Home Projects

Project by: Meena Location: Ashbury Heights — San Francisco, California This converted bedroom project comes from first-time parents who recently bought a house in San Francisco. After spending nearly 10 years on the East Coast, they returned back home to the Bay Area in January to raise their daughter. The family moved in the home when the baby was just two weeks old, so needless to say it was an exhausting and whirlwind experience.

While you may be grateful for it in the middle of a cold winter, an ugly heater can be an eyesore that you get tired of having to decorate around. Peeling or chipping paint, the wrong color or shape, or an awkward location can all make a radiator your least favorite piece of your home. Even if you don’t have a problem with how it looks, it may just be taking up valuable real estate that could be put to better use. But, don’t despair!

Looking to add a festive vibe to your home, without all the glitter and lights? Orange pomander balls are quite possibly the quickest and best all-natural, great smelling, non-gaudy decoration you can make this holiday season. And according to our ancestors of yore, they ward off bad spirits and bring strength and fortune —a holiday bonus. Make them around Thanksgiving and, if dried correctly, they’ll last through the entire holiday season, and maybe even longer.

Project by: Dona Location: Shelter Island, New York My husband’s hoarding habit paid off. Once I learned that the bed of a truck is the same size as a queen mattress we took his rusting 1965 Chevrolet truck and turned it into a guest bed! We worked on this project together, it required sawing the cab (now it’s the headboard) in half; sawing the tailgate off the truck body; wire brushing the rust off , etc. We carried the pieces into the house where we put the truck together again.

Name: Nadia Location: London, United Kingdom A few weeks ago I decided to participate in a six week makeover challenge. I chose to do my bedroom and closet, but the funny thing is that I had no idea what I would do when I started. No real plan, I was just obsessed with a gorgeous dark floral wallpaper so I wanted create something dark and moody. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to buy that beautiful and pricey wallpaper.

Project by: Nadya Location: Brisbane, Australia Our small home was built in 1959, and when my husband and I bought it, I really thought I could deal with the “charming” old galley kitchen.

By the time Thanksgiving dinner is over, I’m already spent. Which makes the quick pivot into Christmas a particularly tiresome prospect —especially because that holiday is, in turn, followed closely by New Year’s Eve and our huge annual party. Being wedged in between those two other major holidays means that poor Christmas gets a little neglected in our household — which is why these quick, easy decorating ideas are really appealing.

There’s a particularly gorgeous $329 accent table at CB2 right now that I can’t buy because I should really pay the mortgage this month, so I made a super easy DIY version. Sure, it doesn’t come close to the cast aluminum bamboo-shaped legs of the original, but did I mention it was cheap and easy? The top is inspired by blue agate, and if you sit far enough across the room while you drink your gin and tonic, the legs resemble something like bamboo.

If your home is feeling a bit stale, here’s a way to freshen it up and move forward with positive intentions. Burning herbs and flowers is a customizable twist on the incense you might remember from college. Choose your favorite blend of organic materials—based on their individual scents and properties—and create your own unique aromatherapy.

Q: I need your help. I live in a 50s ranch house, which overall I love. However, the creaky floors are driving me crazy, especially because I have a toddler who is a light sleeper who on occasion WAKES UP because I happened to walk by his bedroom. We don’t want to have to rip up the floors and put in new flooring because the hardwood itself is in good condition. Is there a way to fix this or make the creaking less noisy without such a drastic overhaul?

Project by: Angela Location: Portland, Oregon I’m a professional apparel / product designer who loves the idea of dabbling with spaces that could use a little TLC. I enjoy bringing new life to pre-loved spaces and things. In 2015, I purchased a small (semi fixer upper), 1906 Victorian, in Portland, OR. My neighborhood is a neighborhood that prides itself on not selling out to the modern condo developers that are changing the landscape of the city.

Q: I live on the sixth floor of an eight floor apartment building. My bedroom is sandwiched between two pipe locations – on one wall, the bathroom pipes for the two units directly above mine. On the other wall, the pipes for the neighboring unit, and their two upstairs neighbors. The way the room is set up with doors, windows and a radiator, the only places for my bed are on those pipe walls – and the best place is by the neighbor-wall.

Q: I Have just moved in to a new home and would love to change the kitchen but do not have the budget for it just now. I have been reading lots about contact paper and self adhesive vinyls but I’m not sure whether this would work on my cupboards because of their uneven surface? Also, has anybody used it on their work surface to great success? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Project by: Rochelle Location: Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK We moved into our Victorian terraced house a few weeks before the birth of our first child. We knew we would need to redo the bathroom as it was in a terrible state, though we didn’t expect to have to wait so long to do it! It was finally finished just before Christmas – almost exactly seven years after we’d moved in.

Even the birds knew we were in trouble. In addition to two canaries, the previous tenants in our rental had left three dressers, a kitchen table, two chairs, a storage cabinet, mountains of newspaper and a smell—not unpleasant but definitely unfamiliar. The extra furniture was the least of our problems. Every room had a different theme: a nautical bathroom, a country dining room, a fishing kitchen, an ’80s living room.

I feel fairly confidant in my ability to spot an IKEA hack, but this project had me doing a double take. Christina’s project is not a casual, pick up and craft DIY, but it’s so perfectly executed that we had to share!

Eric’s Eames chairs were sitting stylishly in his dinning room for years, complimenting a blue cloth on his old table. After picking up a Saarinen style table and ditching the cloth, he found himself missing the pop of color. Rather than cover up that lovely marble table top, he found a fresh and inexpensive solution. From Eric: Sometimes, buying a new piece a furniture can make other pieces in the room feel mismatched.

When I moved into my apartment last summer the closet doors in my second bedroom/office were already banged up and constantly falling off. It was a small room with bi-fold doors on the closet, so I was daydreaming about the space-saving benefits of sliding doors. Finally, after months of constantly putting the doors back into place after they fell off, I decided to fix the problem for good and install some brand-new sliding doors.

Wendy is doing Florida her way. After snatching up a beach condo with a view, she set about giving the outdated kitchen some much needed pizzaz. Treating her new digs as a blank slate, she added color and mid-century flair, giving the kitchen updated style. From Wendy: Move over snowbirds, soon the sounds of The Rolling Stones, The Cars and even a little Pink Floyd may be drifting through your condo corridors as your new Baby Boomer neighbors move in.

Framing a garment can seem like an intimidating process, but it’s actually quite easy to do yourself. The framing pros have a lot of specialized tools and tricks (like using a tagging gun instead of hand stitching, for instance), but for us weekend warriors, it’s all about using simple tools and getting the job done so we can enjoy our completed gallery wall that much sooner. So grab your grandpa’s letter sweater or your granny’s floral girdle and get to framing!

If you’re the kind of person who loves the look of embroidery, but “can’t even“ with the time it takes to tediously work every single stitch into a project, punch needle might just be for you. Lazy crafter? Punch needle. Can’t ever seem to color inside the lines? Punch needle. Enjoys crafting while sipping a bottle of wine? Pick up a punch needle. Punch needle has been around for a very, very long time.

I’ve been on a lighting kick lately. Maybe it’s because I just re-read The Little Book of Hygge. To me, light — whether it’s natural or created — is king when it comes to your home. Not all of us have floor-to-ceiling windows or an expansive budget for beautiful light fixtures. And many DIY lighting projects require at least a little bit of electrical wiring. Not in the case of this Paper & Stitch IKEA globe light hack, though.

Remember the good ole days of decorating your locker with neon magnets, stickers, and magazine cutouts of Will Smith, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and the like? Lockers were like our own little slice of personality-heaven in a world where we were told when to learn math, when to eat, and when to turn in our shoebox dioramas. I’m here to say those lockers days don’t have to be over just yet.

Melissa and James are just renting this cozy Cape Town apartment, but as avid entertainers (and Melissa a soy candle maker), updating the kitchen was a necessity. Old, dark wood cabinetry was given a crisp coat of white paint. And an eye-catching cut vinyl piece above the stove adds pattern and drama to the room. But while the whole kitchen features lovely elements, there’s one item that stood out the most to me: the hanging copper pipe rack.

Ryan and Michelle are all about DIY projects in and around their Annapolis, Maryland home. Whether it’s propagating bamboo for privacy fencing, re-tiling bathrooms, or building custom furniture pieces, they love projects that allow them to save money while making their house more of a home. Ryan’s latest project – a DIY floor mirror – is no exception. Learn how to make your own by following his helpful tutorial.

Textured spray paints have come and gone over the years and for the most part, I’ve been happy to see them go. But I think I finally found one product that I’d like to have stick around for a while — Rust-Oleum’s Stone Creations Spray. I used it to transform this cheap metal IKEA table into a granite and brass look-a-like. Here’s what I started with, the GLADOM tray table in green which costs $29.99.

Spice up your entryway, bedroom, or hallway with a bold statement piece that’s sure to mesmerize and beautify. The blush pink fringe is the perfect pop of color, and the sleek shape has “chic” written all over it. See how to make your own, from cutting your own custom mirror to dip-dyeing the perfect fringe, with this helpful tutorial.

Even as a self-proclaimed “maximalist,” I still find myself drawn to the clean lines and effortless simplicity of Scandinavian style. The soft, neutral color palette is very versatile in a variety of spaces without adding too much visual weight. If you’re down with hygge (and willing to try your hand at some amateur carpentry), then these nightstands are definitely for you.

Lumbar pillows get a lot of love on Apartment Therapy, and for good reason. They’re the easiest way to pull together your bedroom. One long statement piece in front of your standard shams and bam! Instant style. But if you can’t find exactly what you want or just wish that one Anthropologie pillow was several shades turned down (and many dollars less), we have the DIY to make your own.

What do you get when you mix Edgar Allen Poe and a bit of glam? A bewitching style that’s all about rich blacks, candles, and skulls. And if you’re into skulls, you’ll be into this quick and easy DIY. Using silicon skull molds and plaster, you can add the perfect garland accent to your Halloween spread, or leave it up and keep your glam goth game strong all year long. Plaster of Paris Silicon skull ice mold Eye hooks String Bucket Paint stirrer or similar 1.

When I was little, I always imagined building forts out of sticks or rafts with ropes to float down the river like the Boxcar Children or Huck Finn – completely not realizing that probably wouldn’t happen in suburban Florida. But I was always drawn to how people could create things with minimal supplies and loads of inventiveness.

Keep the cold out (and the heat in) with these simple tricks!

Growing up in the South, I had never heard of such things like radiant flooring, heated towel racks, or steam rooms for bathrooms. But as a current resident of the North, I’ve learned that a life without warm towels and heat lamps is a life I don’t want to be a part of.

The more you give, the cheaper it gets.

There are two house tours in which the renters decided their apartments’ plain, boring kitchen cabinets weren’t cutting it. Renovating wasn’t an option, but these clever renters found a way to add color and pattern anyway: with washi tape! Both examples are vibrant and unique, but how much does it cost to cover your kitchen cabinets in tape? And how long does it take to do it? We got the lowdown.

Soap is one of those DIYs I thought would be more complicated than it turned out to be. All the soaps on Pinterest are so beautiful — there was no way they could be easy as well! But with my rapidly growing essential oil collection, and need for some quick holiday gifts, I thought this would be a good way to use them. Before even preparing the soap base, mix your essential oils to preference in a non-reactive container (like glass).

Painter’s tape is a modern miracle isn’t it? I mean, sure, the Great Pyramids are cooler, but when it comes right down to it, there isn’t much the blue tape can’t do. We’ve used it to spruce up furniture, for child safety, and to pull off quick and easy design projects. But there’s another genius use for the stuff, and we wish we’d known about it sooner. There are a few things in life that make me cringe.

There is so much beauty and elegance to gaze upon in this wonderfully minimal house tour, but our eye was drawn to one particular—and highly unlikely—element: that museum-worthy pedestal, which is secretly a giant Jenga set. Looking at this house tour on Emily Henderson’s site of designer Melanie Burstin’s home, one would never guess that such a chic, refined space would feature something as chaotic and, let’s face it, loud as a giant Jenga set.

Maybe you’ve had the same bed pillow for ten years and have your sights newly set on some memory foam. Or maybe you’ve got an extra five random pillows stuffed in your closet, just in case, and it’s time to KonMari. As with most things we toss or get rid of these days, old pillows can still be used long after they’ve left their prime days behind. Here are 10 ways this everyday basic can help you out around the house, no matter what condition they’re currently in.

From mid-century-inspired styles to sleek end tables, here are nine finds that won't break your bank account.

Deep down, we all want to lead more thoughtful lives—and who can blame us for believing organizational nirvana will get us there? So we're turning to the place where all good hacks start: IKEA.

My husband and I have a bit of a country mouse, city mouse relationship–he grew up in rural Virginia surrounded by cattle and I grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by professors. Normally we’re two peas in a pod, but occasionally we’re reminded of our different upbringings in unexpected ways—like when we were picking paint colors to paint our first apartment together.

One of the easiest ways to effectively upgrade any living space is by adding some artwork—and contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend a fortune on it.

Have blooms in your house every day of the year—and stay on budget.

It was blessed with good bones, but also cursed with a purple laminate counter—and swinging saloon doors.

Don't break the bank just because you can technically afford "necessities" your grown-up salary.

This homeowner took her inspiration from the past, including '70s and '80s-style touches.

If your closet closely resembles an upended store at the mall, one simple change creates a sleek space.

Apartment Therapy and Chairloom will be together again this Saturday April 27th to jumpstart old reupholstery projects or begin new ones. It’s a Happening: a chance to get together and get inspired. Come meet Chairloom’s Molly Andrews Burke as well as over 20 textile artists for the 2nd annual tent revival.

A rug is one of the easiest ways to pull a room together. But what happens when your space simply doesn’t accommodate a regular-sized rug? You could go the custom route. The problem? Having something created specifically for your space will cost you—big time. Or, you could settle for the closest size-match, but potentially wind up with a too-small rug that throws the whole room out of proportion. (Check out this handy guide to find the right size rug.

Sometimes a simple fix is all that’s needed to give a room a second life. The little things count most—like giving a room a new coat of paint, changing the drapes, or swapping out the shower curtain. Ta-da: a new vibe. This super-simple hack dramatically changes the look of your bathroom in a matter of minutes: Raising your curtain rod. It helps your bathroom more than you realize, totally changing the look of the room and making you feel like you live in the lap of luxury.

IKEA is a wonderland for shoppers on a budget, stuffed with everything you need to outfit your house—from complete kitchen setups to everyday essentials like lint rollers. But pitfalls lurk within that famous maze of showroom displays, and if you’re not smart about the way you shop, all those inexpensive buys can end up costing you a lot of time and stress. (And, once you see the total, money.) Here are some common mistakes to avoid.

Lindsay thought she found a “sturdy, but out-of-style wood coffee table” at her local thrift store—but when she got home, she realized she’d been fooled. The ugly veneer made this piece impossible to restore, paint, or reshape. “At that point, I wanted little to do with the table,” Lindsay says. But she’d already dropped $15, so she decided to figure out some solution.And it’s a good thing she kept trying.

Lindi wasn’t sure what to do with this awkward space on the side of her living room. “It didn’t really have a function and was largely unused,” she says. But soon she found her vision: Her home lacked a community work area where her kids could hunker down over homework and Lindi could edit images for her blog. Black vertical shiplap anchors the space, and floating wood shelves in a dark stain add depth—and match the desk.

Feeling stifled by your small space? Just because you’re tied to a small footprint doesn’t mean your home has to feel limiting. Just ask tiny home dwellers. All you need to do is shift your thinking. To help you maximize the space you do have, we asked designers to share their best tips—no renovations required.“When floor space is at a premium, take to the walls,” says Decorist designerErika Dale.

Katherine‘s master bathroom was filled with wasted space, with a wall of closets and a separate room for the toilet and tub contributing to the cramped floor plan. In order to reveal this space’s true potential, “we pretty much had to start from scratch,” Katherine says. “It was in need of a major facelift.” They started by ripping out everything: unnecessary walls; the dark, gloomy builder-grade cabinetry; even the toilet.

“Woodworking” might sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Wood is relatively cheap, making it a fantastic DIY material for experimenting. Once you master the basics, the possibilities are near-endless. These beginner-friendly woodworking projects prove you don’t have to be a master craftsman to try your hand at handmade decor. No power tools are required for this simple blanket ladder—just a saw, rope, and some dowels.

Suzanne’s daughter used to enjoy her own room—but with a new baby on the way, she’d need to start sharing space with her sister. “I wanted to make their room a special space for them to enjoy together,” Suzanne says. Before, “It was just furnished, but not a lot of extra detail was added.” Luckily, both girls are “head-over-boots” (as Suzanne puts it) in love with horses, so picking a theme was easy.

Tassels are a great way to add color and texture to absolutely anything. Beautiful additions to gift wrap, home decor, and fashion —they are a project you should absolutely add to your DIY repertoire. Tassels can be made out of an array of materials, from silk and wool yarns to basic cotton embroidery threads. While there are a number of ways you can construct a tassel, we chose a basic method you can use on any material. Yarn or Thread Scissors 1.

Name: Katherine, one roommate, and a three-legged cat, Baby Location: Austin, Texas Size: 800 square feet Years Lived In: 3 years, renting My apartment occupies a single unit in a quaint four-plex on a gorgeous residential street just west of downtown Austin. I was lucky enough to discover it on Craigslist, and rushed to see the rental and to meet the tight-knit community of residents who’ve lived there for years. Needless to say, I was sold, and I rented it that very same day.

The kitchen magician or grill master in your life will love this handmade, personalized BBQ mop from you! Pair this easy-to-make kitchen tool with a jar of homemade sauce 100% cotton twine 3/4″ x 12″ wood dowel (I found mine in a 3 pack at a hobby store, but you can always cut a longer dowel down to size.) 2 zip ties (use clear if you can find them!) Scissors 1. Wrap the cotton twine around a book or piece of cardboard that is 4″-6″ in length approximately 40-60 times. 2.

These rice and lavender hand warmers are a cozy winter treat. They may seem to lack a certain high powered, high priced, in-demand shiny Christmas present quality, but believe me, they are magical. Because nothing is more comforting when you just can’t get warm. Make them for your office mates, your aunt, your dog walker — everyone will love them. Guaranteed.

This simple little strap is just as useful as it is cute -and it takes just minutes to make. No sewing machine? No problemo! We constructed this beauty out of webbing found at the craft store and specialty fabric tape. So as long as you’ve got an iron and an embroidery needle, you can easily tackle this cheerful little stocking stuffer. Or combine it with a yoga mat for a more substantial gift.

Erin‘s small, square master bathroom was cramped and outdated, with brown tiles and a builder-grade sink that offered no inspiration. But a trip to Italy did: “I kept talking about how I envisioned a master bathroom that looked like it belonged in a boutique hotel in Italy, and my partner surprised me with a vacation to one of my favorite cities in the world! Rome!” Erin says.

Thrift stores aren’t just for scoring super-cheap clothing and decor. What if I told you there is a place to stock up on renovation supplies (and great furniture) without paying home improvement store prices? And shopping there contributes to a great cause? Some smart shoppers may know just what I’m talking about: Habitat for Humanity ReStore. With nearly 900 shops around the country, these stores are the ultimate win-win.

Cat and her boyfriend, Brian, seriously lucked out: His family’s hunting lodge in southern Utah is the perfect weekend retreat. But over time, the cabin has transformed from a yearly hunting haven for the boys to a family vacation home. “Naturally, it was in need of some decor and interior design,” Cat says. Cat and Brian’s upstairs bedroom had an awkward slanted ceiling and standard white wall.

Mural, mural, on the wall Who is the fairest of them all?Answering that question right now is a tough challenge. Fantastic, design-forward murals are all over the interwebs—and the right one can seriously elevate your space. Plus, retailers are working directly with independent artists to create affordable, large-scale murals. That’s a nice bonus for us wall-art size queens who lack the means to buy originals.Even better: Modern murals are easy to apply and even easier to take down.

I remember my first time—seeing a pot filler, that is. A couple years back, I walked into the freshly remodeled kitchen of a friend, who also happens to be an incredible interior designer. It had all the drool-worthy bells and whistles: the butcher block-topped island, a gorgeous marble backsplash, ceiling-height custom cabinets, and a breakfast nook with statement lighting. And a pot filler.What is that for? I asked.

Nostalgic motifs will always have a place in our hearts, but lately we’ve been seeing that carry over into the DIY home decor realm with modern takes on rug hooking and punch needling. But nostalgia isn’t the only factor behind the resurgence of these more traditional crafts: Modern textile artists are putting out amazing work, and we want to show off similar pieces in our homes.

The end result is cheery and modern.

File under Who Knew?!: That plunger you probably have sitting by your toilet isn’t the only kind of plunger out there. It’s probably not even meant for what you think it’s meant for. The plunger and brush combo kit hanging out in everyone’s bathroom is a move-in staple bought on auto-pilot. Plungers are one of the most common tools for dealing with life’s little emergencies, but they are not a one-size-fits-all-toilets tool.

Oops. That’s the last word you want to hear coming out of your mouth when you’re painting. But things happen. Painting may seem straightforward, but a surprising number of things can go wrong. Blame it on bad luck, poor planning, or Mercury in retrograde—whatever. Sometimes things just get royally screwed up and you need to fix them, now. Almost anything paint-related is fixable, if you know what to do and act in the appropriate timeframe.