DIY Before & Afters | Do It Yourself Projects & Hacks

The after has a smart trick for making your ceilings seem taller, no tools required.

Small changes make a huge impact here.

A little color goes a long way in this kitchen redo.

This redo will inspire you to refresh your space without spending a dollar.

It only took a few smart changes to totally change this space.

And you won't believe how light and bright they both are now!

Talk about bang for your buck.

The best part? The project repurposes many items that the homeowner already had.

With all the time spent inside your home—eating, sleeping, etc.—it can be easy to forget about the impact that the outside of your home has.

Here's proof that just a few hours of work can yield a seriously big return.

Wait until you see the new light fixture.

Carpet has its place—but the bathroom is not it. Tearing it out of this bathroom paved the way for a much-needed redo.

The after isn't just for laundry—it's also a plant parent's dream.

For less than $500, thanks to IKEA hacks and contact paper!

Hand-me-down furniture is a super welcome gift—but it can take some elbow grease to make it work with the rest of your decor.

Yes, FREE.

"It feels like we added an entire room," says the homeowner.

This bathroom is like a chic little jungle.

This dresser's dramatic glow-up will inspire you to go curb shopping.

With a bedroom like this, it would be hard to ever leave.

No walls were moved in the making of this reno.

The budget even includes totally new floors—bye, brown carpet!

You could copy this look for any room of your home.

The after looks like it was ripped from the pages of your favorite boho decor catalog.

Bold is beautiful, but so is something a little more subdued.

Two words: custom stencils.

This goes far beyond shiplap.

These DIYers impress with their skills and creativity.

Your work space should be inspiring, but that doesn't mean it has to be expensive.

Family hand-me-downs don't have to be stuck in the past.

Here's proof that furniture can look like a million bucks without costing it.

This project will inspire you to tackle your own pantry area.

From book nooks to outdoor hangouts, these spaces are all about feeling cozy and comfortable.

The "after" feels way brighter, bigger, and more welcoming.

No one will be sad to see those beige cabinets go.

"We had to get creative with our finishes to get the look we wanted but for less," the homeowner says.

Hello, color!

This bathroom went from blah to bold and beautiful.

Now there's tons more room to relax.

"The cost was so little for the overall impact on our home," the homeowner says.

This redo's full of smart money-saving tricks.

This space is just as beautiful as it is functional.

With a little bit of paint, family photos, and frames from Michael's!

You'll want to steal ideas for your own bedroom.

Cabinets can really make all the difference in a kitchen.

This is a smart way to update chairs you've gotten tired of.

They call it a “cozy, Scandinavian cottage.”

It's so much more inviting now.

"The only thing I would do differently is I should've done this project years ago," the homeowner says.

This DIYer's first reupholstery project produced super charming results.

The after feels like a breath of fresh air.

The before? "Tremendously ugly," says the homeowner—but she saw the potential.

The new space will make your jaw drop.

The old laundry room was such an eyesore that it "quickly became the dumping ground for items we wanted to be hidden from our every day living space," the homeowner says.

TOP ROW:1. Before & After: A Trashed Curbside Dresser2. Before & After: An Unexpected Upholstery Project3. Before & After: Faux Snakeskin Table4. Before & After: Dresser Makeover5. Before & After: From Trash to Silk Screened Style BOTTOM ROW:6. Before & After: Ottoman Transformation7. Before & After: Salvaging a DIY Dresser Gone Wrong8. Before & After: Trash to Treasure Table in Just an Hour9. Before & After: Restoring a Solid Wood Desk10.

This kitchen was so dark that you could hardly see what you were cooking at night.

I was warming up to make a bunch of wagon wheel coffee table jokes — most referencing When Harry Met Sally — when I realized this is actually a mill wheel. We’ll just have to appreciate this project for what it is: an approachable, unique upcycle of a neglected old piece of equipment. Here’s how this project came to be, according to Roxanne of The Honeycomb Home: While at a flea market, an old wooden wheel caught my eye. The seller said it may have been from a grist mill.

TOP ROW:1. Before & After: Molly’s IKEA Rast Turned Campaign Chest2. Before & After: IKEA Changing Table into Home Office Desk3. Before & After: The DIY IKEA Office Organizer4. Before & After: Bet You Can’t Guess What This IKEA Malm was Converted Into5. Before & After: IKEA Malm Gets an Upholstered Ombre Makeover BOTTOM ROW:6. Before & After: Anna’s Take on the IKEA Rast7. Lizzie’s Wallpapered IKEA Lack Table8. Before & After: IKEA Granas Table Gets a Rustic Makeover9.

We’ve seen the topic of painting upholstery come up from time to time to time, but this Before & After made my jaw drop. While I may have been on the fence before — one look at the After photo and I’m a believer.the After!Given the option of spending hundreds of dollars to reupholster her Craigslist chair or experimenting with painting the fabric, Kristy Swain of Hyphen Interiors broke out the brushes.

We like to reserve for our very last Before & After roundup the projects that really wow you. As in, these ‘after’ photos will leave you shocked. Amazed. Inspired. Take a look at some of this year’s most dramatic transformations. Click on the slideshow to see the projects. To learn more about each project (and see more pictures), click the links in the captions.

Some of my favorite before & afters are the ones where some intrepid DIYer sees the potential in a piece that everyone else would’ve left on the curb. From a side table turned pet bed to a humble crate turned into a swing, this year’s projects featured plenty of impressive repurposings. Check out some of our favorites. To view the ‘after’ photos, click the links for each project.

You'll want to steal the high-contrast color scheme for your own space.

Here's proof that you don't have to bust down a wall to brighten up a dark space.

With the warm season starting, I’ve become obsessed with all things white. So I’ve returned to my rental white walls in the bathroom, which feels so fresh and clean for summer. Check out the results below. I used the same color on the baseboard and moldings so I didn’t need to worry about that clean line of paint as the color changes (the most frustrating part of a painting job to a self-proclaimed lazy perfectionist).

Dividing walls were holding this bathroom back. Tearing them out helped it reach its open, airy potential.