The Latest: May 7, 2019

If you live in a small space that is short on closets you may find yourself surrounded by a variety of “storage solutions.” Unfortunately, the visual appeal of giant plastic boxes is pretty low, so why not convert your rubbermaids to a relaxing reading nook?It’s amazing what a quilted bedspread, a couple of throw pillows and a faux fur rug can do!

There aren’t many items that I can’t think of some way to transform or repurpose, but when it comes to woven or wicker furniture like these barstools, I’m often at a loss…until now. This trio of trashed items received a makeover from Fabio de Minicis that I never would have thought of!Fabio does wonderful things with items that are otherwise considered discarded, junk or trash, and this barstool makeover is no exception.

Perfect timing for project month! We were happy when an email from Maja, a regular Apartment Therapy reader, hit the inbox. She sent us in these before and after photos of an eBay chair makeover project — from a traditional floral to a bright and bold modern graphic pattern, we love the transformation……and the After!Maja writes: I’m moving to a new apartment in a couple of weeks and have been buying some furniture.

Reusing old drawers as shelving is something we’ve discussed here a few times before. In fact, you may recognize one of these drawers from a post on the subject. While I’ve been using drawers as shelving for a couple of years, I wanted to take the concept to the next level.I had already been using one of these drawers as a wall shelf in my bedroom and when I gave the bedroom a makeover, I wasn’t sure whether I would use the drawers again.

Although it’s not terribly difficult to make your own frame for a canvas, it can be more work than required. Check out this thrift store painting — not many would consider hanging it in their homes as is — but with a Bambi makeover, I’m all over it!Over at Under The Table and Dreaming, Stephanie Lynn has been hard at work revamping this red barn into something a little more modern and fresh for her space.

I’m sure in certain parts of the world people are looking forward to the start of Spring and warmer days, but here in Australia it is hot hot hot and there is never enough shade. So I’m making my own! No heavy plasticky shade sails for me… I’m opting for light white muslin to let the light in but take the edge off.MaterialsAs much fabric as you need to cover your chosen area. (As mentioned above, I used muslin.

Last spring, when my husband and I bought our first house, we hadn’t painted a full wall between the two of us. That changed within about two days of us getting our keys. We soon learned that the greenest (and most budget-friendly) trick in the book is to work with what you’ve got—so click through to see how our kitchen has progressed from dark and dated to light and lovely on a dime.

The washer/dryer hookup in our apartment is perfectly located right off the kitchen and close to the dining room, where we do all the laundry folding. Since this is our first apartment with laundry inside the unit, we’re quite happy to have it so centrally located. Although the location of our little laundry closet may be nearly perfect, the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. Those louvered bi-fold doors have got to go!

Re-Nest reader Abigail recently sent us her super thrifty sofa upgrade: A hand-me-down from her parents, she’s been living with the sofa for 3 years trying to disguise it with a floral slipcover and lots of pillows.

This thrift store find has great lines, but the rest of the piece needed a bit of work. Kate from Centsational Girl put a little bit of love and a whole lot of elbow grease into fixing this piece up. Check out her cane chair transformation into a timeless piece for her living room.First things first, she took apart the chair until only the frame was left. Then she gave that a good coat of glossy white paint. For the fabric, she went with a soft yet durable fabric in a taupe color.

Laura, a regular Apartment Therapy reader was on the hunt for an affordable ottoman. When nothing suitable turned up, she took matters into her own hands and went the DIY route. Here is her story…and the great looking finished results……and the After!Laura writes: I wanted to share my simple and cheap ottoman makeover.

Arren Williams’ home in Toronto is also his ongoing project . With his long list of design skills, each room is an opportunity for some wow-level end results, which he, luckily for us, shares on his blog. A basement room, especially one that was converted from a drive-down garage can be a challenging space to decorate; dark, with low ceilings and a lack of windows. But that didn’t deter Arren……and the After!