DIY Before & Afters | Do It Yourself Projects & Hacks

Renters and those not willing to make permanent changes to their stone fireplaces, rejoice! There is a way to meld your modern sensibilities with an outdated fireplace that might feature a material that overwhelms. Lidy came up with a simple and chic DIY way to add a modern feel to her stone fireplace. From Lidy: Our fireplace was a little outdated and it had no mantel. Although I was perfectly content with that, I debated how we could modernize it just a bit.

Nicole tells us, “When the seller of our new home asked us to trash the book shelf and storage unit she deemed too battered and bulky, I thanked her kindly for her wasteful ways.” Nicole wasn’t nearly so quick to discount these useful shelves; she knew they just needed some love. From Nicole: We have a LOT of books so I knew we would need lots of shelving in our home office.

DeaAnna found this dresser at a yard sale for $35. It had some fun details and the drawers were all in working condition so she decided to give it some much-needed love. It turned out so well she couldn’t stand to hide it in the bedroom anymore. DeaAnna and her husband recently swapped out their formal dining room set in favor of a more casual table and chairs but they were still missing storage. From DeaAnna: I decided to repurpose it as my dining room buffet.

I passed by this sad little table at the thrift shop about a half dozen times before deciding to bring it home and give it a new life in our new house. With a little spray paint and some adorable laminated cotton (it was originally my idea to use oil cloth, but I couldn’t pass up this fabric), this little table received quite the transformation! We kept this project super simple and didn’t worry about removing the original fabric.

Not long ago, Linda spotted a picture of a Mid-Century Ercol armchair on Pinterest and completely fell in love. It didn’t take her long to find a similar style chair but it was in massive need of an update. Not only were the original cushions sporting a suuuper fashionable needlepoint-style print, they were torn to bits from decades of sitting. From Linda: I spent some days browsing fabrics and finally settled on an upholstery fabric from Clarke and Clarke featuring a large tulip print.

Purchasing real estate in Manhattan is not for the faint of heart. Not many people would think of making a commitment after 15 minutes, but after a single visit — and about that much time — Elizabeth was ready to put down a bid on her West Village co-op. Her boldness paid off: she got the apartment. But it needed a little bit of work. The first order of business? The bathroom.

Lucy didn’t have a headboard. And she didn’t have a crib. But when she saw one being thrown away by neighbors the wheels started turning and she snatched it up. But how to make it into a colorful headboard for herself? Clue: she didn’t use paint. Lucy shares: Dilemma: I didn’t have a headboard for my bed, but I also didn’t have the money to spend on one. Solution: My neighbors threw out pieces of a baby crib by the dumpster in my alley. They saw trash.

Steph was in the market for a little record cabinet and found this veneered chipboard ‘60s cabinet. The varnish was shot — scratched, faded, and bubbling where it had been left in the rain — and the veneer had chipped off in a couple places. Never fear! Handy Steph worked her magic and performed a wood resuscitation. From Steph: I replaced the broken veneer with pieces of new blackwood veneer, sanded off the old finish, and gave the cabinet a varnish all over.

What to do when one of your old vintage finds or IKEA chairs is looking sad and worn? Well you could reupholster it, of course! Lisa gave not just a new look to her old IKEA chair, but a custom one. From Lisa: As an unstoppable chair rescuer, and self taught upholstery DIYer, I love to sink my teeth into new challenges as they come along. This dilapidated IKEA (Lunna) swivel chair, grabbed on Gumtree (Australia’s Craigslist!

Vicky and her husband had this blank basement wall just crying out for some pizzazz and they knew exactly how to get it there. Hint: it has to do with one of their favorite activities. From Vicky: My husband and I like to collect books. There is just something important about holding a real book in your hands, putting it on your bookshelf when you’ve finished it, and lending it to someone else if it’s worthy.

Soffia took a look at the $14.99 HYLLIS shelf at IKEA and thought she could give it an upgrade. A MAJOR upgrade. Check it out. From Soffia: I wanted a Restoration Hardware/Pottery Barn-ish industrial looking shelves for the living room. We used four Hyllis that we cut down to size and spray painted and some plywood that I treated. We got this and we love it 🙂 See more at Skyeytum Hus. Thank you Soffia! Re-edited from a post originally published 11.7.

Erin first noticed this “lawyer’s chair” style rocker at an outdoor antique market and kept right on moving. It was covered in flaking paint (what she called “legitimate shabby chic”) and had a water damaged seat so it didn’t seem worth the $85 asking price. But after wandering the antique stalls for a few more hours, she just couldn’t forget it. Though obviously neglected, it had such grand potential. She had to have it.

You know you love the satisfaction of seeing other readers transform their boring befores into amazing afters so join in! We want to see YOUR projects. If you’ve published your project on your own blog already, great! We’re happy to give you a shout-out (and link, naturally!) you crafty blogger you. You can collect the compliments and inspire others to take on their own DIY.

Project by: Heather Location: Denver Our third bedroom is used as a home office/guest room and was in desperate need of a face-lift. It had beige walls, an IKEA desk, a leftover kitchen chair and a butchers rack—a seriously uninspiring space for a home-based creative professional. As with most decorating projects, there were some design challenges to overcome: • This room has two functions—office and guest room.

Amanda spotted this round cupboard while trolling Craigslist and scooped it up for just $25. While it may not look like much to you and me, when Amanda saw it, “a lightbulb went off in my head.” Props Amanda, we would never had thought of this unique use. From Amanda: New dog bed for Mazzilli!! I love the idea of a small little nook for Mazzie that will look good in the middle of the living room.

If you’ve ever not been able to afford a design you spot in a catalog, look instead to your thrift store, and keep your eyes peeled for a piece that shows potential. You just might be able to shape it to look more like your dream furniture piece without spending as much money!

Jean and Ruthie bought these chairs nearly 20 years ago from a mother-daughter duo who were selling the entire contents of their home. The creepy house was filled with an assortment of oddities and at one point they noticed piles scattered throughout the house – only to realize later that they were, in fact, piles of hundreds of wigs! They say, “The whole situation was a bit Grey Gardens.” When they went back the next day, the house was deserted.

This Verner Panton cone chair surfaced as Andrew’s friend was cleaning his garage. It had been rained on and was in danger of disintegrating beyond repair. Not if Andrew had anything to say about it. In fact, this graphic transformation was also a surprise to Andrew! From Andrew: I rescued the chair, putting it in a dry place until I had the time to restore it.

Beth says, “I love a good challenge.” She would have to! She bought this mess of a desk from Craigslist for only 15 bucks. It had been sitting out on a balcony and the wood was in shambles. From Beth: There was no way to save it the bottom portion. The top was stained beyond recognition and the drawers were beat to hell and back. Why did I buy this? It’s how we learn, people! So feast your eyes.

Project by: Jacqueline Wheeler Interiors Location: Charlotte, North Carolina Clients: Candice Langston and Felix Von Uklanski This family room has one big virtue: its large size, but, as you can see, not a lot of effort has gone into making it an appealing space for the family to spend time in. Jacqueline Wheeler was hired to brighten it up and and bring it to its full potential.

Karen found this table skeleton on garbage day and dragged it home. Creative soul that she is, she came up with an unexpected (and free!) solution to make it whole again. We can’t believe we’ve never thought of this one! From Karen: We are lucky enough to have a neighbor who is a flooring installer. He had leftover pieces of hardwood flooring. We chose a variety of wood grains and pieces. My husband helped me attach the flooring boards to the table top.

With the holidays almost on the way, you might be looking for ways to add both extra seating and storage in your small home. You’ll love this DIY project that turned a plain cocktail table into a modern ottoman with concealed storage! From Pam: I came across this sad little cocktail table made from cheap blistered laminate in a second hand store. Its only redeeming quality was the octagonal shape, which I thought would make for a cool little ottoman.

When Ian found this antique baluster oak armchair at a thrift store he could see it had been hastily reupholstered around 1950 (see that lumpy seat and vinyl?). He bought it anyway. From Ian: Instead of adding jute webbing and hand-tie coils for the seat (like I eventually did) the previous owner just dropped in an ill-fitting box spring system from another chair, added some foam and some ugly printed vinyl, and that is how it spent the last 60 years.

Carlos and his wife are two architects living in an old house where “everything is very big and brown.” Well they fixed that particular dilemma, at least with this cute console. See it now. From Carlos; We have gradually been transforming the inside of the house, trying to do so by spending the least amount of money possible. We have focused on using all elements that already exist in the house so we’ve tried to reuse most of the furniture and make it more fun.

Lucia in Italy proves once and for all that good bones and rich wood will always be a winner if you know how to look past a few dated details. From Lucia: This DIY project took just two afternoons. I took off the old trimming, the old fabric and the ugly clear plastic that covered the seat. The foam was quite good so I decided not to change it. I cut the new fabric and I stapled it with my automatic stapler. Then I bought gold pushpins and modern white trim.

The omnipresent IKEA BEKVÄM step can quickly add a touch of Scandi style to any home. But what happens when it’s been loved too much, used in too many ways, and become more eye-sore than icon? The clean design and crisp untreated wood can make an impact immediately after you’ve assembled the flat pack wonder step. But after a few years of being used a night stand, dining chair, stepladder, painting stool, saw horse and door stop, it was time for a refresh.

Even though he’d already gotten plenty of use out of this dilapidated dresser (he’s had it since high school), Chris knew this baby had some life left. He says, “it was just asking to be redone.” From Chris: It’s a pretty heavy dresser so getting it out of the house was its own project. I bought some paint stripper, a scraper, sand paper and some Golden Oak wood stain. It was surprisingly easy to strip and I was amazed at the quality of the wood.

You might remember Lauren’s style from her bedroom before and after; she turned a kind of boring bedroom into an exciting nautical and rustic-themed retreat. Well she’s back on a smaller scale, infusing some serious fun into an inherited desk from the in-laws. From Lauren: This past summer, I made over a roll-top desk we inherited from my in-laws…and it’s my new favorite project!

Sometimes snooping pays off, at least it did for Breanna. She scored this beauty at a garage sale while investigating some odds and ends that weren’t yet pulled out for display. That’s one way to get first dibs! It was pretty cute to begin with but just wait until you see how Breanna jazzed up this darling dresser.

Leslie found this 1970’s Henredon Alvarado dresser at a thrift store. It was in perfect condition except for the “scraped, scratched, speckled yellow-brown sticky finish with the super-ugly, chunky pulls.” No problem, she could fix that. From Leslie: It was a lot of work to update it, removing the gummy old finish, filling the old pull holes (18), and sanding carefully. I used an edgy eggplant color I mixed myself, with a satin topcoat.

The best before & after projects are those that you will never guess in a million years what they’ll look like. Alex from Northstory completely changes the form and function of these two thrift shop mirrors into a fresh, modern and Scandinavian-inspired planter. Check out the reveal: Totally fabulous and unexpected, right? It takes a special eye and talent to visualize this when spotting those mirrors amongst the junk.

Lynn tells us that everyone thought she was crazy to purchase this gold velvet sofa. Lucky for her (and us!) she could see a diamond in the rough. From Lynn: First we cleaned up the arms, all is took was a little elbow grease and some touch up paint and the wood and resin arms look fantastic. Next, upholstery….I decided to use a hardy linen-looking cotton blend in oatmeal. A busy fabric would take away from the overall elegance of the arms and the lines of the sofa!

It takes a healthy dose of vision to look at this peeling cabinet and picture the chic, modern piece it would eventually become. But Reeves seems to be just that visionary. Take a look at her masterpiece. From Reeves: This piece took a lot of prep work up front before I was ever able to get to painting. The mustard paint it had was so easy to scratch off so just putting more paint over it would do no good. I sanded almost all of the paint off, cleaned the piece, and spray primed it.

We LOVE when folks take something pretty forgotten and with a little work, turn it into something unforgettable. That’s what Susan did with this beat-up and battered old bar cart. Twenty dollars and a makeover later, and she now has a pretty, golden bar cart! From Susan: This battered old cart was hanging out in my basement. After emptying its contents at a garage sale, I decided to give it new life, since I loved the style of the wire side pieces.

Nicole found this frumpy side table on craigslist for “almost free” and wanted to use it in her bedroom. But first it needed a spruce up and boy did it get one. From Nicole: Since the entire piece was made from plywood, the drawer front was replaced with 1/4 wood veneer for a nice wood accent that would match the new legs that were attached. Both the new drawer front and legs were stained with danish oil.

Jessica bought this dresser four years ago, as a college student. At the time, the entire dresser was painted green and naturally distressed (or “beat to death,” according to her mother) and worked with the shabby chic trend of the moment. After tons of elbow grease, it’s still chic but not so shabby. From Jessica: A couple months ago I finally decided to tackle the refinishing project. (The before picture is actually more of an in process picture, oops!

David told us this project was six months in the making, even through “most of it was procrastination.” We’re glad he finally got around to it because this is one unexpectedly cool stair upgrade. From David: We started with plain, light wood stairs. We wanted a dark, near black color to match our cast iron, gas fireplace on the other side of the room.

Anna’s craigslist chair makeover comes with a warning: “This was my first time ever reupholstering a piece of furniture, and BOY was it a lot more time consuming than I realized!” But worth it, Anna. So so worth it. From Anna: I don’t even know how many hours I put into this chair–not to mention the definite blood, sweat, and even a few tears.

How do you take a plain, bulky cabinet and turn it into a complete show-stopper? If you’re Miruna, you go the opposite of subtle. A few bold materials, an interesting pattern and this dresser gets quite the makeover! From Miruna: I’ve been wanting to use black chalk paint for a while, but could not find the right piece of furniture to stand up to the challenge. When I found this dresser online I was not very sure what to do with it, but I knew I loved it. So I bought it.

Chelsey found this old card catalogue in the dumpster. She could see how much stripping and sanding work there was to do, so she kept putting off the project. Now that we’ve seen the results, we can’t believe she waited so long. From Chelsey: There were layers of chipping black paint over high gloss stained oak and missing drawer pulls. I scraped, sanded, and added legs.

Sone found this vintage Basset dresser at a magical-sounding place called the Mid-Century Furniture Warehouse. It needed some TLC but she was up for the challenge. From Sone: The original veneer on the top and sides needed a little TLC, but it was the perfect size and the exact statement piece we were looking for. Once we got it home I knew immediately that it needed to be brightened up. However, I didn’t want to cover up all of the walnut, just mask the imperfections.

Chyann calls herself, “the ultimate garbage lover” so when she found this little gem in the trash she took it home for a little dose of love. From Chyann: Upon closer inspection I saw that it needed a good sanding and a paint job, but otherwise, it had great potential. A few coats of spray paint, a new shelf, and a couple of wine racks later, it was almost unrecognizable! Cheers to finding garbage gems! Thank you Chyann!

Diana and her husband love their recently updated kitchen but it made their living room pale in comparison. So these self-proclaimed DIY-ers got to work sprucing up this space on a budget that was based on what the old on-their-way-out items could be sold for… From Diana: My living room is constantly changing but I don’t buy out of my budget. I sell what needs to be gone and with that money I buy the new things I need.

There are a select few of lucky folks out there who get to live in authentic converted lofts full of character— and then there’s everyone else. Even if you live in a suburban home, you can still infuse your space with the feeling of wood beams, cement floors and exposed brick walls. It’s true! This amazing transformation by Shannon from AKA Design + Life is proof. She turned this simple space into a brick wall full of character that could pass for any cool downtown coffee shop.

Alicia and her husband are always looking for ways to spruce up their apartment without painting or damaging the walls. This quick solution cost them just 10 bucks and zero wall holes to spackle later. Lovely! We’re making mental notes about this temporary decor. From Alicia: We came up with the idea of adding a vinyl wall above our mantle and love how it turned out! Ten dollars later and zero damage done to the apartment, we love the difference this made to our living room!

You know we’re big fans of furniture transformations that look totally different after getting a DIY makeover. This old dresser turned modern media stand is a great example of how a few small changes can make a big impact on the way a furniture piece looks! From Kala: My parents bought me this dresser as part of a bedroom set when I was 15 and I’ve held onto it because of its solid make (its gone through eight+ moves with me!).

This sofa has seen better days. Honestly, it takes a lot of vision to think it’s got any potential! Tinca took this sofa home and changed it for the better — plus made it ultra functional for a home that happens to house pretty cute pets. From Tinca: Maybe we found this old sofa on a curb and then dragged it inside or maybe we didn’t. 🙂 But we did decide to give it a complete overhaul. Originally this was a sofa bed you could stretch out.

Tom and Alison had “grungy greige dust-mite-infested allergy-inducing wall-to-wall carpet” in their 90-year-old rental so they took a big risk and pulled it up (with landlord permission of course). The beautiful wood was in great condition except for this one spot, so they found a unique (not to mention genius) way to enjoy their new floors, rot-free.

Miriam found this beat up dresser on Craigslist for free (she says, “I love free!”) and without any spending guilt she was able to get really creative and take a risk on this one. She gave this dresser some Colorado pride! From Miriam: I decided to paint the Colorado state flag on this four drawer dresser. Here in Colorado EVERYONE sports the flag in some way: clothing, bumper stickers, hats. I thought a dresser would be cool to do.

Are you a renter looking for something to add uniqueness, personality and texture to a wall without damaging your home (so you can get your security deposit back)? We love the idea Alicia and her husband tried out in their bedroom — and it’s something any renter could do in a few hours on the weekend! From Alicia: We bought pre-painted white wood, made a few cuts with the miter saw and actually used hot glue to make the diamonds!

Looking for inspiration on how a simple step — a tiny application of a surprising material, for instance — can dramatically upgrade the look of a tired piece of furniture you might already have? Then you’ll appreciate the do-this-in-a-weekend amount of work that Elly put into this old wooden piano stool. From Elly: When I moved out at the start of the year, I inherited this unwanted piano stool.

Chelsea had already made one enhancement to her Ektorp Jennylund chairs from IKEA (the cute pom-pom fringe she added to the bottom), but what she really wanted was chairs with a more Mid Century Modern vibe. She looked for super cheap steals on Cragislist…and struck out. She researched new slipcovers to buy…but they, too, were out of her budget. Finally, she resigned herself to tackling them as a DIY makeover.

Brittany loves vintage furnitures so much that she says, “I’m pretty sure it could be classified as hoarding.” She held on to this chair for five whole years, but it was definitely worth the wait. From Brittany: After moving from Alabama to LA, I had to pare down and decide which pieces I could fit into my tiny apartment and this chair made the cut. I absolutely love the shape of the chair and even the old paint job but the fabric had to go.

Rachel loved the “clean lines” of these chairs. Clean lines indeed! She took these super pared-down frames and added just enough to make them sing once again. From Rachel: After taking the chairs and cushions down to their raw materials, I started from the beginning. I had the metal powder-coated in a bright red and completely rebuilt the cushions in a neutral grey textured fabric. I added black accent feet and brass hardware for a finishing touch.

Shehzeen tells us, “I love a home with personality. If I had all the time in the world, I’d probably even make all the furniture for my house (I could be in need of therapy).” We feel you, Shehzeen. Just look at what this crafty lady did with these blank walls.

The refresh of this little shelf shows off the power of small changes. Odile recently moved to a new home and while searching for new furniture came across this piece at a local thrift shop for 40 bucks. 40 minutes (and one long journey with a borrowed cart) later, Odile had it safely home. Subtle yet powerful changes just makes this whole project a win in our book.

Emily called it “love at first sight” when she found this upholstered chair at a flea market. She’d been in the market for a new desk chair that she could fix up. Just what did she do with it? (Hint: those tools seem to be Emily’s favorite color). So fun! Emily needed to add some color to her all-white office so she really went all out. And that is one professional-looking reupholstery job.

We love a good rescue and that’s exactly what John gave this Heywood Wakefield Gateleg table. His journey included Craigslist, ebay, lots of research and even more elbow grease but his results will blow you away. From John: I had been wanting one of these tables for a long time. They’re not so rare that you can’t find them, but in nice condition, they can be over $800. I found this one on Craigslist listed at $250.

The paint on Jen’s house was peeling in patches, and even non-existent in certain spots. Jen definitely felt her house looked dilapidated and unloved, and wanted to increase its curb appeal. Although she was daunted by the prospect, she and her parents stepped up one weekend, and used a little elbow grease. See what they were able to do for only $125…. In addition to the new paint job, Jen swapped out the door handle, and changed the mailbox.

Ashley experienced a happy situation we all find ourselves in from time to time: she made one change to her small, three bedroom home and she was so inspired that the improvements just spiraled from there. From Ashley: We needed to make the space feel bigger and allow for us all to feel at home. We decided the best way to convert the space on a tight budget was paint. We used Dulux Natural White Wash and Wear, it’s a soft and warm white which keeps the space bright but peaceful.

This kitchen was almost a deal breaker for Lauren when she was searching for a new rental, but her landlord gave her permission to make a few updates so she signed that lease and did this. Wow! And we especially love how much change Lauren accomplished on such a tight budget. Talk about bang for your buck.

When you’re faced with a bland, beige rental kitchen in an apartment you otherwise love, what do you do? If you’re Kerry, who has a gorgeous New Orleans apartment, you infuse your rental kitchen with some color! From Kerry: I’ve lived in my 800 square foot French Quarter apartment in New Orleans for five years now. I have the perfect combination of low rent and a hands-off landlord. This summer I decided to make some big changes.

Danielle and her family just finished six months of renovations (phew!) and moved into their new, old 1942 home. This is what their kitchen used to look like. Wanna see it now? From Danielle: My favorite room, by far, is the kitchen. We refinished the original hardwood floors, chose natural cherry wood cabinets with a brown glaze, bright white Corian solid surface countertops, a farmhouse sink, and subway tile with charcoal grout.

Kirsten tells us that her fiancé thought she was slightly crazy when she brought this hideous chair home one drizzly afternoon. He thought it was even crazier that she’d paid $25 for this eyesore. Guess what? He loves it now. And this from a reupholstery newbie! Amazing job. From Kirsten: The first thing I did was strip the chair down to its stuff, which was in surprisingly good shape. Next, I painted it with two generous coats of Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in Graphite.

You know we love a good IKEA hack, but Kristi really blew our minds with this one. She started with this black and white IKEA throw, and transformed it into something we were not expecting. Kristi says, “I transformed an IKEA throw into a chic maxi skirt. It’s super simple, and this lil’ piece has become my new favorite thing in my closet.” See more (including instructions for this DIY) at Kristi Murphy. Thank you Kristi! Re-edited from a post originally published 9.3.

These tables had lived at Anam’s house since before she was born, so it was about time they got an upgrade. She says, “I’m surprised no one threw these tables away and I’m glad they didn’t.” We think paint was great choice for the what-looks-like-laminate tabletops and Aman gave these babies a bunch of inventive flair. Super cute save! From Anam: I painted the entire table — one side gold and the other with pink.

We’ve all seen them before: those sort of faux-wood furniture pieces that aren’t exactly screaming style but could still function in your space if you need it. Instead of letting this piece stay dark and sad, Cassie gave it the Midas touch for a cabinet that now exudes sophistication. From Cassie: These faux wood cabinets were in need of a makeover that would take them out of the realm of 1970 office furniture.

We’ve all seen them before: the sort of boring, beige bathrooms that don’t inspire anyone. How do you take a small space and turn it into something stylish without spending a lot of money? Tasha transformed this bathroom space with DIY ideas and fun design details. From Tasha: Our powder room BEFORE was beige, boring, and messy. We didn’t even have anywhere to hang a hand towel. In fact, we didn’t even have a hand towel!

Kathy got this leather-top table for free from her employer and we can see why! The leather top was stained and discolored like crazy. Kathy almost didn’t take it home, then she thought of one last-ditch DIY thing to try and that made all the difference. Turns out, it was the brilliant magic of leather dye that helped this table look so good. Great save! From Kathy: Thanks to the internet I learned that you can re-dye leather. It went really well!

We all need a friend like Bethany. She recently took on this DIY project for a friend and her family. This damaged heirloom was almost beyond restoration, but Bethany found a way to make it sail once more. Ahoy! We love the crisp, nautical look that Bethany coaxed out of this nearly-dead piece. Great job! It took me a while to really be confident with how I wanted to paint it.

Nadia loved everything about her new rental except for the very…err.. loud wallpaper in the bedroom so she came up with a temporary DIY way to style it to her taste. Heads up, renters, you can so copy this one. From Nadia: I loved practically everything about our new home, except one thing: this seizure-inducing wallpaper in my bedroom! Unfortunately, this beautiful, wonderful place I’m so glad to call home is also a rental which means, I can’t replace (or rip and burn!

Valerie fell in love with the Mid-Century details on this solid oak 1960’s Thomasville dresser but 50 years in front of a window had given the stain a yellow tinge and the wood a greenish glow. That wasn’t going to stop her. From Valerie: As soon as I saw this sun-stained dresser I knew she deserved some TLC. I fell in love with her beveled drawers and dainty legs and decided to make it my first restoration project.