Before After

Think you need to spend a lot on new furniture to give your space a total overhaul? Think again. This compact kitchen office gets a 180° makeover from the pros at Martha Stewart using a new color and a few inexpensive additions — a task chair, acrylic desk organizers and a rolling window blind (really!).

As you can see from the photos, these lovely lucite tables were already a wonderful component of this fun turquoise living room. Of course, sometimes we tire of even lovely tables after looking at them day after day without change. Thankfully, there is an easy and inexpensive way to update these tables without making any permanent alterations.Blogger Meeha Meeha spent only 12 euros on hot pink adhesive film to transform her tables for to help fight the winter blues.

Another great project from one of my favorite DIYers, her projects are always creative and impressively well-executed. She doesn’t disappoint with her latest project, refurbishing vintage Leg-o-matic chairs. Had you ever heard of these chairs before? I hadn’t but totally want some now! See her amazing results after the jump.The craftswoman is Janine from Salvage Love. She found these 1962 vintage Leg-o-matic chairs at a local thrift store and was smart enough to snap them up.

Just off of Washington Square Park in Philadelphia, there’s a small art gallery called the Bridgette Mayer Gallery. A champion of innovative contemporary art, owner Bridgette Mayer exhibits international artists from around the world. She also just finished an amazing year-long renovation of her gallery. With it, the exhibit space has more than doubled in size. However, it’s the basement (or Level A, as Bridgette calls it) remodel that really struck me.

I’ve happened upon several card catalogs at auctions in the past, but truth be told, I could never figure out what to do with them. They’re a little small for CDs and a little low to the ground to do much good, but this family in Portland had grander visions than I.This library card catalog has come a long way with a few simple add ons and is now a practical piece for any home.

Rhonda has the kind of friends we all need — friends who give away beautiful solid wood desks on Facebook. Desks like the one above that have strong bones despite the visible wear and tear caused by years of hard use. Rhonda and her husband knew this desk would shine up to a become a showpiece in their home, and boy were they right!Rhonda’s husband took charge of this project, removing all of the old chipped veneer before sanding the wood smooth.

Courtney and her husband are lucky enough to have a wonderful outdoor deck, but weren’t sure how to best use this odd empty corner. Inspiration struck and they decided to construct an outdoor day bed to provide some much needed lounging space for a party or a quiet afternoon. Using a combination of new and reclaimed wood, they built a custom seating area to fill up that empty corner.

Back when she moved into her new condo, Michelle decided the time had come to replace the IKEA dresser in her bedroom, a dresser purchased back when she was in middle school! After scouring Craiglist and thrift stores for months, she finally found the perfect piece for her new home, and picked it up for only $50 delivered.

Wood panelling doesn’t always do great favors for a space and this room is an example of that. With heavy furniture this room was a dark and oppressive space, but with some brighter furnishings and white paint the room is completely transformed.The wood panelling really brought down the mood of this room, but I do love the look of panelling on ceilings, so we kept that and painted it out white.

When Tammy picked up this dresser, it was already painted a soft blue and the drawer fronts were already sanded down to the bare wood- clearly this was someone’s unfinished DIY project. Never one to back down from a challenge, Tammy immediately had a vision of a coastal vibe dresser honoring her family’s annual summer trip to the beaches of North Carolina.Tammy left the blue paint on the frame of the dresser, but sanded down the top to match the bare drawer fronts.

This master bedroom needed a modern update and some TLC in order to transform it from drab 1980’s tract style into a sleek and sophisticated sanctuary.When you live in a home for awhile, it is easy to get used to certain architectural elements that may not be helping a space out. This space had a large soffit surrounding the room that seemed to enclose it in a negative way.

This snores-ville cabinet could definitely use a slap of paint to liven it up a bit. There is no question about that. But to give it even more personality, more pizzazz, what can you do?We’re reminded once again at the power of adding the right hardware; look at what a pair of mismatched, unexpected knobs does for this piece.Want to customize your cabinet in similar fashion? The brass finish Secret Key Handle from Anthropologie is available for just $4.95.And those lovely numbered knobs?

Most of us have a set of shelves that are decidedly more functional than they are fashionable. This shabby set survived the move into our new house and managed to look even shabbier sitting on our brand new tile floor and adjacent to a freshly painted wall. It only took me three years but it finally got a makeover more befitting its new station in life.The epiphany came as I was sketching plans for a cabinet and realized that, duh, a cabinet is basically a set of shelves with a back and a door!

As Brittany herself says, this story began (as so many here do) with a trip to the thrift store. Celebrating the sale of an old white coffee table, Brittany was delighted to find this sticky, smelly, and admittedly in need of repair chair for the bargain price of only $5. With a little elbow grease and gold leaf, Brittany created a marvelous addition for her home.After removing the seat, Brittany sanded the whole chair with 400-grit sandpaper, then wiped it down to remove any dust.

In the past I’ve tried several times to turn an old trunk or camp box into a filing system. Sure they work and I had things inside to keep all my papers and accessories organized, but I was missing out on some serious structure that makes it all truly come together. Check out this great before and after that makes this thrifted object into a serious piece of office organization.

With a $20 price tag and simple design, the Lack table from IKEA is just screaming for customization. Ssshh … listen carefully. Can you hear it? Please, dear DIY diva, take me from a cookie cutter cheap-o table to a beautiful, one-of-a-kind piece of furniture! Lucky for you, little table, Lizzie heard your pleas. Oh, humble IKEA Lack coffee table. How we do love to see what clever DIYers can do to enhance your simple little design.

Bathrooms are something of a catch-22 when it comes to remodeling. On one hand, unless it is one solely intended for guests, not many people see it besides you and your family. But on the other hand, since it tends to be the room where contemplation occurs most naturally, thoughts often drift to how much better it could look with a bit of work.

When Ann Marie decided to take on a project for her son’s school auction, she was lucky to find this old entertainment system for free on Craigslist. After some hard work and for only a $15 investment in supplies, she transformed this unwanted piece into a showstopping French kitchen that any child would love.

It’s a rare home that doesn’t have a little IKEA in it. Hacking IKEA furniture has become a sport for design-loving nuts such as ourselves. There’s no shortage of creativity and ingenuity but we also like to see the simple hacks that give a lot of bang for the buck. If you haven’t yet heard of O’verlays, jump below and take a look at what they can do.

Dana and her boyfriend Ryan love their beach getaway at Cape May, but nothing could make them love its outdated galley kitchen. From the mixed wood tones to the plastic backsplash, this 1980s kitchen was not the rustic coastal kitchen they knew their vacation home deserved. Despite the tiny budget, they managed to make big changes that capture the relaxed attitude every beach home should exude.

Though this thrift store dining table was missing a leaf and had obviously seen some hard use in the past, the classic lines and solid wood construction were just crying out for a little TLC to become a showpiece in someone’s home. Priced at only $15, this table was a steal despite the problems with the fininsh on the tabletop. Though this makeover does involve some paint, the wood purists among you should also be happy with the final result.

Sherry and her husband lucked out when they stumbled upon this vintage 1930s radio in a store that was closing the very day they dropped in to browse. Though the radio components were beyond salvage, the cabinet was just crying out for some TLC in order to become a showpiece in their home.Sherry’s husband devoted hours of time and lots of elbow grease as he sanded, glued, clamped, and stained this piece to restore the finish to its original glory.

I met architect Branka Knezevic at the AIA home tours a while back. When she was contracted to remodel an outdated bathroom in a ranch home, she promised me a big reveal with before and after photos. For the last few weeks she has strung me along with “the bathroom is almost finished.” Now, it is finally finished and the result was definitely worth the wait! The owner of the home wanted a bathroom that had a sleek and modern design.

Allison didn’t have to look very far to find these project pieces- her parents have owned them for over 36 years! Part of the bedroom set her parents got for their wedding, these nightstands lived in Allison’s childhood home before making a move to her parents’ cabin 10 years ago. When the cabin sold, these pieces came to Allison to work some makeover magic.Solidly built pieces by Lane, these nightstands are dark and heavy; Allison herself calls them “ominous”.

This $3 Goodwill score didn’t beckon to me with its good looks — the beige body and stained corporate-blue upholstery weren’t exactly stylish — but it felt really sturdy and comfortable when I tested it at the store. It wasn’t much uglier than the chair I was already using in my home office, either, and when I flipped it over, I discovered it was made by Steelcase.

Before and after makeovers are always rather shocking right? It’s always some sad piece of furniture that gets a new paint job or rework to be a brighter, bolder, more modern form of itself right? They’re always so cool. This one is no different except the after photo of these chairs — well, how do we say this — they’re not even chairs anymore.We checked in with Brooke over at All Things Thrifty where this simple chair with busted caning was in need of a makeover.

Rolltop desks are a classic element for any office, but sometimes they can be a bit staid for a modern aesthetic, not to mention a bit big for a small space. This small-scale rolltop desk had wonderful lines and is perfect for a kid’s room, but the horrid orangey stain really dated the piece. Thankfully, Baltimore designers Kahli and Milla had a plan modernize this vintage desk.

Some people just have all the luck when it comes to sniffing out thrift store bargains. When Kim found this battered yet solid desk for the incredible price of $26, she knew she had to have it; learning it was on sale for half that was just icing on the cake. She immediately wrestled the desk into her car, determined to try out a decoupaging technique on this bargain find.

Gail found this dresser by the side of the road, obviously already the victim of a failed DIY effort. The top had been removed and two drawers were missing (though the drawer fronts remained). Despite its sad condition, Gail brought it home, certain she could make something great from this curbside find.Gail removed the interior supports for the upper two drawers, and used the drawer fronts to form the back of the bench.

Online Form – Apartment Therapy Before & After Submissions (Taxonomy) <a href=”https://www.formstack.com/forms/?

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.

We just love simple solutions to customize everyday items. In this case, the item in question is a simple roller blind. Take a look at how Steph dressed up the blind after the jump…Steph, from BirdHouse, painted this tree silhouette on the IKEA Enje roller blind in her bathroom. This is a fun way to create a one-of-a-kind window treatment. If you like the project but think you lack the artist’s touch, you could also stencil a pattern onto a roller blind.

We’ve seen homemade play kitchens made from everything under the sun, but this may be the first one we’ve seen that started as a changing table. It’s an ideal piece of furniture to repurpose since it’s usefulness is usually only a few years. Take a look at how Hannah envisioned this table instead:This changing table is actually an ideal shape to become a kitchen with the higher cupboard becoming a refrigerator and the shelves already built in.

When Holly’s sister drove by this piece at a garage sale, it caught her eye despite the battered finish and missing drawer. $15 (and another trip to the garage sale) later, Holly had a project, a piece she knew could bring back to life even though she wasn’t yet certain where in her new house it would go.A few coats of paint later, and this dresser was no longer a sad garage sale piece but Holly still wasn’t sure how to use it.

Owning your own home means, for many folks, a myriad of DIY, improvement, and remodeling projects on your to-do list. This living room overhaul is an inspirational example of one woman’s journey in making her first home her own.Katherine Fugit is a contributing writer for Keep Smiling, a blog that offers encouragement “and other advice from first-time home buyers.” Looking at her personal blog, Me Machine, will give you a fantastic idea of her enviable eye for great design.

Although sanding down and refinishing hardwoods is fun for some folks, I happen to side with these homeowners who would rather whip up a light, bright and clean look for their kitchen with as little pain as possible. Want to see what this floor looks like now?Over at Modern Jane, this kitchen was in need of help and there’s no denying that this kitchen floor looks 500% better and the treatment to it makes things light, bright and beautiful.

Ok, so when I first saw this before picture I thought, ‘nice couches’ they could use a few pillows but besides that what could they possibly do to them….And this is what they came up with. I personally liked the couches in the before shot and wouldn’t have thought to change them, but I have to give major kudos for the duo at Rancho Reubidoux for having the vision and guts to take this on.

Wainscoting is common wall decor in many traditional homes. However, it can so easily be used homes of any style if you’re willing to be a little eclectic.Installing your own wainscoting can certainly feel like a daunting task but if you’re patient and have a week (or few) to dedicate to it — you’ll be wiping your brow and cracking a cold one in no time.

Shanta lives in Forest Hills in a prewar one bedroom apartment. Spacious and with good light, this living room has lots going for it, but lacks color and a real sense of Shanta’s personality. Everything matches, which while not a bad thing, can feel too safe and sterile. The team at Real Simple turned things around…… and helped make the space sing!

Jen and her boyfriend recently moved into this standard grad school apartment and immediately got to work making it their own. This before and after is a true testament to the fact than even the most boring of apartments can be spruced up with a bit of DIY know-how.It only took two weekends for Jen and her boyfriend, Tim, to put together this stylish living room.

After removing the upper cabinets from her laundry room in order to create more useable open shelves, Sarah hung onto the narrow cabinets which she knew still had some life in them. Though most of us would probably think of reusing such cabinets in the basement or garage, Sarah transformed them into a centerpiece in her living room.By removing the doors and adding on some fun feet and decorative trim, Sarah turned those ho-hum cabinets into a wonderful sofa table.

If you have a chair that looks like this in your home you’ll want to see Suzanne’s terrific transformation. If you don’t, you might find yourself running to a thrift shop or keeping your eye on the curb come garbage day to get one. In Suzanne’s words, “Goodbye Disney (no offense Tigger)! Hello non-eye sore!”After!We love it and, as you can see below, so does her son Callum. Suzanne says it took her about two hours and 1.5 yards of Ikea fabric.

I love this Before & After because of its absolute simplicity. This dining room acts as a pass through room in my house. You have to move through it to get from the living room to the kitchen. Even though we kept the furniture in it to a bare minimum (there is ONLY a table and chairs), it still felt stuffy and crowded. Want to see what we changed that did the trick?My husband gets full credit for this re-arrangement in our dining room.

When Shelley’s parents gave her their old double vanity mirror, she immediately knew she wanted to transform it into a full length floor mirror for her living room. After living with the mirror in the garage for months, she finally got the supplies (and the truck) necessary to complete this creative DIY project.Shelley used plywood, trim, and crown moulding to transform this free vanity mirror into a centerpiece for her living room.

Amy’s home art studio was in major need of a transformation. It’s really easy to get carried away with your work and let the space slide around you. Well, this summer Amy finally had some time to really focus on her studio and let me tell you it sure paid off …One month later and Amy has a beautiful, bright, clean and organized space that she now spends as much time in as possible.

We’re all very familiar with these little black office chairs. They’re super convenient for a home office but they’re certainly lacking in the style department. Take a cue from Mindy and dress up an office chair with just a little fabric and a staple gun…Melinda Ann had actually relegated this chair to the donation pile, where it was destined for a one-way trip to Goodwill. And then, at the last minute, inspiration struck.

Spaces in our homes serve different needs at different times in our lives and this family decided that instead of a traditional car garage, they needed a playroom. See how they made that happen:After!Tracy, her husband and their son Harrison live in Seattle and she told us about this terrific project:We live in a small townhouse with a rather small shared driveway making it almost impossible to park in our driveway.

Jen emailed us a link to the office she dressed up for her friend Natasha. As a rising star in fashion PR, Natasha needs a space that exudes simple style. So over a weekend, Jen turned Natasha’s sad space into a stylish office. AFTER! Jen describes herself on her blog as a DIY enthusiast who is “gradually turning into an Asian Martha Stewart”. So it’s no surprise that when her friend Natasha needed help dressing up her fashion PR office, she turned to Jen.

These two white dressers are perfectly fine for a baby’s room, but aunt-to-be Meg got her hands and, more importantly, paint brushes on them to create a pair of woodsy dressers inspired by her nephew’s nursery bedding.After!If it looks like a lot of work – well, it was! Meg was under a deadline to finish these so they could be hand delivered by her parents. All told, it took her 32 hours and 11 different paint colors – we’re tired just thinking about it.

The stairs in Andrea and Cliff’s house were looking a bit dated. Wrapped in berber carpet, they looked more like a giant cat scratcher than the beautiful floating stairs the couple hand in mind. With some hard work and a lot of sanding, the crafty couple updated the stairs while also creating a more open, airy feel to the space.Andrea and Cliff emailed in to share their stair makeover and the minute we saw what an undertaking it was (and what a difference they made!), we had to share it.

These “before” shots above were snapped during the final tour we took of our house before buying it last year. The upstairs bath (left) was highlighted as a selling point. I thought it had potential. The basement bathroom, on the other hand, was composed entirely of bargain tile and fixtures and didn’t seem to have any potential at all. This past month, I gave them both makeovers on a mini budget.

When designer duo Natalie Younger and Sayre Ziskin called me up to shoot some portfolio work for them I was excited to see their take on a masculine opulent bachelor pad. Mark has lived in his 1 bedroom loft for just over a year, but has never had the time to really delve into design. He hired Younger & Ziskin to help him create a lavish, dark and sophisticated home.Mark lives in an eco-friendly urban loft condo at the TLofts in Los Angeles.

Tired of living with the unfinished look of a “king size bed on a cheap metal frame just pushed up against the wall”, Kristen knew she wanted to add a headboard but didn’t want to spend a lot of money. Enter her local secondhand store, Buffalo ReUse, where Kristen went to browse for inspiration. At only $10, this solid wood door was a great find, one Kristen knew she could use to transform the look of her bedroom.Kristen selected this door for its simple lines and its symmetry.

Repurposing hand-me-downs or flea market finds is so incredibly fun and the options are endless. Sometimes giving a piece of furniture a face lift is as easy as visiting your local hardware store.Most of us have an item in the home that used to have a purpose but now it’s just sitting around with no particular place to go. For Sam, a broken down bench with no purpose was re-imagined into a beautiful rope bench.