Backsplash for Less

Colorado designer Katie Woodman has utilized many cost-saving renovation hacks in her Fort Collins home. The 1970s split-level, which was dark, dysfunctional, and odd with floral carpeting, orange wooden cabinetry and stained glass light fixtures, has now undergone a remarkable makeover. 

For the look of marble (but not the cost!), Woodman went for $100 laminate sheeting from Home Depot for the backsplash, which she believes saved her nearly $5,000. And when it came to infusing warmth into her white kitchen, a custom range hood covered in Semihandmade Tahoe panels, handmade by her woodworker father-in-law, was the perfect DIY. 

Make Old Tile Sparkle

DIY queen Trisha Sprouse loves her 1941-built home but was tired of the dingy tile flooring. “In an old house like mine, even when the tile floor was clean, it never actually looked clean,” she says. Despite her efforts, the grout kept its same rundown look. In lieu of spending money to replace the tile, she went for a simple DIY solution, one that costs under $20. By painting the grout, her kitchen floor looks new again. Get the step-by-step. 

Peel-and-Stick for the Win

Designer Anita Yokota is no stranger to DIY. Her two must-haves for any DIY are ease and affordability, and she updated her bathroom with renter-friendly flooring, for under $100! She then replaced light fixtures, painted, added a peel-and-stick backsplash, plus the faux wood peel-and-stick flooring for a wow-worthy upgrade.

 Built-ins on a Budget

When it comes to media centers, plenty of storage, a designer look and budget-friendly price point are most likely on every shopper’s list, but what if you could DIY one for less? Design blogger Kelsey Johnson, and her husband, Tyler, have many DIYs in their Indiana farmhouse but recently created a floor-to-ceiling media center for their basement. “We spent around $3,000 on the project, whereas a custom solution would’ve probably cost $5,000 to $10,000 or more,” she explains. “We were trying to get as much storage as possible at an affordable price point.” Get their nine-step how-to here. 

Get Crafty With Storage 

Build this clever at-home coffee bar this weekend and thank us later. Anne-Marie Singer went for a chic appliance garage for her open layout Upper West Side brownstone project. An IKEA Sektion High Cabinet Frame, six Semihandmade panels, and DIY Shaker fronts keep the coffee bar in line with the sophisticated aesthetic of the rest of the house, all while providing storage for the microwave and blender too. Get the details.