It’s a thrilling time of year for me, a former display artist, when I get to see emerging designers not only prepping their goods for exhibitions but also tinkering away to create unexpected, dramatic displays to showcase their designs. The booths deserve their own show for the amount of effort and creativity that go into…
When floors are in bad condition and refinishing or renovating seems out of the question, people often try to downplay their floors by painting them a neutral color or hiding them under various rugs. However, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that if you can find a pattern or color you really love, the best cure for…
“You know you’re really nobody in LA unless you live in a house with a really big door.” — Steve Martin, LA Story I don’t want to think about what my peeling, drafty door with broken hardware says to the world about me :) On the other end of the spectrum is this gilded Chinoiserie…
It’s awesome to see the DIY painted-rug trend blowing up these days, especially because rugs can be one of the hardest things to shop for — there are so many ugly rugs out there, and the best-looking ones always seem too expensive. This isn’t the first project Holly has shared with us — we featured…
Jesyka D’Itri Marés managed to pack two incredibly creative makeovers into her dining room, and although this hutch was featured on Centsational Girl earlier this year, we felt the pair of projects was too charming to resist. The untreated hutch was lovely to begin with, albeit a bit damaged, but Jesyka had a vision for…
When we posted Evita’s studio makeover last August, I was immediately drawn to the pale neutral palette with a few sprinkles of dramatic dark tones and bold colors. I was very excited to see that Evita designed her bedroom in similar hues and that she added a monochromatic chevron wall. The pattern is such an…
There’s painted furniture, and then there’s painted furniture — pieces covered in handmade patterns that totally transform the original. This Ikat buffet by Kim Frazier is a great example of what handmade designs can add. I love the imperfections and the rich color palette Kim chose. Great job, Kim! — Kate Have a Before & After…
I may have discovered my new favorite color palette, thanks in no small part to this painted headboard from Heather. Doesn’t the gold, wood, cream and ochre combination look fantastic? So rich and warm, and incredibly soothing. The untreated wood gives the gilded stencil design so much character, and I love the accessibility of the…
I must admit that I’m a little jealous of this project; I’d love to have an entryway for storing shoes, coats and all the random objects that otherwise pile up in our living room, especially one as pleasant and lovely as this. The darker, larger tiles are much more appropriate for the space and complement…
I’m not in the market for a new headboard, but sometimes I see projects that make me wish otherwise. This door-turned-headboard by Angela is so simple, and yet it creates such an amazing result. The character of the wood seems far better than any modular, mass-produced headboard of a similar style, and I love the…
These two before & afters share a couple characteristics. Not only do they inject a much-needed dose of sunny yellow into my otherwise cold and drab November day, but they both display a significant amount of DIY ingenuity. This painted floral rug from Sarah has turned on a light bulb over my head — why…
I’ve seen a string of DIY furniture projects lately that incorporate a mix of natural/stained wood and wood that’s been painted. I really hope this trend catches on with furniture designers so we can see more variations of this concept on the market. This salvaged desk by Renee is a particularly awesome example of this…
There I go again with the rhyming! I can’t help myself, I’m afraid. I hope I’m not offending anyone when I say this, but these chairs that Danielle picked up for $20 are “granny ugly” in the worst way. I half expected them to be covered in those thick clear plastic seat protectors. I never…
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?…
i am seriously in awe of the amount of skill that went into transferring these stencils onto the surface of this desk. i have hard time keeping a stencil straight when it’s simply on a piece of paper…seriously, way to go jill! this was jill’s desk as a child. she revamped it so that her…
this next chair project comes from d*s reader betsy o’gara. betsy found this chair at a garage sale for $6.50 and grabbed a can of discounted (mis-tint) paint from lowes for only $1.00. she re-used a burlap bag (from rice at costco) to create the new seat and loves the way the girly pink paint…
these next before & afters come from the talented kristen fountain davis of kfd designs. i love the sort of aged, distressed paint job both pieces got, and the reminded me that i forgot to announce a new column starting next month: before & after basics! next month, barb from knack will be joining us…
barb’s makeovers at knack studios always have fun little unexpected details in them. this dresser, painted blue, has a decoupaged number surface that looks like its made from bingo cards or some sort of numbered paper with a great red and blue font. i’ve been moving away from decoupage in my home for the past…
this pair of makeovers comes from talented d*s reader elien popelier in bruges, belgium. elien found this first piece, an adorable wooden desk, at a local thrift store, and gave it a fresh new look with tape! after taping a line pattern onto the surface, she painted the remainder to create a wooden-stripe look. great…
today’s final before & after is dedicated to a great new makeover book from author and decorative painter annie sloan. quick and easy paint transformations (cico books, april 2010, $19.95) is chock-full of annie’s before & after paint transformations (50, to be precise) ranging from simple repainting and refinishing jobs, to more detailed prints, patterns,…
