DIY Before & Afters | Do It Yourself Projects & Hacks

Kenya bought this IKEA stool in the As-Is section for a song and swiftly realized it was in need of some serious flair. Working with her mother, she was able to put some fabric she’d been holding onto to excellent use. From Kenya: I purchased an IKEA HENRIKSDAL bar stool from the clearance section that was in really good condition. The only thing wrong with it was the the footrest was missing and the seat covering had been removed. I had a vision for this lovely chair!

Lindsay spotted this piano bench at a yard sale and even though the bench wasn’t her style as-is, she knew that with a little DIY muscle she could mold it into her ideal accent bench. Using only products she had on hand, she gave this thrifty find a whole new look in very little time. From Lindsay: This piano bench was a steal at a yard sale. Benches are great because you can use them for so many things. A piano bench has an added bonus because there is storage under the seat.

Sure, there’s something exciting about purchasing a brand new piece of furniture – it’s dust-free, scratch-free, (sticker-free if you’re parent to a toddler) and demands the spotlight of attention when you walk in the room. But what if I told you that you could have the same feelings about a previously purchased piece picked up from the local consignment store?

In my personal experience, “first time’s the charm” doesn’t always apply to DIY projects. It usually takes me about three tries to create something presentable, but not Kayla! She was drawn to this chair at a garage sale, pulled in by the mix of metal and fabric, and figured this would be the perfect opportunity to dive into the re-upholstery pool. The resulting chair looks much spiffier, comfier and more put together than the original find, so job well done!

A tale as old as time: you move into a new space and have to live with the questionable design choices of the previous tenants. Medina inherited a built-in closet/ wardrobe that left more than a lot to be desired. She got rid of the ugliest aspect almost immediately and tried to make do, but eventually enough was simply enough and she gave the closet an easy and affordable DIY makeover. From Medina: The before is a picture of a built in wardrobe in our bedroom.

Claire’s patio sofa was understandably looking a little worse for the wear after battling the elements for seven years. She decided to give shibori a try, with a backup plan in case things went south. Lo and behold there was no need for Plan B and now the sofa cushions are bright, fun and totally revitalized. From Claire: I bought this IKEA Ammero outdoor sofa over seven years ago and I’m very fond of it.

Bekah spotted this dresser on Craigslist and saw past the scuffs and marks to the mid century modern potential. After picking it up for a bargain, Bekah and her dad spiffed and shined the piece to its former glory. From Bekah: I found this beautiful four-drawer dresser on Craigslist one day while wasting time. The guy was asking $80 but when my boyfriend went to pick it up, he was able to get it for only $60!

Linda’s sewing table had been relegated to the forgotten pile in the garage for a few months until inspiration struck. What if she used the sewing table not for sewing but for…drinking. Enter the world’s cutest and most unexpected DIY bar! From Linda: I suddenly remembered that under a mountain of randomness in the garage I had an old sewing table that I picked up at a garage sale back in the fall.

Christine’s pepto-pink guest room had a lot of potential but needed a ton of work. Wanting to create a space for out-of-towners that is as interesting as it is welcoming, she set off restoring as many original historic features of the room as she could, while making updates to the space to ensure comfort. From Christine: Even before moving into our Edwardian house in Manchester we knew that we had a lot of home improvement work ahead of us.

Melissa was looking to add some farmhouse style to her home but didn’t want to break the bank doing so. Enter shiplap! An intrepid DIYer, Melissa added a shiplap accent wall without professional help, keeping it well within budget (but not without a few headaches). From Melissa: Shiplap – It’s timeless and classic. It goes hand in hand with farmhouse style and I’ve been patiently (big fat lie – no patience here my friends!

As with so many romances these days, this one began online. Julie spotted this handsome dresser on Craigslist and knew she could truly make something of it. A mix of the original veneer, a new coat of paint and some gorgeous stenciling turned this tired looking piece into a true showstopper. From Julie: I saw this piece on Craigslist and felt like he was winking at me! I knew I had to go and visit him.

Leanna’s office desk had a gorgeous shape, but the dark wood wasn’t right for her new space. Since she had made the decision to stick with a lighter and brighter color scheme for her new office, she thought a touch of pink would set off the delicate aspects of the piece to great effect. From Leanna: Our previous home was decorated in soft earth tones, lots of greens and browns. At the time it really suited are long, low bungalow.

Not fully ready to commit to a reupholstery project, Emma opted to spray paint her chair and go jewel tone.

After a move that left her with more square footage, but less counter space, Stephanie was on the hunt for something to house her all important espresso machine in a stylish and functional way. Realizing that a good old fashioned IKEA hack was in order, she set about giving her soon-to-be-java-cart a new look. And I think we can all agree, it’s a grande idea! From Stephanie: While most people style kitchen carts into bar carts, we knew our cart had to be for cappuccinos.

We absolutely love our apartment; it has so much character and light, but when we moved in, one thing in particular I knew I wanted to upgrade were the bookshelves. At first glance they seemed fine, but once we started putting our books on them we realized that the positioning of the shelves — with 20″ height between shelves — was not only an inefficient use of space but just looked odd with so much extra height above the books.

Amy was on the hunt for a dresser but it had to fit both her budget and her new space. As luck would have it, her neighbors were selling this long and lean lady and Amy scooped her right up for a first class DIY treatment. From Amy: I found this dresser at a garage sale last month and immediately knew I had to have it!

Honestly, we’re shocked Kyle was able to pick anything out of this muddy furniture pile. Not only does he have the greatest eye in the history of curbside finds, he made an absolutely stunning piece of upcycled vintage furniture. From Kyle: I found this literally in the trash on the side of the road. It looked like someone had cleared out their back shed and threw this, along with many other old pieces of furniture, into the mud. This project took me many months to finally commit to.

Alfredo and Ken found this boho dream of a couch on the street (what luck!) and after letting it sit around for a bit, gave it a major vacation vibes makeover. From Alfredo and Ken: We found this vintage rattan couch on the street, it had no cushions but it was in great shape! We carried it to our house and it was sitting in our backyard for a few months before we knew what to do with it.

Sunny found this mega outdated but well made dresser on Craigslist and knew it would be an excellent fit in her nursery. Some sanding, painting, and drilling resulted in a muted yet gorgeous piece of furniture. Oh, and she did it all while very pregnant. We’re tired for her. From Sunny: This $50 Craigslist wood dresser was just the perfect size for our nursery — but boy, was it ever hideous.

Becky’s kitchen had been previously renovated by a house flipper who may not have been thinking things through. There weren’t any drawers. In a kitchen. Becky tried to make do with that temporary storage cart you can see above, but she knew it was time for a better solution. From Becky: Our kitchen was done by a house flipper in which zero drawer units were included. I had purchased a cart as a temporary solution and immediately discovered it didn’t fit our needs.

Robyn’s backyard was suffering from a lack of both greenery and privacy. She decided to spruce the space up with some plant boxes and a very charming lattice, perfect for dining al fresco! From Robyn: We have lived in our home for almost three years now and I have been on a mission to add character to our home, including outside.

Kevin struck Craigslist gold with this buffet. It had all of the proportions and details he was looking for and it was $Free$. He turned the buffet into a striking piece that brings out the best of the original features while adding some extra style. From Kevin: I found this buffet for free off Craigslist. The landlord of a building in Chicago had posted it, saying his previous tenants had left it when they moved out. The buffet was worn and pretty beat up when I got it.

We’ve seen plenty of knock out paint upgrades on the site, but Diane’s dresser makeover adds an extra special element. Paint, glaze, wax and one stunning transfer lead to one heck of a statement piece. From Diane: This was a stunning piece of furniture ‘before’. Beautiful lines, solid construction. One of those ‘hard-to-come-by’ pieces. And, honestly, I could have loved it as-is. I wanted to give this piece a makeover because lacked something.

Claire from Pillar Box Blue generously made over her friend’s worn table in a single afternoon. Adding bright color and vivid patterns to a wood table not only upgraded the piece, it changed the vibe of the entire space. From Claire: My friend Wendy’s dining room table was in a sorry state. It was a well-used table that had become full of scrapes, scratches and even a dirty big iron burn. The table was in her main living/dining room and a bit of an eyesore.

John spotted this coffee table at a flea market, and knew that even though it had seen better days, it was still a solid piece of furniture. Without a particular plan in mind, he decided to sand down the top and was handsomely rewarded for his curiousity! From John: I purchased this coffee table at a flea market about a year ago for $100. It came in this rustic, dry-brushed grey color. The hardware was outdated and dull. But the piece itself was solid and the drawers were pristine.

Kayla and Kyle’s porch felt like a missed opportunity. Dark, outdated and very much not their style, they weren’t spending a ton of time out there. Kayla finally had enough and set out to punch up the porch, turning it into a perfect spot for relaxing or hosting. From Kayla: My husband, Kyle, and I moved into his childhood home almost three years ago when his parents moved to the country.

Tyler and his family were about to make the move into a house built in the 1950s when they realized that it would need some upgrades in order to be suitable for their young daughter. Two weeks of intense DIY fixes later, they’re home was not only livable, but totally adorable! From Tyler: Our boss’s father recently passed away.

Kids rooms can be a tough nut to crack. They have to combine storage and function with style that can be adaptable to the changing and developing tastes of the young one. Jane decided that they could do more to maximize the space of their daughter’s room and give her a space that was more reflective of who she is. Enter, the IKEA hack! From Jane: Our youngest daughter’s bedroom was relatively small and lacked space for additional furniture for storage.

It’s no secret that we are huge fans of tile. It’s also not a secret that we are huge fans of do-it-yourself projects. So when our two great loves converge, we do a tile-loving-DIY-fan happy dance. Germarie added some oomph to her standard shower by creating her own black and white patchwork tiles. From Germarie: Patchwork tiles are very trendy this year, but retiling a bathroom can be an expensive and messy exercise.

This once grande dame of a sofa had good bones, she just needed a little refresh. In swoops Ashley’s mom, Janie, newly(ish) minted upholsterer and true tuffet champion. After three weeks and, like, a million buttons, this beauty was ready for her second act. From Ashley: This 1970s pea green sofa was certainly lovely in its time, but the velvet was worn and stained and its skirt wasn’t doing it any favors.

Vinyl aside, these chairs had a certain je nais se quoi. Stephanie snatched them up from the salvage yard and gave them a loving and era-appropriate upgrade. From Stephanie: These Australian-made mid-century chairs came from the salvage yard at our local landfill. The colors and finishes are different, but I noticed their matching frames under the worn vinyl and busted lacquer finish. Both also had a pivoting metal under frame – so they weren’t just regular armchairs, but recliners!

Nick found himself with the familiar small space dilemma of moving to a new spot and needing more storage. He decided to give his plain IKEA bookshelf an EPIC makeover, turning it into a high glam, conversation-starting storage piece. From Nick: A couple of years ago, my boyfriend and I lived in Queens, where we had enough room for a studio for my graphic design work. This bookcase used to live there and worked perfectly as is.

Madeleine needed both storage and a sleeping option in her small mountain bedroom. She figured that a captain’s bed would solve both dilemmas and after getting super lucky on Craigslist, set about making her find a little more visually pleasing. From Madeleine: When we bought a tiny (600-square-foot) condo in the mountains, we needed to furnish it efficiently both in terms of space and cost.

Spring has (maybe? hopefully!) sprung and now is the time to get outdoors. Natalie and her boyfriend recently moved in together and found themselves with a spare table that was a little worse for wear. Rather than toss it and buy all new deck furniture, they had the bright idea to give what they had a colorful upgrade and now they have a lovely outdoor space without breaking the bank. This old table had been in storage and was showing its age- stained, chipped and scratched.

Just going to get this out of the way up front: this project is not a casual, pick it up when you’re bored DIY. This project is a “save yourself thousands” and “put your tools and considerable sewing skills to good use” and definitely a “can’t believe you can actually do that” type of DIY. From Karen: I wanted a new more modern sofa, but the one I loved was $2,100! My slipcovered sofa was stained and sat very low but the frame was still very solid.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever lived in a rental. Now raise your hand if you’ve ever lived in a rental with a lackluster kitchen. Underwhelming rental kitchens are about as common as noisy upstairs neighbors, but at least you can make small temporary fixes to brighten up your cooking space (if somebody makes peel-and-stick ‘quiet down and be considerate of others’ please let us know immediately).

Sarah had an idea of the perfect mid-century-style mirror in her mind. So when she spotted something like that mirror, albeit a rusty, over the top version, she snatched it up. Using the classic DIY elixir of elbow grease and spray paint she turned the whole thing around in one well-spent afternoon. I love mid-century design and wanted a vintage starburst mirror for as long as I can remember, but I also didn’t want the price tag that typically goes along with the real deal.

We’ve seen Ariel work her renter friendly design magic before, and now she’s turned her energy toward the bathroom. In one weekend she added color, texture and style without sacrificing her security deposit. Check it out! From Amber: That folks, is what it looks like when bad spaces and poor planning happen to good people. As you can see, not terrible, but nothing that I’d call “Pinterest worthy.

Mary found a very handsome but somewhat worn desk outside of a thrift store. After snatching it up for less than it costs to buy Lemonade on iTunes, she took it home and restored it to its former glory. From Mary: I had been looking for a small desk for my computer for some time, and since I knew it would be in the family room I wanted it to look nice and not look like an office space.

Lizzie’s upstairs bedroom came with a great view and some not so great cabinets. She’s a renter, so removing them was out of the question, but she found a creative way to make the space work for her. From Lizzie: We had two slightly tatty built-in cabinets either side of a Velux window. They didn’t look great, and the space in the middle was wasted. It became a catch-all for junk. Because the home is rented, though, we couldn’t make any permanent changes.

Our good pal Claire took an old IKEA standby, unfinished drawers, and turned them into a bright and charming accent piece. Drawing inspiration from her love of travel, she gave the piece an antique-inspired, worldly makeover. From Claire: When you buy something in unfinished wood from IKEA the idea is you finish it at home to suit your decor. Well this IKEA mini drawers set had been sitting in the back of my craft cupboard for 10 years waiting to be finished.

Fani’s Brooklyn kitchen looked like many a New York rental kitchen, small and kind of generic. One day she had enough of her brown kitchen and decided to take matters into her own hands, bringing color, texture and life to her Park Slope space. From Fani: My small Brooklyn kitchen had outdated old cabinets with lots of wear and tear. The style and color of the cabinets didn’t match the mid-century modern style of the apartment.

Tricia was faced with a herculean (ok not really, but pretty difficult) task of maximizing a small space with sloped ceilings and outdated features. The result is cozy, crisp and stylish. Tricia: Before we got started on giving our smallest bedroom in the house a makeover, the walls were an odd shade of pistachio green and the flat part of the ceiling was covered in popcorn texture. The biggest obstacle in making the 100 square foot room livable was the awkward floor plan.

Dana became the proud owner of a very large, worn down dresser because she knew with a little love and guidance, it could really be something. Who knew that sanding, painting and hand crafting some leather straps really turned this situation around (Dana knew). From Dana: I bought this dresser for $40 from a man who likely picked it up off a curb. It was really heavy and I could tell that it had good bones but had no idea what was under the several layers of stubborn brown paint.

When Addison spotted a piece she’d been lusting after at a thrift store, she knew she had to have it. After snatching up the large ottoman of her dreams, she decided to put her extra cash towards spiffing it up a bit. I got this square ottoman for $20 from a thrift store. This ottoman was still structurally sound but need new fabric. Other ottomans this size can go for upwards of $500 so I was super happy to find this for so cheap at a thrift store! The ottoman is 37 inches by 37 inches.

Ilsa spotted this mid-century modern beauty in a charity shop and knew she could make it sing. After some initial fear that she couldn’t push through all of the wear and tear that poor Bruno the desk had suffered through over the years, she was able to sand and strip away the grime and stains and reveal a glowing and beautiful piece of furniture. Three cheers for Ilsa for her good eye and all of her hard work!

Adie’s office space in her new house was in a room with great light and of a good size, but something just wasn’t right. After some big fixes before moving in, Adie and her husband focused on giving the room a DIY makeover. From Adie: When we purchased our home, one of the bedrooms was being used as an office. It had green walls and shelves everywhere. The floors were in rough shape, but the room has great natural light and is quite spacious.

Deirdre’s entryway makeover packs in all of our favorite things: DIY, IKEA, wallpaper, space maximization and creativity. But you know what, since it’s not all about us, the best thing about Deirdre’s new entryway is how much she loves it. From Deirdre Sullivan: My apartment didn’t have a real entryway.

Ariel found herself in a situation familiar to many an Apartment Therapy reader; a great idea, great taste and the limits of being in a rental. With a little millwork, paint and a weekend Ariel was able to make her living room dreams a reality. From Ariel: We live in a rental (Military Housing here in Canada) so we’re not allowed to do anything that can’t be un-done when we move out.

Ajda’s sideboard find had fantastic mid-century lines and solid sturdiness, but it needed a little more style. She opted to go the soothing Scandinavian inspired route, tossing in a little pattern to give it some extra pizzaz. From Ajda: My boyfriend and I got this 60’s sideboard a while ago and couldn’t figure out how to bring it to 2016.

We featured Christina’s master bedroom makeover last week, and now we get to see what magic she’s worked in another room in the house. She switched up the purpose of her guest bedroom, revamped the whole aesthetic of the space by adding storage and serious chic finds. Without any further ado…the dressing room of your dreams!

So often we find ourselves engaged in the classic home design battle of style versus storage. Tamera found herself in such a conundrum with her hallway. Too many doors led to a guest bathroom guessing game and made the space feel cramped and cut off. Her solution was simple, inexpensive and totally changed the vibe of the hallway. From Tamera: When we first moved into our apartment, the hallway to the guest bathroom was covered in doors.

Ah yes, the forgotten room aka “out-of-sight-out-of-mind room” aka the junk drawer room, we’ve all had one some of us may still have one (guilty). Molly took it upon herself to help her forgotten room find its purpose as an adorable work and lounge room, a tall order for a small space. Check it out! From Molly: Hopefully, everyone can understand the out-of-sight-out-of-mind room. The neglected, ignored, sad space that falters while other spaces get more attention.

Who among us hasn’t spotted a piece with a ton of potential, took it home to gussy it up and then totally forgot about it? After letting this guy get a little too aquainted with his attic storage, Malcolm pulled him out and give him a timeless and stylish upgrade. From Malcolm: I spotted this sorry little fellow a few years ago, lying abandoned in the back of a reclamation yard. I could just see his little leg, as the long grass had grown up through him.

Any way you slice it, committing to a design upgrade can be hard and more than a little bit scary. After living a few years with a kitchen she did not particularly love, Havalah finally decided to pull the trigger on a kitchen makeover. After committing to doing the whole upgrade on their own, she had to settle on a look and feel for the space as well as the best way to accomplish it. The final result is clean and sophisticated while remaining kid friendly and welcoming.

Let’s just say that Emily overlooked a lot of flaws to see the true beauty in this MCM desk. Heavy, stinky and in a pile of snow, she was nevertheless determined to salvage her find and turn it into a welcome new addition to her home. From Emily: A few weeks ago I was heading to pick up my daughter from school in -16 temperatures, when I saw this beauty sitting on the sidewalk.

Many renters hope to add some color to their place, but Mery’s dreams were even more modest — white paint. So before she moved in, she negotiated with her landlord and got permission to paint and update her kitchen. Playing with white paint and how it works with the textures in her kitchen, she made a huge change. From Mery: I moved in six months ago and I am a renter. The first thing I told the owner was that I would rent it only if i could paint the kitchen tiles.

After snatching up a thrift store console table, Claire decided to give it a shabby-chic, Pineapple focused makeover. Without going overboard, she peppered the table with Pineapple and the result is a charming and whimsical accent table. From Claire: I have a thing about Pineapples, I think they are beautiful, the king of fruits. I hate to admit it but I’m seduced by lovely packaging and as fruit goes, pineapples come in their own fantastic packaging.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.