Reader Submissions

In my personal experience, “first time’s the charm” doesn’t always apply to DIY projects. It usually takes me about three tries to create something presentable, but not Kayla! She was drawn to this chair at a garage sale, pulled in by the mix of metal and fabric, and figured this would be the perfect opportunity to dive into the re-upholstery pool. The resulting chair looks much spiffier, comfier and more put together than the original find, so job well done!

Project by: Paula Guzman of Paula E Guzman Studio Location: Midtown, Manhattan—New York Paula’s project is an excellent lesson in both balance and working with what you got. Working with and not around her bathroom’s shortcomings, she created a serene space without a major overhaul. From Paula: This is the decoration of a small, prewar bathroom in my last apartment. It was your typical boring bath with plain white subway tile and very standard fixtures.

"Their apartment was completely furnished, but lacked the coziness and personal nature of a home."

A tale as old as time: you move into a new space and have to live with the questionable design choices of the previous tenants. Medina inherited a built-in closet/ wardrobe that left more than a lot to be desired. She got rid of the ugliest aspect almost immediately and tried to make do, but eventually enough was simply enough and she gave the closet an easy and affordable DIY makeover. From Medina: The before is a picture of a built in wardrobe in our bedroom.

There's a Tom Selleck pillow, FYI.

Claire’s patio sofa was understandably looking a little worse for the wear after battling the elements for seven years. She decided to give shibori a try, with a backup plan in case things went south. Lo and behold there was no need for Plan B and now the sofa cushions are bright, fun and totally revitalized. From Claire: I bought this IKEA Ammero outdoor sofa over seven years ago and I’m very fond of it.

A flat for newlyweds gets a major infusion of style.

Bekah spotted this dresser on Craigslist and saw past the scuffs and marks to the mid century modern potential. After picking it up for a bargain, Bekah and her dad spiffed and shined the piece to its former glory. From Bekah: I found this beautiful four-drawer dresser on Craigslist one day while wasting time. The guy was asking $80 but when my boyfriend went to pick it up, he was able to get it for only $60!

Linda’s sewing table had been relegated to the forgotten pile in the garage for a few months until inspiration struck. What if she used the sewing table not for sewing but for…drinking. Enter the world’s cutest and most unexpected DIY bar! From Linda: I suddenly remembered that under a mountain of randomness in the garage I had an old sewing table that I picked up at a garage sale back in the fall.

Christine’s pepto-pink guest room had a lot of potential but needed a ton of work. Wanting to create a space for out-of-towners that is as interesting as it is welcoming, she set off restoring as many original historic features of the room as she could, while making updates to the space to ensure comfort. From Christine: Even before moving into our Edwardian house in Manchester we knew that we had a lot of home improvement work ahead of us.

Melissa was looking to add some farmhouse style to her home but didn’t want to break the bank doing so. Enter shiplap! An intrepid DIYer, Melissa added a shiplap accent wall without professional help, keeping it well within budget (but not without a few headaches). From Melissa: Shiplap – It’s timeless and classic. It goes hand in hand with farmhouse style and I’ve been patiently (big fat lie – no patience here my friends!

As with so many romances these days, this one began online. Julie spotted this handsome dresser on Craigslist and knew she could truly make something of it. A mix of the original veneer, a new coat of paint and some gorgeous stenciling turned this tired looking piece into a true showstopper. From Julie: I saw this piece on Craigslist and felt like he was winking at me! I knew I had to go and visit him.

Project by: Clara Jung of Banner Day Consulting Location: Oakland, California Clara’s clients had a weird little nook in their home that sat unused, just begging for something to do. They decided not to let limits on space limit their dreams, so they decided to put both a bathroom and a laundry into the same space, divided by a pocket door, and we’re screaming for joy. Not only does the remodel add functionality, it’s easy on the eyes as well.

Leanna’s office desk had a gorgeous shape, but the dark wood wasn’t right for her new space. Since she had made the decision to stick with a lighter and brighter color scheme for her new office, she thought a touch of pink would set off the delicate aspects of the piece to great effect. From Leanna: Our previous home was decorated in soft earth tones, lots of greens and browns. At the time it really suited are long, low bungalow.

Not fully ready to commit to a reupholstery project, Emma opted to spray paint her chair and go jewel tone.

"When we moved into the house we discovered an original 19th Century fireplace had been lurking behind a desk and beneath the carpet the old floorboards were still in tact."

After a move that left her with more square footage, but less counter space, Stephanie was on the hunt for something to house her all important espresso machine in a stylish and functional way. Realizing that a good old fashioned IKEA hack was in order, she set about giving her soon-to-be-java-cart a new look. And I think we can all agree, it’s a grande idea! From Stephanie: While most people style kitchen carts into bar carts, we knew our cart had to be for cappuccinos.

How cute is that little guy? My goodness! Adorable on the outside, but leaky and damaged on the inside, this trailer needed some upgrades to make it safer. While making some of the less sexy fixes (apologies to all those window sealing fans out there) Meredith took the opportunity to give the space a style boost as well. From Meredith: My husband and I decided to buy a vintage trailer and after a brief search, we purchased a 1976 Boler trailer.

"We knew that with this aggressive timeframe and extent of the work to be done, we would need to do a combination of DIY and DIFM (do it for me)"

Amy was on the hunt for a dresser but it had to fit both her budget and her new space. As luck would have it, her neighbors were selling this long and lean lady and Amy scooped her right up for a first class DIY treatment. From Amy: I found this dresser at a garage sale last month and immediately knew I had to have it!

Honestly, we’re shocked Kyle was able to pick anything out of this muddy furniture pile. Not only does he have the greatest eye in the history of curbside finds, he made an absolutely stunning piece of upcycled vintage furniture. From Kyle: I found this literally in the trash on the side of the road. It looked like someone had cleared out their back shed and threw this, along with many other old pieces of furniture, into the mud. This project took me many months to finally commit to.

When your boyfriend makes a bar cart from an old TV, he's a keeper.

Alfredo and Ken found this boho dream of a couch on the street (what luck!) and after letting it sit around for a bit, gave it a major vacation vibes makeover. From Alfredo and Ken: We found this vintage rattan couch on the street, it had no cushions but it was in great shape! We carried it to our house and it was sitting in our backyard for a few months before we knew what to do with it.

Sunny found this mega outdated but well made dresser on Craigslist and knew it would be an excellent fit in her nursery. Some sanding, painting, and drilling resulted in a muted yet gorgeous piece of furniture. Oh, and she did it all while very pregnant. We’re tired for her. From Sunny: This $50 Craigslist wood dresser was just the perfect size for our nursery — but boy, was it ever hideous.

Becky’s kitchen had been previously renovated by a house flipper who may not have been thinking things through. There weren’t any drawers. In a kitchen. Becky tried to make do with that temporary storage cart you can see above, but she knew it was time for a better solution. From Becky: Our kitchen was done by a house flipper in which zero drawer units were included. I had purchased a cart as a temporary solution and immediately discovered it didn’t fit our needs.

A Savannah transplant makes a home in the Hollywood Hills.

Sharlene’s ’70s kitchen was vivid green and laced with hard-to-clean linoleum. Instead of living with it or hiring an expensive contractor, this husband and wife team utilized their vacation days, rolled up their sleeves and got to work. From Sharlene: We had an original 1974 kitchen without the perks of the vintage appeal. The laminate cabinets were spray painted white and the laminate countertops were coming apart. No matter how much you cleaned, it always appeared dirty and worn.

Robyn’s backyard was suffering from a lack of both greenery and privacy. She decided to spruce the space up with some plant boxes and a very charming lattice, perfect for dining al fresco! From Robyn: We have lived in our home for almost three years now and I have been on a mission to add character to our home, including outside.

Half baths can be so easy to forget — home to b-team hand towels and re-gifted decorative soaps, relegated to occasional guest usage and always in the shadow of the bathrooms with things like tubs and showers. Christina decided it was time to give her half bath a little time in the spotlight, and buckled down to give it an eye-catching upgrade. From Christina: The bathroom before was dark and dreary. It looked like any other bathroom and felt like a dark hole in the hallway.

Szilvia’s stunner in Budapest has all of the classic charms of a turn of the last century European apartment. With drool-worthy high ceilings and large windows, Szilvia knew she could create a sleek, light-filled space to design to her heart’s content. From Szilvia: The flat is situated in a classical building of the early 1900s in Budapest, Hungary. It was in a very bad condition when we bought it, everything including the electrical and plumbing system had to be changed.

Tara’s bathroom had the sort of tan look that was popular during the heyday of Friends. Deciding enough was enough, she set out to create a bathroom with more storage, more space and more style. From Tara: We knew we needed to re-do this bathroom from the moment we bought this house. This is the main bathroom in our three bedroom, to bathroom, 1950s ranch. I have been dreaming of the day this project would be finished.

"No detail was spared in this kitchen: moldings, hood detail, lovely polished nickel hardware, detailed ceiling with bead board and beams."

Kevin struck Craigslist gold with this buffet. It had all of the proportions and details he was looking for and it was $Free$. He turned the buffet into a striking piece that brings out the best of the original features while adding some extra style. From Kevin: I found this buffet for free off Craigslist. The landlord of a building in Chicago had posted it, saying his previous tenants had left it when they moved out. The buffet was worn and pretty beat up when I got it.

"I love the fact that it finally looks like a bedroom."

We’ve seen plenty of knock out paint upgrades on the site, but Diane’s dresser makeover adds an extra special element. Paint, glaze, wax and one stunning transfer lead to one heck of a statement piece. From Diane: This was a stunning piece of furniture ‘before’. Beautiful lines, solid construction. One of those ‘hard-to-come-by’ pieces. And, honestly, I could have loved it as-is. I wanted to give this piece a makeover because lacked something.