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When Meg’s sister had a baby boy, she knew she wanted to give her new nephew a special present to welcome him into the family. She found a dresser on Craigslist desperately in need of a makeover and saw the potential for the perfect gift. Though many would agree with her husband’s assessment that it was only good for firewood, Meg had a vision of what a little paint could do.

Lots of us have dreamed of designing fantasy kitchens with all the bells and whistles. Then our actual budgets deliver a brutal reality check. That’s the case with this “before,” which belongs to a house that was bought to be fixed up and flipped. The owners couldn’t spend a lot of money, so they made up for it with smart shopping and a barrel of elbow grease.

The tagline for Julia’s blog and furniture design business is “from ugly ducklings to beautiful swans”, an accurate description for the transformation she achieved with this battered Craigslist find. Purchased from a family that just didn’t have the space to hang onto grandma’s dresser any longer, this piece was crying out for a little TLC.

When Cynthia picked up the server above at auction, it was completely covered in that creamy yellow paint; she was so eager to begin the redo, she didn’t even take true before pics! Though not a fan of the paint treatment, Cynthia loved the lines of this little server and price tag of $20 was hard to pass up.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with this wicker chair. It’s got a nice shape and nice legs. It’s just so…brown. But not for long!Oh, spray paint, is there nothing you can’t do? This chair is so pretty now! Kendra from Sweet Magnolia Way has been working on a big girl room for her daughter so she pulled this forgotten brown chair up from the basement and gave it new life with a few coats of spray paint.

Want to add some color to your bookcase but are a afraid of making a long term commitment? You can experiment with as bold a color you like with this simple, temporary foam board trick.That’s right. Foam board. Cut the foam board to fit in the back of the case and paint it any color you want. Hey, paint each side differently and switch it up twice a year if you like. If you have a bookcase with no back, even easier, tack the painted foam board to the whole backside.

When Erin fell in love with a DIY dresser re-do found online, she just knew she wanted to create her own version. She kept her eye out for a suitable dresser for her house, finally snapping one up at a local thrift store. Though smaller and blockier than her inspiration piece, the piece was perfect for the two-tone treatment she wanted to try.Erin painted and primed the frame of the dresser with a lovely blue-grey (Cement Grey by Behr), then sanded and stained the drawers in Ebony (by Minwax).

Nothing about this nightstand screams out ‘I belong in a little girl’s room.’ But maybe that’s because I don’t know how to listen. The transformation this nightstand undergoes should encourage all of us to give our old furniture a second look and a closer listen.Melissa at Houseography must be a furniture whisperer to see a nightstand for her little girl in that solid old oak piece from her grandparents.

Ok, I will be the first to admit that it would be hard for me to get inspired about this outdated, wood-paneled room. Rebecca saw it and said, I can’t remodel and I have absolutely no budget to fix this up, but I want a craft room and I’m gonna figure it out. And when I say “wow”, to what she pulled off for $75, I mean “wow!”Rachael’s budget to transform this space into the craft room she wanted was zilch, but that didn’t stop her.

Self-confessed DIY-aholic Kayla found this sad little chair in a garage under a blanket while attending a local estate sale. The low curves of this fabulous chair made her look beyond the horrible stained upholstery to see the graceful lady desperate to shine through. Grabbing some fabric and a can of paint, she sank into this chair redo.

Not all mid century fiberglass chairs are created equal. Some aren’t made by a big name designer and are literally just plain old chairs. So what do you do when you come across one that’s looking a little run down? Click through to find out:We stopped in over at Aesthetic Outburst, where there’s been a recent chair makeover. They were in need of something with a little pop and thus the chair was painted gold and given a bit of red to round things out.

Though the booklover in me was ready to swoon at the sight of these fabulous build-in shelves, decorator Terry Moore knew they were not living up to their full potential. Working with a client hoping to inject some personality into a new home, Terry popped out the shelves, picked up a paintbrush, and went to town on this neutral space.

I discovered this wonderful little project on Merrilee’s blog and had to share. With a mesh trash can and a can of gold spray paint you’ll be ready to transform one sad little wastebasket into a chic and functional storage bin! I realize this probably sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the outcome is quite stunning.Involving no more than a fresh coat of paint, this DIY is a fairly simple undertaking.

We love it when a creative DIYer is able to think of new ways to rework existing furniture to better fit a changing lifestyle. Rachelle originally purchased this credenza off of Craiglist to use in her son’s nursery; the original dark walnut finish was painted white to brighten up both the piece and the space.

I have to say that the vision and transformation that has occurred here is quite astonishing. This small, dark, and awkward space that was previously used as a bedroom has become a bright, airy, and inspired dining room that I wouldn’t mind calling home.Sibylle, over at funkytime, and a few of her friends went to town on this project to create something out of nothing.

To quote The Byrds: “To everything – turn, turn, turn.” Aron loved his animal mural, but he was growing up and it was time for a change. Check out the room his mom put together for him – inspired by one of his great passions:After!Leah shares the transformation of Aron’s room:My son Aron is an avid baseball fan – a New York Yankee fan/addict to be more precise.

Finding a nice six-room dollhouse on Craigslist for thirty dollars is a score, especially when it comes furnished. Looking at the wallpapered rooms and matching cherry furniture, many of us would have called it good and let the kids have at it. But check how another thirty bucks, some scrap materials and an artistic eye can transform each room of this house into a showroom.