Project Ideas

Brick veneer plus DIY art makes for one fresh hangout space.

These start at just $5K.

Your entryway is the first area that guests see when they walk into your home, so it's only natural that you want it to look welcoming, at the very least. But shouldn't it go a step beyond that?

A dark and dated back room is now an airy and bright master bedroom with gorgeous exposed ceiling joists.

Cali Gabrielle must be a magician, because she made an ugly old house turn into an absolutely stunning home.

Galvanized stock tanks and troughs are essentially huge tubs which can be turned into or reused as any number of things. Depending on the context, they can read modern, industrial, or farmhouse. Learn all the ways you can hack them and create something spectacular and useful for your home. Bathroom Tubs: Jayme used a large round tank as a bathtub in her in warm and inviting modernist home in Philadelphia.

Curious to see what all the hype's about?

Sometimes living small means paying up.

Copper accents in the bathroom is a look we’re loving right now. A recent roundup of inspiration featured copper sinks and copper faucets and exposed copper pipes, but there are other ways to bring a little shine to your bathroom. If you crave the look but can’t afford to remodel, or you’re renting and that just isn’t a possibility, then take a look at these clever DIYs. Above, bespoke bath faucets designed by the home’s owner, Niki Turner.

IKEA says: Whether for a walk-in wardrobe, hallway solution or a business, ELVARLI storage system provides open storage that’s easy to get just right, while looking nice. ELVARLI storage system is the result of some innovative development at IKEA to create flexible, beautiful and lightweight storage. ELVARLI storage system is elegantly designed with attention to small details like seamless joints and invisible fittings.

IKEA says: The idea behind GRÖNADAL rocking chair was to make a rocking chair that joins different materials and expressions in unexpected ways. Rattan and ash are vibrant natural materials that age beautifully, and create an interesting contrast to the powder-coated steel. The seat and back are hand-woven using traditional techniques, while the light shape brings modern Scandinavian design to mind.

IKEA’s description: The herringbone pattern has a beautifully pleasing geometry to the eye. In BARKABODA countertop the pattern in dark brown wood adds true elegance to the kitchen. The countertop is made durable with a layer of solid wood that covers a particleboard core. This technique not only gives a genuine expression of solid wood, but is a good environmental choice as it’s resource-efficient.

The laundry area in my new home is much more compact than it was in my old rental, resulting in the purchase of a stackable washer/dryer unit. One thing I’ve encountered that I didn’t with the traditional side-by-side units is a persistent vibration during the spin cycle of the washer. After some research, I learned a few new things about proper care of my appliances that I thought were worth of sharing. 1.

For some reason bedrooms seem to be left as the last room in the house to be decorated. I’ve seen it a lot in friend’s houses and House Tours. I am definitely guilty of neglecting my own bedroom, as you can see in this before photo. I am the first to admit — that room is hella ugly! But in two days I was able to take this room from a decorating disaster to delightful with a couple coats of paint (and some major purging).

Perfect timing for project month! We were happy when an email from Maja, a regular Apartment Therapy reader, hit the inbox. She sent us in these before and after photos of an eBay chair makeover project — from a traditional floral to a bright and bold modern graphic pattern, we love the transformation……and the After!Maja writes: I’m moving to a new apartment in a couple of weeks and have been buying some furniture.

Reusing old drawers as shelving is something we’ve discussed here a few times before. In fact, you may recognize one of these drawers from a post on the subject. While I’ve been using drawers as shelving for a couple of years, I wanted to take the concept to the next level.I had already been using one of these drawers as a wall shelf in my bedroom and when I gave the bedroom a makeover, I wasn’t sure whether I would use the drawers again.

The washer/dryer hookup in our apartment is perfectly located right off the kitchen and close to the dining room, where we do all the laundry folding. Since this is our first apartment with laundry inside the unit, we’re quite happy to have it so centrally located. Although the location of our little laundry closet may be nearly perfect, the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. Those louvered bi-fold doors have got to go!

Laura, a regular Apartment Therapy reader was on the hunt for an affordable ottoman. When nothing suitable turned up, she took matters into her own hands and went the DIY route. Here is her story…and the great looking finished results……and the After!Laura writes: I wanted to share my simple and cheap ottoman makeover.

Arren Williams’ home in Toronto is also his ongoing project . With his long list of design skills, each room is an opportunity for some wow-level end results, which he, luckily for us, shares on his blog. A basement room, especially one that was converted from a drive-down garage can be a challenging space to decorate; dark, with low ceilings and a lack of windows. But that didn’t deter Arren……and the After!

When I saw this little file box at a Salvation Army, it practically called to me from across the store. “Jason,” it called out to me, “please take me home and give me new life. I’m only five dollars!” How could I possibly pass it up?The original gray finish on the file box had definitely seen better days. Even after a thorough scrubbing, the finish was marred with years of tape and dings and scrapes. Nothing a little spray paint won’t fix!

Ann and her husband bought two IKEA Aneboda dressers to hold their mounting collection of baby items but once assembled they decided they were not fans of the translucent fronts that revealed everything inside. What to do? Add a bit of fabric Ann decided.Voila! A quick, easy and affordable fix. Ann chose a Joel Dewberry fabric (Herringwood in Lake) and tackled this project in an afternoon “even with my 30-minute belly adjustment period” for an outlay of about $20.

This long, dark hallway was not being helped by the saltillo tile, ugly light fixture, and dark trim. But after stripping away all those dated features in the hallway, it’s now a lighter, brighter, and more welcoming space…We saw this snazzy before and after over on To the Moon and Back — a great little blog documenting a home’s transformation. This project is a true testament to the power of simple changes.

BEFOREJenny had long wanted a chair to sit in as she gives her girls their baths, and with $4.50, paint, and elbow grease she transformed a sad seat and vanity into something that stylishly fit the bill. AFTERJenny of Little Green Notebook picked up the vanity for free from an auction house that wasn’t able to sell it in its beat-up condition. Jenny realized midway through that it wasn’t worth refinishing the wood, and she refreshed the vanity with her Dremel and a coat of paint.

Nicole picked up this dresser as part of a three-piece set. The other two pieces, matching nightstands, got their own makeovers but Nicole wanted to do something a little different with this dresser. Check out the results after the jump…As Nicole reports on her blog, Scrap Me Baby, the dresser was in great condition structurally so it really just came down to a matter of painting it. Giving this dresser the black-and-white treatment makes great use of the piece’s details!

Linda has a lovely home, outdoors and in, but her entryway was not feeling very welcoming. Besides being on the bland side, this entryway was also seriously deficient in functionality. Fortified with a whole lot of DIY ambition, Linda turned the entryway into a welcoming (and useful) space…As you can see in the ‘after’ photos, Linda went with a more dramatic palette for her entryway.

Over the holiday break, the team at FireCore released their long awaited flashing software, aTV Flash, giving Apple TVs everywhere the ability to stream local movies in any format, check the weather, and support for iPhone apps such as Remote HD. Here’s how to get it onto your Apple TV 2G. Ready to hack your AppleTV 2G?

Feather cushioned sofas are oh so soft and comfy — for awhile anyway. Like anything else they can get a little squished and flat. Foam can easily be replaced, but feathers… well that’s a whole different story. So we’re turning to our favorite upholstery pro Shelly Leer.Do you have a feather sofa? Does it need a little love? The good news is there’s something you can do and then there’s what will work in the end.

Walking by this mess is what I suspect most people would do if they saw this sadly torn up chair (myself included). It takes a confident upholsterer who knows their stuff to see its potential.

Whether a glider in the nursery is essential or not is a personal choice. What is well settled is that good looking gliders can often blow your nursery budget. Take matters into your own hands and convert a chair you already own.That’s right, you can make your own glider by converting an upholstered chair. Dina of Honey and Fitz converted her vintage upholstered chair into a functional glider wtih great success. The key is to buy a swivel/rock unit like this one Dina used.

When Jennifer and her husband inherited this dresser from her mom and dad, she was thrilled with the extra storage but not with the look of the piece itself. The piece, which Jennifer’s parents bought back in the 1970s was dark and dated, but Jennifer knew with just a little work she could create a more modern piece for her home.Jennifer removed the handles, painted the frame, and replaced the legs in her quest to give this dresser a new lease on life.

While having a “green” kitchen is a desirable trait these days, it had a whole different meaning in the 1940’s. A green floor, green walls and even a green ceiling is what Linn and her husband faced when they purchased their bungalow last year. But after a month of hard work the only green they’ll have to live with now is the envious kind.

This isn’t your average DIY; I can’t give you simple step-by-step instructions or promise that you can get this done on a Saturday afternoon. After all, these chairs took me months to complete.A few years ago, I enrolled in a just-for-fun, one-morning-a-week course in Traditional Furniture Upholstery. The idea had been at the back of my mind for a while, as something which would combine my background in fashion textiles with my burgeoning interest in interiors.

Jenna sent us an email about her recent renovation project: Last week we just completed our big kitchen reno… on a budget! Here are some before & after details:Before:Pink walls, beige formica counters, old white tile floors, chrome and brass fixtures, 90’s whitewashed oak cabinets, mismatched fluorescent panel lighting, empty unused walls and lack of counter space.

Molly sent us an email sharing her take on the ever popular with DIYers IKEA Rast dresser. She wrote: After searching for a campaign piece I could fit in my dining room and having unsatisfying results, I decided to redo the Ikea Rast dresser (like many before me!).I patched up the knob holes and painted the dresser, and drilled on these flat corners. Then I measured and drilled holes in the center of each drawers for the campaign style pulls from Ansaldi and Sons.

I posted this Before & After on Design Sponge a couple of years ago, but I never had the chance to show how I did it. You can figure out the paint part, obvi, but here’s how I actually tufted the seat. Enjoy!What You Need: 1 yd.

Imagine if you will, a room with some pretty bold stripes on a sloped ceiling and a standard IKEA bunk bed, both in cool shades. Some time later a big, bold, red carpet is added to the mix and suddenly it’s time for a makeover. Are you curious to see what they do with the stripes in the new and improved room?They kept them! Well, they kept the idea of them, they actually painted over them in hot hues that go with the new rug. And the IKEA bunk bed got a nice clean white wash.

It takes some serious vision and determination to buy this enormous desk on Ebay for $15.50 in Vienna, Austria. Transportation of the beast alone is hard to execute. But this didn’t stop Liza, who knew she could transform it with some high-gloss paint and a bit of elbow grease. She and her husband brought back the desk via cab from the owner’s apartment, and the taxi ride ended up costing more then the desk!

We’re halfway through DIY and Project month, and right about now some of you may be considering taking on a household upgrade or two. You’re probably also hoping that these DIY endeavours will save some money, as well as give you bragging rights among your friends.But as any crafty enthusiast knows, DIY can end up being just as expensive (or sometimes more so) than going pro or store-bought.

Usually when someone spends the time and effort on a makeover it’s because the original object is ugly or in bad shape. Neither is true in this case. Laura made over a brand new and super cute toy to appeal to both her daughter and her son. Terrific! Here’s what Laura had to say about this project: I wanted to find a good quality wooden stroller that both my son and daughter could play with.

Old schools chairs like this are kind of inherently cool. But not many have survived that are in good enough condition, without rust and wear, to use as is, especially around kids. Kate found a few of these chairs in her Grandfather’s garage and decided to give one a makeover as a gift for her niece. Check it out… This was a slightly time consuming project but, other than that it was really simple!

Some parents worry that their baby’s closet is too small, but what if all you have for a nursery IS a closet? Kari has been inspired by all the small nurseries we’ve shown in the past and wanted to share her own small space baby project: her closet turned nursery.  Kari writes: We are about to have a daughter and wanted to stay in our one-bedroom apartment, so we converted our walk-in closet into a nursery. Our space was 43′ x 77′.

This is a great makeover and a cool story because it involves a mom and son working collaboratively to create a completely new room for a budget of only $150! Take a dip into Levi’s newly nautical bedroom (puns = not my strong suit). I know, wonderful, isn’t it?

A table runner is one of my favorite ways to dress up plain tablecloths or bare tables. This is probably the easiest sewing project that you could take on, and the same steps can be used to make napkins, too. For those who hoard designer fabric remnants found in the bargain bin like myself, the table runner project is a great way to put those pieces of fabric to good use. For this project, I created two table runners out of just one yard of Designers Guild Kashgar fabric.

Inspired by Danish rooftops, Ferm Living has turned useful kitchen accessories into design-worthy décor. After coveting these, along with Susanna Vento’s self-made cutting boards, I decided it was absolutely necessary that I made one of my own. Here’s how to make your own rooftop cutting board… Upon research I found that maple and ash hardwood has a nice tight grain — suitable for daily use.

On New Year’s Day 2014, I did my very first real snow shoveling, and let me tell you — that stuff is no joke. We had 1-2 feet of snow covering a driveway that’s larger than my last apartment, meaning I got a serious introduction to the world of shoveling. I found the work and the exertion exhilarating, but really had no idea what I was doing.

Ick. Even for the most intrepid DIY folks, this old metal cabinet is daunting. It is rusty, peeling, and no doubt has some sharp edges on it somewhere. Along came Graham who saw potential in the project, and set to work transforming it. Many thanks to Krista Winters for sharing Graham’s success! Re-edited from a post originally published 2.13.

This office credenza is all business. It’s gray, it’s functional, but pretty it is not. Owner Joanne took this cabinet to task, refinished it in about 4 hours in her driveway, then found a better place for it. Want to see? What was all business in the front, is now a party in the back. The formerly buttoned-up credenza fits nicely in her nook, and is now the perfect furniture host. It holds drinks, stores glasses and wine, and blends in nicely with the rest of the home.

If I had a dollar for every birdcage I’ve seen at yard sales, I’d be in Belize right now. I always note them, but never know what to do with them, which is why this project piqued my interest. See what Kathy and Karen did with a cage they found on the curbside on trash day…. After painting the cage, and removing one of the walls, they outfitted the whole thing with shelves and mounted it on a wooden base.

Sometimes, while thrifting and searching about you come across something amazing, and in perfect condition. This wasn’t one of those times. Kelly found this old Eames-style Plycraft chair whose leather was nasty, grime-covered, torn and faded.

It’s rare when the words IKEA and Dubai appear in one sentence. Dubai, with its reputation for luxury and modern excess, hardly calls to mind budget furniture. However, UAE resident Jacqui wanted to insert a least a hint of glamour into this old Blue Hemnes dresser, and bring a little glitz to her master bedroom. Here’s her hack… She started by painting the dresser a dramatic jet black, then added a nailhead trim around all the edges. Spray painted gold knobs complete the look.

Little powder rooms can pack a punch. Case in point: Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere recently redid a tiny bathroom in her house, and decided not to play it safe. The results are impressive: I think it’s safe to say that this oversized floral wallpaper from Ellie Cashman is a show stopper and, when paired with the marble vanity and gold accents, makes for a glamorous and timeless room.

A long weekend to Amanda and her husband usually involves some sort of DIY project. Recently, they had an empty wall in their living room that was in desperate need of some attention, and more storage. Their project is pretty remarkable… In need of a solution that took up minimal space, but added more functionality to our living room, Amanda and her husband figured out how to build a wall mounted shelf and combined desk. Shelves can be moved around as needed.

Upholstery is one of the those projects you start with really good intentions, but they often peter out before the piece is totally done. Sibylle knew that recovering her newfound loveseat would be a pain in the ass, and decided to go a totally different route. Behold! A painted upholstered sofa! Yep, Sibylle went to town on both the wood AND the fabric parts. Using textile medium, and matte black paint, she transformed this vintage loveseat into a more modern piece of furniture.

Once you’ve groaned at the title of this post (go ahead, I know you want to), click on over to see Gemma’s DIY fix for the back steps down to her basement. An IKEA rug just happened to be the exact width of Gemma’s stairs, which made it an irresistible choice for a quick DIY runner. Finished off with some nailhead trim, it’s now a chic little entrance. (Plus, Gemma hopes the dark rug helps hide tracked in dirt.

Tiffany loves thrift shopping and regularly brings home furniture that’s seen better days. This $5 table looked a little worse for wear, but nothing that a couple of coats of white paint couldn’t fix. When disaster struck, the tabletop veneer got ruined, and Tiffany was forced to find a new solution…. Since the top wasn’t salvageable, Tiffany made an entirely new one!

June’s mom needed a bathroom makeover. As you can see, it was a little dated and — like most showers over time — needed refreshing. On a recent visit, June and her dad got to work and totally renovated the small bathroom over the course of a week. See what it looks like now…. June and her father did the work themselves, including tiling the walls and floors, for the 90 square foot space. They even built a custom tiled shower pan.

Tanya swiped this chair from a trash heap, shoved it in the back of her car, and and drove away without looking back. Over time, she grew sentimental about this “garbage chair,” and finally made the leap to reupholster it: The labor was $630 (which included repairs), new foam cost $50, and the velvet fabric was $250.

Julie remodeled her dark, out-dated half bath right after moving in, but it took awhile to finish the room completely. She moved on to other projects until she found the perfect chandelier to cap off the space. That motivated her to finally put the last finishing touches in place. And we’re so glad she did! Julie’s renovation shows what you can do to brighten even the most cramped of small spaces.