The Latest: 2015

With chipping wood and torn silk, this bentwood bench was unloved. Lisa revived it into a total statement piece, where it turns heads and causes smiles: From Lisa: My friend fell in love with this gorgeous bentwood bench when it was languishing unloved in a workplace powder room! The original silk covers were torn and the strange olive stain to the timber was chipped and ruined. The boss said she could have it!! How lucky!

This vintage Danish chair didn’t make it through the ’90s unscathed, yet Lisa saw past its poor choice in upholstery and restored it with a more period appropriate style. From Lisa: I recently got this Danish modern lounge chair as a partial trade for something I was selling on Craigslist. It had been re-upholstered in a fabric that was not period appropriate, and it was missing two buttons, but I saw potential.

When Cate spotted this bamboo dresser, it was in bad shape, sporting a dual-finish black paint job and lots of wear and tear. But with elbow grease and a bold new hue, this piece sports a proud new look: From Cate: I found this bamboo dresser hiding behind a clothing rack at Goodwill on a furniture sale day. My first reaction was YIKES.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Allow me to present our favorite Apartment Therapy Valentine’s Day tradition, the sex chair roundup. Introduced in 2001, the Tantra Chair is the best of breed (and I’ve put it below the fold this year), and has the most convincing argument that this thing is truly romantic. Its stated purpose: “The Tantra Chair is a modern chaise designed to enhance the advanced sexual positions of the Kama Sutra.

Whew, that was a whirlwind of a month! Did you finish your January Cure project? I’m happy to report that this wall is no longer bare, and my books are no longer in boxes. Check out my “built-in” bookshelves: This wasn’t the bargain project I was expecting it to be (it cost about $125 total, since I had to do some stocking up on basics like screws, sandpaper and paint brushes) but no out-of-the-box shelf would fit just like these do.

After Dana graduated from grad school, her plain IKEA desk was more of an embarrassment than something she enjoyed. With the trusty DIY combo of spray paint and contact paper, this blank slate goes glam: From Dana: I had this desk sitting in my apartment for years and while it was useful to do homework on, once I graduated from grad school, I didn’t really have a need for the plain desk anymore.

When a local mill was closing down, Ashley snagged their stock of industrial carts. See how she refinished one for her living room: From Ashley: These carts were in rough shape when I got them and were in desperate need of a deep clean. This was the kind of job for a power washer. However, it is important not to get carried away with the power washer to the point where it starts splintering the wood. Once the cart was clean I sanded the whole thing down.

This old dresser had lovely detail and potential, but badly damaged drawer fronts prevented a traditional restoration. Some fresh coats of glossy white later: From Nicole: This dresser had a badly worn veneer with chipped edges and deeply scratched surfaces. The drawers were in bad shape, so they were sanded, patched and painted. The top was in decent shape so it was sanded and oiled along with the legs and decorative trim on the drawer fronts.

Jenna Sue tackled this wall as part of a larger makeover of her entire master bedroom. The entire room lacked any special features, yet she wanted to make it a rich, interesting, and inviting space. With that in mind, she set out to make this wall a focal point of the room… Previously flat as a pancake, the wall now has texture and architectural interest, and elevates an otherwise bland bedroom into a sophisticated space. The gray adds a lot of warmth, making it cozy and relaxing.

Carroll really wanted a narrow cart in the kitchen to act as a coffee station. When finding something already made was going to be more than she wanted to spend, the decision was made to DIY, starting with this table that was a little on the short side. From Carroll: My projects almost always start with a functional purpose.

Aniko’s white IKEA wall unit worked fine in the dining room. But the second she saw West Elm’s reclaimed wood buffet, she knew she could refresh this basic piece into a showstopper—and save over $1,100 in the process. Aniko got the wood for free from a local business, and spent $17 on stain and lacquer. That’s a pretty hefty savings! Check out her blog, A Place of My Taste, for more photos and a tutorial on how she made the oversized art that hangs above her new buffet.

We know that some of you have very…err…strong opinions about painting wood furniture, but the owners of these dramatic before and after projects might disagree with all you naysayers. Especially on damaged or cheap wood, a coat or two of paint is an easy, cost-effective and super-cute strategy to refresh tired pieces. Watch me prove it seven times. Claire’s campaign nightstands got a new blue and a new purpose in another room.

Malcolm and his parents have been all over the world, collecting souvenirs like this Brazilian rug. When he moved away from home, Malcolm took it with him and initially hung it behind his bed as a pseudo headboard, then decided to find a more permanent home on the wall as art. The rug is pretty big, and somewhat heavy. Which raises the question: how does one hang it?

This children’s rocker had definitely seen better days… like during the bygone decades when marbled vinyl was a thing. Charlotte plans to reupholster a lot this year, and thought she’d literally start small and tackle this kids chair. See how she did: From Charlotte: I’ve had this yellow vinyl rocking chair in the basement for… a while. But 2015 is going to be the year of upholstery for me so I decided to start out on this little piece.

A $20 IKEA “as-is” bed frame had served its purpose, but Kerry decided to give it a new use. By adding cushions and wrapping the mattress, she now has a sweet reading spot: From Kerry: I’ve had this ultra bland Lillehammer IKEA twin bed frame for several years. I’d gotten it in the ‘As Is’ section for only $20 to help stage our home when we sold it.