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…
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…
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…
i know a lot of people out there hate ikea and all it stands for. however, i think it would be unwise to discount the amazing role ikea has played in the diy design universe. in fact i think ikea should be hip to the trend and start selling products that support the hacking of…
i get a little nervous when it comes to purchasing large, heavy pieces of furniture, especially when they need a lot of work. my anxiety stems from the memory of a 15′ long solid wood table that i purchased on whim at a local bookstore’s closing sale. with no plan for where it would go,…
i always love seeing behind the scenes of a magazine photoshoot, and this before & after gives us a little peek into a shoot for nonpareil magazine. bethany of b*spoke and maddy of inspired bride bought this hutch on craigslist for $75 specifically for the nonpareil shoot. they thought that red/pink color was a little…
good morning! i thought it would be fun to start today off bright and early with some makeovers to inspire a little summer cleaning. first up are valerie and roger from cabin + cub design. to make room for their soon-to-arrive baby (due this week!) valerie and roger had to convert their 2nd bedroom (which…
we’ve got a PACKED before & after day today so i wanted to kick things off bright and early with emily’s credenza makeover. emily, an art teacher and designer in denver, received this old credenza from her parents’ house and decided to give it a “lighter, cleaner” feel with some new paint, a bold purple…
today is before & after day so i thought i’d start us out nice and easy with some fun and simple paint + fabric makeovers. first up is ana’s bookcase makeover. orange is probably my favorite accent color for almost anything, so i loved seeing this simple makeover on a piece of furniture that just…
i thought it would be fun to kick off before & after day with a bit of a twist: a clothing makeover! clothes aren’t really my thing, but i couldn’t resist this great save from blogger jeannie of make it. jeannie’s loving boyfriend bought her this wool dress but sadly, it wasn’t quite her style….
today’s final before & afters belong to d*s readers max and erin. first up is max from wallter‘s desk transformation. max explained that, “i found the desk and chair a few houses from me on the street with a “free” sign. i repaired the drawers, re-assembled them, sanded down the original paint and metal frames,…
today’s first before & after comes from d*s reader jen eckert. jen saved a beautiful wooden chair from the landfill and decided to update it with a coat of soft yellow paint and two different fabrics. i love the combination of yellow and grey (always) and the way that different seat and back fabrics really…
