyday. Their aim was to turn it into a bright, sunny, master bedroom suite where they would have enough room for their king-sized bed, clothing, and a bathroom, as well as for a cozy nook to read nighttime stories to their two children, Mac and Quin.

IKEA’s Ektorp sofa is a safe choice, and about as basic as you can get in the living room. Aga of Patchwork and Co. decided to kick it up a notch and deal with her bland, beige cover. Want to see what she did? Aga decided to dye it, and chose black for a more dramatic statement. With the added eclectic assortment of pillows, her living room now has a Bohemian vibe that is far from boring. Many thanks to Aga for sharing the project!

When Gretchen finally got down to finishing her bedroom space, she added wall color, fresh art and affordable flea market finds to fill out what has now become a very calm and sophisticated space. From Gretchen: The before picture shows the room how it looked when we moved in, with all our furniture from our old house just sort of plopped down in the room.

We’ve certainly seen our share of entertainment centers turned into play kitchens. But what if your child doesn’t want to play domestic goddess? What if she just wants to be a goddess? Then you might want to follow Mandi’s lead and turn an old entertainment center into a dress up station. I love all the amazing details, like the jelly jar lights, that Mandi installed to make this the ultimate vanity.

Our favorite before and after projects are the ones that are downright unrecognizable after being transformed, and this project certainly fits the bill! Diane and her husband came across this dresser for cheap at a thrift store and decided to make it look like a type of furniture Diane had always wanted — only more practical! From Diane: First, we removed the top two drawers and built a base for the bookcase. Then we used lattice to create the fronts of each card drawer.

Want to see what just a few coats of paint can do to a room? Rafaela’s dining room wasn’t bad-looking before — great furniture and fun art made for a stylish space. But as a renter, she hated the beige walls that seemed to cast a dull look on the entire room. It was time for a wall paint change as well as a new coat of color on a pair of shelves she had had for years. From Rafaela: I rent this place and all walls were beige-yellowish (urgh!

When Sara’s family moved into this house, they had a long series of DIY and renovation projects to tackle and the closet you see above became their “chaos cupboard” – toys, tools, spare pillows, old curtains, and a de facto staging area for their next project. Sara described it as “an embarrassing vortex of stuff.

I think AgaP. would admit that this wasn’t her “best” project in terms of ease and fun. But the finished result is pretty spectacular and inspiration to those of us with entryways whose doors have seen better days. Take a look and see how it turned out: AgaP. had a “bad craft day” and encountered every DIY problem in the book. But, armed with her list of dos and don’ts, you’ll learn from her mistakes, and it’ll be all smooth sailing from there.

Kevin rounded up some old wooden pallets by driving around to various warehouses, and through Craigslist. He had a project in mind, and just needed a bunch that were roughly equal sized. Want to see what he did with them? This impressive reclaimed wood backyard deck is the result! After measuring the space, he laid the pallets where he wanted the deck to be. Starting with the first row, Kevin lined up all gaps and used pavers to level and support the pallets.

Suzanne saw potential in IKEA’s popular BESTA shelf, and not just as vertical storage. When flipped and tweaked, she was able to make it into something else entirely. Keep on reading to see the pretty remarkable transformation… This might just qualify for a hack and a half. Using the IKEA BESTA as a base, Suzanne custom created a DIY tufted banquette that’s sophisticated and stylish (and offers extra hidden storage as a bonus).

Designer Jenny Sanchez and I connected through Instagram recently, where I found her most recent client project, a room makeover she did for her friend Maria Ortiz. Jenny’s main goal was to create a French Glam Vintage look, which was inspired by a simple Chanel bag. This 120 square foot spare bedroom was once a storage catch-all for Maria’s stuff, but her dream was to turn it into a dressing room, a sophisticated spot to apply makeup, prepare for the day, and relax.

Nicole found this in a pile of furniture left for free, and immediately noticed its great shape. But, a banged up and scratched finish meant it would need refreshing. When she brought it home, she discovered that mismatching materials — light wood legs and a walnut veneer top — meant her original plan of staining wouldn’t work. So she came up with a better idea that still preserved some of the great wood and lightened the whole piece up.

Christina loves stumbling on old furniture gems and breathing new life into them. She found this chair with lots of potential on Craigslist, and knew its great shape was worthy of a makeover. She chose a punchy and patterned fabric to give it some personality! From Christina: Once I took it apart, I realized it had to be from the ‘30s or ‘40s based on the straw and horse hair stuffing.

Yellow tile on the floors and counters. Brown grout that always looked dirty. Too dark, patchy maroon walls. Amanda’s master bathroom was dated, but it had potential. A remodel has turned it to a peaceful modern retreat. From Amanda: Our 1970s house had an outdated, leaky but large and potential-filled master bathroom. Knowing the tiled shower pan was leaking, we knew it was time for a full tear out and remodel. blog Thank you Amanda!

I was at an estate sale a couple of years ago and spotted this Saarinen tulip table in the driveway, marked for 5 bucks. The base is in really good shape, but the once beautiful top had met its match in the form of rain, and is weathered, splintered, warped and unsalvageable. (The original Knoll label underneath, however, is still intact.) I’ve kept an eye out for replacement tops but, as of yet, none have crossed my path.

When Meghann bought her first house last year, she didn’t have enough money to do a complete remodel of her kitchen, but the home’s original “orange-y” wood cabinets just weren’t working for her. With dark appliances and only one window, her main goal was to brighten her space up, as affordably as she could. She didn’t do a lot, but the $90 she did spend over a weekend made a surprising impact!

How many of you have moved into a new house that had a bathroom just like this? Although owner Mera tried to put a few bandaids on the style situation as long as she could (with new wall color and a rug), it was a hole in the ceiling and peeling paint that finally prompted a full renovation. See how it turned out… Not every room can carry off red and purple, but Mera managed to add just enough color to create a cheerful and happy bathroom.

The Sniglar crib mostly owes its popularity to its $69.99 price tag, but it works for so many families because the plain and simple design is versatile enough for any style of room. If you think the Sniglar is perhaps too plain and simple, check out how the folks at bedding company Little Auggie customized one with paint… Painting the spindles of the crib completely ups the style factor and gives the crib a fresh, modern feel.

This bamboo rocker was in pretty good shape, but wasn’t particular inspiring with its original brown hues. Rachel decided that for it to really work in a nook in her boy’s room, it needed a color boost! From Rachel: I bought this vintage bamboo rocker on the last day of an estate sale for $10, hoping it wold work in our son’s room. This was a super simple project; requiring only primer, paint and a faux shearling throw.

A lot of people remodel their homes right after (or right before) moving in, but by the time Kyle and Angela decided to take the plunge and redo their kitchen, they had been living in their Clinton Hill apartment for 11 years. They had a lot of time to save, and scheme, and they knew exactly what they wanted: more counter space, a more open floor plan, and a kitchen with a little bit of midcentury style.

For anyone who sews, a good table for cutting fabric is the Holy Grail of craft supplies. But it often seems basically impossible to find something tall enough to stand at and cut fabric that is not wildly expensive and fits in an apartment or sewing room. Ikea’s Norden dining table is almost a perfect sewing table right out of the box. The table is 31.

For $40, this dresser was hard for Sarah Dorsey to pass up, even though the laminate was chipping and it looked worse for wear. So she snagged it and put in practice all the painting tips she’s learned over the years. See how it turned out… After carefully prying off all the hardware, and repainting the entire thing, Sarah’s dresser is now a far cry from cheap; it looks professional, high-end and totally bedroom-worthy.

As a rule, I am fully in favor of designing one’s living space around the pets, especially if they’re cats. That’s why I loved this ridiculously easy IKEA hack that turns a neat corner table into a comfortable, two-tiered cat bed. The IKEA Trendig tray table has two convenient, cat-sized baskets. Just by adding some comfortable cushions, Pinterest user Hanna transformed the baskets into perfect little cat beds.

Katherine and Conan are slowly remodeling their 1917 home in Wichita, Kansas, one room at a time. Most recently, this powder room got the DIY treatment, with good reason. Even if you looked beyond the cracked walls and crumbling ceiling, the door wouldn’t shut behind you. Which I imagine made — ahem, privacy – an issue with guests. Before you get all confused, you are in fact looking at the same space.

Joseph picked this dresser up for $10 at a local thrift store, but wanted to do something special before it found a permanent home in his bedroom. After a lot of sanding, here’s what he came up with… Honk your horn if you like the final result! Joseph went to great lengths to complete the look: the four tail lights are from a 1958 Impala and the drawer hardware is actually old Buick door handles he cut down to fit. He found them all on eBay.

“Myrtle” is Capri’s 1964 Travco Motorhome, which she drives all over the country while on vacation. Over the years she’s also put a fair amount of work into this labor of love, slowly returning Myrtle to its Beatles-era glory. See what it looks like today! From Capri: Myrtle is 27 feet long and is powered by a 318 poly engine. She is equipped with a full bathroom, kitchen, couch, bench, closet, ample storage, rear double bed and two entrance doors.

Have a heavy piece of furniture you just don’t use much anymore (and is possibly just taking up some space)? You’ll find inspiration in this surprising DIY that takes a forgotten-then-found old worn-out dresser and turns it into a cool and functional furniture piece for the kitchen! From Kristie: Living in an apartment complex, you see lots of people moving out and leaving things behind.

This is the weekend! Finally take that vintage/free/found/Craigslist chair, sofa or stool and pull out its potential! If you’ve been sitting on a DIY seating project because you just weren’t sure what to do with it, we’ve got 10 real-life examples of taking an old piece of furniture and adding a zing of personality. Perhaps one of these ideas will inspire your own makeover this weekend? Pictured above: 1.

Kristi recently remodeled her kitchen and didn’t give her toe kicks a second glance. Then she got a glimpse of Oh Joy’s recently remodeled studio kitchen, and was inspired to try something new… Switching up the white to black is a subtle but significant change. Rather than painting the actual toe kicks again, Kristi came up with a temporary solution that lets her try out a color, and change it up again down the road. Renters, take note!

Dena loved this vintage dresser from the moment she saw it, specifically the sleek hardware that gave the whole piece a modern look. She took it home and made two simple but bold changes that transformed the entire look — and turned it into a show-stopping piece! From Dena: Wink. I loved it at first sight but knew I wanted to add some legs to it to raise it up. I’m getting to be an old woman and anything I can do to keep from bending over is awesome. Okay, so I’m not that old.

You can see that this bright blue piece of furniture has a nice mid-century shape, but with the thick, gloppy coat of paint, the damage to the top and the overall unpleasant look of the exterior, plenty of folks would probably pass this furniture piece up, even if it was free. Not Zachary. He spotted it, took it home and did one impressive make-under! From Zachary: My boyfriend and I were taking a walk and we found this little blue nightmare on the curb for the garbage man.

Certain decor doesn’t transition well from college to more grown-up digs, and your futon is one of them. Which makes this a good hack for folks who don’t want to get rid of the one they currently own, or spend the money on a new sofa. Elizabeth shows you how to do it with IKEA’s GRANKULLA, but you can use any similar type of wooden futon. To make this new daybed happen, Elizabeth disassembled the futon, made a few modifications, and then reconstructed it into a different shape.

Sandy grew tired of her painted birch tree entryway, and needed to switch it up. A quick trip to the hardware store and $28 later, she created a completely new look. Check out what she did and see what you think… Sandy bought four packs of shims and covered the wall from floor to ceiling with cedar. Here’s Sandy with the details on how she did it: Start at the top left hand corner of your wall.

Featuring a color palette of pale yellow, navy blue and salmon, this desk was a mess of colors. Many people not on the hunt for such a mix of hues would probably have taken one glance and moved on. But Brittney saw past the palette to this desk’s beautiful bones, and set out to restore it back to its mid-century modern glory. From Brittney: My fiancé and I recently moved in together and I was on a tight budget to try and make his former bachelor pad a home.

Mackenzie and Blaine from The Local Branch were looking for a work studio that they could take on the road. They found this 1979 Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht 32′, gutted it, and got to work creating the studio of their dreams. They painted the yellowing walls a crisp white, laid down a floating wood floor, replaced a large broken window, built out the cabinets, and installed locker cabinets, a sewing machine and upper planters.

Meet Winifred! Reader Mera recently adopted her and, to celebrate Winnie’s official “adopted” status, decided that she needed a soft spot to call her own. The leather pouf she was using as a dog bed was nice and all, but maybe a little small? Yes, just maybe. Mera carved up a custom stamp, printed the arrow block-printed fabric herself, and sewed it up as a nice (large!) bed for little Winnie.

Have you ever seen those glass and brass, ’80s style light fixtures that often hang in foyers and dining rooms? Not terrible, but slightly outdated. The good news is that you might already have one or you could find a used one for cheap. The even better news is you could turn it into a stylish, geometric lamp that matches pricier contemporary lamps.

Brooklyn homeowners Ben and Therese described the style of their old bathroom as “Hilton bathroom gone wrong.” It felt cramped and outdated, and the molded tub and beige tile just didn’t match their style. They both knew what they wanted — a modern, functional space that would reflect their personal tastes — but they weren’t sure exactly what that would look like. So they started doing research. Lots and lots of research.

Kristine picked up a couple of small cheap laminate dressers for $25 (one is pictured above), with an ambitious plan in mind for them. This is no makeover, or simple paint job — it’s a full on transformation. Click to see what they become… What’s amazing about these cabinets is the level of detail that went into the project. They look aged and weathered, have bronzed label holders, and now look like multi-drawer antique cabinets instead of cheap three-drawer dressers.

Danielle’s son Conor was distressed by the pink walls in his new bedroom. In fact, they made him cry. A fresh paint job and several DIY projects later, his new beachy boy’s room was making a splash. Danielle: The day after we moved into our home, Conor came down the stairs crying. Absolutely sobbing and we begged him to tell us what was wrong. Did he have a nightmare? Was he scared sleeping in a new house? No, it was none of that. He was upset that he woke up in a pink room….

Before her renovation, the kitchen in Sanaya’s Clinton Hill co-op wasn’t much to look at. But the issues with the kitchen went far beyond appearances: the cabinets were falling apart, and cans of food were holding up shelves in some places. A well separating the kitchen and pantry made both spaces seem small and cramped. It was time for a change — time to tear everything out and start anew.

What do you do when you’ve got a heavy, boring dresser that needs some style to stand out? You tackle the problem with a fresh coat of a paint and an affordable DIY design detail that takes it from plain to personalized. From Molly: My boyfriend desperately needed a new dresser that actually 1) fit all of his clothing, and 2) fit in with the rest of the bedroom (the one he was using was from his childhood bedroom set, hello student life).

Call them hacks, or makeovers, or just plain paint jobs, but these 25 DIY projects show you just what’s possible with IKEA’s TARVA dresser. It’s an unfinished wood blank slate, waiting for your personal stamp of style. Check out these ideas and finished projects, and try one yourself this weekend.

Project by: Britt F. Gage/For You, By Me Location: Queens, New York City Britt Gage was hired to bring some glamour to this space in anticipation of Felicity Adele’s arrival in the world. Her parents wanted something with personality and pizazz. Hmmm…how about a glitter wall? From the designer: It’s an interesting experience creating a room for someone who you haven’t met, or rather, hasn’t even been born yet.