“I had an apartment before where I just did a rectangle on the wall, and I LOVED how it looked,” this DIYer says. “Now that I have my own house, I knew I could get a bit more extra with it.”
The previous homeowner put tons of work into creating a rustic-style space they loved — but when the new homeowners moved in, it didn’t quite suit them. Here’s how they made it their own.
“I love having my books all together on the wall; it really feels like a feature in the room instead of an afterthought,” this DIYer says. This one’s for the bookworms out there!
Before, the living room had a faux brick fireplace, a textured ceiling, and "awful '80s patterned carpet." The after is unrecognizably luxe while honoring the features the homeowners *did* like before.
These homeowners transformed their living room in a week, thanks to the deadline of hosting family the following weekend. But the space has served them well past their hosting duties.
The before was "builder-grade, plain, bland, boring," this homeowner says. The after is perfect for dimming the lights, curling up under a blanket, and pressing play on a good movie.
"The only thing we would do differently is doing it earlier," these homeowners say of their DIY project. "It has really made the space feel purposeful."
"One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to interior design is not utilizing perfectly good space!" this DIYer says. This project leaves no usable inch untouched.
The homeowners kept their budget under $2,300 by selling their old furniture, sourcing budget-friendly new finds, and doing some of the work themselves.
"There are still a few stray big toy items that cannot fit in the drawers or cabinets, but overall it has the perfect mix of functionality, open space, and design I was craving," the homeowner says of the "After."
