Furniture

Anna Hansen had a prepped and framed nook in her kids’ playroom for a gas fireplace. But a gas fireplace isn’t exactly the most kid-friendly feature, so Anna decided to repurpose the space. For a while, the frame held a toy rack, until she got inspired and motivated and turned it into a fantastic indoor playhouse. With no carpentry experience at all, Anna managed to build this sweet house. (She did get a little instruction from her in-laws.

When Chelsea came across this vintage dresser, she knew right away that it was destined to become a fixture in her home. The dresser was in rough shape but after a little bit of rehab and a lot of wood putty, she’s proud to show off her creation. From Chelsea: The mint color is Lowe’s Olympic Paints Sweet Pea and it’s the perfect shade of true mint green.

Leslie loves all things 1960’s so when she saw this 1965 Henredon sofa at a thrift store, she had to have it. From Leslie: I could not find an affordable icy blue velvet to redo the sofa in (fabric was discolored with age and faded in spots), but I did find this amazing black swirly velvet-like fabric that gives it so much interest. And such comfort! My upholsterer did a perfect job, reusing all of the original padding because it was in amazingly good condition.

When Lara’s family bought their 1949 custom cape, the previous owners had lived there for 50 years and done virtually no upgrades. Says Lara, “The kitchen required so much work it was almost paralyzing.” The yellow wood cabinets were warped, the formica counters were peeling, the tile was troubling and the lack of workspace unworkable. Nonetheless, she knocked it into the 21st century.

Wendy from Designed to Dwell had a perfectly nice formal study, yet she came to a realization I think we’ve all had at some point: sometimes what we think we like isn’t our style after all. Check out how Wendy lightened and brightened to create a completely fresh new room that’s much more her. After living with the formal study for a few years, Wendy realized her study needed a makeover.

Usha was attempting her first upholstery project and wanted a cheap-o chair in case it went horribly, horribly wrong. She found this armchair on Ebay for £12.50 and got to work. Wow! What a feat for a first-time upholsterer. From Usha: It took me a week to strip the old upholstery (and all those staples!), a further week to plan the project and alter the curved shape of the wings and arms to give the chair more modern lines and more than four weeks to complete the upholstery.

Megan fell hard for a semi-circular, midcentury tufted sofa she spotted at her local coffee shop but when she tracked down the source, the retail price was an unfathomable sum, only slightly less than the down payment on her house. Yikes! Once again Craigslist saves the day.

This 1950’s suburban ranch house needed a major upgrade so architect Bradley Edwards stepped in and turned dated to darling. Wait until you see it. The overhaul included: a kitchen makeover, a screened porch and entry vestibule, and a new upper level with an informal living “nest,” outdoor terrace and master suite. The existing brick got a color change and the rest of the exterior is clad in common corrugated metal siding.

Karey loves her small home but since the time had come to start on a nursery, she needed to relocate home office. With a quick game of “furniture tetris” she found a great new place for her workspace. From Karey: Even though the space is super small, I really wanted to love it and still feel inspired to work. For a total of $287.70 we were able to get a much more efficient use of space. See more about this project at Staring Down the Sun. Thank you Karey!

This chest had great details (just look at that cool hardware) but wasn’t in great shape so Jourdan perked it up with a new look. Ombré! Jourdan used a paint sprayer to get a flawless application. We love how the keyhole-shapped pulls provide a pop of white on the gradually darkening drawers. Says Jourdan, ” I feel like I’m a regular old handyman with a tool belt and everything.” See more of Jourdan’s crafty projects at her blog Little Yellow Barn.

Coltography’s closet home office was already a space efficient and streamlined affair, with cables and wires thoughtfully routed through the wall from PC to a trio of wall-mounted screens. But with improvement in mind, this industrious gent set out to eke out even more usable desk space with an impressive modification merging desk with computer… As a person with a tiny room, I have used my closet as my desk space.

Would you pay $100 for this old entertainment center? I probably wouldn’t, but Kim had a vision and a motivation: “Our two year old daughter was taking over the house with all her toys. I had to come up with a toy storage solution.” The white paint updates this piece by decades and the pink adds an understated but sweet touch for her daughter. Kim spent about $180 on this project – $100 for the furniture, $40 for paint and another $40 for the crystal knobs.

When Jessica bought her first place in Brooklyn earlier this year, it came with a grotty tar wall on the roof. Obviously this was not the outdoor oasis she had in mind. Read on to see her solution. Once again, IKEA saves the day. From Jessica: Apparently, someone in Sweden has the same problem, since Ikea makes these acacia wall panels in its Applaro series. They could be drilled right over our tar wall, with space for drainage and not that much gruntwork.

When Samaa spotted this old hutch at her local thrift store, she says, “it was positively flirting with me.” We’re guessing that their relationship has blossomed into a full-blown love affair. She patched, primed, painted and sealed the wood and gave the hardware a polish as well. Instead of wallpaper for the interior, the pattern is actually a well-chosen stencil.

When Sarah bought her first home, her mum got her this sofa to celebrate. 27 years later, it was time for a little refresh. Check out Sarah’s handiwork. She chose to reupholster in a beautiful, double-width ticking stripe fabric in classic blue and white, an inspired choice. Says Sarah, “This was my first attempt at buttoning and not sure if the stripes made it easier or harder, they did make my eyes go funny after a while though.” Thank you Sarah!

What happens when you find yourself in need of an area to call an “office”, but the layout and/or space inside your home doesn’t offer delineated work and live boundaries? That’s the issue general contractor Tim Logsdon faced when helping set up a home office in Atlanta, Georgia for a novelist who needed somewhere to write.

Interior Designer Tracy has a soft spot for mid century furniture, especially those pieces that seem unsalvageable. One day, she spotted this Kent Coffey chest outside her local Salvation Army. The piece had been sitting in the store for so long that they had parked it next to the dumpster. Obviously, she couldn’t pass up a rescue mission like this. After three rounds with paint stripper and hours of sanding, the true naked (and gorgeous) wood underneath was revealed.

Emily spent ages searching Craigslist for the perfect vintage sofa: carved wood details, large enough for 3 people, affordable. Just when she thought it was a lost cause, she came across this beauty for only 100 smackers. Says Emily, “I emailed as fast as my fingers could manage.” After a week of hunting through Harlem for the perfect mudcloth, she dropped off the bag of fabric at her local Brooklyn upholsterer. Less than a month later, her masterpiece was ready to take home!

Homeowner Kathleen would be the first to say that this room in her house was just kind of sad. It was intended as a playroom for her kids, ages 6 and 9, and as a place for the family to hang out together. With paint, some new furniture and colorful accessories she was able to breathe life into the room to make it a vibrant, stimulating part of the home. She even found a way to make the big brown couch work in the space.

Wendy loved this jewelry armoire because it was a family hand-me-down but she wanted to give it a new life, so she took on her very first furniture redo. It’s a doozy! Want to see her results? Read on. It took Wendy six weeks to complete her makeover and not just because she was a newbie. From the outside to the hardware to the lining, there wasn’t an inch of this piece that didn’t get an upgrade. Now it’s a family heirloom that Wendy can enjoy on her own terms.

Joy’d been stalking Craigslist for months in search of the perfect armchair for her living room, but finally struck gold at her favorite thrift store (and by gold…we mean orangey-brown) for a mere 17 clams. Says Joy, “I like to think that it found me. Atrocious orange? Check. Disintegrating foam? Check. Beautiful bones? Check. Check.

Erin’s neighbor was moving out of the state and she wanted to help fill her new, bigger home with furniture. When she spotted this chair at a garage sale for only $45, she knew that with a little work, this chair could be the perfect going away present. From Erin: With a little spray paint for the frame and a fun black and white bold fabric for the cushions, this chair screams for attention now. And our friend absolutely loved it! Want to copy her look?

Jessica picked up this bench for $10 several years ago, but it wasn’t until a trip to India that she found the perfect fabric to complete her project (and get a lovely souvenir from her travels). When she stumbled upon this beautiful gold leaf print, she knew it would be perfect for the bench. She also sanded and painted the frame to compliment the new design. Jessica says, “All told I spent about $45 on this bench and I love the way it looks in my entry!

Heidi had been storing these bland 90’s era stools, hand-me-downs from a relative, for years but it took her daughter’s room makeover to finally put these blank canvas stools to use. See how she punched up their personality. From Heidi: I first painted them a raspberry pink color. I created the gold dipped effect by spray painting a taped off portion of each stool leg.The whole project cost about $10 and only took a couple of hours. It fits perfectly in her themed room and I LOVE it!

Jennifer and John loved their new home’s open floor plan, but they didn’t love the lack of a defined dining area. So they set out to create a dining space with personality and punch. For the walls, they chose a muted yellow (Dried Plantain by Behr) which, Jennifer says, “makes us happy and hungry!

Kate stumbled upon these two dilapidated chairs at her local Goodwill for…wait for it… $14.99 for both. Spoiler alert: she sure got her money’s worth. Want to see these chairs now? Kate says, “as I started to peel away the faded ashes of rose velour, the foam basically fell off the seats and backs and disintegrated into a cloud of dust.” Obviously new foam and fabric was in order: I fell in love with this bold 50’s inspired floral pattern.

Michelle and her husband go camping every year with a big group of friends, but they were getting tired of their tent, so they found a rundown vintage trailer and fixed it up. Michelle says, “We had no idea how much fun it was going to be.” From Michelle: We would work on it at night after the kids were in bed, and it took us about 4 months from start to finish. We have three girls so we painted it pink (obviously!).

Ashley’s a DIY fanatic and she had so many ideas that she couldn’t commit to a headboard so she found a clever solution to both her blank wall and her need for variety. A customizable headboard! Smart! Says Ashley, “Now whenever I get an itch for change, I can easily update it with whatever style or trend I love at the time!” Want to steal her look? Ashley shares the whole project at her blog, Sugar & Cloth. Thank you Ashley!

Matt and Christian’s IKEA table was still really good at doing table jobs like supporting their food, but not so good at looking pretty while doing it — the pressboard top was beginning to disintegrate. So they came up with an easy and inexpensive way to give it a new life. They headed over to their local scrapyard and picked up some reclaimed 3/4” planks. For variety, they looked specifically for pieces with interesting paint or stain colors.

Old signage is a familiar sight at salvage shops and flea markets. While most might walk past this dingy exit sign, John was able to give it a bright future in a few hours, for about half of what a new reproduction would cost. From John: Yesterday, I found this great — but beat up — vintage exit sign. Today, I cleaned, sanded and repainted it, replaced the colored filter with clear plastic, and added colored bulbs. My boyfriend attached the (still functional!

Lizzie described her budget as “less than a shoestring,” so when she found this old rocking chair at a clearance yard, she snatched it up. She sanded the seat, arms and back (taking off several layers of skin along with the peeling varnish) and painted them in a quirky neon turquoise (an unexpectedly and fun choice). Looks like her risk paid off. Lizzie obviously has a history of scoring great deals.

Anu’s family (which includes two small boys and a Golden Retriever) was in desperate need of a mudroom — a place to feed the dog and keep all the muddy boots and winter kid gear — but their small bungalow just didn’t have the space. Wow! Anu transformed that unused nook into a mini mudroom. The floating bench serves as seating as well as a place to stow shoes and dog bowls. Cabinet knobs became coat hooks and each boy/dog in the house even has his own bin.

Chrissann recently re-did a dresser for her daughter’s room. In its original state, the dresser wasn’t anything special — certainly not an antique — and she wanted something more fun, and brighter than the original boring brown. If you are sick of seeing chalkboard paint everywhere, or hate the dusty mess of the chalk itself, here’s an alternative: try dry erase paint instead.

Amanda’s original 70’s monster of a moss rock fireplace didn’t look good or even function. From Amanda: To fix the function, we bought a wood burning insert. For a sleek, updated look we built a frame around the rock, tiled the lower portion, added plywood to the top, trim pieces, and painted it crisp white. Now we adore the clean lines and contrasting colors. See more photos and details at Amanda’s blog, Our Humble Abode. Thank you Amanda!

Lettie had been on the lookout for both a dresser and a nightstand for a long time when she spotted this lovely piece on Craigslist for an affordable $40. Not only was it the perfect size, but also the perfect height to do double duty as a nightstand! From Lettie: The only downfall was that the body of the dresser was laminate. I read a lot about painting right over laminate and decided to go for it.

When she came across a stockpile of free castoffs from an antique store (i.e. heaven), Emily, the smart cookie that she is, took full advantage. Want to see her final product? (hint: it’s not two chairs anymore) Surprise! Way to think outside the chair, Emily! Using just the existing frames, some scrap wood and new foam and fabric, she made a custom bench, perfect for her space. See more of her makeover at Emily Grace King. Thank you Emily!

Last year, Manisha posed a question to the Apartment Therapy community about how to add some color to her living room. “It needs some oomph,” she said. “Right now everything seems to be grey, white and black.” Armed with your suggestions, Manisha added color in a few strategic places. Want to see what her living room looks like now?

John had been searching for an Adrian Pearsall style sofa for a long time. As he was scouring Craigslist one day, he came across an ad that simply said, “Vintage Couch – $60.” Luckily, he took a chance and found this amazing (though horribly upholstered) sofa. From John: Because I’d been researching this style of sofa for months, I was pretty sure it wasn’t a real Pearsall, but I didn’t care. I’m not a label whore.

One of my favorite home trends is families using their space to suit current needs and desires instead of being hemmed in by traditional floor plans or how a room had always been used. Last week we saw Lindsey turn her family’s formal dining room into a family study and today’s example is a huge family room re-imagined as a dream playroom for two young kids. It’s quite the transformation and is just what this family wanted.

After 10 years of living with a crumbling kitchen, Judy finally decided enough was enough. Inspired by a certain robin’s egg blue box, she worked with her limited budget to get a Tiffany’s inspired kitchen without the Tiffany’s inspired price. Judy saved some cash by reusing the appliances and flooring and hiring locally in her neighborhood of Queens, NYC. She splurged on marble countertops but still managed to ring in the remodel at about $13,000.

This 1925 home was intended to be a boxy Spanish bungalow but due to some unfortunate 1980’s additions, the aesthetic was a little lacking and Hunter knew he could help reclaim its original pizazz. Want to see this little house now?Much better!From Hunter: I decided immediately that the home needed to be restored to its intended Spanish style. Most of the homes on the block were this style and I could tell the home was originally built that way.

Drop by IKEA’s as-is section, any thrift store, Goodwill, or yard sale, and you’ll eventually run into one of these wooden slat bed bases.

Shaun’s UK home was originally occupied by a dear old lady who was a smoker, so the room was dated and “ciggie stained.”  But he had big plans for this small room.Shaun kept his canvas — the walls and furniture — white in order to let his artwork and  personal items shine even more.

Laken is an incoming freshman at Washington University in Saint Louis and, just this Sunday, moved into her new dorm on campus. She was greeted by a very typical sight: commercial grade carpeting, conspicuous vents, and standard issue furniture. The dorms are very nice by all accounts, but it’s always a challenge to transform an impersonal space into a comfortable home for the next nine months.Laken has less than a week to get her room ready before classes begin.

We love a good, simple IKEA hack. In the hands of Sarah of Smitten Studio, this plain pine Tarva got a coat of paint and a little bling. Check out the results:Fresh white, gold legs, and brass knobs add much needed storage and a dash of style in the bedroom of Sarah’s cabin, after the removal of a bunk bed/closet system. Sarah also sawed a couple inches off of the dresser’s legs for a more contemporary proportion. Check out more photos over at Smitten Studio.

The compact shape, characteristic midcentury tapered wooden legs, and bargain price all caught Shannon’s eagle eyes at a yardsale, immediately convincing her this worn and roughened desk had yet another life to live in her living room after a serious makeover…I decided that a fun dose of bright color was just what it needed to really come to life!

Taylor and Corey desperately wanted some built-in cabinets for their living room but   space was limited, so they found a vertical solution.  Can you guess what they used? (Hint: I suspect this photo was taken just as they started their project) Perennial favorite, the IKEA Billy bookshelf strikes again!  Using two shelves (extended up to the ceiling) and custom moulding, they created lots of storage that looks and feels original.

There’s a reason we don’t feature many garage makeovers here at Apartment Therapy: no one but the very bravest souls will give us a peek at the often messy “before”!  Not James, he’s proud to share his new garage, and rightly so.  He transformed a dank garage into a bright and organized workspace.  The walls were planked with cost-effective (and aromatic) fencing cedar and the cabinets were leftovers from a previous kitchen renovation.

19-year-old college student Reeves picked up this dresser at an auction because she loved its clean lines and shape, but it needed a bit of an upgrade.  After prepping with a good sanding, she gave this beauty a new look with Sherwin Williams’ Smoky Blue paint. To prevent bleed through, she used two coats of water-based poly and, once the paint cured, lightly distressed the detailing and sealed it with wax.  The new, white hardware really pops against the updated color.

Christa couldn’t believe her luck when she found this gorgeous settee lounging around a Salt Lake City antique shop.  Despite the dowdy fabric, she knew it was the perfect candidate for a makeover.Amazing!  Inspired by the fact that the settee was a perfect example of 19th-century American Greek Revival, she chose to reupholster this beauty (which she aptly named Aphrodite) in black and white Greek key.

When it comes to camper makeovers, pop-ups don’t get a lot of love. Despite the serious lack of online inspiration, Sarah transformed her camper from totally 90s into red, white, and blue country chic, perfect for summer road trips: From Sarah: I wanted to do a total DIY to the often overlooked humble pop up camper. While searching for pop up re-dos I found literally nothing. The RVs ruled the web, so I was on my own.

Turning this barn door into a beautiful headboard was technically pretty simple. All it really required was hours and hours and days and never-ending hours of sanding.Mike Adamick, author of Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects and general dad extraordinaire, worked with his daughter Emme to turn this old barn door into a headboard for their family bed. On his blog, he walks you through the steps from start to completion with a healthy dose of hilarity along the way.

Imagine your job takes you out of town for a couple of months. When it’s finally time to come home, you think about how you can’t wait to kick back in your own  bedroom with your own stuff. But here’s something you didn’t expect: Your roommates decided to give your tidy space a major makeover. And it’s not exactly your style …That’s what happened to Reddit user Twoverend.

Here’s kind of a cool thing. This steel-framed chair had seen better days. Enter Janusz, who has an abiding love for the world’s most humble material — cardboard — and for bringing old furniture back to life. Click here to see what he did next. While the text isn’t in English, there are enough photos so you get the idea how it was made here and here. It almost look like inlay, doesn’t it?Thanks for sharing, Janusz!

Lindsay fell in love with the shape of this vintage record player console from Craigslist, but when she picked it up, it was beyond dirty. A lot of elbow grease and a little paint later, check out the results:From Lindsay: I have a thing for vintage record player cabinets. I found this Mid-Century style record console that had been gutted on Craigslist, and picked it up immediately. It is solid wood, and was in fairly good condition. Except it was FILTHY.

Josh found this dresser, solid and in good condition, but not quite his style, at a Dallas thrift shop. With a few basic updates, he turned lots of laminate into a mid-century style showpiece:From Josh: I found this dresser for $60 at a local thrift shop here in Dallas, Texas. It’s made entirely of laminate particle board, barely used, and very solid. I knew it had great lines and good bones, but lacked any personality.

Where I used to avoid working in my cluttered office since I could just carry my laptop elsewhere in the house, I now ONLY want to work in here.  The mood it creates is nothing short of inspiring. I used the rich wood tones and bold colors that I love, and I added in pops of color in unexpected places.

It doesn’t always take expensive and dramatic changes to refresh a room. Follow me after the jump to see how Andi used small details to pack a new punch in her attic guest room.Just by adding adding a bold blue and a few new accessories, Andi took this guest room from minimal and plain to cheery Mediterranean cottage. She painted in headboards, added a table, lamp, pillows, and a window treatment, and called it a day.

From what I’ve seen at garage and yard sales, bookshelf speakers are amongst the most common audio gear components readily available for DIY projects on the cheap. And how many of us have old audio speakers gathering dust in a closet or in the garage?

This is what Will had to say about the project: The personal drive to restore the tricycle stems from a general interest I have in refurbishing old, half rusted and seized treasures from the past. This is particularly true when it comes to bicycles (or here a tricycle). As it is, I’m looking at two half assembled bikes both wearing the Wilmas brand and almost ready for their maiden voyage.

Not in love with a dated, brown dresser? Why not make it more brown? That’s the tack Ama Ryllis took to liven up this piece for her daughter’s bedroom. Ama Ryllis picked up this piece for $50 at a garage sale and gave it two coats of paint (and one of primer). She kept the original handles, but spiced them up with neon pink spray paint. These few small changes really make it fresh and chic, don’t you agree?You can see a few more photos on Ohoh Blog.Thanks Ama Ryllis!

Everybody has at least one piece of old furniture in their attic, but how often do you actually do something with it? Lacker was rooting around in his and found this vintage chair from the 1970s. It was in decent shape, with a metal base and plywood seat. See how he gave it a second life, after the jump.Lacker says: I was on vacation and looking for something to do. When I saw this chair, I immediately thought of creating a new seat and chair back with pieces of veneer.

Project by: Kevin Young of PMK+designersLocation: Kaohsiung, Taiwan   The Story behind my renovation project began sitting in the living room at our previous owned home, with only 66 sq meter of interior space (711 Sq feet), 2 bedroom, one study, living, kitchen and 1 bathroom. We would come home from work each day to find ourselves sit in front of the TV with no room to move and breath.

Recently I helped a lovely couple redesign their bedroom. They already loved the wall color and the abundance of natural light, but the placement of the windows left something to be desired.  They also wanted to upgrade from a queen size bed to a king, while enhancing the airy feel that they liked best about their bedroom.

Katherine Hammond, an interior designer, had a very specific vision for the desk she wanted in the behind-the-bed nook in her Brooklyn Brownstone. For her project, she turned to Nick Dillon of Nick Knacks Creative Interiors, a New York-area contractor who was able to build the desk exactly as she envisioned it.  The finished product is a desk that spans the entire length of the wall.

This bar cart was far from perfect, but it sported some nice mid century stylings. Sarah picked it up at a thrift shop and set out to banish the bad stain and bring back its former glory.From Sarah: I have been seeing the most adorable bar carts lately, and after spotting this one at a local thrift store, I knew there was plenty of work to be done.

You might walk by this unassuming stool at a thrift shop, but Charlotte saw potential. See how she gave this flea market find a fresh facelift. From Charlotte: Back when birds were chirping and grass wasn’t buried by 24″ of snow, I grabbed this wheelie stool at the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, CT. The seller clearly thought he was getting the good end of the deal charging me $10. But a simple coat of spray paint later, and it has a new lease on life.

It’s not often that we see a before that looks so much like, well, an after. Natty admits that the dresser was in great shape when she got it, but she was looking for something more modern and personalized. After all, a dark stained wood isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and sometimes even beautiful pieces can stand to be a new kind of beautiful.

Samna flew out to New York from her home in Seattle to help her sister set up her studio apartment. With only five days and $500, here’s how she transformed the rental into a chic hangout.From Samna: Here’s what I had to work with: My sister’s apartment in a post-war building, 248 square feet of bedroom/living area and kitchen, $500 budget and five days to get it all done. This project is for all of the people who claim “I don’t have time.

Interior designer Lauren Liess had clients with a brand-new dining room looking for a stylish and personal upgrade. The family had a bold, cheerful style (and some budding Picassos!), so she came up with the perfect solution: a kids’ art wall!She added some new curtains, a new overhead fixture, and some sconces in the middle of the gallery wall — but the focus is the kids’ art, which adds a lot of color and fun to the room!

The great thing about Ikea’s Billy bookshelf is that it’s an inexpensive, versatile storage unit for any age — the downside is when you’d like it to be a bookshelf for kids but the height and reach is too much for little arms.Leave it to Lisa Campbell to fix that! She just turned it on its side, so that it not only holds books safely, it doubles as a bench! She added some decorative trim, secured the shelves, and sewed a cushion for the top.

Is this “before” image intriguing, or what? Yes, you can see the top of the old crusty side table, but what’s the point of showing it with all those paint sticks on top? This is truly a DIY project I would never have thought of on my own, and I love it!Truly, the folks over at Thistlewood Farms gave this little table an amazing facelift — with paint sticks. They cut them all down to uniform size, applied some stain, and laid them in a herringbone pattern, and the result?