Tag archives: DIY furniture

DESIGN.DECOR | Student Style That's Worth Stealing

Some of the best high style, low budget decorating ideas come from design students whose apartments serve as blank canvasses for expressing their creative ideas. The New York Times Home & Garden editors recently visited the interior worlds of several future design stars and uncovered 19 ideas worth a steal. Many projects feature quickfire re-design ideas that will inspire your inner weekend warrior.

ODE TO FOAM

A constellation of styrofoam veggie trays make a personal, modernist statement. Mounted with push pins, you can create your own art in minutes. Read the New York Times article on the design by Pratt Institute student-design Michelle Nicholls

ANIME BOOKSHELF

An Ikea hack by illustration student Young Nam Heller reminds us of the newspaper wallpaper idea we shared a few months back. Here Ikea Lack shelves are covered with used Japanese comics and lacquered with Minwax (we recommend using a non-toxic, greener alternative offered by OSMO or AFM Safecoat). Or forego the lacquer altogether.

DRESSED TO THRILL

Idea No. 11 | Castoff dresser drawers (found lying on an obliging Manhattan sidewalk) are primed, painted and transformed into wall-mounted, floating shelves and planter. Clever design by Cooper Union architecture student Kayt Brumder.

For more chic-n-cheap makeover ideas see the complete New York Times slideshow.

Photos by Phil Mansfield, New York Times

DIY DESIGN | Fast Facelift for a Dresser

diy-moderndresser.jpg

Shabby chic less the shabby. This weekend project works great on cast-off dressers, sideboards, desks, and tabletops. If you don’t already have a piece in your own pad to experiment with, try hunting down a gem on Craigslist, a local flea market, Goodwill or garage sale.

A Green Twist
Finish it off with a hip, healthier paint option like Yolo’s Sprout Collection (for modern, spring-inspired colors), Benjamin Moore’s Aura, or Fine Paints of Europe (for rich, historically-derived colors). Other companies like Pantone have started offering non-VOC or low-VOC paints and primers as well so it’s much easier to go high style and fume free. The few extra dollars per gallon is worth it for the health and environmental benefits.

Video Podcast Instructions
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIJ-DDOtH6k&hl=en]

Prefer written instructions? Check out the complete post by Chris Gardner on Curbly.

Check out our full list of DIY Design ideas here.