These 7 Knock-Out Projects Will Make You Say, “Yes I Can!” Beautiful you-can-do-it inspirations for easy DIY projects. As anybody who’s been inspired by HGTV can tell you, DIY projects on TV look amaaaazing. But DIY renovations in real life: kiiiinda the toughest thing ever. And, yet, these rookie craftsmen did beautiful, jawdropping work that will totally inspire you. Check them out! #1 PINTEREST-WORTHY WINDOW SEAT An empty recess in a room is a ripe spot for a DIY project, as home improvement blogger Britt Kingery can tell you. She and her husband, Justin, built a window seat so ridiculously Pinterest-worthy you’ll want to make one for yourself (like, right now). It’s a roomy 10-foot beauty, so you can seat a houseful of guests without dragging chairs all over the place. And (bonus!) there’s storage underneath for stashing lots of stuff out of sight. You can custom-create your own for about $250 if you’ve got a few essential DIY tools. Or you can do an Ikea hack to get the same result. Just attach one of their long, horizontal storage systems to your walls. Then add cushions and preformed molding for the same custom look. #2 MIRACLE MAKEOVER WITH JUST PAINT, STAIN (AND PATIENCE) “The Brady Bunch”-orange wall and abused floors in the before photo are homely enough to strike you blind. But what a miracle paint, sanding, and stain can do! Lighter shades on the walls, trim, and floor reflect natural light, making the space so much brighter. And for very little money (about $150). The key to such an amazing transformation, Kingery says, is to be a tortoise, not a hare. Sanding, taping, patching holes, and waiting on stain, paint or polyurethane to dry takes care and patience if you want professional-looking results. “The big reveal doesn’t happen overnight, and a renovation almost always looks worse before it looks better.” #3 INSTANT OPEN FLOOR PLAN Cramped, dark kitchens are so very 1981. Sarah Lemp of the “All Things With Purpose” blog turned her dated kitchen into an open, light-filled space that feels and functions like a larger room. The cost? $300. Yep. For less than the cost of a set of countertop canisters at Williams Sonoma, Lemp worked magic. The biggest fix? She just removed a set of overhead cabinets that blocked light and the view into the dining area, making an instant open floor plan. Then she turned to paint, the budget remodeler’s friend. She used a soft griege (designer-speak for grayish beige) for the walls of the kitchen and dining area. She painted the remaining upper cabinets white, and the bottom ones dark gray. “I love the look of white cabinets, but figured a darker color was more kid-friendly,” she says. Lemp skipped the requisite subway tile backsplash and went with peel-and-stick shiplap instead. “It was easier and cheaper,” she says. #4 BRIGHTER BEDROOM WITH PAINT AND WOOD This may be an ugly room, but we’re not sure because it’s so dark all we can see are cheap blinds and a poofy valance that hasn’t been fashionable since the Olsen twins were toddlers.
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