DIY Before & Afters | Do It Yourself Projects & Hacks

When Meg’s sister had a baby boy, she knew she wanted to give her new nephew a special present to welcome him into the family. She found a dresser on Craigslist desperately in need of a makeover and saw the potential for the perfect gift. Though many would agree with her husband’s assessment that it was only good for firewood, Meg had a vision of what a little paint could do.

Lots of us have dreamed of designing fantasy kitchens with all the bells and whistles. Then our actual budgets deliver a brutal reality check. That’s the case with this “before,” which belongs to a house that was bought to be fixed up and flipped. The owners couldn’t spend a lot of money, so they made up for it with smart shopping and a barrel of elbow grease.

The tagline for Julia’s blog and furniture design business is “from ugly ducklings to beautiful swans”, an accurate description for the transformation she achieved with this battered Craigslist find. Purchased from a family that just didn’t have the space to hang onto grandma’s dresser any longer, this piece was crying out for a little TLC.

When Cynthia picked up the server above at auction, it was completely covered in that creamy yellow paint; she was so eager to begin the redo, she didn’t even take true before pics! Though not a fan of the paint treatment, Cynthia loved the lines of this little server and price tag of $20 was hard to pass up.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with this wicker chair. It’s got a nice shape and nice legs. It’s just so…brown. But not for long!Oh, spray paint, is there nothing you can’t do? This chair is so pretty now! Kendra from Sweet Magnolia Way has been working on a big girl room for her daughter so she pulled this forgotten brown chair up from the basement and gave it new life with a few coats of spray paint.

Want to add some color to your bookcase but are a afraid of making a long term commitment? You can experiment with as bold a color you like with this simple, temporary foam board trick.That’s right. Foam board. Cut the foam board to fit in the back of the case and paint it any color you want. Hey, paint each side differently and switch it up twice a year if you like. If you have a bookcase with no back, even easier, tack the painted foam board to the whole backside.

When Erin fell in love with a DIY dresser re-do found online, she just knew she wanted to create her own version. She kept her eye out for a suitable dresser for her house, finally snapping one up at a local thrift store. Though smaller and blockier than her inspiration piece, the piece was perfect for the two-tone treatment she wanted to try.Erin painted and primed the frame of the dresser with a lovely blue-grey (Cement Grey by Behr), then sanded and stained the drawers in Ebony (by Minwax).

Nothing about this nightstand screams out ‘I belong in a little girl’s room.’ But maybe that’s because I don’t know how to listen. The transformation this nightstand undergoes should encourage all of us to give our old furniture a second look and a closer listen.Melissa at Houseography must be a furniture whisperer to see a nightstand for her little girl in that solid old oak piece from her grandparents.

Ok, I will be the first to admit that it would be hard for me to get inspired about this outdated, wood-paneled room. Rebecca saw it and said, I can’t remodel and I have absolutely no budget to fix this up, but I want a craft room and I’m gonna figure it out. And when I say “wow”, to what she pulled off for $75, I mean “wow!”Rachael’s budget to transform this space into the craft room she wanted was zilch, but that didn’t stop her.

Self-confessed DIY-aholic Kayla found this sad little chair in a garage under a blanket while attending a local estate sale. The low curves of this fabulous chair made her look beyond the horrible stained upholstery to see the graceful lady desperate to shine through. Grabbing some fabric and a can of paint, she sank into this chair redo.

Not all mid century fiberglass chairs are created equal. Some aren’t made by a big name designer and are literally just plain old chairs. So what do you do when you come across one that’s looking a little run down? Click through to find out:We stopped in over at Aesthetic Outburst, where there’s been a recent chair makeover. They were in need of something with a little pop and thus the chair was painted gold and given a bit of red to round things out.

Though the booklover in me was ready to swoon at the sight of these fabulous build-in shelves, decorator Terry Moore knew they were not living up to their full potential. Working with a client hoping to inject some personality into a new home, Terry popped out the shelves, picked up a paintbrush, and went to town on this neutral space.

I discovered this wonderful little project on Merrilee’s blog and had to share. With a mesh trash can and a can of gold spray paint you’ll be ready to transform one sad little wastebasket into a chic and functional storage bin! I realize this probably sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the outcome is quite stunning.Involving no more than a fresh coat of paint, this DIY is a fairly simple undertaking.

We love it when a creative DIYer is able to think of new ways to rework existing furniture to better fit a changing lifestyle. Rachelle originally purchased this credenza off of Craiglist to use in her son’s nursery; the original dark walnut finish was painted white to brighten up both the piece and the space.

I have to say that the vision and transformation that has occurred here is quite astonishing. This small, dark, and awkward space that was previously used as a bedroom has become a bright, airy, and inspired dining room that I wouldn’t mind calling home.Sibylle, over at funkytime, and a few of her friends went to town on this project to create something out of nothing.

To quote The Byrds: “To everything – turn, turn, turn.” Aron loved his animal mural, but he was growing up and it was time for a change. Check out the room his mom put together for him – inspired by one of his great passions:After!Leah shares the transformation of Aron’s room:My son Aron is an avid baseball fan – a New York Yankee fan/addict to be more precise.

Finding a nice six-room dollhouse on Craigslist for thirty dollars is a score, especially when it comes furnished. Looking at the wallpapered rooms and matching cherry furniture, many of us would have called it good and let the kids have at it. But check how another thirty bucks, some scrap materials and an artistic eye can transform each room of this house into a showroom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inspired by NicoleMari’s reading chair makeover, Rachelle decided the time had come to make some changes to the reading chair passed down from her parents when she was young and furniture-free. Since she still loved the comfort and scale of this chair, changing out the fabric to bring it up to date was the ideal (though challenging) solution. Though she originally planned to reupholster the chair, in the end she opted to make a custom slipcover instead.

I don’t think I’d ever be able to tackle this impressive DIY project, not unless my dad decides to take up carpentry when he retires. Luckily for Sarah, her father is a self-taught carpenter who was happy to help her transform an old oak door, some plywood and some wood strips into a herringbone-pattern dining table. Prepare to be jealous!Sarah details the entire project from start to finish over at Design*Sponge. The steps sound tedious, but not impossible.

Something about making over a fireplace always seems daunting to me. I think it’s all the tile or brick work that makes me feel I should leave it to a professional, but after seeing Heather’s surprisingly smart and simple fireplace facelift at Home Modern I’m gonna take a deeper look at it from now on.

When Carrie found this vintage vanity at a garage sale, the large center mirror was missing, the finish was in desperate need of some TLC, and the drawers were full of dead bugs. Despite the obvious condition problems, and the fact that she herself had no need for a vanity, Carrie knew this lovely piece deserved a second chance to grace a home. After a little reflection on the piece and on her actual needs, Carrie was able to give her secondhand vanity a new lease on life.

I’ve been trying to come up with a pun on this door-to-bookcase project — you know, something like opening the door to a new bookcase or some such cleverness. But, well, as you can tell by that sentence alone, i have not had much success. So let’s just make it simple: this project is totally rad!I love a project that re-imagines stuff that would have otherwise been bound for the junk heap. And Gail, from the blog My Repurposed Life, is the queen of such projects!

Kate found this great dresser for only $20 at her local thrift store; though it had lovely lines, she knew it needed some TLC before it found a place of pride in her home. Kate originally planned to sand and stain the piece, until she discovered the top of the dresser was laminate rather than solid wood. Faced with this unexpected curveball, Kate was forced to change her plans for this inexpensive piece.

It takes a keen eye see past the dingy upholstery and waiting-room feel to focus on the possibilities of this loveseat. When Kelli found this piece at a garage sale for only $20, she knew she had a steal of a project on her hands, but she had to wait a few months to find the time to get this makeover started.Kelli stripped this seat down piece by piece, saving the fabric to use as a pattern for the new upholstery.

I love it when readers leave links to their blogs in comments, which is how I found out about this project from Gloria at A Little Paint. She commiserated with my can’t-paint-another-stroke pain by showing a room makeover she took on earlier this year. The “after” is proof that a little paint can make the biggest difference in the world.I am so impressed by how Gloria transformed this once boring room, from the eye-catching detailing on the ceiling to the cool ombre cabinet.

When Ashley’s aunt brought her this old rocking chair, which she had rescued from a dumpster, it was an ugly sight to behold. Still, Ashley was confident she could give it new life and, $10 later, she did just that…The first thing Ashley did was peel the fabric and foam off the chair. After removing the fabric, Ashley sanded the chair frame, then primed and painted it. Once the paint had dried, Ashley replaced the chair foam and then applied new fabric, using small finishing nails.

I love my quaint, 1940s condo, but the kitchen has always felt unfinished and out of place. Not being in the financial situation to completely remodel to my liking, I decided to do a few quick, inexpensive projects to brighten the space as much as possible.The original flooring in the kitchen was a clay-like, synthetic tile which was glued down like nobody’s business.

Time to do laundry because Curtis Robertson is about to knock your socks off! His niece and her husband just moved into their first home and he wanted to do something special for his great nephew’s room. With two vintage eBay paint-by-number paintings as his guide he meticulously recreated them in an incredible whole room mural. It’s a must see:After!

Jesyka D’Itri over at Visual Vocabulary did a remarkable makeover on a china hutch a few months ago. The original piece had a lot of scratches, missing pieces and a broken door, but she really kept on it and was able to bring it back to life in a very unique, stylized and surprising way…After sanding and stripping the wood, repairing the door and getting new glass for the broken cabinet, Jesyka was ready to get her style on.

Who among us can’t empathize with Joy, who found a fabulous pink chair at the thrift store and convinced her husband that of course she had the necessary skills for this reupholstery project? Though the initial chair is one anyone might easily bypass, the end result is a reminder that good things come to those who invest the time and energy to give new life to an old favorite.For only $35 (!), Joy bought this wonderful chair with slightly less than wonderful upholstery.

I bought these bar stools at Target about ten years ago, when my husband and I were renting an apartment with a little breakfast counter. Since then, I’ve used them in my studio, where they’ve gotten beat up and paint splashed. I moved out of my studio but I’m still not quite ready to part with the stools so I decided to give them new life…It was immediately evident when I brought the stools into our little apartment that I would need to cut them down.

Do you remember the days when televisions came in these giant wood consoles? Now that we hang our flat screens on the wall, it may be hard to imagine that televisions were furniture. Nowadays these old console sets end up getting set out for the garbage man. Here’s a clever re-use of one of these anachronisms:Beckie, from the site Infarrantly Creative, picked up an old console television the night before trash day and turned it into a cute new table!

If you saw this chair in a thrift store would you jump at the chance to give it a new life or is it in such disrepair that you would just have to pass it by? Well, Irina wanted to take on the challenge and had an incredible vision for this lucky little piece. After a month of dedication and a lot of love this dilapidated chair has been transformed into a stunning work of art.

This chair looks like it’s on its last leg. Um, literally. The leg on this chair had rusted through and the whole thing was bent out of shape. No wonder it was sitting out on the curb, waiting for the garbage collector. But wait! This chair hasn’t quite reached the end of its life just yet …Rachelle, from Adventures in Creating, saw this old metal chair on the curb and decided to rescue it from its garbage heap fate.

When you have the world’s most generic (i.e. ugly) doors in your apartment like me, you can easily develop a fondness for old doors with a bit of character. And if I had one I would strongly consider doing what Gail did – make it into a toddler bed.Even a quick perusal around Gail’s blog My Repurposed Life lets you know that she is a pretty fearless DIY’er.

When Korrie came across this mid-century dresser in need of some TLC, she immediately envisioned the piece redone in a style inspired by an Anthropologie dresser. Given the beat up finish, she knew painting was her best option, but wanted to preserve some of the wood tones that drew her to the dresser in the first place. The end result is a fun look that gives new life to a classic piece.

The “before” shot of this bathroom looks like the kind of room I’ve seen a million times. A plain old bathroom, nothing unusual, perhaps a little dated, and definitely boring. Oh, but this bathroom is anything but boring now…See, what did I tell you? The “after” is anything but boring! When I saw the changes that Percy has been making to his home over on Design*Sponge I had a moment of design envy. How can one dude be so unbelievably creative?

Madeline wrote us with not only a great Before & After to share, but a lovely story: I had done a lot of looking around online for inspiration for recovering old gliders and really didn’t find as much as I’d hoped. Now that my old glider has a fresh new look I was hoping it could be some inspiration for someone else out there.

It’s not everyday you come across an old bench that has so much potential. If you do ever come across a run-down version of the perfect outdoor (or indoor) piece you’ve been looking for, don’t keep walking — pick that bad boy up and head straight to the home improvement store! You never know how that thing will look after a good sanding and a fresh coat of paint!Christina took to her blog to boast about the recent transformation of a pretty run down wood bench.

This looks like your grandmother’s desk, right? Well, it was someone’s grandmother’s desk until Erin bought it cheaply on Craigslist and totally re-envisioned it for her daughter, Sydney.After!Fabulous, no? (And I really didn’t think she could save that brass plated stool.) The aqua paint choice is perfect and she did a great job bringing this desk back to life.

I am in the process of turning my bedroom into a shared space with my fiance. We are on the lookout for yard sale finds to accentuate the space, and were happy to find this great miniature dresser last year. It has been sitting in the storage unit waiting for refurbishing time and the perfect color of paint.Finally, with a little time off and the right color of paint (Martha Stewart’s “Pencil”), we went to work.

I have a hard time looking at vintage lamps and overcoming the often bland and dreary shades that adorn them. Looking at a DIY like this, though, inspires me to broaden my vision!Heather Spriggs Thompson is a designer, artist and stylist with an extremely inspiring blog titled, appropriately, Heather Spriggs. One of her most recent projects was to transform the lackluster shade that came on an otherwise beautiful milk glass lamp.

Though painted furniture isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it is makeovers like this that demonstrate why this technique is so popular. This yard sale find with fabulous curves was transformed with a little elbow grease, some leftover paint, and a mix of old and new hardware.We have written about Sarah’s magic touch wth paint before (Sarah’s Delightful Dresser Redo); now we’re starting to wonder how she has so much luck finding dressers with such appealing lines.

When Tiffany found this chair she was immediately in love. What she didn’t love was the scratchy, ripped fabric covering it. As we all know, DIY upholstery projects can be daunting so Tiffany decided to leave the recovering to the professionals. To the auto body professionals, that is.Upon the recommendation from a friend, Tiffany, from the blog Living Green with Glamour, decided to take her old chair to a local auto repair shop to have it reupholstered.

Ikea markets the Gorm shelf as lowly secondary shelving for the pantry or garage. Well, take a look at this makeover, Ikea. We think this transformed Gorm belongs in the living room, office, or even a lucky kid’s room.After!Shauntelle from A Beautiful Abode snagged a $15 Gorm off Craigslist and with some silver spray paint, wood stain, and some boards, turned it into this amazing industrial chic shelf.

A few months back I busted out some fabric spray paint and painted a pretty chevron on my carpet. Although the looks are alright, there’s a new trend sweeping around the internet that will most likely yield better results. See that sofa up there? It’s about to get painted — with house paint.Over at Fabric Bliss a vintage sofa was purchased for the small price of $45. It had great bones but those flowers just had to go.

It takes a little imagination sometimes when you see a tired little piece like this at a garage sale or flea market. But Carrie at Fine & Handy had the vision and turned it into a sweet piece for her daughter:A little pink paint, new knobs for the sliding doors, and two adorable painted birds transform the old toy box. The end result is wonderful and makes us want to run out and scavenge for a unique piece of furniture like this one.For more on the before and after, head to Fine & Handy.

When Casey bought a condo in the Minneapolis loft building where he had been renting, he transferred his luxurious style to his new home. Luckily for us, he had the foresight to snap some before pics so we could witness the transformation …Casey’s Loft Life house tour was a highlight of my summer house tours last year. When I heard from Casey that he was moving to a new, larger unit in the same building, I was anxious to see how he would transfer his style to his new home.

Oh IKEA, where would our homes be without you? You offer us one product and the world turns it into 100 new designs and custom pieces for their home. This room is no different and this window area is about to go from drab to chalkboard fabulous!They’ve been busy getting organized at Repurposed Playground and although this transformation is similar to ones we’ve seen in the past, there are a few ideas to glean from this set-up that are perfect for any home.

This small wall isn’t an eyesore, but it’s just kind of “there”. It’s between the bedrooms of Kimba’s sons and she decided to make it not just a place to display their art, but a space for creating art too. Check it out:It’s nothing terribly tricky or time-consuming, but what an impact!Kimba painted thrifted and craft store frames to provide visual cohesion and filled them with her boys’ artwork.

When I moved into my brother, Matt’s newly purchased bungalow, I brought with me an heirloom farmhouse-style dining room table which just barely squeezed into the 9’x9′ dining space. Since the space exists in the corner of an open kitchen and living area, it was doable, but the traffic space was limited and storage non existent.

You’ve probably seen a lot of before and afters by now where you can sort of predict what the after might look like. A coat of paint or some new knobs might be what you’re expecting for this dresser.It’s a squid! You weren’t expecting that, were you? Well, maybe the title gave it away a little.