Decor & Accessory Before & Afters

Ahh the joys of homeownership. You can paint whatever you want, whenever you want. You don’t have to negotiate around any unexpected rent hikes. But, in exchange, you have to deal with your rotting floors. Jolie had to bid farewell to her hardwood floors and decided to use it as an opportunity to give the entryway a visual boost. From Jolie: This is the main entrance into our home. The space is about 4×6 feet and previously had hardwood floors.

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.

Claire from Pillar Box Blue generously made over her friend’s worn table in a single afternoon. Adding bright color and vivid patterns to a wood table not only upgraded the piece, it changed the vibe of the entire space. From Claire: My friend Wendy’s dining room table was in a sorry state. It was a well-used table that had become full of scrapes, scratches and even a dirty big iron burn. The table was in her main living/dining room and a bit of an eyesore.

John spotted this coffee table at a flea market, and knew that even though it had seen better days, it was still a solid piece of furniture. Without a particular plan in mind, he decided to sand down the top and was handsomely rewarded for his curiousity! From John: I purchased this coffee table at a flea market about a year ago for $100. It came in this rustic, dry-brushed grey color. The hardware was outdated and dull. But the piece itself was solid and the drawers were pristine.

Kayla and Kyle’s porch felt like a missed opportunity. Dark, outdated and very much not their style, they weren’t spending a ton of time out there. Kayla finally had enough and set out to punch up the porch, turning it into a perfect spot for relaxing or hosting. From Kayla: My husband, Kyle, and I moved into his childhood home almost three years ago when his parents moved to the country.

Tyler and his family were about to make the move into a house built in the 1950s when they realized that it would need some upgrades in order to be suitable for their young daughter. Two weeks of intense DIY fixes later, they’re home was not only livable, but totally adorable! From Tyler: Our boss’s father recently passed away.

This once grande dame of a sofa had good bones, she just needed a little refresh. In swoops Ashley’s mom, Janie, newly(ish) minted upholsterer and true tuffet champion. After three weeks and, like, a million buttons, this beauty was ready for her second act. From Ashley: This 1970s pea green sofa was certainly lovely in its time, but the velvet was worn and stained and its skirt wasn’t doing it any favors.

Lori saw the potential in a dark and damaged dresser and nightstand combo. After what one can only imagine was a serious arm workout, she sanded and painted the pieces to a nearly unrecognizable state of fabulousness. From Lori: These dark and dated Craigslist mid-century dresser and nightstand were in need of repair because some of the veneer was chipped, missing or falling off. There was also water damage to the tops from plants. They were generally very dark and in need of modernizing.

Vinyl aside, these chairs had a certain je nais se quoi. Stephanie snatched them up from the salvage yard and gave them a loving and era-appropriate upgrade. From Stephanie: These Australian-made mid-century chairs came from the salvage yard at our local landfill. The colors and finishes are different, but I noticed their matching frames under the worn vinyl and busted lacquer finish. Both also had a pivoting metal under frame – so they weren’t just regular armchairs, but recliners!

Kelly decided it was finally time to give one of her vintage trunks a new look. A well-timed wallpaper sale helped her solve the riddle of exactly how to go about revamping the item, and she was so happy with the results she’s not going to stop at just one! From Kelly: I had multiple vintage trunks from estate sales and Goodwill shopping trips over the years, but had no idea what to do with them. I toyed around with several ideas. Maybe I could paint them? Meh, too boring.

Nick found himself with the familiar small space dilemma of moving to a new spot and needing more storage. He decided to give his plain IKEA bookshelf an EPIC makeover, turning it into a high glam, conversation-starting storage piece. From Nick: A couple of years ago, my boyfriend and I lived in Queens, where we had enough room for a studio for my graphic design work. This bookcase used to live there and worked perfectly as is.

Madeleine needed both storage and a sleeping option in her small mountain bedroom. She figured that a captain’s bed would solve both dilemmas and after getting super lucky on Craigslist, set about making her find a little more visually pleasing. From Madeleine: When we bought a tiny (600-square-foot) condo in the mountains, we needed to furnish it efficiently both in terms of space and cost.

Spring has (maybe? hopefully!) sprung and now is the time to get outdoors. Natalie and her boyfriend recently moved in together and found themselves with a spare table that was a little worse for wear. Rather than toss it and buy all new deck furniture, they had the bright idea to give what they had a colorful upgrade and now they have a lovely outdoor space without breaking the bank. This old table had been in storage and was showing its age- stained, chipped and scratched.

Just going to get this out of the way up front: this project is not a casual, pick it up when you’re bored DIY. This project is a “save yourself thousands” and “put your tools and considerable sewing skills to good use” and definitely a “can’t believe you can actually do that” type of DIY. From Karen: I wanted a new more modern sofa, but the one I loved was $2,100! My slipcovered sofa was stained and sat very low but the frame was still very solid.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever lived in a rental. Now raise your hand if you’ve ever lived in a rental with a lackluster kitchen. Underwhelming rental kitchens are about as common as noisy upstairs neighbors, but at least you can make small temporary fixes to brighten up your cooking space (if somebody makes peel-and-stick ‘quiet down and be considerate of others’ please let us know immediately).

Sarah had an idea of the perfect mid-century-style mirror in her mind. So when she spotted something like that mirror, albeit a rusty, over the top version, she snatched it up. Using the classic DIY elixir of elbow grease and spray paint she turned the whole thing around in one well-spent afternoon. I love mid-century design and wanted a vintage starburst mirror for as long as I can remember, but I also didn’t want the price tag that typically goes along with the real deal.

Mary found a very handsome but somewhat worn desk outside of a thrift store. After snatching it up for less than it costs to buy Lemonade on iTunes, she took it home and restored it to its former glory. From Mary: I had been looking for a small desk for my computer for some time, and since I knew it would be in the family room I wanted it to look nice and not look like an office space.

Lizzie’s upstairs bedroom came with a great view and some not so great cabinets. She’s a renter, so removing them was out of the question, but she found a creative way to make the space work for her. From Lizzie: We had two slightly tatty built-in cabinets either side of a Velux window. They didn’t look great, and the space in the middle was wasted. It became a catch-all for junk. Because the home is rented, though, we couldn’t make any permanent changes.

Our good pal Claire took an old IKEA standby, unfinished drawers, and turned them into a bright and charming accent piece. Drawing inspiration from her love of travel, she gave the piece an antique-inspired, worldly makeover. From Claire: When you buy something in unfinished wood from IKEA the idea is you finish it at home to suit your decor. Well this IKEA mini drawers set had been sitting in the back of my craft cupboard for 10 years waiting to be finished.

Fani’s Brooklyn kitchen looked like many a New York rental kitchen, small and kind of generic. One day she had enough of her brown kitchen and decided to take matters into her own hands, bringing color, texture and life to her Park Slope space. From Fani: My small Brooklyn kitchen had outdated old cabinets with lots of wear and tear. The style and color of the cabinets didn’t match the mid-century modern style of the apartment.

Dana became the proud owner of a very large, worn down dresser because she knew with a little love and guidance, it could really be something. Who knew that sanding, painting and hand crafting some leather straps really turned this situation around (Dana knew). From Dana: I bought this dresser for $40 from a man who likely picked it up off a curb. It was really heavy and I could tell that it had good bones but had no idea what was under the several layers of stubborn brown paint.

When Addison spotted a piece she’d been lusting after at a thrift store, she knew she had to have it. After snatching up the large ottoman of her dreams, she decided to put her extra cash towards spiffing it up a bit. I got this square ottoman for $20 from a thrift store. This ottoman was still structurally sound but need new fabric. Other ottomans this size can go for upwards of $500 so I was super happy to find this for so cheap at a thrift store! The ottoman is 37 inches by 37 inches.

Ilsa spotted this mid-century modern beauty in a charity shop and knew she could make it sing. After some initial fear that she couldn’t push through all of the wear and tear that poor Bruno the desk had suffered through over the years, she was able to sand and strip away the grime and stains and reveal a glowing and beautiful piece of furniture. Three cheers for Ilsa for her good eye and all of her hard work!

Deirdre’s entryway makeover packs in all of our favorite things: DIY, IKEA, wallpaper, space maximization and creativity. But you know what, since it’s not all about us, the best thing about Deirdre’s new entryway is how much she loves it. From Deirdre Sullivan: My apartment didn’t have a real entryway.

Ariel found herself in a situation familiar to many an Apartment Therapy reader; a great idea, great taste and the limits of being in a rental. With a little millwork, paint and a weekend Ariel was able to make her living room dreams a reality. From Ariel: We live in a rental (Military Housing here in Canada) so we’re not allowed to do anything that can’t be un-done when we move out.

Ajda’s sideboard find had fantastic mid-century lines and solid sturdiness, but it needed a little more style. She opted to go the soothing Scandinavian inspired route, tossing in a little pattern to give it some extra pizzaz. From Ajda: My boyfriend and I got this 60’s sideboard a while ago and couldn’t figure out how to bring it to 2016.

We featured Christina’s master bedroom makeover last week, and now we get to see what magic she’s worked in another room in the house. She switched up the purpose of her guest bedroom, revamped the whole aesthetic of the space by adding storage and serious chic finds. Without any further ado…the dressing room of your dreams!

So often we find ourselves engaged in the classic home design battle of style versus storage. Tamera found herself in such a conundrum with her hallway. Too many doors led to a guest bathroom guessing game and made the space feel cramped and cut off. Her solution was simple, inexpensive and totally changed the vibe of the hallway. From Tamera: When we first moved into our apartment, the hallway to the guest bathroom was covered in doors.

Ah yes, the forgotten room aka “out-of-sight-out-of-mind room” aka the junk drawer room, we’ve all had one some of us may still have one (guilty). Molly took it upon herself to help her forgotten room find its purpose as an adorable work and lounge room, a tall order for a small space. Check it out! From Molly: Hopefully, everyone can understand the out-of-sight-out-of-mind room. The neglected, ignored, sad space that falters while other spaces get more attention.

Who among us hasn’t spotted a piece with a ton of potential, took it home to gussy it up and then totally forgot about it? After letting this guy get a little too aquainted with his attic storage, Malcolm pulled him out and give him a timeless and stylish upgrade. From Malcolm: I spotted this sorry little fellow a few years ago, lying abandoned in the back of a reclamation yard. I could just see his little leg, as the long grass had grown up through him.

Let’s just say that Emily overlooked a lot of flaws to see the true beauty in this MCM desk. Heavy, stinky and in a pile of snow, she was nevertheless determined to salvage her find and turn it into a welcome new addition to her home. From Emily: A few weeks ago I was heading to pick up my daughter from school in -16 temperatures, when I saw this beauty sitting on the sidewalk.

After snatching up a thrift store console table, Claire decided to give it a shabby-chic, Pineapple focused makeover. Without going overboard, she peppered the table with Pineapple and the result is a charming and whimsical accent table. From Claire: I have a thing about Pineapples, I think they are beautiful, the king of fruits. I hate to admit it but I’m seduced by lovely packaging and as fruit goes, pineapples come in their own fantastic packaging.

When Mila grew tired of her gallery wall she opted for a big and bold change. Part accent wall, part large scale art piece and entirely fabulous, her vibrant mural is an eye catching delight. From Mila: This wall of my living room needed major help. I was bored of that gallery wall and wanted to try something new, exotic and attention grabbing. This mural was inspired by Robert Murle Marx’s textiles. Florence Lopez, a designer that lives in Paris, had a similar idea for her apartment.

If you’re a fan of Carrera marble, you’ll understand why Paris was so excited to come across an affordable pair of marble-topped tables on Craigslist. While she loved the tops, the ornate legs didn’t suit her style so she turned to a company that usually caters to IKEA customers to find new furniture legs to match her modern aesthetic.

Anne-Claire was on a Craigslist hunt for the perfectly sized and perfectly priced desk for her daughter. After a few disappointments, she stumbled across this desk, which needed a little love but was otherwise exactly what she was looking for. The fixing up process took a little longer than Anne-Claire expected, but the final result was worth it. From Anne-Claire: Now that my daughter is growing up, I started to look for a small desk to replace her little child table.

Each room in Lucas’ 495 square foot apartment in Argentina is designed around one color. When Lucas bought this pair of nightstands at an estate sale, they weren’t in their best condition. But, after some TLC and DIY, they not only got a fresh coat of paint and a bold color, they also became the inspiration for his bedroom’s color scheme.

The size and scale of this fireplace is striking which means that changing its look has a big impact on this space. The homeowners also opted for a new wall paint color. Together, these changes give off a whole new vibe. Take a look: From Christina: I am not a big DIY person so I spoke to the amazing contractor Adrian at Craftsman Construction that we worked with on this project, about how they were able to change the multi-colored stone fireplace into the clean white look that we finished with.

We’ve seen Natalie’s 19th century home before and this time she’s tackling her dining room. Not happy to just strip the floors and replace the chandelier, she put her artistic talents to good use and painted something gorgeous on the walls. From Natalie: My husband and I bought a circa 1870s house in Pittsburgh nearly three years ago. The house has a wonderful lived-in feeling and great bones, but it needed an infusion of style.

When the Apartment Therapy team decided to give designer Akhira Ismail’s 288-square-foot Brooklyn apartment (see her previous house tour here) a holiday makeover, we knew we had a charming space to start with. So to transform the already well-designed home into a Scandi-style winter oasis, we focused on subtle, minimalist changes that would add up to one super-cozy retreat. Grab some pinecones and a strand of twinkle lights, because these ideas are too easy not to try in your home.

Rebecca saved this totally unassuming display from the trash and turned it into an unrecognizably stylish addition to her living room. With a little cash, and some ingenuity, she helped this piece make a total 180. From Rebecca: We were throwing away an old gift wrap display at the stationery shop where I work. I took a good look at it and flipped it over, I thought it would make a great addition in my living room.

Sara is running towards the thesis finish line (go Sara!) and decided to revamp her work space to make it more comfortable and inspiring. Her sister gave her a back-friendly desk as a gift and she was able to add color and style to the space for under $35! From Sara: Since last month, I’ve been working from home two or three times a week because I am way more productive there and, as I have the deadlines for my Ph.D. thesis looming, I can’t afford any distractions.

Out of context it is kind of hard to tell what this is, let alone take a guess as to what it’s going to become. Surprise! It’s an old IKEA hamper! After you’ve recovered from that news, scroll down and see Dan’s impressive hamper hack. From Dan: I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I saw this a few years ago on Apartment Therapy and knew I had to repurpose an old IKEA hamper that was collecting dust.

Patience is a virtue for both Faith and these poor little ripped up chairs. After waiting a few years, they finally got their day in the sun — and boy was it worth it. From Faith: Back when I first opened my shop in the later part of 2012 I was in a real junk-hungry state. Possibly it stemmed from being overly optimistic, like that pathetic chic who still sees potential in her boyfriend even though he’s in jail, again.

Krys has a totally understandable addiction to thrifted chairs. This lovely lady got a stunning makeover with the help of some chalk paint and a very glamorous upholstery. From Krys: Confession: I’m a little bit of a chair hoarder. If I see a vintage chair at a flea market and it’s under $20 I usually end up coming home with it.

After giving herself awhile to settle into her new space, Courtney decided it was high time for a workspace makeover. From Courtney: Since I work from home, I wanted to have a workspace that was inspiring and energizing to be in. After living and working in our home for over a year, I decided it was time for a change. I chose shiplap because it was inexpensive but made a big impact. After having the plywood underlayment cut at my local home improvement store, I went to work.

Tiffany hit the rental jackpot with a gorgeous old fireplace. The only catch is that it came with not-awful-but-not-great yellow tile. Well, all praises be to contact paper because Tiffany was able to totally change the look of the tile and remain on her landlord’s good side. From Tiffany: One of the things that I knew I wanted to change in my rental was the yellow tile surrounding my fireplace. I’ll admit that once I moved in, the yellow tiles grew on me.

Amy was #blessed with two very crucial elements of a rental makeover success: an apartment with good bones and a generous landlord. She took those gifts and ran with them, turning her bathroom into a totally lovely, stylish and calming sanctuary. From Amy: The first thing I did when I signed my lease was ask my landlord if I could paint the bathroom.

Barbara was tasked with creating a living space that reflected the personality and interests of her clients, all while making sure it was baby friendly. She added pattern, texture and soothing color to create a welcoming family living room. From Barbara: The clients who just moved into this space really wanted their vibrant and eclectic personalities to shine through into their new home just outside of Boston.

Regine had a blank slate of a room and wanted to maximize the utility of the space while crafting a cool and beachy look. With some smart shopping, she was able to transform this space into a chill and welcoming spot! From Regine: Originally this room was a closet and storage for things that didn’t quite have a place, but it came time to make it an official guest room while also making it possible to turn this into a sewing space where I can make clothes.

Krystal looked at her beige fireplace and saw a blank canvas. She got to work painting tiles to bring some pattern to her living room. From Krystal: I started with a piece of wrapping paper, it was the best paper I had to cut to the size I needed for the tile stencil. After priming and painting the tiles white, I worked on sketching the pattern on the paper which took quite a while, and trust me it’s not perfect! I used a razor blade to cut the stencil out.

With a small budget and a lot of will power, Tanya turned her crumbling fire pit into a super modern lakeside hangout spot. From Tanya: The fire pit that came with my Lake Superior house was slowly crumbling and wasn’t much fun to sit around (I absolutely hate putting chairs on the grass because, living in the country, I’m petrified of ticks).

Nicole took one look at this dresser in “horrible condition” and saw major potential. Thanking the furniture gods for the fact that it was a paintable plywood, she set about turning this freebie into a fresh & stylish piece. From Nicole: This ugly red painted plywood dresser was in horrible condition. Missing hardware, holes and scratches everywhere but I loved that it was plywood so I could paint right over that ugly red!

Ashley made some small but seriously impactful changes to this old light. By saying goodbye to a few details and adding a new bulb, she made a stylish and subtle update. From Ashley: Old kitchen pendants or chandeliers are easily found at garage sales and thrift stores. I picked this light up for $5 and knew it had potential. The glass itself was in good shape but the electrical portion of the light had to go.

Ash was about to put his house on the market, so he took a second look at his kitchen and came up with an ingenious and sophisticated idea for sprucing up his pretty blah pantry situation. From Ash: Simply stated, our pantry was an eyesore. It was a little nook of shelves with old curtains pulled to each side. We were going to put our house on the market soon, and in looking at the competition, we kept seeing very similar houses with beautiful kitchens.

We’ve been seeing so much really great, eye-catching wallpaper in recent years, that it’s become easy to forget why it had such a bad rap not that long ago. Luckily, Laurène’s pre-trend wallpapered living room is here to remind us. With a super simple paint job and some excellent furniture selection, Laurène was able to maximize the natural light in her space to create a cozy living room/dining area.

Kristine purchased this beat up bad boy for $5 knowing she could make something out of the mid-century style. After some serious blood, sweat and tears it is now a gorgeous patterned side board. From Kristine: I started with this crappy old sideboard which I picked up for just $5… I bought this baby “site unseen” (after a friend sent me a photo) because I loved the clean mid-century lines and generous proportions. I also really liked the fact it looked so disheveled.

I’ve been on the hunt for an affordable brown leather sofa for a while now, and had just about given up when this one turned up on Craigslist. It wasn’t the color I wanted. I was hoping for something a little less Manhattan and a little more Marfa, but for 50 bucks, I figured I could experiment with changing the color. Can you paint a leather sofa? I did! And I’m in love with the results. Let’s take a closer look… And another close up.

Kevin’s desk upgrade is impressive on both the style and organization fronts. Start with a standing desk, mix in some accent lighting and top it all off with some DIY bookshelves and you’ve got yourself a very smart workspace. From Kevin: Since January I’ve been planning on revamping the workspace in my bedroom, and I finally pulled it together with a desk I have been eyeing for a while.

Sometimes, you’ve just got to take a chance. When Pati’s sister offered her a large and somewhat underwhelming dresser, she was on the fence. Pati decided to go for it, and with some smartly selected paint, turned this dresser into a gorgeous credenza. From Pati: My sister bought this on our local Facebook classifieds. She decided while moving, she no longer had room for it. She offered it to me and I was a bit undecided. Not only was it heavy, it needed some work.

Cate’s thrift store find was certainly interesting, if a little clunky. After pulling out the pieces she needed for another project, Cate got inventive and the results are pretty charming! From Cate: I grabbed this quirky (and rather large) mid-century modern table lamp from my local thrift store with plans to harvest the brass for another lighting project. After taking the whole thing apart, I was left with some beautiful turned-wood pieces that I couldn’t let go to waste.

Kari found herself facing a familiar design foe, the too large white wall. She eventually landed on an ingenuous solution that added interest to the wall without sacrificing any of the cool. From Kari: When we moved into our house last year, it was basically move in ready but we had a large, white wall in our living room and we had no idea what to do with it.

Molly’s space was totally adorable as is, but she was itching for a little drama in the living room, and boy did she bring it! From Molly: My obsession with a black accent wall started about a year ago when I saw this house tour right here on Apartment Therapy. I couldn’t stop thinking about how the art popped and the TV blended — pretty much everything you want for an accent wall that contains a television.

When I think about color and pattern in an outdoor space I usually think throw pillows or maybe the occasional funky patio umbrella. Claire decided that pattern need not be limited to textiles and accessories and got really creative with her weathered bench. From Claire: I had a neglected old bench in my garden, that was crying out for a revamp. Instead of just repainting, I decided to give it a designer makeover.

If a cabinet can survive years of kid style wear and tear, you know you’ve got a sturdy piece of furniture on your hands. After removing any trace of Brontosauruses and sharks, Rosa set to work giving this old cabinet new life. From Rosa: This cabinet was purchased about 25 years ago in a thrift store to use in a child’s room. It was covered with stickers of animals, surfboards and all kinds of kid stuff.

For anyone who is waiting on an elusive piece of dream furniture, let Robin’s carriage seat offer you some hope. She was able to turn her not-totally-perfect-but-close find into a gorgeous manifestation of her entryway bench dreams. From Robin: I have wanted a carriage seat as a house bench forever. Seriously. The one I scored at an auction was not the one I wished for, but it was close enough.

I am sharing our almost-completely DIY, super budget $7K kitchen remodel, which we started in September, and finally wrapped up just a couple weeks ago. The process was a lesson in patience, as we hated the kitchen upon buying our house, but waited about two and a half years before we had created a plan, emotionally recovered from the bathroom remodel (which was shared here a while back!), and saved up enough dollars.

Tamara spotted this old office chair that was in surprisingly good shape, so she snatched it up with plans to make it her own. Fast forward three years, throw in a lucky find at the fabric store and you have one gorgeously updated chair. From Tamara: I see these old university office/lobby chairs in Surplus Goods quite often, but the joints are not always in great shape so I usually pass.

Ahhh the magic of white paint. Roxanne updated and brightened up her kitchen with some gorgeous new additions but kept the original cabinetry and used some really nice paint with great success. From Roxanne: Our small builder grade kitchen was in desperate need of a makeover. I could no longer stand the orange tone wood cabinetry and yellowish countertops. To save money, we kept the existing cabinets, but extended them to the ceiling, making the room feel larger.

If you’re going to go bold, go bold. Claire took her old beige staircase and turned it into a spunky, funky and printed space that greets you as soon as you walk in the door. From Claire: The first thing you used to see when you opened my front door was some steep victorian stairs crying out for a transformation. I got rid of the boring beige carpet that was just a dust and dirt magnet and brightened them up with a touch of Marimekko.

Hannah’s apartment is part of Olympics history! But while her home came with a very cool backstory it also brought along an outdated early 90s kitchen. With some trips to IKEA and a very accomodating landlord, Hannah now has a gold-medal-worthy place to eat her Wheaties. From Hannah: My fiancé and I live in the French Alps in a small apartment. These apartments were originally built to house the press during the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.

Carter had a lucky find with these classic Herman Miller chairs. They needed a little love and Carter decided to go above and beyond to turn these chairs into seriously funky eye candy. From Carter: These Herman Miller fiberglass shell chairs are a true design classic and seem to be everywhere. I found these at a church garage sale and they needed a little cleaning up.

So you want to revive your living room but your fear of commitment/budget/upper arm strength makes purchasing furniture a big, terrifying deal. Luckily, Jay’s approach to freshening up a room is to actually get rid of some furniture and lighten things up with a coat of paint. From Jay: Here’s a quick and easy way to refresh your room without purchasing any new furniture. Consider painting the walls and letting go of any furniture that sucks all the energy and life out of the room.