DIY Home Projects

When Mila grew tired of her gallery wall she opted for a big and bold change. Part accent wall, part large scale art piece and entirely fabulous, her vibrant mural is an eye catching delight. From Mila: This wall of my living room needed major help. I was bored of that gallery wall and wanted to try something new, exotic and attention grabbing. This mural was inspired by Robert Murle Marx’s textiles. Florence Lopez, a designer that lives in Paris, had a similar idea for her apartment.

If you’re a fan of Carrera marble, you’ll understand why Paris was so excited to come across an affordable pair of marble-topped tables on Craigslist. While she loved the tops, the ornate legs didn’t suit her style so she turned to a company that usually caters to IKEA customers to find new furniture legs to match her modern aesthetic.

Are you already missing the January Cure and wondering how you’ll manage the rest of the year? Or do you just need a little nudge to stay motivated to keep your home in good shape? Sign up for Apartment Therapy’s Weekend Projects and don’t do it alone! Each week we tackle basic cleaning chores, organizing efforts, and small home projects. Join us and make your space better — little by little, week by week — at a natural, low-pressure, and manageable pace.

Perhaps the next best thing to your landlord offering to fix up your rental bathroom (which rarely happens), is your landlord granting their blessing for you to fix it up yourself. Justyna was thrilled to get the green light from her landlord to make some bathroom improvements and she got straight to work. See what she accomplished on a small budget in this small rental: From Justyna: This summer I decided I couldn’t live with my rental bathroom any longer.

Kacie’s kitchen lacked personality, especially this corner nook which she found drab and dingy. Armed with paint and plywood, she and her husband created a bright, cheerful spot for family dinners and game night with friends. From Kacie: My husband and I were excited about the size and footprint of the kitchen in our first home, but were less thrilled about the orange oak-y style.

This month, Apartment Therapy teamed up with a bunch of talented knitters — like Anne Weil from Flax & Twine — to give you a rich mix of informative posts about this useful and meditative craft, including resources and original patterns. If you’ve never picked up knitting needles before, this is a great time to start. See the entire knitting series right here, and here’s Anne: I love all the amazing chunky fiber that is out on the market these days.

Anne-Claire was on a Craigslist hunt for the perfectly sized and perfectly priced desk for her daughter. After a few disappointments, she stumbled across this desk, which needed a little love but was otherwise exactly what she was looking for. The fixing up process took a little longer than Anne-Claire expected, but the final result was worth it. From Anne-Claire: Now that my daughter is growing up, I started to look for a small desk to replace her little child table.

Each room in Lucas’ 495 square foot apartment in Argentina is designed around one color. When Lucas bought this pair of nightstands at an estate sale, they weren’t in their best condition. But, after some TLC and DIY, they not only got a fresh coat of paint and a bold color, they also became the inspiration for his bedroom’s color scheme.

Marti’s master bedroom makeover was a slow and steady labor of love. Her first move was to tackle the too-bright purple paint and choose a color that was a little more serene. After that, she mixed DIY projects with budget finds for a chic and calm bedroom. From Marti: We’ve lived in our house for a little over one year now, and our bedroom has come a long way. There was certainly nowhere to go but up!

IKEA says: The FLEKKE daybed is four functions in one: seating, single bed, bed for two, and two big drawers for storage. The backrest mounts on the right or the left side of the daybed. Real wood veneer will make this bed age gracefully. What We Predict: Buyers will find countless ways to make this daybed more custom, not to mention comfortable. DIYers will capitalize on the built-in storage and make it even more functional for small spaces.

When we moved to our Canadian home in the middle of the winter, furniture-less and looking for indoor weekend activities, we turned to Home Depot and online tutorials and decided to make some stuff. Here are three surprisingly easy and effective projects we think you should try at home in 2017 — you can see them in our recent house tour. This is by far the easiest DIY we tackled. It takes all of two steps: screwing a bracket to the wall and wrapping a pendant light around it.

Who among us hasn’t dragged home a $5 garage sale chair or a battered bookshelf left on the curb, convinced that we could make something out of it? Whether by painstakingly restoring it to its former glory or by giving it a major makeover, we just know something special is lurking beneath the cobwebs, scratches, or worse.

The size and scale of this fireplace is striking which means that changing its look has a big impact on this space. The homeowners also opted for a new wall paint color. Together, these changes give off a whole new vibe. Take a look: From Christina: I am not a big DIY person so I spoke to the amazing contractor Adrian at Craftsman Construction that we worked with on this project, about how they were able to change the multi-colored stone fireplace into the clean white look that we finished with.

We’ve seen Natalie’s 19th century home before and this time she’s tackling her dining room. Not happy to just strip the floors and replace the chandelier, she put her artistic talents to good use and painted something gorgeous on the walls. From Natalie: My husband and I bought a circa 1870s house in Pittsburgh nearly three years ago. The house has a wonderful lived-in feeling and great bones, but it needed an infusion of style.

Here’s a brilliant idea: invite your pals over for a wine and crafts night (we recommend starting with these simple eucalyptus wreaths), and then use the empty bottles to craft these simply stunning candle holders. Fill each bottle with pine sprigs and berries collected during winter walks, and then top them off with taper candles. These Scandinavian-inspired beauties will make any space feel merry and bright.

When the Apartment Therapy team decided to give designer Akhira Ismail’s 288-square-foot Brooklyn apartment (see her previous house tour here) a holiday makeover, we knew we had a charming space to start with. So to transform the already well-designed home into a Scandi-style winter oasis, we focused on subtle, minimalist changes that would add up to one super-cozy retreat. Grab some pinecones and a strand of twinkle lights, because these ideas are too easy not to try in your home.

Sarah found herself in an all-too-familiar predicament: she had a bland bathroom and a strict landlord. Not wanting to force her bathroom to live a colorless life, she got creative and found a stylish and temporary solution. From Sarah: Last spring we moved from Manhattan to Northern Virginia, where we’ve been living in a beautiful rental house.

Rebecca saved this totally unassuming display from the trash and turned it into an unrecognizably stylish addition to her living room. With a little cash, and some ingenuity, she helped this piece make a total 180. From Rebecca: We were throwing away an old gift wrap display at the stationery shop where I work. I took a good look at it and flipped it over, I thought it would make a great addition in my living room.

The thought of making paper snowflakes may remind you of childhood memories of cutting out wonky, misshapen snowflakes only a mother could love. While the concept remains the same, this time around, the look is much more sophisticated— and your improved motor skills will come in handy. Armed with a quick tutorial, some project inspiration and a pair of scissors, you’re ready to snip your way to a winter wonderland.

Try this over the weekend.

The holidays are here, and if the more traditional combos of red and green or blue and silver aren’t your ideal color schemes, you can still add some festivity to your decor by taking it in a more neutral, simple-chic direction. One way to do that is with strands of simple white lights. If you still want a bit of color, natural elements like greenery and branches are the perfect complement to twinkling lights.

Karyn and Jessica’s beach bungalow is an ever-evolving small space. This is what Karyn had to say in 2013: I had just moved to the island of Coronado and had the perfect bungalow apartment in mind. I envisioned something small but homey with a comfortable outdoor area. The universe must have been on my side because not two minutes after making my wish list I found the perfect studio apartment. Being a designer has its perks, especially after walking into this place.

It’s that time of year where we prepare to hibernate. That means cozy socks, piles of blankets, and lots and lots of candles. Thankfully making all those candles on your own is easier than you think. The best part about it is that you can make candles that are completely custom for you — which means your favorite scents in containers that match your style or space. Here are nine great DIY candle and container combos to help keep you busy (and cozy) this season.

IKEA’s winter photoshoots are treasure troves of seasonal inspiration. Even if you don’t buy a single ornament from them this year, take these styling tips and decorating ideas back to your own home. Some are tweaks on familiar tradition, but all of them embrace the warm atmosphere and special feeling of the holidays. Go Dark: Instead of bright colors and garish decorations, go for a moodier, cozier space (lead image above).

Out of context it is kind of hard to tell what this is, let alone take a guess as to what it’s going to become. Surprise! It’s an old IKEA hamper! After you’ve recovered from that news, scroll down and see Dan’s impressive hamper hack. From Dan: I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I saw this a few years ago on Apartment Therapy and knew I had to repurpose an old IKEA hamper that was collecting dust.

We recently finished redoing Tara’s rental kitchen, transforming it from a 1970s nightmare into a more livable and lovable space. After doing the more substantial stuff — like painting cabinets and redo-ing the floors — we added a bunch of space-saving storage to make it a small kitchen superstar. It doesn’t take much, just a few 5-minute projects here and there.

Patience is a virtue for both Faith and these poor little ripped up chairs. After waiting a few years, they finally got their day in the sun — and boy was it worth it. From Faith: Back when I first opened my shop in the later part of 2012 I was in a real junk-hungry state. Possibly it stemmed from being overly optimistic, like that pathetic chic who still sees potential in her boyfriend even though he’s in jail, again.

Krys has a totally understandable addiction to thrifted chairs. This lovely lady got a stunning makeover with the help of some chalk paint and a very glamorous upholstery. From Krys: Confession: I’m a little bit of a chair hoarder. If I see a vintage chair at a flea market and it’s under $20 I usually end up coming home with it.

Liz’s bedroom was already a cozy and serene space with a sloped ceiling and white plan walls, but she wanted to add a little something special. From Liz: To get this project started, I adapted a few ideas from one of my favorite bloggers, Jenna Sue. This girl has added amazing faux wood beams in her home and recently did a bathroom makeover with lace curtains around a clawfoot tub that seriously left my jaw on the floor. It was to die for, you guys!

Are you looking to update your kitchen on a budget? This round up will provide you with the motivation and inspiration to make your dream a reality, without breaking the bank. These $1000 (or less) makeovers prove that a little can go a long way to make a space feel new.

Super chunky knits are all the rage right now (we even had Kaitlin arm knit us a blanket on Facebook Live). After watching a cozy throw get knit in just 15 minutes, I wondered what other cool things you could make with this gorgeous bulky yarn. Here are five more projects for your home that you can arm knit in an afternoon: Who can say no to a chunky knit pillow? This is the sort of cushion cover that would cost nearly $100 at a store, but you can make for about $30 in yarn.

Sometimes it’s not the wall knocked down or the whole room painted that’s the visual impact your room needs — a small detail can pack a decor punch, too! The proof is in Erin and Tobin’s cute Providence condo: I spotted three small but mighty mini DIY projects in Erin and Tobin’s home — the kind of ideas you can do without a lot of time, tools or money. See if they’re small DIY details that could add personality to one of your rooms.

Find out how to hack or recreate these covet-worthy architectural details.

I had a dollhouse as a kid and have been a “miniac” every since. Thankfully it’s my job to share this stuff, because I could look at these all day and not get a damn thing done. Prepare to enjoy tiny versions of all the home stuff you love in real life. If you like high-end furniture and shopping accessories, check out Phillip Nuveen’s collection of Herman Miller (as shown above), Chanel & Louis Vuitton creations. Above, a miniature fish tank from Kristi on Etsy.

Tiffany hit the rental jackpot with a gorgeous old fireplace. The only catch is that it came with not-awful-but-not-great yellow tile. Well, all praises be to contact paper because Tiffany was able to totally change the look of the tile and remain on her landlord’s good side. From Tiffany: One of the things that I knew I wanted to change in my rental was the yellow tile surrounding my fireplace. I’ll admit that once I moved in, the yellow tiles grew on me.

Now, this is what we call a couple’s costume. You get a cute-yet-creepy Venus Flytrap Fascinator, your pooch gets a sweet set of monarch wings to go along with it. Crafted from lightweight felt that’s looped right onto your pet’s harness, this is a costume your dog won’t mind prancing around in.

Because every Burt needs an Ernie, Thelma goes with Louise, and who wants to see Siegfried without Roy? It’s more fun to dress up with someone else for Halloween, and it’s doesn’t need to be your honey. Team up with a friend for the party or parade, and use these two-person costumes ideas for inspiration. 1. Mike and Eleven from Stranger Things, from Shrimp Salad Circus 2. Unicorns from Brit & Co. 3. Zoolander and Hansel from Brit & Co. 4.

Stacy’s rental bathroom started out just fine. She had white and grey tile floors, a grey-blue wall color, and a white pedestal sink. The bathroom was tiny, but there was a separate counter and mirror from the sink, with plenty of space to store her products. The only trouble was the green countertops, which made the bathroom feel dark and dingy despite it being light everywhere else.

A lot pretty, a little creepy—this Venus Flytrap Fascinator is exactly the look we’re going for this Halloween. Constructing this headpiece is less work than assembling a head-to-toe costume, but the look is still every bit as eye-catching. Watch the how-to video to see how it all comes together.

Amy was #blessed with two very crucial elements of a rental makeover success: an apartment with good bones and a generous landlord. She took those gifts and ran with them, turning her bathroom into a totally lovely, stylish and calming sanctuary. From Amy: The first thing I did when I signed my lease was ask my landlord if I could paint the bathroom.

Start with your pup’s own harness, hoodie or raincoat, and easily transform them into a ridiculously adorable outfit for Halloween — all without a stitch. And hey, want to match your pet? These dog costumes are great on their own, but we’ve even come up with human costumes to match. Together you two will be the hit of the pet parade. A Poncho Becomes . . . A Stick of Butter Above, Zuzu’s yellow raincoat does double duty as packaging for a stick of butter.

House plants are a great addition to any home and stylish planters make them even more part of your decor. We asked artist and surface designer Dana Finnigan to share her favorite method for making a handmade tile planter — which you can customize with your own pattern. Take it away Dana…. 10 x 10 cm Tiles (or, for U.S.

Barbara was tasked with creating a living space that reflected the personality and interests of her clients, all while making sure it was baby friendly. She added pattern, texture and soothing color to create a welcoming family living room. From Barbara: The clients who just moved into this space really wanted their vibrant and eclectic personalities to shine through into their new home just outside of Boston.

Regine had a blank slate of a room and wanted to maximize the utility of the space while crafting a cool and beachy look. With some smart shopping, she was able to transform this space into a chill and welcoming spot! From Regine: Originally this room was a closet and storage for things that didn’t quite have a place, but it came time to make it an official guest room while also making it possible to turn this into a sewing space where I can make clothes.

Krystal looked at her beige fireplace and saw a blank canvas. She got to work painting tiles to bring some pattern to her living room. From Krystal: I started with a piece of wrapping paper, it was the best paper I had to cut to the size I needed for the tile stencil. After priming and painting the tiles white, I worked on sketching the pattern on the paper which took quite a while, and trust me it’s not perfect! I used a razor blade to cut the stencil out.

Inspired by tropical trends and natural woven decor that screams summertime, we’ve created some simple DIY projects that work room-altering magic. Start with a $10 IKEA lamp, a $4 pillow cover, an $8 mirror, and those wire baskets you have lying around—add some basic crafting supplies—and presto, each of these items looks more chic. Whether you do one project or dive in on all four, your home is going to get a serious dose of style. This room features four super-easy upgrades.

If you hate your floors, but are a little short on cash, I’ve got good news. A new floor can cost a ton of money — but it doesn’t have to. Here are nine budget-friendly ideas for upgrading your existing floors so you can get a whole new look without spending a whole lot of money. This vinyl floor cloth, demonstrated by designer Kerra Michele Huerta in an article from the Washington Post, is a great option for renters as well as homeowners on a budget.

The closet by my front door is overflowing with jackets, raincoats, and accessories. It’s packed so tight, I can’t even reach into that closet to grab anything. Heaven forbid I should need to add anything else to the mix. I’ve got to find a solution to keep in-season outerwear at the ready, and a place to stash guest coats at a moment’s notice.

With a small budget and a lot of will power, Tanya turned her crumbling fire pit into a super modern lakeside hangout spot. From Tanya: The fire pit that came with my Lake Superior house was slowly crumbling and wasn’t much fun to sit around (I absolutely hate putting chairs on the grass because, living in the country, I’m petrified of ticks).

Nicole took one look at this dresser in “horrible condition” and saw major potential. Thanking the furniture gods for the fact that it was a paintable plywood, she set about turning this freebie into a fresh & stylish piece. From Nicole: This ugly red painted plywood dresser was in horrible condition. Missing hardware, holes and scratches everywhere but I loved that it was plywood so I could paint right over that ugly red!

No matter if you have a non-existent entryway or a spacious foyer, this is one of those spots where clutter seems to pile up before anyone notices. Lucky for us, we can always count on IKEA as an endless source of inspiration for team clutter control. Add one of these hacks or upgrades to your entryway and you’ll gain some extra storage space that also makes a great first impression. When in doubt, wall mount.

Ashley made some small but seriously impactful changes to this old light. By saying goodbye to a few details and adding a new bulb, she made a stylish and subtle update. From Ashley: Old kitchen pendants or chandeliers are easily found at garage sales and thrift stores. I picked this light up for $5 and knew it had potential. The glass itself was in good shape but the electrical portion of the light had to go.

Ash was about to put his house on the market, so he took a second look at his kitchen and came up with an ingenious and sophisticated idea for sprucing up his pretty blah pantry situation. From Ash: Simply stated, our pantry was an eyesore. It was a little nook of shelves with old curtains pulled to each side. We were going to put our house on the market soon, and in looking at the competition, we kept seeing very similar houses with beautiful kitchens.

We’ve been seeing so much really great, eye-catching wallpaper in recent years, that it’s become easy to forget why it had such a bad rap not that long ago. Luckily, Laurène’s pre-trend wallpapered living room is here to remind us. With a super simple paint job and some excellent furniture selection, Laurène was able to maximize the natural light in her space to create a cozy living room/dining area.

Kristine purchased this beat up bad boy for $5 knowing she could make something out of the mid-century style. After some serious blood, sweat and tears it is now a gorgeous patterned side board. From Kristine: I started with this crappy old sideboard which I picked up for just $5… I bought this baby “site unseen” (after a friend sent me a photo) because I loved the clean mid-century lines and generous proportions. I also really liked the fact it looked so disheveled.

I’ve been on the hunt for an affordable brown leather sofa for a while now, and had just about given up when this one turned up on Craigslist. It wasn’t the color I wanted. I was hoping for something a little less Manhattan and a little more Marfa, but for 50 bucks, I figured I could experiment with changing the color. Can you paint a leather sofa? I did! And I’m in love with the results. Let’s take a closer look… And another close up.

If you’re short on space, lofting your bed is one of the best ways to magically gain square footage. However, sleeping in the sky is not without its challenges—I’m looking at you, late-night ladder navigation. Here are 14 ways to make your loft bed dreamy. The built-in cubby smartly stores extra pillows and blankets—and books, if you’re me. The addition of a bedside outlet is so helpful, allowing for a phone charger, radio, fan, and more.

Sometimes, you’ve just got to take a chance. When Pati’s sister offered her a large and somewhat underwhelming dresser, she was on the fence. Pati decided to go for it, and with some smartly selected paint, turned this dresser into a gorgeous credenza. From Pati: My sister bought this on our local Facebook classifieds. She decided while moving, she no longer had room for it. She offered it to me and I was a bit undecided. Not only was it heavy, it needed some work.

Cate’s thrift store find was certainly interesting, if a little clunky. After pulling out the pieces she needed for another project, Cate got inventive and the results are pretty charming! From Cate: I grabbed this quirky (and rather large) mid-century modern table lamp from my local thrift store with plans to harvest the brass for another lighting project. After taking the whole thing apart, I was left with some beautiful turned-wood pieces that I couldn’t let go to waste.

Kari found herself facing a familiar design foe, the too large white wall. She eventually landed on an ingenuous solution that added interest to the wall without sacrificing any of the cool. From Kari: When we moved into our house last year, it was basically move in ready but we had a large, white wall in our living room and we had no idea what to do with it.

I’m a huge fan of the concrete and cement planter trend that’s been popping up on DIY blogs for a while now—but while painting the dull gray surface of standard concrete works, I knew there had to be a cooler way of coloring these little plant homes. After some research and hands-on testing, it turns out that the trick is starting with white concrete and stirring in powdered pigments. From there, the sky’s the limit. Marble them, create an ombre stack, go two-tone.

Molly’s space was totally adorable as is, but she was itching for a little drama in the living room, and boy did she bring it! From Molly: My obsession with a black accent wall started about a year ago when I saw this house tour right here on Apartment Therapy. I couldn’t stop thinking about how the art popped and the TV blended — pretty much everything you want for an accent wall that contains a television.

When I think about color and pattern in an outdoor space I usually think throw pillows or maybe the occasional funky patio umbrella. Claire decided that pattern need not be limited to textiles and accessories and got really creative with her weathered bench. From Claire: I had a neglected old bench in my garden, that was crying out for a revamp. Instead of just repainting, I decided to give it a designer makeover.

If a cabinet can survive years of kid style wear and tear, you know you’ve got a sturdy piece of furniture on your hands. After removing any trace of Brontosauruses and sharks, Rosa set to work giving this old cabinet new life. From Rosa: This cabinet was purchased about 25 years ago in a thrift store to use in a child’s room. It was covered with stickers of animals, surfboards and all kinds of kid stuff.

When bookshelves are in OK shape, it can be so tempting to leave them as is. After all, you’re just going to cover them with with books and tchotchkes, right? Sahana had to go and overachieve by putting curtains AND wallpaper on her total steal of a bookshelf duo. From Sahana: We recently moved from New York to North Carolina. While we were hunting for some furniture, we got an awesome deal of two bookshelves for $20.

Removable wallpaper seems like one of those “too good to be true” design elements. You get the charm and elegance of wallpaper, without having to painstakingly remove it with steamers, hot soapy water, and 22 different types of wall scrapers. Once you tire of it, all you do is just grab a corner and pull it down. A while back, we installed some for a makeover project and then returned after a couple of months to take it down.

For anyone who is waiting on an elusive piece of dream furniture, let Robin’s carriage seat offer you some hope. She was able to turn her not-totally-perfect-but-close find into a gorgeous manifestation of her entryway bench dreams. From Robin: I have wanted a carriage seat as a house bench forever. Seriously. The one I scored at an auction was not the one I wished for, but it was close enough.

While winter brings to mind ornate wool rugs and sturdy but plain salt- and snow-soaked doormats, summer rugs can be lighter and more playful. Buy and dye some dollar store clotheslines or recycle your old climbing ropes and get to knitting, crocheting, coiling, or just good old-fashioned gluing. This tutorial requires $16 worth of clothesline rope and some hardcore crochet skills, and the result is totally spa-worthy.

I am sharing our almost-completely DIY, super budget $7K kitchen remodel, which we started in September, and finally wrapped up just a couple weeks ago. The process was a lesson in patience, as we hated the kitchen upon buying our house, but waited about two and a half years before we had created a plan, emotionally recovered from the bathroom remodel (which was shared here a while back!), and saved up enough dollars.