Sometimes the simplest projects are my favorites, especially when they provide dramatic results. I’m such a wimp when it comes to sanding; I just don’t want to put in the time to do it, and I know I end up passing on a lot of potentially great pieces because of it. It’s nice to see…
We’re huge fans of Skinny La Minx — you may remember this lovely new “wildflowers” print from Grace’s post earlier this week. I love fabric, but sometimes I resist buying it because I have no idea how to use it if I’m not doing huge projects like curtains or couches. Luckily, Heather had this awesome…
Ugly built-in furniture can be a real thorn in one’s side when trying to design a room layout. The attempts I’ve made to open up our living room have been foiled, again and again, by an obtrusively bulky and poorly stained built-in cabinet, which I am not allowed to paint or remove. Argh! If I…
IKEA bookshelves are great because they can act as blank canvases: simple and attractive on their own but also perfect for manipulating into whatever their owner may desire. The wooden arches that Jenny Komenda built onto these shelves give this wall of books an awesome new look — it’s such a simple visual shift, but…
Sometime in my adult life, I would love to live in a home with a working fireplace, but in lieu of that, I will settle for a great mantel. I love that you can find loose mantels because they are truly versatile objects — just the other day, I saw that Shauna & Stephen had…
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…
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….
The more painted rugs I see, the more convinced I am of the concept’s brilliance. I’m not saying that we should be dumping paint on our hand-knotted wool rugs instead of cleaning them, but it’s great to see the ugly-yet-durable flooring of the world receive a new lease on life. During her home renovations, Jennifer…
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…
After being discovered in a garbage heap, this table received an exciting new look in the capable hands of Nicolaich, a designer based in Athens, Greece. The lovely striped pattern inspires me to be more adventurous when painting old furniture. The mix of solid stripes and natural wood; the vintage-inspired color palette; the white-dipped feet…
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…
It always seems like the very moment I get stuck in a redecorating rut, a clever new project falls in my lap to provide a jolt of inspiration. I have a built-in cabinet with these truly hideous doors, and thanks to Jennifer, I think I now know what to do with them. It’s clear from…
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….
I’ve seen some very clever repurpose ideas before, but I’ve never seen such a great use of a slatted headboard. This double-duty makeover from Jessica makes such good use of wall space, which I too often forget to use when trying to plan storage. I love the simple hardware that she’s added to the headboard…
This is one of my favorite Before & After projects of late. It might be because I’m partial to loose drawers; they can be used for so many things, and vintage drawers have their own unique personality that gets hidden when they simply sit inside a cabinet. Amy clearly shares my attitude on the reuse…
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…
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…
