Thrifted Furniture Makeovers

This tired side table is a thrift store staple. But Elaine Uehlein of the smash-hit DIY wedding blog stylemepretty.com saw so much more -- or less. She sawed off the legs and the rickety lower tier, keeping only the scalloped top tier, and reinterpreted it into a curvaceous cake stand. She screwed a wood candlestick (the new base) to the center, then painted both pieces a delicious shade of pink. Shimmery gold paint highlights the inside of the piece.

A shade of teal that feels a bit stale didn't deter Kate Riley of centsationalgirl.com, a budget-minded DIY blog, away from this chair. She primed then repainted the frame a dreamy shade of cream, then wrapped the ladder-back's rungs in jute twine. To complete the French farmhouse look, she re-covered the seat cushion in a grain-sack-look printed fabric she scored on etsy.com.

This chair had fabulous classic lines but a dated finish. Jen Geigley of heyjenrenee.com took one look at it and broke out her crochet hook. First she removed the seat. Then she crocheted a fashion-forward chevron-pattern cover and stretched it over the seat, stapling it to the underside. She painted the chair's frame a sunshine yellow, the reinstalled the seat -- all in just a weekend.

Reading, writing, and...repurposing. The creative makers at renegadehandmade.com turned this vintage school desk on its head -- literally. They built a simple wood box that fits between the desk's legs and houses a sweet array of succulents. A second wood box outfitted with a pull becomes a drawer to stash garden supplies. Extra credit for the fab folk art designs woodburned on the front and sides.

Lori Andrews looked to the things she loves -- design, photography, and fashion -- when transforming this medicine cabinet into a key cubby. The interior designer behind the10centdesigner.com measured the existing door, then had one of her own Polaroid photos plaque-mounted to medium-density fiberboard cut to the door's dimensions. She removed the old door, painted the entire piece bright white, then installed the new door. Nails pounded into the top are the perfect spot to hang keys. And she even repurposed one shelf to create a slot for mail and messages at the bottom.

Sherry and John Petersik live and breath the trash-to-treasure mentality on their blog, younghouselove.com, where they tackle projects from pillows to porches. When we mailed them this falling-apart stool, they knew what to do: Paint to the rescue! They coated the base in a rich royal blue, then crafted a padded top with fabric and fiberfill. Nailhead trim keeps the fabric in place and ups the style ante.