Home Projects

Innovative DIY projects are always inspiring, but even more so when they’re budget-conscious! All of these Before & After DIY projects can be done for under $50. So pick your favorite and get to it!

There’s a big misconception in the renovating and real estate world that kitchen remodeling needs to be flashy and expensive to be good. That’s simply not true! We’ve found that with a little creativity, some reuse, a new coat of paint — and sometimes not even that much work, kitchen renovations can be not only eco-friendly, but also inexpensive. Here are our 15 best before and after kitchen posts of the year!

The power of paint can’t be denied – we all know how it can transform a room, but the effect is also powerful when it comes to projects that involve the application of paint to furniture and cabinetry. Here are ten examples from the archives (including one where the “furniture” didn’t even exist prior to the paintjob!); check out the befores in this gallery and then click through on each for the always-fun-to-see afters.

Perhaps Valentine’s Day isn’t your thing. Totally cool. Maybe Valentine’s Day chocolate (and only the chocolate) is your thing. I so hear you. But if you’re thinking of decorating your space for a romantic night in or looking for a fun activity for a Galentine’s Day party, Helena’s easy and adorable garland is a fast and fun way to get in the Valentine’s Day spirit.

Maybe it’s the capital letters, but LEGO and IKEA seem like a match made in DIY heaven. Thanks to Stéphanie you can hack your way to an adorable and inexpensive LEGO holder.

Erin and her husband Ken purchased their 1934 Tudor-style home in July 2015 and spent that summer and fall renovating much of the house. They were working with a very tight renovation budget, which made tackling the kitchen a particular challenge. It had bug-infested cabinets, a crusty radiator, and a tin backsplash held on with double-stick tape. Since Erin is a DIY blogger and Ken is a commercial construction manager, who better to handle the project?

A good majority of us have been there- that moment when you realize your phone is headed straight for a big puddle/tub/bowl of liquid. The moment that practically guarantees you have to buy a very expensive replacement. But if you’re quick enough, you may be able to throw one last Hail Mary and revive your digital device from the brink of death with this pantry staple. 2-4 cups instant rice Large zip top bag 1. As soon as possible (seconds count, act fast!

Ashley Crites, one half of the team of Relative Renovations, described her master bedroom as “bland, gray, and the dumping ground for old furniture”—not exactly an ideal place to spend a third of your life. So when she had the opportunity to take part in the One Room Challenge, she knew exactly which room to choose. Inspired by Brady Tolbert’s gorgeous tufted headboard, Ashley chose a deep green velvet to upholster headboard panels that span the width of the room.

Some single-use gadgets and home tools just take up space versus regularly make our lives easier. It’s hard to purchase an entire device that just de-pills sweaters, for example, when you know it will wind up languishing in your cabinet or drawer. Which is why it’s great to discover multiple handy uses for ordinary objects and materials you already have lying around the house. Today’s unsung household hero: sandpaper.

At this point, most of us can spot a BILLY bookcase, KALLAX cubby, or LACK table a mile away. Basic and affordable, they’ve been some of the most popular items at IKEA for years, and our first apartments would’ve been bare without them.

Try these tips on for size.

Vancouver-based Kristina Steinmetz knows her way around a good DIY. Her site, Ich Designer, is filled with clever and sophisticated home projects and IKEA hacks that have surprisingly humble origins and price tags. We recently featured her re-done mudroom, and her latest living room makeover might be even better. Here’s a wider shot, so you can get more of a sense of the whole room. It was in good shape but definitely needed an update.

I can’t remember how I first heard about Morgan Spenla and the company she’d started just a few years ago, The Crafter’s Box, but something made me stop, check out the site and call her up to find out what she was doing. What she was doing was building a company in her hometown of San Diego around a personal passion and a professional belief that crafting is a true antidote for our web addled world.

Walk into any recently renovated home today and chances are you’ll see a lot of greige—a neutral color that’s the perfect combination of gray and beige. There’s no denying it’s the paint color du jour. It’s funny how, oftentimes, you can instantly pinpoint how modern (or not) a room is just by looking at the color of the walls. Some day our children might look back and wonder why we all plastered our walls in such a boring color!

Before Ashley put her guest house up on Airbnb, she wanted to give the bathroom a fun update. It was simple and sparse in comparison to the rest of the home, so, even though she was working on a tight budget, she was determined to use her DIY tricks and unique style to make it an exciting space for guests. Ashley carved as much time out of her schedule as she could—during nap times, evenings, and weekends—to work on the bathroom.

My fiance and I have spent our last two weekends priming ceilings. It’s hard work, but rewarding. Every night after a few hours’ work, we fastidiously clean out the rollers and brushes, using more water than we’d like—and they’re never up to par the next day. This was our practice until a friend stopped by today and let us in on a painter’s secret.To make the rollers and brushes last much, much longer (and save gallons of water in the meantime!

The little nook at the bottom of these stairs wasn’t really serving a purpose. The steamer trunk is undeniably cool, but it couldn’t do the heavy lifting of filling out the otherwise blank question mark of a space. Suzanne was transitioning into her new life as founder of a design company and really needed a place to work until she could move into an office. She thought about using the basement, but it was dark and sparse.

I come across so many beautiful baskets in stores that I forget these items are often handmade. With a little bit of practice and patience, it’s not so hard… as long as you start small. After all, they don’t joke about bird courses as ‘basket weaving’ courses for nothing! I recommend preparing your materials (find local materials, then dry and soak them), then weaving them into small shapes or flat mats.

After careful deliberation, my girlfriend recently decided to say farewell to hour long bus commutes to pursue some promising freelance opportunities and work from home. The bad news? We only have one home office space between us in our modest sized one bedroom apartment (and in reality it’s only the smallest of converted closet spaces).When space is at a premium, dining tables can easily become serviceable desks. The challenge is keeping it organized for dual duty.

This north-facing, low-floor unit lacked natural light, but Paige replaced blinds, ripped out a built-in bookshelf, and painted the walls a bright, fresh white.

The work paid off.

Q: The ceiling in my stairwell to the basement rises the full height of the house. From the bottom landing to the ceiling is probably more than 20 feet, and the corners up there are getting heavy with cobwebs. How on earth can I clean up there? My largest extending tool only goes to six feet. I’m 5’3″!

After living in her house for five long years, Kate felt a burning need to shake things up. She admits her style has a tendency to change and evolve, and periodically needs to explore a completely new aspect of her personality. This time, she scratched that itch in her home office. The home office had a lot going for it, with its soothing gray-green walls, comfy furniture, and plush shag rug.

There are only so many changes you can make to a kitchen you do not own. Jess Bunge, Senior Market Editor for Emily Henderson, faced many of the classic challenges of a rental—dated floors, lackluster countertops, an oddly shaped floor plan—but brilliantly worked around them to make the space one to sigh over. The real star of this new kitchen is the countertop cover. With help from her dad, Jess cleverly cut plywood to fit over the gray granite, and built a matching backsplash.

And it only took four hours.

This garden-level space was the home’s entrance, office, guest room, and living room all in one, and though it was full of intriguing art, fantastic patterns, and great furniture, it needed a little something to make it as welcoming and cozy as possible. Removable wallpaper to the rescue!

While this bathroom would have been the absolute height of luxury and style a few short years ago—and it’s still extremely nice—it was basically the opposite of its owner’s style. After a creative, approachable DIY, this went from earth-toned bath to brightly colored… ball pit? Roxanne of @daintylibrarian is a visionary who saw a spa tub and thought, probably, “This could be a lot more fun.

This master bathroom was perfectly fine, but certainly not in keeping with the rest of Studio DIY’s vibrantly playful, creative, fun, and always-intriguing design sensibility. This one is definitely not a minimalist, monochromatic makeover. Studio DIY turned an ordinary bathroom into something undeniably fabulous. The green tile on its own is utterly glorious, a lush color that would be the statement in many bathrooms.

Make your whole project that much easier.

The fireplace is almost always the centerpiece of the room —all furniture and decor tend to revolve around it. If you don’t happen to be head over heels for yours, chances are you won’t ever really love that room. The most effective and satisfying way to remedy the problem? Update the interior with paint. Cleaning supplies (vinegar + water, nylon scrub brush) Dropcloth Painters tape Paintbrush Small paint roller for textured surfaces Primer Flat or Satin topcoat Clean.

Are your outlets holding plugs nice and snug? If not, it might be time for you to change them out. Yes, fatigued outlets are a nuisance but they can also be potential fire hazards. And what about the appearance of your outlets? Are they old and outdated and could stand a new look? Don’t be intimidated! It’s not as hard as it looks (or expensive!) to replace an electrical outlet. ScrewdriverNeedle nose pliersNew electrical outlet (Also called a receptacle.

This adorable little brass tubing planter has been making its way around Pinterest lately —and for good reason. It’s just as fun as it is affordable and stands about 18″ tall so it’s a perfect addition to any small space! If you’ve yet to work with brass tubing, this is a fantastic intro project to get your feet wet.

Maybe the front door is drafty or the floor isn’t insulated. Maybe there’s a big window that’s always cold to the touch. Maybe you enter through a dark and damp basement. For whatever reason, your entryway is always freezing cold this time of year. As a renter, there are a few things you can do to warm up this high-traffic space in your home.

For years, I’ve wanted to get my hands on a vintage vanity and re-work it into a really functional workspace. So when my mom texted me a photo of this little beauty from a yard sale, I knew the time had come! One of the reasons it has taken me so long to pull the trigger on this project was because all the vanities I was coming across were in really beautiful condition.

It’s almost November, and the cold — really cold — weather will be here before you can snap your fingers. Get a jump on winter by taking care of a few things in and around the house now, while it’s still bearable temperature-wise, and you aren’t knee deep in snow and ice. Here are seven things to make for an easier transition into the cold… 1.

Repairing small cracks and holes in your walls is an essential home improvement skill. It’s quick and easy to do on your own, once you know how. We’ve gathered together a few good tips and photos to show you how its done; check it out, gather your supplies and give it a try…you can do it! Light weight spackle or non-shrink joint compoundPutty knifeFine grit sanding block 1. Sand around the crack or use a putty knife to remove any loose paint or drywall. 2.

The ubiquitous white cube shelf unit is affordable, attractively minimalist, and endlessly useful, but occasionally it needs a bit of a twist to fit in with the rest of a home’s decor. This particular unit—similar to this one from Target or this one from IKEA—needed some real TLC: I had this six-cube shelving unit in the playroom. It has several scratches on top and stickers on the sides but it was still in good shape.

Fancy an outdoor rolling bar cart? Or a succulent scrap wood table? How about a shade sail or some wine crate planter boxes? Make the most of the outdoors this summer with one (or more!) of these 15 DIY projects.

Spray paint is an easy and affordable way to spruce up something you already have or transform a cheap craigslist find. You can spray paint pretty much anything; but a seemingly simple spray paint project can quickly go south if done poorly. Drips, crackling and uneven coverage are all common problems that can be avoided if you take your time and know what you’re doing. Here are some general tips for making your next spray paint project a success.

If you only own one household tool, it’s probably a cordless drill. They’re pretty essential for even the most basic home improvement projects. But it’s not just a matter of grabbing one and getting to work. Drills may seem straightforward, but there are actually a lot of ways to mess up. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for.

But we're so glad it happened.

This is how this living room looked when it was listed by a realtor: a cozy mix of cool aqua and warm brown tones and the ubiquitous builder-grade ceiling fan. The room was bright and inviting, but its new owners were ready for a fresh look. Alison Elefante of @rubyandpeach and @rubyandpeachphoto cleverly created a black-and-white base on which to layer colors and textures.

Taylor and Steph, the owners and builders of a small, sustainable “Earthship” home in the mountains of California, have a lot of advice to folks considering building their own home: “Forget about normal and make designing and building fun. Don’t let the process stress you out.

A talented DIYer bought this old desk for $11.25 and managed to transform it into a dead-on knockoff of a $1,299 Pottery Barn desk while adding a clever upgrade in the process. Our intrepid DIYer needed a new desk, but wanted to spend less than $100: I picked up this desk for $11.25 at my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

When it comes to kitchen decor, some things never really go out of style. (We don’t see the modern farmhouse look going anywhere anytime soon, for example.) Other things, however, have a slightly shorter shelf life. (We’re talking about you, cacti, pineapples, and flamingos!) To find out what’s hot for 2019, we reached out to Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s trend expert.

Murphy beds are the ultimate space-savers. They neatly store themselves when not in use and can quickly turn your office or bonus room into a complete guest retreat. Finding an attractive Murphy bed within your budget just got easier, because we’ve rounded up our favorite DIY and pre-built options.

This bathroom definitely had a look going on: lots of wood, plenty of lace, and baroque lights hung from chain swags. But after one week of hard work, the room is now a pink powerhouse packed full of handmade touches. Racheal Jackson—@banyanbridges on Instagram—did every single bit of this outstanding renovation, laying tile, installing a new sink and faucet, painting, creating a concrete countertop, and refacing the vanity doors and drawers.

A Michigan couple took this kitchen down to the studs, rearranging plumbing, moving electricity, installing drywall, painting, tiling, and so much more. With the help of professionals to install countertops and cabinets, they now have a bright black-and-white kitchen that’s meant to be lived in. Clare Conklin—@conklinhouse on Instagram—and husband completely transformed this room, creating a bright new space that looks like a joy to cook, feast, and chat in.

Do you love 2019 already? It’s okay, we’re still on the fence about it, too. What about your kitchen? If you’re not totally enamored of the space, we’ve got some ideas to help you heart it some more this upcoming year. Each idea is seriously easy and inexpensive (especially compared to a renovation) to pull off. And you don’t have to do all 19, either—pick and choose from this list and your kitchen will be more lovable and up-to-date in no time.

Thanks to some low-commitment wallpaper, a few thrifty purchases from eBay and the hardware store, and an ultra-clever DIY, this mustard powder room is now bright, glamorous, and utterly fabulous. Natalie Ensor—@takethecannoli_ on Instagram—went big and bold in this bathroom, taking an ordinary space and transforming it with vibrant colors, gleaming accessories, and so many flowers you can practically smell them.

Here's what they didn't want you to know about the show.

Welcome to “Ask Apartment Therapy.” Our editors get emails all the time with people asking for our help. We can’t get to them all — but thought it would be fun to invite you into our team chat room once a week for a consultation. Have a question you want us to consider? Email advice@apartmenttherappy.com.

This bathroom was pretty nice, with a pleasantly neutral palette, big windows, and all the fixtures and finishes appearing to be in fine shape. But now, thanks to a mind-bending paint job, it is bright, poppy, bold, and fantastically fun. The tile, toilet, and tub are the same (at least so far), but the wall and floor have a dramatically different look.

Three cheers for lenient landlords.

When I moved into a sprawling old Victorian in Louisville, Kentucky three years ago, my neighbors terrified me with their tales of four-digit utility bills. I’d swapped an under-900-square-foot bungalow for the three-story, 1890 behemoth, and was so scared of the bill the first year, I chose to freeze rather than turn up the thermostat.

These spaces now burst with life and good vibes.

If you’re planning on doing some updates around your home this year, you’re probably figuring out which projects are worth sinking reserouces into: Is that subway tile backsplash going to be a waste of money when it’s time to sell? How about those new fixtures in the bathroom? Thankfully, Remodeling magazine puts out a Cost vs.

These stairs were intensely carpeted, too small to be very useful or accessible, and generally less-than-ideal. Rather than simply removing the carpet, which would have been a nice upgrade on its own, the stairs were reimagined completely—and moved. When asked to describe the stairway pre-renovation, the homeowner sums up its character in just two chilling words: Death Trap. Honestly, there is no other way to describe it.

Here's what you should know, before you pick up that paint roller.

This dining room had so much going for it—moody accent wall, nice wood table, gorgeous chairs and credenza, plenty of daylight, enviably high ceilings—but after a light makeover, it’s quite a bit brighter and fresher. Christina Marie Amundson—The Inherited Home on Instagram—achieved a dramatic makeover by making just a few smart changes.

Thanks to a blush of color and a clever installation job, the ubiquitous blank-slate PAX wardrobe from IKEA gets a major upgrade in a graphic designer’s Copenhagen apartment. Four IKEA PAX wardrobes are now painted the same pink as the surrounding walls, giving them the appearance of a built-in closet. Michella Laura has turned pink into a sophisticated neutral that sets off the white bedding and trim to great effect and allows the stunning white-and-blue vintage Murano light to pop.

My walk-in closet was clogged with items I purchased at the mall just because they were 40 percent off. But now that same closet is sparse. My home office is also orderly (for the first time in my adult life) with neatly organized folders containing the gazillions of tax documents that come with being a freelance writer. Yes, I’ve been binge watching Marie Kondo’s “Tidying up with Marie Kondo.” (It’s soothing!

What other decorating rules are just begging to be broken? Here, the experts weigh in.

The holidays are a season of giving, and since today is Christmas, we wanted to highlight a Before & After that perfectly captures the spirit of the season. In just a few hours, Emily Henderson and her team transformed the living and dining room of a deserving family, treating them to a brand-new space as a holiday surprise. Last month, Emily put out a call on her website for readers to nominate someone they felt really deserved a free makeover.

Colder, winter months often means dealing with windows that are old or weren’t installed correctly—ones that let cold air seep into your home. If you’re a renter, or don’t want to shell out the cash to replace them entirely, there’s a simple and cost effective solution: Hang some thermal curtains. A thermal curtain has several thick layers of fabric, in addition to an added layer of foam or insulation.

This 100-year-old kitchen had a lot of charm and a ton of beautiful natural light, but it had some major issues—and a century’s worth of random features and finishes. In a poorly scheduled bout of renovation bravado, this kitchen was made over in the few days before Thanksgiving for just $600.

This entryway is pretty darn aspirational, but its owner knew it could be even better and was determined to improve upon the “standard, builder-grade finishes like the dreaded ‘boob lights'” and the 20-year-old brown carpet on the stairs. Six weeks later, the stairway and entryway have a fresh new look. While white and cream walls have a definite beauty, the new grasscloth wallpaper adds an upscale richness and texture in the subtlest of ways.

If you've ever struggled to put together their flat-pack furniture, this is one big reason why.

While this photo may look like an “after” shot, it’s actually just the blank white canvas on which a colorful, glamorous wonderland has been created. While a room outfitted in gray, white, and wood has an understated charm, sometimes it needs the type of beauty that only mint and pink velvet and plenty of gold can provide. The new predominately pink, mint, and white color scheme is delicious, while the wallpaper and bookshelves add a multitude of other hues.

This entryway had a spot for coats, a large landing strip, a mirror for last looks, personality, and beauty, but it was lacking in storage for shoes and other odds-and-ends. A DIYer who enjoys “trying to figure out how to make things with no experience” solved the issue with a few ordinary IKEA drawers and some very special wood.

The last thing anyone wants to deal with after a long day of adulting is a clingy garbage can that staunchly refuses to release its grip on a full-to-bursting trash bag. No matter how many times you tug on the bag, it refuses to come out, even after you’ve removed some of the (smelly) contents. Instead of contemplating precisely what you did wrong in a former life to deserve this karmic kitchen payback, avoid future frustrations by drilling a hole in your trash can.

While a master bedroom with an adjacent sunroom is a glorious thing to have, this particular one was “dreary and dated”—and not very sunny. It was overwhelmed by comfy but massive furniture and ready for a fresh look. Here’s the sunroom first. Nothing fresher than lush greenery, bright blooms, and a happy bird on a newly bright white wall. Avery Michaels of Holland Avenue Home boldly hand-painted this mural—inspired by Rifle Paper Co.