25 Totally Transformative Flea Market Flip Ideas
When you see the before photos, you'll hardly believe the afters are the same pieces.
It's daunting, not to mention expensive, designing a home that's both drool-worthy and personal. A decorator's best-known hack? Flea markets. Instead of spending a fortune on new items that everyone and their mother owns, give a secondhand item a new life. These easy (and stylish!) flea market flips are proof that you don't need to spend a lot of money for a unique home.
Before: Beat-Up Drawers
Larissa, the blogger behind the Etsy shop Prodigal Pieces, scored this Art Deco chest of drawers for free from the owner who said it was "junk."
After: Volkswagen Bus
Beep beep—creative makeover coming through! Larissa used paint and stencils made out of cardboard and plastic lids to turn her flea market dresser into a cute Volkswagen bus.
Before: Gaudy Lamp
When challenged to transform this flea market lamp, Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer blogger Christy didn't know what to do—until she came across a thrift store picture frame, that is.
After: Chalkboard Memo Board
Talk about better together! The picture frame and lamp base combined forces to become a handy kitchen memo pad, the perfect spot to leave a friendly reminder for family members.
Learn more at Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer.
Before: $5 Cabinet
If you've visited a garage sale lately, you've probably seen a wood cabinet just like this one.
After: Kitchen Island
Sawdust 2 Stitches blogger Corey stripped the cabinet down to its frame and then added paneling to give it a whole new look—and function. We're impressed by the overall design of this island, but it's the way it hides trash cans that really gets us.
Learn more at Sawdust 2 Stitches.
Before: Tired Nightstand
Do you believe this tired old $10 flea market dresser has the potential to become an adorable child's toy?
After: DIY Play Kitchen
Believe it! After a good cleaning and cutting out holes for the sink and oven door, the dresser was transformed into an adorable DIY play kitchen.
Get the details from Bubblestitch Quilts.
Before: Shipping Pallet
When blogger Gina of Kleinworth & Co. bought a new range, it arrived on this wood shipping pallet.
After: Console Table
Coated in blue chalk paint and topped with a maple-stained board, Gina's free shipping pallet became a completely functional entryway piece.
Before: Vintage-Style Washtub
Once glance at this washtub, and most people would pass it by.
After: Rustic Kitchen Island
Magazine Your Home blogger Teresa gave the washtub a new life as a rustic island would look at home in any country kitchen. Bonus: The addition of a vintage wood tray to the bottom area acts as a handy display shelf for storing cookware.
Before: Basic and Boring Table
This plain ol' kitchen table was basically begging for a whole new look! When Bored Panda member ToastnEggs was brainstorming ideas for a new DIY project, she saw this piece as a blank canvas.
After: Monopoly Board
All it took was a little woodworking to create this original piece, perfect for family game night.
Before: $5 Side Table
In an attempt to conquer the Route 11 Yard Crawl, a 40-mile yard sale in Virginia, blogger Joan of Scavenger Chic picked out a side table for $5. She then bought a round table top to help give it a whole new look.
After: Clock Table
A clock-style top gives this table an original look while a distressed finish keeps the design country.
Learn more at Scavenger Chic.
Before: Antique Tea Cart
This tea cart's rusty red paint couldn't be saved—it had to be stripped completely.
After: Lemonade Stand
Restoration success! A run-down antique is now a cute lemonade stand, perfect for spring-get togethers.
Learn more at Rustic Restoration.
Before: Threadbare Thrifted Chair
The old-fashioned, faded pattern on this chair was in desperate need of an upgrade.
After: Pretty and Sophisticated
Believe it or not, this chair wasn't reupholstered! It was actually a blend of white and blue chalk paint that gave it a whole new look.
Learn more at Artsy Chicks Rule.
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