I love window seats! Not enough homes come with built-in window seats, and I don’t think I’ve ever lived in an apartment that had one :( It’s cool to see such a substantial window seat, with built-in storage no less, all done DIY style for relatively low cost and time. Ryan crafted the drawers out…
I love patchwork wood projects like this dresser makeover from Jonnie Anderson, whom you may remember from her lovely studio renovation a couple years ago. The weathered wood and pastel tones give the piece a wonderfully beachy, summertime vibe. I’ve never been lucky enough to find salvaged wood in such beautiful colors, but if I…
I’ve been eager to play around with large rubber bands lately, so this display cabinet project from Krisztina Wein could not have landed in my lap at a better time. Using a long, thin rubber band, Krisztina cleverly modified the open cubby portion of the cabinet with an easily moveable and extremely eye-catching banded screen….
For today’s second Before & After project, we’ve got a pair of modified wood furniture pieces: One has been given an aesthetic facelift, and the other has received a functional makeover. When it comes to wood furniture, I’m still a little sheepish about grabbing the paint bucket, mainly because I hate the laborious process of…
I do believe that there are some irrefutable beauties in the world, and wood is one of them. The greatest part of decorating with wood is that cheap, old, tattered and even dirty wood can look amazing; it has incredible texture, character and color. How many materials can you say that about? This reclaimed-wood backsplash…
There’s a soft spot in my heart for all mismatched furniture pieces, be it dining sets, cabinets, seating, etc. Naturally, this multi-drawer media console by Kara Paslay ranks on that list. By building white MDF boxes to surround each individual drawer, Kara and her husband, Tim, were able to stack the drawers in whatever formation…
Doors are so cool. I love how much character you can get with just a door, and I love the idea of transposing a door from one environment to a totally different one, as Lucianna Samu has done here with these old horse stall doors. According to Lucianna, since moving to Saratoga Springs, NY (otherwise…
I’m not a huge fan of how fences look, but I love using old fence wood for projects. When I spot a few planks in a salvage yard or on the side of the road, I always try to pick them up for future use. I love the way Sarah Hart Morgan has transformed this…
This “apothecurio” cabinet by Meg and Todd van der Kruik of Union Eighteen studio is a really wonderful testament to the power of legs. The “before” version of this cabinet is nice, but admittedly a bit oppressive in its weight. Meg and Todd have lightened up this piece in so many ways: the color, the…
If anyone is looking for fall home-decor inspiration, look no further than this amazing wood paneled wall by Lindsay and her husband, Drew. Using planks of beautiful alder wood and a combination of wood conditioner and a dark stain, Drew created an incredibly rich, dramatic accent wall for their bedroom. I love the combination of…
I felt a wave of excitement when this beautiful table makeover landed in my inbox. I’m not a woodworking expert, but I am always looking to try out new techniques. I’m absolutely determined to make myself something using Sarah’s awesome herringbone design. Sarah Summers and her father, a self-taught carpenter, worked together to modify an…
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…
I suspect we’ll have to do a roundup of great pallet before & afters soon because they are constantly coming in. These two projects by Marianna and her boyfriend were made from the same old wood pallets, and both exemplify the beautiful character that pallet wood can add to your home-decor projects, large and small….
Woodworking is possibly my all-time favorite craft, and seeing new inventive techniques and creative re-uses only reinforces my love for the material. Matt has taken a simple, old chest of drawers, some shutters and an old belt and turned them into a really rad piece of furniture. The dark and light woods, leather and crisp…
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 might be very biased when it comes to wood, but currently, I’m in a phase where wood can basically do no wrong in my mind. Wood floors? Always amazing. Wood furniture, wood accessories, wood grain on anything? I’m all for it. Needless to say, I think covering an entire wall with dark, beautiful panels of…
Bathroom renovations can be tough; while other rooms usually see huge improvements from a new coat of paint, a few accessories or small furniture swaps, replacing an ugly pink toilet or bad eighties sink fixture can set you back quite a bit. However, as Becky’s beautiful new bathroom clearly illustrates, the investment can be well…
This is such a clever, chic display of old bus passes that I’m tempted to traipse over to San Francisco to amass my own collection — bravo to SF Muni for making such awesome-looking tickets and for using great color combos! There are many ways to mount these, but Megan made the smart decision to…
After reading through my submission box last night I realized today was quickly turning into an all-before-and-afters day. But you guys really sent over some amazing projects this week, so I couldn’t resist sharing some extras. This amazing table was created by designer and builder Gregory Wilcox of Corvus Design Build. Greg purchased a huge…
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…
