by Lia Fagan

Here’s makeover motivation for the weekend, from my new Canadian friend, Interior Designer Lia Fagan. (I seem to make lots of Canadian friends—must be the hockey gusto.)

Lia can spy neglected furniture cowering in the corner of any second-hand store; and she has the beauty kit to give it new life – literally. Enjoy this guest post from Lia, where she introduces us [...] Read more »

Designer DIY

by Mari Robeson

Design Junkies, we are in for a treat! Today, designer Mari Robeson joins us as Interior Design expert and Contributor. I am thrilled with the colorful and creative stories Mari has planned for us, about what we’ll learn from her, and how inspired we’ll be. Learn more about Mari at her Web site.

Photographs by Jenny Malott

Have you ever planned a room and [...] Read more »

I am thrilled to be able to share this with you as the first item in my OpenSky Shop.

It’s a creative person’s dream wallpaper, Graham & Brown’s “Frames” by Artists

Taylor & Wood.

This is such a fun idea, and those of you who have followed HomeWorkshop.com for some time might remember I posted about this fabulous paper before. The empty frames design (below left) is [...] Read more »

by GraceAnn Simoni

Here’s a quick DIY idea, and a timely tip, from Contributor GraceAnn Simoni, Interior Redesign and Staging Specialist and Instructor from the Chicagoland area. GraceAnn shares budget tips and advice for decorating with your existing furniture and accessories.

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Enjoy your outdoor view…twice!

Add some sparkle and reflection to you space, with a DIY Garden Window Mirror.

The deck on my house has an overhang that always [...] Read more »

My walls have never been the place for the blah. If it’s bold, colorful, and graphic – sign me up. And as you know, I’m a fervent DIY’er.

So when I saw Lola Gavarry’s new book, DIY Art at Home, 28 Simple Projects for Chic Decor on the Cheap (Watson-Guptill Publications, 2010), I snatched up a copy.

Gavarry, a designer who creates artwork for residential clients [...] Read more »

From the Archives: Deck out your Independence Day table with flair, when you whip up a batch of our Patriotic Peeps Placemats – personalized for the family!

It’s a fun DIY project! Click here for complete instructions. Read more »

In our neck of the woods at Lake Tahoe, Memorial Day Weekend is prime yard sale time. Is it the same where you live?

Each year I look forward to driving through the neighborhoods, seeing what’s tucked under the towering pines and firs, and snapping up bargains. This time, our oldest daughter — nine years old — was up early, and pumped to go on [...] Read more »

Here’s a fun, DIY makeover to help freshen up your tabletop. I’d read here that Contact Paper makes a good stencil material, so I thought I’d give it a try and make over our well-used IKEA lazy Susan.

It went from this sad, water-stained (but functional) round…

To this happy, decorative centerpiece!

First I slapped on two coats of a stain-blocking primer, sanding in-between coats. I covered that [...] Read more »

by Regina Garay

Let’s dance with paint today with our Decorative Painting and Surface Design Expert, and Contributor Regina Garay. Regina blogs about her creative work and inspiration

at Fauxology.

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My friend, Sharon Adelman, is a true DIYer.  She loves color, she loves design, she loves learning new skills…it’s the starting that’s the hard part. 

We were recently on a double date with our husbands and were talking [...] Read more »

Here’s a practical project that adds a touch of whimsy to your couch.

“Where’s the remote, Mom? Hey!! Have you seen the remote?”

The interrogation and cushion tossing begins in family rooms across the country. You’d better hope we can find the remote before the opening face-off of The Sharks game.

The solution? A Pocket Pillow to hold the remote. And this one’s extra-special, crafted from recycled denim [...] Read more »

by Diana Durkes

Don your possibilities spectacles and scour the alleys, Design Junkies! It’s DIY time with furniture and accessories makeover specialist, Contributor Diana Durkes. Diana gives “New Life to the Tossed and Found” at her blog, Fine Diving.

This cupboard deserved a second lease on life, I thought when I came upon it in the alley last month. It was in well-used but sturdy shape and [...] Read more »

by GraceAnn Simoni

Here’s a speedy DIY decor update from Contributor GraceAnn Simoni, Interior Redesign and Staging Specialist and Instructor from the Chicagoland area. GraceAnn shares budget tips and advice for decorating with your existing furniture and accessories.

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Spring and good weather are finally here. The sun

is shining and the birds are singing outside my

office window.

This means I will again get out the spray [...] Read more »

by Regina Garay

We’re doin’ the DIY today with our Decorative Painting and Surface Design Expert, and Contributor Regina Garay. Regina blogs about her creative work and inspiration

at Fauxology.

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As a decorative painter, I have access to many finishes and techniques that transform surfaces.  A few years ago, I discovered a beautiful lamp in a gorgeous bright lime green.  I bought it and it worked for a [...] Read more »

Quilts are in style.

I’m glad because truth is for me, they never went out. Quilt designs are a comforting link with our past, and today’s quilt artists are incredible. (If you ever get the chance — drop in on one of the large quilt shows like Pacific International and you’ll see what I mean — awesome artistry and craftsmanship.)

I’m especially smitten with the bold, [...] Read more »

There’s a buzz in Carlisle, England around the bold DIY makeover of its railway station, finished late last week for the filming of a Homebase TV commercial.

Painted bridge photographs by Martin Armstrong

Production designer Darrell Cooke and designer Kate McConnell created the metamorphosis of the station for the home improvement giant’s advert. Purple damask wallpaper, comfy couches and floor lamps adorn one platform, and even kitchen [...] Read more »