1. Designer Peter Dunham paneled this bedroom in birch plywood squares, which you can buy at Home Depot or your local lumber store for about $45 a sheet.
2. Shawn Henderson recommends Plasti Dip rubber coating as a substitute for those sticky felt floor protectors. I'd love to see a fun DIY using this!
3. If you like the nautical look, use boat cleats as drawer pulls, like designer T. Keller Donovan. The one pictured is $12.
4. Neal Beckstedt used a yellow Sears Craftsman tool chest as a kitchen worktable in a bachelor pad. It's a great colorful, industrial look for a loft space, a home office or a kid's room. This 6-drawer example is $560.
Be sure to check out the whole slideshow at House Beautiful and let us know your favorite idea!
Images: House Beautiful
Ellen's Thirties Style Small Space
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
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The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
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Recipe: Thai Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Nope, you're not alone in loving (the smell of) hardware stores. I'm picky though - gimme a Ace or similar, small mom & pop, hardware store over Home Depot or Lowes ANY day!
I knew a little kid who loved hardware stores and thought they were toy stores.
Ditto, Barb in CT.
The paneled walls look really nice!