Decor & Accessory Before & Afters

Have a spare room that you want to turn into a creativity-inducing craft room the likes of which have never been seen? You just might find some inspiration and ideas in Tasha’s DIY craft room that features bold colors and patterns as well as stylish supply storage solutions. From Tasha: We transformed the remnants of our twin girls’ nursery to my craft room/home office. I selected a neutral gray for the walls and a black and white color palette.

Minni was looking to replace her old sofa with something a little more streamlined. She loved the lines of this retro yellow sofa but it didn’t exactly scream “low key.” For €30, she took a chance. From Minni: I wanted to challenge myself with an upholstery project that I had never tried before. I found lovely gray upholstery fabric for a bargain of €13 /yard which I think is the perfect color and texture for this sofa.

DeaAnna found this dresser at a yard sale for $35. It had some fun details and the drawers were all in working condition so she decided to give it some much-needed love. It turned out so well she couldn’t stand to hide it in the bedroom anymore. DeaAnna and her husband recently swapped out their formal dining room set in favor of a more casual table and chairs but they were still missing storage. From DeaAnna: I decided to repurpose it as my dining room buffet.

Soffia took a look at the $14.99 HYLLIS shelf at IKEA and thought she could give it an upgrade. A MAJOR upgrade. Check it out. From Soffia: I wanted a Restoration Hardware/Pottery Barn-ish industrial looking shelves for the living room. We used four Hyllis that we cut down to size and spray painted and some plywood that I treated. We got this and we love it 🙂 See more at Skyeytum Hus. Thank you Soffia! Re-edited from a post originally published 11.7.

The omnipresent IKEA BEKVÄM step can quickly add a touch of Scandi style to any home. But what happens when it’s been loved too much, used in too many ways, and become more eye-sore than icon? The clean design and crisp untreated wood can make an impact immediately after you’ve assembled the flat pack wonder step. But after a few years of being used a night stand, dining chair, stepladder, painting stool, saw horse and door stop, it was time for a refresh.

Lynn tells us that everyone thought she was crazy to purchase this gold velvet sofa. Lucky for her (and us!) she could see a diamond in the rough. From Lynn: First we cleaned up the arms, all is took was a little elbow grease and some touch up paint and the wood and resin arms look fantastic. Next, upholstery….I decided to use a hardy linen-looking cotton blend in oatmeal. A busy fabric would take away from the overall elegance of the arms and the lines of the sofa!

You know we’re big fans of furniture transformations that look totally different after getting a DIY makeover. This old dresser turned modern media stand is a great example of how a few small changes can make a big impact on the way a furniture piece looks! From Kala: My parents bought me this dresser as part of a bedroom set when I was 15 and I’ve held onto it because of its solid make (its gone through eight+ moves with me!).

This sofa has seen better days. Honestly, it takes a lot of vision to think it’s got any potential! Tinca took this sofa home and changed it for the better — plus made it ultra functional for a home that happens to house pretty cute pets. From Tinca: Maybe we found this old sofa on a curb and then dragged it inside or maybe we didn’t. 🙂 But we did decide to give it a complete overhaul. Originally this was a sofa bed you could stretch out.

Saddled with a boring room? Don’t fret! It can be hard sometimes to see past the plain, the blah, the beige and the weird, but these DIY room makeovers prove pretty much anything is possible! We’ve chosen some of our favorite creative solutions from recent room makeover before and afters to pick out just why they were so successful — one might inspire your own from-boring-to-bold room makeover this weekend! 1. DIY ideas + fresh paint Tasha hated her boring, tiny bathroom.

Are you a renter looking for something to add uniqueness, personality and texture to a wall without damaging your home (so you can get your security deposit back)? We love the idea Alicia and her husband tried out in their bedroom — and it’s something any renter could do in a few hours on the weekend! From Alicia: We bought pre-painted white wood, made a few cuts with the miter saw and actually used hot glue to make the diamonds!

The paint on Jen’s house was peeling in patches, and even non-existent in certain spots. Jen definitely felt her house looked dilapidated and unloved, and wanted to increase its curb appeal. Although she was daunted by the prospect, she and her parents stepped up one weekend, and used a little elbow grease. See what they were able to do for only $125…. In addition to the new paint job, Jen swapped out the door handle, and changed the mailbox.

You know we love a good IKEA hack, but Kristi really blew our minds with this one. She started with this black and white IKEA throw, and transformed it into something we were not expecting. Kristi says, “I transformed an IKEA throw into a chic maxi skirt. It’s super simple, and this lil’ piece has become my new favorite thing in my closet.” See more (including instructions for this DIY) at Kristi Murphy. Thank you Kristi! Re-edited from a post originally published 9.3.

We’ve all seen them before: the sort of boring, beige bathrooms that don’t inspire anyone. How do you take a small space and turn it into something stylish without spending a lot of money? Tasha transformed this bathroom space with DIY ideas and fun design details. From Tasha: Our powder room BEFORE was beige, boring, and messy. We didn’t even have anywhere to hang a hand towel. In fact, we didn’t even have a hand towel!

These office chairs were functional — but certainly not very motivating with their boring upholstery color and bland gray frame color. It’s hard to imagine how these could be made more interesting, but Vicky had plans. And the result is a much more beautiful and productive result! From Vicky: Sometimes you have to buy a used office chair for $20 so you can get working in your new home office. Eventually, the drab fabric with questionable stains on it starts to wear on you.

When you don’t have a closet, it might make sense to fill your bedroom with big furniture so you can pack away your clothes and accessories, hiding your apparel as a method to cut down on clutter. But what if those big, bulky and dark furniture pieces are doing more harm than good? Christina did away with her furniture, instead replacing it with a DIY clothes organizing solution that might be inspiration for folks with small spaces and little storage.

Alyssa needed a console table, but the one she had her eye on to buy was too big and too expensive So when she came across this simple, dark IKEA laptop table, she realized for a little bit of money and only a few steps she could transform it into a cute, compact console perfect for her home. From Alyssa: A few years ago I stupidly sold a killer acrylic console table in a fit of re-decorating mania and I’ve regretted it ever since. So, I was on the hunt for a replacement.

Want to make a more pleasant impression with your porch? You might find inspiration in this subtle but effective porch makeover, involving some bright paint and new pattern! Read More: → 7 Steps to a Fantastic Front Porch (Inspired by Real-Life Makeovers) From Neena: I had been thinking about stenciling our veranda floor for the past three years but never got around to doing it till now.

When Erin moved into her home, the kitchen looked like this: fluorescent lighting, dark wood cabinetry, beat up laminate countertop, and a fake brick backsplash. Not cute. So she got rid of the bad (laminate!) and kept the good (that cute rug) and made some major DIY upgrades that gave her kitchen both the look and functionality she needed. From Erin: With its galley layout and wall-to-wall upper cabinetry, work space was virtually nonexistent.

Rita wanted to update her boring, brown closet doors and, being blessed with incredible vision, she managed to make them unrecognizably wonderful. Get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor. Let’s all chorus: Whoa. Great job, Rita. From Rita: I used a miter saw to make the cuts. The pieces measure 14.5″ x 18″. Rather than using a nail gun to affix the pieces to the doors, I decided to caulk them. This method worked beautifully and I’m really happy with the results.

They gave the wood a good sanding and decided on a two-tone stain which really makes those Art Deco details pop. Christina says, “We picked away at it once a week for the summer, and we couldn’t be more proud of the results, and the memories of working on it together!” Thank you Christina! Re-edited from a post originally published 5.5.

Christina’s second bedroom is a tight eight feet wide by 13 feet long. But, despite the small size, she needed it to function both as an office and craft room, and a guestroom that could sleep two people. Christina turned this room with beige walls and bland carpet into a light and inspiring space to work and entertain guests! From Christina: The whole transformation cost about $800.

Emily and Shane hated their textured ceilings, but felt stuck with them because they weren’t ready to deal with the mess and trauma of drywalling. Finally, they just couldn’t take any more of those ceilings, “staring down at us,” so they took a gamble on another option, and boy, did it pay off. They covered it with beadboard! What a great way to give the ceiling a beautifully coffered look with surprisingly little effort and money.

We sure didn’t see this one coming. Lanae calls her boyfriend Brandon a “crafty DIY person.” You’re not wrong, Lanae, you’re not at all wrong. Turns out, Brandon is a pretty awesome boyfriend, too. Lanae tells us how this totally inventive piano bar came into being: For Christmas last year I mentioned to my boyfriend that I’d like a bar cart for our house. Brandon did not want to go to IKEA for the standard bar cart set-up.

Joy recently replaced her black IKEA Hemnes dresser set with something vintage but kept the matching nightstands beside the bed. She liked their shape and function but knew she’d have to tweak them a bit to fit into her new decor. Amazing. We’d never have guessed that these white and wood wonders came from the big blue box. From Joy: Since the nightstands are solid pine, I was able to sand off the black finish and stain the drawer fronts in a warm walnut shade.

Who’s wearing green today? Cindy won’t be getting a pinch. She came across this free cherry wood sideboard, took it home and gave it a St. Paddy’s worthy makeover you won’t soon forget. She sanded and primed this sideboard and rolled on two coats of high gloss green. Then she polished up the original hardware to give it a glamorous shine. Cindy says: I was dying for a pop of color in my entryway/kitchen area and Kelly Green was just the color I wanted.

Remember when we gave you eight awesome ways to “fake” architectural details if your home didn’t come with charming elements built right in? Well if you own a home, have the adventurous DIY spirit and don’t want to fake it — if you want to add your own actual architectural detail — you’re going to want to pay attention to the project Vickiann tackled. Vickiann of My Crappy House is no professional bricklayer.

Architectural designer Teddy desperately needed to update this kitchen but had major budgetary restrictions. No matter. See how just $300 worth of supplies made a huge difference. Wow, what a difference. We love how, even though all the major elements are the same (cabinets, backsplash, countertop), the color change and the addition of small details totally transformed this space.

This dresser had great bones and even some fun details, but was falling apart in a few places and had some missing drawers. Liana didn’t tackle this DIY project for awhile after she found this piece, but when she did, her ideas (including a free element anyone could use) really transformed the entire look into a functioning piece that works for her just the way she needs it. From Liana, I love the idea of restoring furniture, this is my second attempt.

Is your home saddled with a blah fireplace mantel and surround? Unless you like flaunting your big screen TV, the fireplace can often be the living room’s main visual focal point. Why not really make it stand out? That’s what Kristi did, reclaiming wood in the process. It took nearly eight hours for this transformation, but the end result is way worth it!

Sarah had been knee-deep in a pile of plywood scraps while tackling a year-long kitchen renovation. There were scraps that were too big to toss, but too small and damaged to make anything of use. Except that Sarah totally came up with a creative way to use them. And a gallon of wood glue was involved!

Gem, from the blog Blackbird, recently moved into a new apartment in Auckland with her husband. Because it’s a rental, they did not want to do any big renovations, but they did want to give their kitchen a stylish upgrade. With a little cash and some elbow grease, they turned their kitchen into something they are both happy with. First, with the permission of their landlord, they painted two of the walls with paint they had left over from another project.

Tasha tells us that she still cringes when she looks back at these photos of her room. The army green walls, the beige trim, badly sealed stone fireplace and carpet just weren’t her cup of tea. Says Tasha, “No thank you.” Tasha and her husband did the all of the work themselves. They ripped out the carpet and bamboo flooring and put down dark laminate floors, then painted the walls a beautiful dark blue to make this large space feel more cozy.

Maggie’s IKEA MALM dresser was super functional but pretty plain, so she got creative and gave it a budget makeover that adds plenty of glam style. Holy Hollywood Regency! Maggie used overlays to create contrast on the drawers and, as for those cool knobs, she really went all out. From Maggie: The knobs are standard stock from Lowe’s, but for big impact I used a plumbing flange to really make them stand out.

Karrie first found this dresser at a local thrift store for $50. She felt it was a bit pricey because of its badly banged-up condition, but she had fallen in love with the lines and the size; it would be perfect in an entryway, used as a side table or in her office as a printer stand. From Karrie: Originally I was hoping to just sand it down and keep it natural with a clear-coat but the wood veneer was in bad shape and breaking apart, so I had to rethink my approach.

After Rubina customized her IKEA Billy bookshelves the first time, they just sort of sat there, half empty. There was something about them that just wasn’t working, but Rubina didn’t quite know what it was. A realization about the patterned paper led to a new creative fix — and a clever customization detail that turned these bland bookshelves to something simple and sophisticated, the perfect backdrop for books and accessories!

You know we always love an IKEA hack, but this one is pure, unadulterated genius. Jacob dismantled his old MALM double bed and was left with two sets of slats. Rather than throw them away, he found a way to upgrade these leftovers into a whole, new project. So awesome! The chest is not only made from repurposed materials but Jacob also cleverly made a table with storage — one of our favorite small space tricks.

A sad, old table handed down to Jessica from her grandfather was a sturdy side table, but lacked the style she was looking for. It was an unexpected designer piece that gave Jessica the inspiration to transform this side table into something else! Jessica spotted a Bernhardt Cabrillo Nailhead Chest in Architectural Digest Magazine and loved the look.

Maura had recently made the move to a small studio apartment with 12-foot walls, a lot of blank space to fill with a small decorating budget. One Saturday after breakfast, an idea on how to transform her dining area with DIY painted wall art came to her. From Maura: I had purchased 6 sample sizes of paint recently for a slow-to-progress project that I decided to use right away for this new project.

Claire found this credenza with tons of potential on Craigslist for only $30. But, though the lines were beautiful, the shape nice and the extra storage space it would provide a bonus, the finish was banged up and the color didn’t fit with her tastes. We love that Claire kept some wood color along with adding a fresh white paint to the piece. It brightens up the piece without completely obscuring the natural and beautiful wood.

Rachel had tried plenty of solutions for her home’s media center over the years, from credenzas to painting the wall behind the TV and more, but nothing ever quite fit her style or made the most efficient use of space. It wasn’t until she came across two rough and tall storage pieces that she was able to envision the perfect solution — and do it all for under $250!

Merrill loves the organic, natural look of tree stumps as end tables, but doesn’t love the price: individual tree stumps can cost hundreds of dollars. Luckily crafty Marril decided she could pull this off on her own. From Merrill: After tracking down some free tree stumps in good condition, the rest was a simple process. The bark was ripped off with a hammer and chisel and the stumps were sanded. Four coats of polyurethane were applied to finish them.

A lot can happen in 100 years. Things like the road in front of your Seattle home gets really busy and dangerous. So Courtney came up with a pretty genius solution. She gave her home the ‘ole flip-flop, making the back, the front! Says Courtney: We tried to respect the architecture and make it look as though our “new front entrance” was the original entrance. We also re-landscaped and redesigned the flow of the outdoor spaces as a part of the effort.

Sometimes “before” pictures aren’t disgusting nightmares that leave you horrified. Sometimes they are perfectly nice, but the owner was just sick and tired of looking at the same layout or piece of furniture. We’ve all been there and so was Bethany, who’d grown weary of seeing this dark brown trellis pattern first thing after walking in the door. She made a few crucial tweaks without spending a dime — including a mini IKEA hack — and wound up refreshed.

Angela was looking for a way to create a classic accent wall to add interest to her dining room. Turns out, the answer was as close as the local Home Depot. Angela and her husband created their plank wall by custom cutting their boards and then using paneling nails to attach them to the wall. Angela says, “I truly don’t think there is one spot in our old home that is actually level.

Who hasn’t owned an IKEA EXPEDIT shelving unit at one time or another? These shelves are to storage like Keds and Vans are to sneakers: basic, affordable, and available in plain white. But maybe you’ve had one for awhile now and are itching to change things up and customize it with a little more character beyond the plain old white finish. Check out how one EXPEDIT owner hacked his cabinet into something with more rugged character.

Adrianne’s 1950’s home had a dated dining room in major need of a revamp. Well, it’s dreary no longer. Take a look at it now: What an amazing transformation! From Adrianne: We installed hardwood flooring and did some DIY wainscoting, baseboards, and crown moulding. We also brought in some of our favorite DIY pieces, like our vintage card catalog buffet and driftwood art. The dining table and chandelier are awesome vintage Craigslist finds.

Pretty garden pots make any outdoor space that much more lovely, but those little pots can be mighty pricey. That’s why I love this type of DIY project; it takes standard (and very affordable) plastic planters and turns them into something wonderful.    With a little time and a little spray paint, Monica and Jess from East Coast Creative have created modern color-block planters that add elegance and visual interest for a fraction of the cost of decorative planters.

Sarah took her chances on a very typical dresser at Goodwill — you know, the ones that are a dime a dozen and often get passed up by everyone. Follow me after the jump to see the incredible transformation that turned this sad little piece into a unique gem… She first sanded down all the old paint (always test for lead first) and then stained it with a lovely Mahogany Gloss Stain.

When Stephanie Gerber of Henry Happened was planning a nursery redesign to make room for baby number three, she wanted to make use of a dresser that had formerly belonged to her husband as a child. The problem was that it had definitely seen better days. That’s when designer Melissa Ballard stepped in with a little bit of elbow grease and a gold paint pen to create something truly special… Melissa refinished the dresser and used a gold paint pen to create the herringbone pattern.

To my mind there are two basic types of ‘Before and Afters’: the jaw droppers that leave you amazed at the utter transformation of a thing or place and the less dramatic, but no less inspiring ones that show a vast improvement to something with minimal expense of time and money. The latter is the case with this dated dresser repainted in springy colors as an appealing addition to Lynne and Darren’s guest bedroom where they host their 2-year-old grandson, Nicholas.

Karyn, an interior designer, found the perfect island bungalow in Coronado, California. Of course, it needed a little sprucing up before it would be the entertaining and living space she dreamed of. Check out how she transformed this studio into a chic, multipurpose space: How gorgeous is this? We love the navy and white against the dark bamboo floors. From Karyn: I had just moved to the island of Coronado and had the perfect bungalow apartment in mind.

The closet in my guest bedroom never hosted much clothing, and I decided it’d be a perfect tucked away spot for sewing and crafting.My workspace in my last apartment was a craft cabinet, so a closet was a step up. I painted the bottom portion of the wall with leftover paint and built a desk with wood and metal braces from Home Depot. I hung acrylic shelves on the left wall and added a custom corkboard, task lamp, filing cabinet, and calendar.

For Christmas one year, the very stylish Suki gave her daughter a renovated vintage dollhouse. First off, the dollhouse itself is amazing, with what looks like real plaster walls and a brick chimney. Suki tore out some of the old materials, repainted, wallpapered and re-filled the house with tiny furniture and fixtures.The after is so charming, colorful and full of fun details. I would move in tomorrow if I could.  So amazing Suki!

Inspired by the striped light fixtures at Schoolhouse Electric, I wondered if there was a way to dress up my basic sconce with a few fun stripes. I wanted the process to be inexpensive and easy, and I wanted it to create razor sharp paint lines. After a bit of experimentation, I think I got it.I painted 2 coats of green acrylic paint onto a strip of electrical tape and then stretched it around the fixture. For the black stripes, I cut thinner pieces down the length of the tape.

While Anna’s mid-century house has a fair share of closets, they weren’t exactly outfitted to store much stuff. Faced with the predicament of storing two young boys’ clothes and other belongings, Anna decided to build out the closet herself.A lot of us have faced a similar problem with our own closets — one measly shelf and a long hanging clothes bar do not exactly make the base for an organized closet.

When Terry’s neighbor offered her this piece to redo, she knew she had a challenge on her hands. This sturdy little cabinet had already been altered by a previous owner who removed doors and the bottom to create a mini-desk, adding odd triangular trim pieces for support. Terry knew those pieces had to go if this cabinet was going to get a new lease on life.Terry removed the V-shaped trim and lined the inside of the cabinet with painted bead board.

Though I’ve been doing this a long time, the power of paint to transform things still astonishes me. Take this lamp (or lamps, since it’s part of a pair) for instance. They’ve been moving from room to room as I’ve tried to work their weird green base into my home’s neutral color scheme. But it wasn’t working.

Janel had an old round table that was just crying out for a makeover. After some careful thought and consideration, she decided to cover the entire table with Rub’n’Buff. At that point the table took on a beautiful burnished gold tone, but Janel wasn’t finished.Janel decided to cover the top of the table with a compass rose, and she decided to create that pattern herself rather than using a stencil!

This dresser is a telling reminder that DIY efforts to improve older furniture are nothing new — though viewing this wallpaper application as an improvement may be a stretch! Despite the poor finish, the waterfall dresser itself is a solid piece, one Sarah knew deserved a makeover.Sarah stripped off the green patterned wallpaper only to discover thick layers of paint underneath.

Though this thrift store dining table was missing a leaf and had obviously seen some hard use in the past, the classic lines and solid wood construction were just crying out for a little TLC to become a showpiece in someone’s home. Priced at only $15, this table was a steal despite the problems with the fininsh on the tabletop. Though this makeover does involve some paint, the wood purists among you should also be happy with the final result.

Wainscoting is common wall decor in many traditional homes. However, it can so easily be used homes of any style if you’re willing to be a little eclectic.Installing your own wainscoting can certainly feel like a daunting task but if you’re patient and have a week (or few) to dedicate to it — you’ll be wiping your brow and cracking a cold one in no time.

Repurposing hand-me-downs or flea market finds is so incredibly fun and the options are endless. Sometimes giving a piece of furniture a face lift is as easy as visiting your local hardware store.Most of us have an item in the home that used to have a purpose but now it’s just sitting around with no particular place to go. For Sam, a broken down bench with no purpose was re-imagined into a beautiful rope bench.

Who among us can’t empathize with Joy, who found a fabulous pink chair at the thrift store and convinced her husband that of course she had the necessary skills for this reupholstery project? Though the initial chair is one anyone might easily bypass, the end result is a reminder that good things come to those who invest the time and energy to give new life to an old favorite.For only $35 (!), Joy bought this wonderful chair with slightly less than wonderful upholstery.

Hi! My husband and I just made a faux fireplace on our new loft. The top piece is sustainable salvaged maple from our local re-use shop. We cut it in half (going to make a coffee table out of the other piece) and stained it with a clear coat for protection.