The Latest: 2014

This project is a great example of how even not-so-splurge -worthy yard sale finds can have amazing potential. Robin and her roomate Nat had been on the hunt for the perfect bar cart and, lucky them, they snapped this one up for only $10. We’re loving how their bold color choice really highlights that sexy shape. Great find! Robin says ,”After a quick clean and two coats of yellow enamel spray paint we had a revamped bar cart worthy of vintage accessories and summer parties.

Angela happened upon this hutch at a tag sale in Connecticut recently. The price was “ridiculous in a good way,” and when the sellers threw in free delivery, she just couldn’t say no. Angela says: I contemplated long and hard over whether or not I should paint this. Here’s a few reasons why I did. First, I wanted to replace the broken and missing hardware and would need to patch the current holes to do so.

Ainhoa and her husband were already enjoying these classic IKEA Besta cabinets, but decided they wanted a more custom look so they cleverly (and cheaply) transformed them into a totally new piece. Wait until you see it. Wow! Looks like they’ve made a few other changes to the decor as well, and those built-ins look right at home. Ainhoa explains their process: We disassembled the cabinets, cut the sideboards to the height we wanted them, and reassembled them.

Charlotte and her family moved from NYC to the suburbs and into this sweet 100-year-old house. They loved this living room because of the bright and beautiful bay windows. Says Charlotte, “All it took was some color to brighten up the ol’ girl.” Much better! And all it took was one chair to inspire the palette for the entire room.

Maria had a near-perfect Craigslist experience with these two cane-back chairs — not only did she get them for a great price, but the seller was so anxious to get them out of his basement he even delivered them right to her door! She’s been hoarding these chairs “in her stash” for a year and she finally came up with a makeover plan. Want to see it? What a difference! We love the bold fabric choice, it really freshens up the classic shape.

Nicole took advantage of a road trip to try a new thrift store, and she scored this cute, little dresser. Since it cost her “practically nothing,” it was the perfect chance to try a little decor experiment. She chose Benjamin Moore Tropicana Cabana and Snowfall White to give this piece some contrast, and we’re loving that cute pop of pattern she picked to decorate the drawers.

Mary picked up this dark stained end table at Habitat Restore for $25 and gave it a very unexpected style update. See what we mean… We love how, with a few small changes, Mary completely altered the look and feel of this little table. She began by removing the (many) tack heads and handle, and filling and sanding the holes. Then she chose Glidden Duo paint and primer in Rich Navy.

When Griffin bought this new home back in 2010, it was builder-grade beige as far as the eye could see. Over the course of four years, she transformed the blah space into a room that accommodates toddler play by day, and family sit down dinners by night. Griffin chose a Danish Modern dining set to up the Mid-Century appeal, while practical baskets in the buffet conceal toy storage clutter.

Reeves is back and rockin another amazing makeover. She was drawn to this Craigslist dresser because of its claw feet and birds eye maple wood, and, in her capable hands, it got a even better. What a pretty pop! It really highlights that unique wood grain. Nice choice. Says Reeves: The finish on the drawers and top needed to be redone, but I could not cover it up in paint. I only painted the frame of the dresser and left the top and drawers natural! See more at the Weathered Door.

When Amanda moved into her second house, she knew the dark and dated split entry needed to be brightened up — a dark door, peach-hued walls and a tall wall with nothing on it just didn’t fit her style. From Amanda: To brighten up the space, we installed a tongue and groove accent wall (to cover the heavy knock down texture) and painted it white. A new larger glass French door let light pour.

Angela loves the clean lines of Mid-Century Modern — it’s a perfect fit for her Mid-Century-era home and always well built. When she found this table at a thrift store, she called it “insanely heavy.” Even so, she dragged it home. What a handsome piece. The white accents really show off the gleamy wood. Great job. From Angela: I started by sanding the entire thing and staining the drawers and base using General Finishes Java Gel Stain.

Charlotte says, “I check in with Craig (and his list) on a daily basis. When I came across a pair of matching wooden arm chairs, I pounced. I talked the seller down to $75 each, and brought them home for a facelift.” Charlotte decided on red spray paint to complement a similar red coffee table in her space. She says, “A million hours later, all the nail heads and staples were out and I was ready to spray.

Every city has its share of empty storefronts. In Boston, online ticketing platform Eventbrite has turned one such space into a pop-up location for 15 events in ten days. Sara Steele-Rogers, Eventbrite’s Boston marketing manager, transformed a vacant South End shop into Brite Space, a collection of pop-ups aimed to inspire the imagination and bring the city together through local, unique experiences.