I’ve attempted to age furniture before but never achieved the results Amanda did with this table. The piece had potential, with its interesting shape, long legs and oval top, but Amanda’s restrained paint job and new knobs gave the table a new charm and elegance. Great work, Amanda! — Kate Time: Two days (spread out over…
These Ikea dressers should be inducted into some kind of furniture hall of fame. I know we all have a complicated relationship with Ikea furniture, but the Malm dresser is inexpensive, attractive, easy to assemble, holds a TON of stuff and — as this makeover from Josue clearly illustrates — is essentially a blank canvas…
I love hanging cabinets and shelving units because of their dual functionality as wall art and storage. You can tell from a mere glance that this shelf has potential, and its owner Tiffin has capitalized on the modular aspect of the piece to transform it into a cheerful, graphic display unit for her milk-glass collection….
Antique sofas are beautiful, but I’ve never considered them practical, especially if they are upholstered in the light colored linens, leathers and wools that look so fantastic on sofas of this shape. Rebekah had the ingenious idea of using a white faux leather on this old piece; according to her, the fabric holds up amazingly…
Much like Grace, I’ve never met a stripe I didn’t like, and the design on this painted dresser from Carol is no exception. Upon discovering that the wood was in very poor condition, Carol decided to give the mid-century piece a neutral stripe design. I love the use of such a wide chevron shape and…
Erin and her husband were on the lookout for a bench to accompany their entry console table and provide extra seating in their living room. They managed to snatch up this bench at a hotel liquidators’ sale and refurbish it into a sharp, modern piece. The upholstery fabric they’ve chosen provides a nice, bold contrast…
So many transformations involve bright colors or bold, outrageous patterns, so when we get a subdued makeover here and there, it can be quite refreshing. Don’t get me wrong — I love high-intensity design. But I’m finding the calm, neutral palette and subtle polka-dot pattern of Sarah’s desktop makeover very pleasing. Sarah had an old…
I know that painting an art deco armoire might upset a few die-hard wood lovers, but I hope it will relieve you all to know that according to Wendy, the owner of this piece, the wood was in such poor condition that painting it was the most reasonable option. Plus, can we just take a…
I appreciate the convenience and efficiency of simple modular furniture, but sometimes it can be hard to make them interesting. Using paint and minor decorative details, Chris has totally transformed two pieces of wood furniture that — let’s face it — were pretty boring and ordinary. You can tell Chris is a graphic designer by…
Design blogger Sarah Baltare blew me away me with her awesome painted rug from last week, and she’s back again without skipping a beat. This credenza creation is an entirely different yet equally successful and inventive up-cycle. Her decision to leave the handles is unexpected but brilliant, and I hope this ingenuity keeps on coming….
It doesn’t matter how many chair images cross my desk; I will never tire of seeing great re-upholstery jobs. For one thing, I love seeing all the different chair shapes and styles out there. Second, I just love chairs, and a picture of a beautiful chair will never cease to inspire me. Case in point:…
When I moved into my apartment, I was slightly dismayed by the condition of the doors and trim. I’ve simply chosen to ignore it since then, but this inspiring project from Juli has given me a burst of motivation. Like me, Juli has been uninspired by the look of her door ever since she moved…
Sturdiness aside, I love the look of little legs on credenzas, tables, sofas — you name it. Actually, I’ve owned a few mid-century pieces of this nature and I can attest to the fact that while they may look wobbly, little legs do their job perfectly and look cute doing it. As someone with little…
This fun little cabinet makeover is just the right-sized project for me today. I see storage pieces like this everywhere — yard sales, office supply stores and occasionally on the sidewalk. It has never occurred to me to pick one up before, but this project has inspired me to hunt for one and fix it…
Card catalogs are like fiberglass shell chairs and old educational anatomy charts: once heavily used and somewhat banal, as vintage items they are now very hot commodities, with a price tag to match. Since card catalogs are such a prized find, it follows that the re-purposing or repainting of one is controversial. Please trust that…
You may remember how impressed I was with Calli’s ability to paint the gorgeously precise design on this dresser makeover about a month ago. Well, she’s done it again — this Navajo art-inspired dresser is an equally cool display of how a simple (ha!) painted design can completely transform the look and feel of a…
It’s not easy to turn large, drafty warehouse spaces into bright, inviting and cozy studios. But when it happens, I immediately want to move in and live there forever. Sarah and her studio mates decided to use the space as the headquarters for two businesses: interior design studio Johnson/Soler and web-based interiors business Pushpin Revolution….
I really like it when graphic designers take on furniture renovations; they always find a way to add a beautiful graphic twist to the project. This cabinet from David is a perfect example. David loves typography and letter forms, so when it came to fixing up this cabinet abandoned by his home’s previous owner, he…
I hope the powers-that-be won’t exile me for saying this, but the American flag just doesn’t measure up to the visual prowess of the British flag. Plus, the British flag has a better nickname. Maybe we should put this to a vote — who would you rather hang out with, Union Jack or Old Glory?…
okay, i’m going to be honest and say that sometimes my opinion on a project is heavily influenced by the styling and quality of the photos. what can i say? as a visual person, i freely admit that packaging is everything. i like good design and pretty things; guilty as charged. when i saw the…
