Home Projects

You might think that the issues with this bathroom are mainly aesthetic — the dangling door, the intensely peach tiles, for starters. But, in fact, the problems go much further than these superficial concerns. Unfortunately, reader Rachel found that removing the ruffled curtain did nothing to alleviate the mold-infested walls.

Read this before you attempt yours.

When a DIY enthusiast moved from British Columbia to Toronto to be with her husband, she knew something had to be done about his nearly empty bedroom. Perhaps some bedside lights and a few throw pillows? Or would an entirely fresh start—new marriage, new city, new home—be more appropriate? Now this is a breath of fresh air! This gorgeous makeover was conceived and executed by Kamaldeep kaur Jawanda of Get Kamfortable, and the result is so airily gorgeous.

After living in her Upper East Side studio for almost 20 years, Jill decided her kitchen was ready for a facelift. The problem? Her kitchen is tiny. Like, really, really tiny. This is a true small space success story — how one woman created her dream kitchen in only 56 square feet. The new kitchen has the same layout as the old one, with a few important changes. Jill chose to swap her old 24″ stove for a 20″ wide model.

From disjointed and funky to completely enviable.

Growing up I lived with two very different kinds of parents. My father was the “right tool for the job” type man and my mother was the kind that would use a brass animal figurine to hammer in a nail, instead of taking the time to find a an actual hammer. Because of this combination, I’m always thinking of different ways to use regular household items. Take a tube of caulk for instance, which is handy for bunch of things around the house.

The idea of a vintage bathroom sounds very nice, but sometimes the reality is less than appealing. The bathroom in Mary Ann and Frank’s Upper West Side apartment was what Cher Horowitz might call a Monet: “from far away it’s okay, but up close it’s a big ol’ mess.” The bath was completely unchanged since the building was built in 1929, and its age was starting to show, with missing tiles and permanently icky grout.

The Danish fashion designer Stine Goya definitely has a unique style, so it’s no surprise that her kitchen is equally distinctive. What is surprising, though, is that all those cabinets are IKEA. Last year, I created this roundup of kitchens you won’t believe are IKEA, but I was a little flummoxed at first to see that IKEA cabinets come in GOLD.

Maxing out every inch of living room space isn’t a new idea, but these days that can mean working to turn a rarely used space into a cool new Airbnb to rent out for extra income. Redditor monkeegod recently shared his recent basement conversion, which included turning a small laundry area into a fully functioning kitchen. He turned a space that’s smaller than most sofas into a rental rockstar. The laundry area was a perfect spot for this transformation.

After living in their downtown Brooklyn condo for almost five years, Emily and Trey were ready for a kitchen overhaul. The lack of countertop space made cooking for a family of four difficult, and a loft above made the kitchen cramped and dark, as well as encouraging them to keep things they didn’t really need. “We put stuff up there that we hardly touched the entire time we have lived here,” Emily admits.

This humble garage was transformed into a hot vacation spot

Your entryway is one hard worker, and the gatekeeper to the rest of your home. Mail, grocery bags, shoes, and gear regularly come and go, and your home’s well-being depends in part on its ability to filter out the clutter and prevent mess from trickling into your main living space. A good hardworking entryway bench is the ultimate secret weapon, combining style, seating and storage to keep everything clear of chaos and mess (and to look good doing it).

Haven’t we all had a kitchen with this floor at some point—a faded, yellowed, aggressively patterned linoleum that’s nearly impossible to decorate around and incredibly expensive to replace? What kind of floor should it be replaced with that would be worthy of that beautiful paneling, table, and chairs? A concrete floor is a fabulous solution! But installing a concrete floor is surely a major undertaking best tackled by a professional, right?

The materials in this kitchen appear to all be of high quality — stainless steel, pretty wood cabinets and floors, granite countertop—but I can also understand why reader Devann referred to this kitchen as “bland brown-on-brown-on-brown.” Sometimes even the most beautiful finishes need contrast in order to shine! Here’s a full-length shot of the original kitchen and Devann’s description of it: Before, our kitchen was very monotone.

Who doesn’t want to be comfortable when sitting? Well, that’s kind of the entire point of plopping your weary bones down on the nearest piece of cushy furniture, no? Sure, but after laying eyes on this Slip Chair that Snarkitecture crafted for Portugal-based design firm UVA, one might begin to question whether sitting comfortably is even an option at all. (Hint: It totally is).

This shoe storage had its issues — scuffs, unpainted areas, general ricketiness — but it’s still better than my Heap O’Shoes. Can the less-than-ideal but serviceable shoe storage racks be improved upon? Is attractive, accessible, adaptable, practical shoe storage actually possible? We shall see. This is amazing! It looks incredibly cool, and the shoes are within easy reach of both the door and the shoe-putting-on bench.

Here’s a perfectly fine, perfectly plain bathroom! The sink is cute, the walls look like they’re freshly painted, everything is fine—but could this bathroom perhaps become something beyond fine, maybe even fabulous? This is so fun! Small bathrooms—this is a half-bath—are the perfect place to go bold and go big.

This project has so much going for it: it was done for less than $200! It was done in a rental! It features faux DIY granite countertops and a covetable KitchenAid! (Mixer obviously not included in the $200 total.) Click through and get dangerously inspired. I love this! The pink + celadon + white + gold combination is comfortingly and charmingly vintage, but the clean lines of the cabinet doors, handles, and subway tiles keep things modern.

It doesn't take a lot of time, or a lot of money, to make a big impact.

Few beds are heavy and stable enough to stay in place: most move around, however slightly. When you climb in at bedtime, flop over in the middle of the night, or engage in sexy times, your bed shifts along with you. Maybe it squeaks or makes some noise, or, god forbid, bangs against the wall from time to time. Here are a couple of easy and cheap ways to stop the rocking and the knocking… First off, make sure that, over time, your bolts and screws haven’t loosened.

This is another in a series of bravely honest closet photos that have been submitted lately—such as this one—and we cherish each and every one. Keep sending your unfiltered closet pics so the rest of us can be wildly inspired by your brilliant closet makeovers! But before we admire the closet now, let’s get a full-length view of the closet before . . .

What a lovely placemat! It would be great for protecting a table or beautifying a table or . . . that’s pretty much it. A throw pillow, you say? Well, now I’ve heard everything! This is so pretty! I’m now convinced that placemats (which I generally have no use for) are made to be pillows. They’re generally nice and sturdy, as well as being just the right size.

Having two sinks in a master bathroom is either a nice little luxury, or a total relationship-saver, depending on how much your schedules overlap, how well you share space when they do, and just how messy you both are. Would anyone turn an extra one down? Turns out this set up does have a couple of drawbacks however, which might give you pause. There’s lots to love about having his/his, his/hers, or hers/hers sinks.

We love it when IKEA hacks themselves.

Wow. This is one of those makeovers that you can’t believe was done on a budget. The results are so impressive, and the new bathroom looks like a million bucks. We shouldn’t be surprised, however, since Kristine has shared some equally impressive DIY projects in the past, including this gorgeous dresser refresh and jaw-dropping cabinet transformation.

Although Charlotte says, “A full kitchen renovation was never in our budget,” you’ll be astounded by the changed appearance of this “renovation-free” kitchen. With a few clever moves and a lot of paint, it went from super ’70s to marvelously modern. Check out what it looks like now… Wow! This makeover was done by Charlotte of At Charlotte’s House, and the most dramatic changes were the painting of the cabinets and walls (au revoir, chartreuse!

The MOPPE is one of IKEA’s most popular products, and it’s not hard to see why: it offers six storage compartments for $16.99, it’s made of attractive minimal birch plywood, it’s eminently stainable and paintable, and its drawers can be reversed to hide the opening notches. As one featured DIYer put it, it’s a perfect craft victim. Here are 30 ways to make the MOPPE — freshly available after a much-lamented hiatus — your own.

Other than the John Malkovich/Narnia door in the back, this was a totally ordinary closet. Thanks to a clever vision, some spatial strategizing, and a bunch of affordable accessories from IKEA and Target, this closet is now a super-handy mini-mudroom — and the whole makeover cost less than $100. For such a small space — just 3’x3.75′ — this room now contains an enormous amount of super-smart storage.

In another real estate market, you might take a pass on that otherwise perfect place with one or two not so great features. But not in New York. When, after almost a year of searching, Gall and Ingrid found this stunning Upper East Side apartment, they knew they were onto something good — even though the kitchen left a little bit to be desired. Look at those bay windows! There were three in the living room, and one in each of the two bedrooms.

Is there anything more gratifying than a reset button? When your cell phone is acting finicky, you reset it and suddenly the world returns to normal, right? Turns out there are a bunch of household items that have one, and knowing a problem can be fixed by pushing a button — instead of shouting and swearing, or worse, calling customer service or a repair service —might just save your sanity. Some of these will be quite familiar, but there are a few that you might not know about.

Dollhouses are experiencing a revival right now, as busy people turn to them as a type of therapy, lovingly spending hours designing and crafting decor, albeit on a small scale. We’ve had our eye on some of the envy-inducing, jaw-dropping miniature houses out there. So imagine our glee when we stumbled on a cache of little IKEA furniture and decor to make all of our tiny Scandinavian dreams come true.

Some things are just plain old hard to remember, especially when it comes to ongoing home maintenance. I’m not talking about doing the dishes or laundry regularly, but the stuff that only needs doing every once in awhile, like cleaning your ceiling fan blades or washing windows. Which is why I love the idea of an air filter that tells you exactly when it’s time to swap it out. My air filter gets a workout.

This kitchen has an enviable amount of storage, but that same storage — the hanging cabinets — make the room feel a bit claustrophobic and dark, and make the counters less accessible than would be ideal.

This bathroom was an afterthought—the cottage didn’t have a bathroom for decades!—and it’s finally gotten the love and attention that every room should have. Watch it go from “the cheapest materials available,” exterior paneling (!), and a very casually laid linoleum floor to a bright, inviting room full of mid-century modern charm . . . It’s so cute now!

Those of you who are absolutely sick of white bathrooms with white floors, white walls, and white fixtures are going to LOVE this renovation. However, all you fans of black sinks are in for some heartbreak . . . This is an astounding makeover! The geometric tile is completely irresistible, and I love the playful choice to apply it to the floor and one wall. The mid-century modern vanity and fascinating tub pop against the blue backdrop; the hues are perfectly complementary.

If you’ve ever slept on a waterbed, you know that it is a singular experience. My cousins had one growing up, and I thought it was the most fascinating thing — I had never dreamed that sleep could feel (or, let’s be honest, sound) like that.

When it comes to your home, you get what you pay for. It’s why, when you want your countertops to last for decades, you choose a material like quartz. That said, you don’t always need a $1,000 chop saw to reframe a picture. Which is when stores like Harbor Freight — the discount hardware store known for its affordable prices —come in handy. Here are a few of our favorite picks and best buys when it’s perfectly fine to go the cheap route.

Melanie bought a house that was previously a rental for many years, and the bathroom was just not loved and cared for all that time. Not only was the space ugly, it had some real issues, including potential mold. When she and her husband renovated, the only thing they kept was the tub (and even that was refinished) … Wow! The bathroom is now so graphic and modern, that little sink is the cutest thing ever, and the vanity is ridiculously cool.

If you google “builder grade,” you’ll see a ton of posts celebrating basic rooms getting a major upgrade—or getting the boot entirely. The builder grade materials in questions will inevitably be described as “sad,” “generic,” “cheap,” “boring,” and, in some cases, “orange-y.” But are builder grade materials all bad? What even are they? Let’s explore… Let’s start with the basics.

Touring Mona Hamilton’s 650-square-foot Montreal apartment is very inspiring. Not only is it a soothing, lovely space with enviable elements (the removable wallpaper in the kitchen being one of them), but it also features a hack that could be a great space saver for small kitchens or kitchens that need more counterspace. And the source of this hack’s furniture elements is rather surprising. Hacking IKEA components is NOT a new idea. (We have even published one or two or 100s before).

What was stark and modern is now warm, inviting and basically, our dream apartment.

In the Queens neighborhood of Elmhurst, Romuald and his wife have something that most New Yorkers can only dream of: a whole house, and even a backyard. But after living there for ten years, there was one thing they knew they wanted to change: the kitchen. The home’s previous kitchen, while not small by any means, felt a bit tight when you factored in two avid chefs.

They aren't just for windows anymore.

These ten methods will keep your bathtub and shower truly clean, inside and out.

The kitchen in Meredith and Jason’s Chelsea apartment, while much larger than your typical NYC apartment kitchen, still had its share of issues. Style-wise, it was stuck in the late ’90s, with heavy mahogany cabinets that sucked the light from the room. A wall of cabinets partially blocked the light from the room’s one window, while a slightly raised floor made for a tripping hazard.

We feature a lot of amazing kitchen projects, but this kitchen makeover might just have the very best dollars-to-damn ratio yet. It went from oh-so-’70s to totally timeless, thanks to some hard work, tile bravery, and some stickers. So charming! I love the interplay of the hexagonal tiles of the backsplash and the ornately patterned floor tiles. The combination of black, white, grey, and stainless is fresh and modern, while the wood counters add warmth and coziness.

There are tons of IKEA furniture hacks out there—always fun!—but this is one of the subtler, classier ones we’ve seen. Individualizing the ubiquitous MICKE desk is a totally approachable project—and just as affordable as the desk itself. This linen-wrapped desk (less-costly cotton could also be used, of course) was featured on Lark & Linen, along with extremely thorough step-by-step instructions.

Francis decided to rent this small (like, only 365 square feet) studio apartment in Miami when he got sick of his commute to work from Fort Lauderdale. The seven-minute drive from his office was nice, but the old, dirty looking tiles and the outdated kitchen were not.

We featured Malcolm’s epic small kitchen renovation earlier this week, but couldn’t resist sharing another DIY project from his condo. In less than a week (while being sick as a dog), he installed new wainscoting that transformed a second bedroom into a guest-ready retreat. Not only is it a subtle yet striking architectural statement, but no additional headboard is needed.

As nice as it is to see Before & After projects that seem totally approachable—$15 under-cabinet lighting, a refreshed bathroom—aspirational whole-house renovations are highly entertaining and inspiring. And that’s exactly what we have today: a “bland, boring ’60s ranch” gets a total—and totally amazing—makeover. If you’re having a hard time orienting yourself in this room, it’s because it used to be two rooms and an attic.

It's one of the easiest way to hack and personalize your favorite basics.

Evygenia from Foxy and Brass has a small desk that’s tucked inside an alcove in her apartment, and it’s surrounded by built-in shelving. To get herself organized, she hacked an IKEA SKADIS pegboard to fit the space. Not only does the spot look ten times better, but the project solved more than one small space problem. First she cut the pegboard exactly to size [note: the SKÅDIS pegboard isn’t currently available in the U.S.

Popular Mechanics first launched on January 11th in 1902. Over the past century they’ve written about just about everything that involves home projects: tools, how-tos, and advice. They recently took a look back at some of their household handyman tips, and let’s just say that there were a few rather unorthodox ideas. When it comes to the world of DIY and home repair, people try a lot of stuff out: some stick and become useful and some are just plain clunky and weird.

Scuffed mauve toilet, periwinkle walls, mauve sink, pebbled glass shower door, yellowed shower stall—what’s not to love? Well, perhaps a few tiny updates might be in order here… Ahhhh, much better! I know there are those of you who dislike white-centric makeovers (I always love them), but in this case, the interplay between the mostly white walls and the mostly black floor is so fun and vibrant, and the room really pops.

In my adult life, I’ve moved almost twenty times. No seriously, I have. It’s not a badge of honor by any means, but, because of this, I’m now awesome at packing everything I own in quick order, and knowing exactly how many and what size boxes I’ll need. It’s a super power. So color me surprised when I saw this tip about a new (to me) method of box packing that makes unpacking even easier.

We featured Medina’s closet makeover the other day, and now we are back to show you the rest of her bedroom, which she recently redid to take full advantage of every inch of the space. It’s a small room, so she had to get very creative…. This isn’t true before photo, but you can picture a standard rental bedroom with bland cream-colored walls, beige carpet and that ugly melamine wardrobe that Medina and her husband weren’t allowed to get rid of.

Mark Haggerty shared his DIY table project on the social media platform earlier this week and people are really loving it — both for the amazing end result, and for the price tag: $850, including lumber, hardware, tools, glue, and stain. From Mark: I have always wanted a farmhouse table, and when I bought my first house, the space next to the kitchen was begging for it. Buying a table wasn’t in the budget— plus, what’s the fun in that!

If you’re on the East Coast of the United States, chances are you’re currently being pummeled by what meteorologists are (horrifically) calling a bomb cyclone. Basically, it’s a blizzard on steroids (aka low barometric pressure). If you’re safe and sound at home but could use a little more oomph from your radiator, here’s a handy tip that uses something you probably have in your kitchen drawer.

This kitchen has quite a bit of vintage charm, and all that white certainly does a great job reflecting the sunlight pouring in from the window. And there’s nothing better than a window over the dishwashing sink, but the room could definitely use a little something. Fortunately, that certain something was do-able in a single week.

Let us give your tiny home a makeover! We’re looking for a reader whose tiny home has good bones but needs a little sparkle and personality. If you’ve been wanting to give your tiny home a more defined and stylish look, you might be just the person we’re looking for. We’re working with an advertiser to help our readers explore bold, exciting paint upgrades in their tiny homes and to document it in a before-and-after video.

Here's our top 10 countdown of predictions....

This particular kitchen project was a major undertaking: new appliances, new flooring, new cabinetry, new countertops, new backsplashes, and a host of other major adjustments. Despite the dramatic changes, the new kitchen fits into the home perfectly and makes the most of the available space and light. Interiors Addict has done such a lovely job with this room.

Medina and her husband Vince inherited this built-in closet when they moved into their current rental, and had to find a way to make it work — especially since the tiny bedroom doesn’t allow for much more storage. They removed its ugly outdated doors early on in their tenancy, but that just left them with this awful view of red faux wood grain, which Medina especially couldn’t stand.

Think a new kitchen is currently out of reach? If yours is bringing you down, but you don’t have the means to do a full renovation, don’t give up too soon. These budget renovations all cost under $1,000 (and some well, well under that) and prove beyond a shadow of doubt that you don’t need a wad of money to give your kitchen a brand new look. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of paint, a little bit of elbow grease, and some good ideas. Use these five as inspiration.

This renovation is very near and dear to my heart, having lived in many studio apartments, including one that was nearly identical to this one in size, configuration, and location. Watch this 300-square-foot studio go from dingy and cramped to bright and seemingly spacious. Laurie Jones, of Laurie Jones Home & Lifestyle, designed and executed this remodel for her daughter: The before is what every apartment looks like in Wrigleyville.

If you’ve just spent hours assembling your child’s new dollhouse, or are still pulling things together for Christmas morning, then you might not want to see this. Because mom Melissa just turned this generic brown Costco playhouse into a winter wonderland of beauty.

Sometimes, when people describe a room as “a nightmare,” they’re talking about shag carpeting or hideous laminate or cheesy ’80s style. Today’s kitchen sounds like the stuff of actual nightmares—read on lest you think I’m talking about the blue-mustard color combo you see here. (But don’t worry—the space now is totally dreamy.) What a difference a new everything makes!

When three friends — Amanda, Kate and Carina — decided to chase their dreams and buy a cabin in the Catskills together, they were ready to start having fun and enjoying their mountain retreat right away. But the home was built in the 1980s, and though the architectural bones were extraordinary, there were still a lot of elements from the era (like bizarre wallpaper, carpeted stairs, funky electrical work, and a mustard yellow shower).

Morgan and her husband recently bought a home and, little by little, are updating each room. First up, the laundry room. One of the things that sold them on the house was having a mud room off the garage, complete with a washer and dryer. As handy as that is, the room was very dark with brown walls, brown cabinets and was desperately in need of an update. More than anything Morgan wanted a light, bright and fun space to work in.

Because face it: when they're happy, you're happy.

I can still remember the Kindergarten tradition of making homemade menorahs at my Jewish day school like it was yesterday. Take a sawed-off 2×4, glue 10 small square tiles atop it, in a line (two at the center for the tallest candle), then place 9 screw nuts in a row, one on top of each tile. I’m pretty sure my parents even still have mine — somewhere. With Hanukkah mere hours away now, you may find yourself in need of a last minute menorah.

If you’ve ever priced custom closets, you know that they cost a lot. Like, a whole whole lot. But the good news is that you don’t have to spend a million bucks (or even a thousand) to get a closet that looks like a million bucks. Your secret weapon for custom-ish closets? IKEA.